FRIDAY's FAVORITE FIVE

On Monday I went to my former painting class to pick up the things which I had left  in the closet from my painting class for 3 years. 

In a corner sat a few people who had their noses close to a table, somehow everything had changed. I took my easel out of the closet and my last picture that I had left there to dry. It was dry !

Couldn't have known that the room was closed for 3 years. The person in charge suddenly stood behind me and watched what I was doing with eagle eyes, I could have taken a pencil with me. 

When I think that I had the key to the closet for 20 years, I had to laugh inside. She's one of those people who has little or no character and does everything behind people's backs. Many believe her, even those who I have known me for over 10 years. I am persona ingrata.

I turned back to look at the room and left  strangely without any regrets. I had fun for 20 years, now I don't like painting anymore, I prefer photography. 

Since the big room belonged to the nursing home and Nicole lived there now, of course I visited her. She was very happy to see me and showed me around, but then she was very disappointed that the painting class had started again and none of the "old" classmates she had known for years had not even visited her. To be honest, I found that very sad. I comforted her and told her to close this chapter as I did.

Halloween, to my surprise has been celebrated more and more this year but trick and treat seems to be less in fashion. What attracts the kids are the costumes.

Hard work !

The next day was All Saint's day, and in Belgium it's the tradition to storm to the cemeteries and clean and put flowers on the graves. The whole year long most of them forget the grave, but on this day they all remember and the streets are crowded and no parking space in front of the cemetery. It is also a bank holiday. As the weather was so nice whole Belgium visited their graves. I have never got used to this tradition, the younger generations are far more "cool", they don't go to the graves on this very day but do it before when they have time around the 1st of November.  

My old friend and ex neighbor of our house, came to visit me and it was really nice. We went to to Italian restaurant which Rick loved and she found it very good. She even could take a doggy bag along. When we came home she lay down for half an hour, she has Parkinson too, but it was diagnosed when we still lived side by side in  our old street and she had medication to slow down the progress of the disease. But now she is quickly tired and has sometimes troubles with her legs, just like Rick. I am so sorry for her, she is not yet 70 ! Fortunately she is still allowed to drive. 

I don't know what happens, but my old neighbors show up, I had a phone call from one which I almost never saw, and she wanted to come and say hello and remained with me on the phone for one hour, her husband is in intensive care since 3 month in an artificial coma. Poor girl. 

The lady whom I met during an excursion and lives in the same building as me, came over for a coffee so that we knew each other better. She is very funny and open, same age as me and loves expositions and have fun and loves to travel too. She stayed the whole afternoon and only left reluctantly because her grandchildren had called that they were in front of her door !

So my week was quite busy, and I also worked on my photos and created some collages and other things. As long as I am busy, the dark and painful thoughts disappear. 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.