FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

The week started with a holiday it was Easter Monday. To me it was the same as I have holidays every day. I slept longer and had just put on my Egyptian Djellaba I like to wear in the morning, when the doorbell rang. I didn't expect anybody and especially not on a Easter Monday and looked on the video to see who it was. It was an elderly man with grey hairs I had never seen. I screamed through the phone, but the guy didn't hear me. Finally I opened the door and hoped that it was not a mass murderer. Before I opened my entrance door I asked again who it was and got the answer : The Red Cross !  

I opened the door and the man told me that he wanted to pick up all the medication Rick had bought and which I had put into three enormous plastic garbage bags. There were drugs for a fortune ! The man was happy because he would sort them out and give them to the nurses who visit very poor people and often didn't have the money to buy the medications. It was not easy to get rid of all these stuff, because the drugstores only took back closed boxes and some not at all and I didn't want to throw them away if I could find an organization who had use for these expensive pills. To me it was a crime to just throw them away. The Red Cross in Brussels sent me to hell (really) and didn't want to take anything.  So I called the Red Cross here in Waterloo and they were pleased to take it all. I was happy and relieved that finally all medications were gone and the space where I had put them was free again. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture, because it's hard to imagine how many boxes he had stocked, and I hadn't realized, that he had been ill already, and I had never controlled or checked what he bought.

The rest of the day I worked on my posts, watched a movie, enjoyed the sunshine and then Adeline came over  to say hello to Rosie and we sat on the terrace and just relaxed. 

The houses start to disappear behind the trees which have leaves now. 

Unfortunately with this beautiful weather there are are lot of little things flying through the air and I got asthma and it was hard for me to breath when I made an effort. 

My son had sent me a message which I absolutely had to forward to common friends. He had looked on Facebook for old friends in the USA when he spent holidays in Madison/Wisc with my aunt. The neighbor's son only two years older, had taken him to the Wisconsin Dells to camp there for a couple of days. To his surprise he found Eric but what he also found on his page was a message that  a silver alert had been issued and if Jack is not found soon there will be a spot on tonight's 6pm news. And he had added a picture of Jack his father. The world is small ! It turned out that Jack has the same disease then Rick but more Alzheimer and he had taken his bike and disappeared. Fortunately he was found rather soon. Of course I had to tell this to my cousin who knew him very well too because she had stayed with Jack and his wife and then to an ex neighbor of my aunt with whom I am still in contact ! I know Jack very well because when my aunt died he did all the administration papers for me.  I don't know what happens but I hear more and more Alzheimer/Parkinson cases in my generation around me. 

I should have gone shopping for Rick, but I still couldn't breath normally although I used the asthma spray, so that I did my shopping like Speedy Gonzales bought only what was really essential and fell on my sofa exhausted ! When I don't move I have nothing. Shopping on Internet is more easy. I looked for a parasol as the one I have is too small.

My printer still didn't work  and thought I just will try to connect it to my computer myself. Don't ask me what I have done, but it took me not even 10 min and the printer spit out all kind of papers which I had tried to print. I was proud of myself. 

When I visited Rick he had a bad day, he was very agitated and lay down, got up, balanced, sat down and It took me a lot of energy not to shout to stay put because he tried to follow me and I was afraid to knock him down ! While I put the drinks and treats in the fridge he was angry because I worked and didn't sit besides him. But I had to repair his bedside lamp, he had pulled out the cable, the TV didn't work, but I managed to fix it, and the worst was the telephone which didn't work either. I checked all cables and finally found the one which was disconnected. Then I sat down besides him but then he was looking on his watch with meant that he was tired and honestly I too and I left. I returned home. I had a drink with Adeline and we chatted a bit about everything. 

The nice weather continues and Miss Rosie started to cook in her basket. I closed the curtains 

and she got out and lay besides waiting that her basket cools down. Clever girl !

