FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

After having seen my head in the mirror on Monday, and thought I look like a mop, I decided to go to the hairdresser. Adeline, my neighbor had to go too and so we went together to Carrefour Supermarket where my hairdresser has her salon.  It's practical because you don't need an appointment. 

We were both happy with our haircut, for Adeline it was the first time, I am already an antique there. 

After that, we went to the "Lunch Garden" also in there and had lunch. It was a very good Hamburger but only the meat which sat on a potato pancake ! It tasted really nice. After that we had a look on the Christmas decorations and suggested gifts, found everything far too expensive and returned home rather tired !

I hate to do the shopping but I have to go at least once a week, but this time my freezer was empty too so I really had to go and that was enough for shopping. On my return around 4 it became dark already, that's why we have daylight saving ! If we wouldn't "save" day light it would be 5 when it gets dark !  What a nonsense !

Waterloo city was busy with building up the Christmas market ! 

These tents made me think of Arabian tents not very christmassy ! That is the first time since the 47 years I live here that I am really disappointed.

From what I saw from the street it looked a bit poor ! Also the streets have not very much decoration and as many boutiques on the main street have gone bust and are closed, it looked even sadder. Somehow the shadow of the Corona Virus hung over the city. Many events were canceled in the last minute so to speak.

I finally had finished my Christmas decoration, the only thing missing were the light garlands because for that I needed batteries. Some garlands I could connect to a power bank which is very practical, but the others had a plug !

It's still grey humid and cold and I wonder if this will never end. I thought I make a cozy day just put the batteries in my garlands and candles. For this purpose I switched on the TV and looked for some Christmas music on YouTube. 

The TV screen showed the news but I couldn't see anything properly because the screen was covered by a huge black square and there was written that if  I would make an update I could by pushing the button ???? (was written in French) my Sony remote control is in English, no button corresponded. 

Finally I first called the Internet provider (dial nr 1 for French Nr.2 for Flemish etc ) the Technician was fortunately n° 1 but still it took time to get him. Unfortunately he couldn't help me because it was a TV problem. He gave me the Technical Service n° of Son , same thing dial 123 after 15 min I finally had some human talking to me, suggesting to pull off all cables and then ... the rest I didn't even listen I got the impression that I knew more than her ! 

Finally I called my ex neighbor Isabel who always solves all problems for me. She came, took the electric cable off from the TV waited 10 sec and then pushed the button OK in the middle of the remote control ! It took not even 5 min !

It spoiled my whole day, finally a part from the laundry and running around in circles I didn't do anything but the TV ...

Grandson Toby had his 11. birthday on November 17 but as the family was looked in because Toby and then his mum had Covid, they couldn't celebrate with his friends. So they did it last weekend and my son sent me pictures ! They apparently had a lot of fun ! Toby gave up football (soccer) and is now 100 % into Basket ball playing ! I think  that suits him better as he is so tall.

Rosie didn't care about garlands, Christmas balls, and the out of work TV, she slept the whole day

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

HODGEPODGE DECEMBER 16

1. How young is young? In the past, according to various organizations who decide these things, age 60 was the 'border age' to old. The World Health Organization has done new research recently and divided up the categories as-0-17 (underage), 18-65 (youth or young people), 66-79 (middle-aged), 80-99 (elderly senior), 100+ (long-lived elderly). Your thoughts on this particular breakdown, and also your thoughts as to where you land? 

Actually there are two kinds of "young", those according to the World Health Organization and the date in your birth certificat your birth certificate and the age, how you feel and how you adjust to the times.

I have rather the tendency to forget my birth date ! I could behave like an "underage" (what a word)  and then all other ages except probably 100 because this depends on your health ! (I am born in 1943)

I have met an 100 year old man who always sat at the entrance of his retirement home who told me that he is getting old. 

Why I asked, because, he said, I like to watch nice loooking women, but now I always fall asleep ! It's now some years ago, but I never forgot because it made me laugh and I thought what a happy old man he was because now he certainly doesn't sit there anymore.

 

2. TIME magazine has declared Elon Musk person of the year in 2021. What say you? If you want to know more about how they choose you'll find that info in the link here. If you were choosing, who would be your person of the year?  

