FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

The week started with a holiday, it was All Saint's Day and everything was closed. As it rained cats and dogs the people had brought their flowers to the cemetary the day or days before watching carefully the weatherman. Therefore the town was really empty when I looked down on our boulevard which in the mornings and evenings is quite full.

So once a year people remember that there is somebody on a graveyard and run from one to the other. This is an old picture when the sun was shining. They mostly bring Chrysanthemum. They look beautiful hold a long time and gives the grey yard a colorful touch. 

Adeline my neighbor dressed in black was exhausted from all the cemetaries she had to visit from the grandparents to parents and siblings all burried in different graveyards in Brussels ! Therefore she was happy to come over (next door) and have a coffee with me and I learned a lot about the amount of cemetaries in Brussels and surroundings.

I went to Mr. G. (at the beginning of blogging we had to give ourselves a nickname and as I choose Gattina, I called him Mr. G His real name is Riccardo which is too long so I'll call him Rick.

His condition had worsened and he had fallen out of bed again. Now finally they have attached a barrier to the bed so that he can no longer fall out or get up. Parkinson's patients are very restless and have to move around or walk around their room all the time. I didn't stay long and when he suddenly fell asleep I quickly left his room. 

On the way back I wanted to have a cup of coffee with Nicole, she also had fallen out of bed and layed on the floor for 4 hours instead of pressing her emergency button that was next to her. She absolutely wanted to get up alone. Every bone hurt now, but she absolutely doesn't want to go into a retirement home That was enough for me for the day, I helped her tidy up a bit and fled home.  

The view of the brown leaves on the lawn  is not exactly a happy sight ! But if you look straight ahead it's beautiful.

Nicole had asked me to drive her to Carrefour (supermarket) for her new glasses. Now she becomes very slow and forgets a lot. We had lunch and then I led her to the optician while I went to the hairdresser just besides. 

At least something nice ! After that we had a coffee in a nice little café and then I drove her home. 

The week ended with a phone call of my son who told me that Rick has now also the Covid despite the 3 vaccins and I can't see him he is quarantine. I wanted to go in the afternoon which I did for the laundry, meanwhile the rules had changed and the whole retirement home was closed. I gave the laundry and asked how he is and the nurse told me that he is feeling better and that he had even eaten ! Maybe now they will discover that the Covid vaccin is good for Parkinson ?

I don't understand anything anymore went into a shoeshop, bought new slippers and a pair of black boots, which I really needed. There is a proverb : 

If everything goes bad, make yourself a pleasure !

Rosie watched TV with me, I have to say she tries her best to comfort me !

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

HODGEPODGE NOVEMBER 4

1. Three things you're grateful for this first week of November? 

This week ? There was really nothing to be grateful for ! Rain and storm, husband sick, me full of worries, I am in a dark tunnel and wait for the light at the end !

2. Is Daylight Savings Time a thing where you live? Do you think we should continue setting the clocks forward and back? Why or why not? If you could add an extra hour to your day would you want it added morning-noon-night? Do you think it likely you'd be more productive or more likely that you'd just waste more time? 

I find the whole thing ridiculous at least in my case ! I am not a farmer and have to get up at 6 to milk the cows in daylight and sitting in the living room in the dark because between 4 and 5 pm it's dark or getting dark and I have to switch on the light. Where is the saving ? Some people leave their houses in the dark and come back in the dark and use more electricity ! Since years now the politicians discuss to stop this daylight saving (???) but so far it hasn't happened here at least ! I would prefer to have one hour more daylight in the evening ! And I suppose that people who still work also prefer evenings and not mornings !

Fortunately cat Rosie doesn't care anyway she eats and sleeps the whole day and only plays during the night. One hour doesn't bother me at all I don't even realize.

3. Who is your favorite author? Your favorite book by your favorite author? 

I really don't have a favorite author, I mean I have one for a while and read book after book, and then it's another one really I can't say who is my favorite. I like Stephen King, but I also like Danielle Steel.

4. It's National Sandwich Day...will you celebrate? How often do you eat a sandwich? What's your favorite? 

I don't know if it is a sandwich I eat for lunch,, it's one, two or three toasts with cheese, always different and slices of tomatoes or cucumbers.

5. Have you started your Christmas shopping? If so when did you start? If not when will you start? Do you give more or fewer gifts than you did five years ago? 

5. years ago the world was still all right, I had already bought a few presents, and we, our son, wife and our grandson, celebrated Christmas together. This year I have no idea how we're going to celebrate Christmas or whether we're going to celebrate Christmas at all. It all depends on Mr. G's health and how his Parkinson's progresses.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I have no special thought, I only hope that when I bring Mr. G. laundry to the retirement home, I will get no bad news.

 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 Digging in the past I found photos of  the little hands of my grandson when he was just a month old !

 

 

 

more participants here, and Image-in-ing

LAEKEN CEMETARY - BRUSSELS

As Belgium is a catholic country "All Saints Day"  (November 1st) is an official holiday and everything is closed. The use is that on this day, Belgians bring flowers and wreaths to their deceased relatives and friends. A few years ago I visited the Laeken cemetery. At that time it was not so well known, but now the beautiful statues on the graves have been discovered and this cemetary has become a tourist attraction. 

You can read more about the Laeken cemetary on my Travel blog here

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AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND OCTOBER 29

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS

 

 

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WEEKEND 

On Saturday I was up early it was still dark and it rained. I thought that this is exactly the weather I need to lay or sit on my sofa and do nothing but pity myself. I had a stressful week and felt so empty and without energy. 

Someone once said to me that you should listen to your body, which I did and besides watching TV and blogging, I looked out of the window and saw the wet leaves on the lawn. 

 

There was nothing I could do for Mr. G, he was sick and well cared for, mostly he slept. His food was brought to the room and he was given a perfusion. So I'll go tomorrow and hope that my really lazy day will help me regain some strength again.

 

Rosie as a compassionate cat did like me !

 

 

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more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

SUNDAY SELECTION

 

The bad weather took away my pleasure to go out to take pictures for my Blog ! What should I walk around in the rain and take pictures of  landscapes, buildings or animals and perhaps catch a cold  not the Covid I was vaccinated twice and expect my 3rd vaccin. (.... to be continued !)

Then I saw owls in a TV animal show and had an idea. Why not take a picture of the screen? And here is the resul t! A "friendly" looking mother brings her baby a mouse! 

 

linking to SUNDAY SELECTIONS