Meanwhile I also have prepared the terrace for spring and summer, and while I was looking for my (fake) flowers I found all my Easter decoration !! The tree, the bunnies, eggs etc ! Too late it will be for  next year !

 I still have to put my cats around the terrace !

Last year I had bought a table cloth for spring and summer times and I put it on the table for the first time. It looks cheerful to me. 

The days fly by it's terrible, and there is not enough time for all the things I want to do. The last days it was my COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) which slowed me down and obliged to stay home. It's a strange disease, when the air is bad I am fine, when the air is good I feel bad. Never mind I have always done everything the opposite way (or nearly).

Rosie doesn't know if she should stay in or go out, she played Brexit.

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

HODGEPODGE APRIL 21

1. What's something you wish you had spent more time doing when you were younger? Explain. 

More travels without any doubt. I mean I have already seen a lot of the world but there are still places to discover and 2 years of my life were stolen due to the Corona Virus. When you are 20 it doesn't matter but when you approach the 80 two years is enormous !     

2. Who inspires you to be better. Tell us how. 

Why should I be better ? In what ? I have no ambition to be better.

3. Share a money saving tip with us. 

Don't go shopping

4. It's National Garlic Day...are you a fan? Your favorite dish that includes garlic? 

That's sad I didn't know ! In my plate for supper there is no garlic, I will have a Couscous. I like garlic, but I am not a fan. In tomato sauces it can be delicious, in several meat plates to and I always put a bit of garlic in the Swiss Fondu.  I don't have a favorite dish including garlic as it's included in a lot of dishes. If you have a meeting with people you don't like, don't forget to eat some garlic before.

5. Would you describe yourself as decisive or indecisive. Elaborate.

I am not the kind of woman who spends hours choosing clothes, furniture,  jewelry or anything else. When I see something and like it immediately, I don't hesitate, I don't look elsewhere I just take it. Was the same with our apartment it was the only one I visited and fell in love with it and took it ... never looked for something better. If I hesitate and I don't buy,  I know sooner or later I will not like it anymore.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I wonder why I've gotten so moody. In the morning I make a plan of what I have to do and who I will meet or call, and then I either do nothing at all or something completely different! 

Everything is getting on my nerves, the TV that only shows the war in Ukraine, and I think thanks God there was no television in World War II! I saw enough pictures of destroyed cities  in my childhood and somehow I have the impression that I turn around in circles, nothing new, always the same old things.

Even the arguments for the forthcoming elections in France are the same as nearly in the whole world the politicians promise heaven on earth, and once elected we have hell on earth. 

 

 

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 The service is very slow here

Linking to more participants here, and Image-in-ing

TRAVEL TUESDAY

On Easter Saturday I went to the Waterloo Lion, to have a coffee and then go to Rick. Before the renovation of the site for the 200th anniversary the site was always packed with tourists from the whole world, plus the locals. Now you only see tourists, no locals anymore. 

To my surprise there was a little show going on French soldiers against the English and Scottish once.

I thought on TV I see wars and now again, but this one was cheerful, because of the colorful uniforms and the all the death which resurrected after a while, slapped each other on their shoulders and went back to the others. 

 

Not many people climbing up the 53 (renovated) steps.

The commanders yelled

and a dead soldier lay on the canon (be reassured he wasn't dead for long !)

 

Sometimes the canons shot and made an horrible noise

and smoke !

After having demolished all historical houses, the new built should represent the"Bivouac of the emperors" They tried their best inside that it looked old, it's nice but not old ! There were not many people outside and the terrace in front of the Lion was not open yet. 

What I like at this place is, I have the feeling that I am on holidays when I see people from all over the world armed with their cameras admiring the battle field !

 

 

 Linking to

TRAVEL TUESDAY

 THROUGH MY LENS

AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND APRIL 16

Arthur who left us forever after 20 years of life together, loved to ride in the car !

and gave a show for the following cars or for people walking by ! He was a very special cat

 

Usually cats don't like children very much, but Arthur loved them babies and toddlers and played with them. Here he is with one year old grandson

He made us laugh with his sleeping positions !