Never heard about this man ! The first person which comes into my mind is the ancient chancellor Angela Merkel, who in my opinion is and was a very competent woman amongst all these males ! 

3. I read here ten habits of extremely likable people which include-they greet the world with a smile on their face, they ask questions, they're consistent, they put the phone away, they remember names and use them, they keep an open mind and don't pass judgement, they're authentic, they're kind and generous, accountable for their mistakes, and they send thank you notes. So, are you likable-lol? Which one of these habits could use some further developing in your own life? What is one habit/quality you'd add to the list? 

I wish since a long time to remember names but that remains a dream and a nightmare. Even if I make an effort and repeat the name or try by all means to keep it in mind, the next time I meet the person, I have forgotten the name and often the face too ! 

4. One non-holiday related task/job/goal/dream on your to-do list that you hope/plan to make happen before the new year rolls in? 

I would like to spend a day in a SPA

5. Share with us some of your holiday plans. 

I am the whole year on holidays because I am retired, for me holidays are travelling and discover the world. Actually. I don't want to travel due to the severe disease of my husband 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I still have the same thoughts how long does Rick will make it ?  For the moment my glass his not half full or half empty, it's empty.

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 1968

1969

  

 

2018

gift from our son

more participants here, and Image-in-ing

DJERBA - TUNESIA

Still not travelling, I dig in my memories ! This time I went to Djerba in March, because the weather is already warm and sunny there while here it can still snow ! I had seen Djerba before and this time I went there just to rest and get some Vitamine D ! Djerba is an Island belonging to Tunesia.

The Airport of Djerba, I liked the "bubbled" roof !

The translation is real cute !

one of the many hotels

The landscape on my way to my hotel,

My hotel "Homere"

Tunesia was the only Northern African country where I saw women working in a hotel, in Egypt and Morocco there were only men. 

The beautiful inside pool, very much appreciated because the sea was still too cold for swimming

Good food 

 

A nice garden to walk in, the flowers were already blooming

 

on the way to the beach. There had been a terrible storm 2 days before I arrived and the beach looked very dirty with the all the algals which had landed here !

 

A lighthouse

Here they had started to clean 

Even  a boat had landed here 

 

Probably in the high season July/August, the beach will be nice and clean !

 

more participants here

AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND DECEMBER 11

 Arthur loved to ride in the car and made sure that everybody behind us saw him ! He also loved to steal food, it tasted better !

Linking to Awwww Monday

 

WEEKEND

 

Saturday I tried to sleep a bit longer, because I hadn't slept very well during the night, but of course at 7 am I was there impossible to fall asleep again. Outside it was dark like in a moles hole, but it had snowed a bit !

It looked beautiful and I thought I will stay home today, but then I had to visit Rick which I usually do on Saturdays. Now I really fear to go there, each time he seems a bit worse to me. Now he has a wheelchair which at the same time is also a walker. But he didn't want to get up and preferred to stay in bed. He looked very tired and also was quite confused. I had bought him a few Christmas decorations, but except for the Father Christmas, he showed no reaction. 

I stayed for a little more then an hour and then I saw on his face that he wanted to sleep. He is often very tired. I left and returned home.

Rosie was waiting for me but didn't collaborate to make a selfie with me. Each time I thought she was looking in same direction she moved her head !

On Sunday it was so humid cold and dark that I didn't want to go outside. Instead Adeline my neighbor and I went to the basement and carried up our Christmas decoration. I didn't even remember what I had bought last year, because I had left all old Christmas decoration in our house. Now I regret I few things. For Adeline it was the same. But then my energy had left me again and I just did decorate a bit. Tomorrow is another day !

These are all little table decorations, and the advent wreath, Adeline gave me a little fake Christmas tree which I still have to decorate. I am happy that we have made up our Christmas program, my son with family come to celebrate with me on Christmas Eve so that I am not alone, that would have been difficult and then on Christmas day we will see how Rick is feeling and if we can take him home at least for a couple of hours, but that's not sure at all. But sometime miracles happen !