Some cats can see themselves in a mirror, others don't. Arthur just looked in the mirror as if it was a wall, he didn't see that there was another cat looking like him !
 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

 

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WEEKEND 

Easter Saturday, I had to get up at 6.30 am because my cleaning lady arrives at 7.30 and I have to open the door for her.  The days when I could sleep until noon without any problem,  I often wake up at 6 and when I have to  get up it's very hard ! That's psychological.

I crawled out of my  bed and made myself some coffee, fed Rosie who, as always, was somewhere waiting for me to leave the kitchen because she only eats when she's alone. If I happen to come into the kitchen, she runs away as if I had chased her away with a broom! Don't know why, she's been with us since she was a kitten !

Honestly I had completely forgotten that it was Easter and was surprised when Maria came with a bag with two chocolate bunnies, eggs and a card, real cute !

Finally she was able to prepare the terrace for the summer and now at least I have chairs so that my visitors can sit down. The weather is very nice at the moment and also warm around 20°C. 

In the afternoon I visited Rick, he was laying on his bed and I immediately noticed that he was not really feeling well. But he appreciated the chocolate Easter Bunny, the shorts, and the game with the wooden cubes. I hung the picture of Rosie and me at the closet door so it was just opposite his bed and he could watch us.   

As he was tired I left and let him sleep, I thought I will bring him the chocolate pudding he asked for the next day. 

It was so nice that I didn't want to return home right away and I went to the Waterloo Lion to count tourists. To my surprise there was a show going on and I parked my car to watch and take pictures. 

I chatted with the tourists and explained a bit the history, there were Germans and English people and of course a Japanese group. Suddenly the canons started to shoot and made a terrible noise the dogs became hysterical, the kids cried and the elderly certainly took out their hearing aid! I wanted to have a drink there but with this noise I returned home into my silent apartment.

On Sunday I got up as usual, prepared my posts and answered the Whatsapp messages which arrived en masse ! Then I went to Adeline my neighbor still in my bathrobe, to wish her happy Easter and we had to laugh because she wasn't dressed either. We had a coffee together and then she had to go to one of her sons and meet his family and kids.

I had thought to make a tour on the flea market, before I go to Rick to bring him his drinks and the pudding. It was hard to find a parking place, even with my mini car and suddenly I didn't feel like it anymore.  But I started to walk direction market, when I saw a friend I hadn't seen since ages, we used to play scrabble together and we had been in the same painting group. I don't like to play scrabble anymore already since a long time and only participated for the fun to meet the others. Same for painting. She told me how busy she is and she also has a boyfriend now. Why not.  Usually the youngsters (I included when I was that age) thought that once at 40 people wouldn't date anymore, but now I see that even 80 or older people look for a fitting soul ! As we chatted the time went by it was already late and I walked back to my car to drive home and she went in the other direction. 

When I arrived in Riccardo's room, he had already a visitor, his friend with whom he had played Whist for years  she had brought him ice cream and made a coffee, he was spoiled ! and then I arrived with my drinks and chocolate puddings ! He was in a quite good mood, I told him who had wished him happy Birthday and Easter and he remembered all the people. I also noticed that he had tried to play with the cube puzzle and he found it difficult, but that he has tried was already a good sign. It's better then pull out doors of his wardrobe or staring at the ceiling ! Maybe they had given him a medication to calm him down. From time to time he has hallucinations "repairs" things.

Tomorrow is another day off and all shops closed, but there is always a lot to do with my new computer and now if it is as warm as today I can even "work" outside !

It's strange but now in my actual situation I love to be alone and write and enjoy the beautiful view, now that the trees bloomed or got fresh green leaves ! I also learned a lesson, be careful with so said "friends" they let you down when you are in troubles. 

Miss Rosie prefers mousies to Easter eggs !

SUNDAY SELECTIONS

I don't know this flower's name, but I would call it Corona !

Linking to :

Sunday selection