FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

On Monday the beautiful weather continued and the first thing I did was bringing back the freshly bought parasol which had flown away and a stick was broken. I was not sure if they would take it back, but there was no problem at all, not only I got a new and better model, because mine was out of stock, and 30 € back ! It was cheaper ! 

After having done my shopping I ended up at Adeline's to have a coffee with her, she keeps the little dog of her daughter. It is a little thing, but behaves like a Rottweiler and had already bitten her two sons. She was very worried that her little terrorist would attack me, but the contrary happened. As I was not impressed by his barking and growling, but instead told him gently to shut up and growled back,  he landed on my lap and adopted me as his big friend !

The next day I went visiting Rick. When I arrived I met the head nurse and asked her if everything was OK with Rick. Oh yes she said everything is OK he eats with the others and there are no problems. That's when my alarm bells, apparently this nurse wasn't informed at all. I ran to Rick's room as fast as I could. The door was wide open and he was sitting in a chair in a corner, staring at nothing. He was fully undressed and had probably climbed out of bed, even though the barrier was up. It was a miracle that he hadn't broken his neck.

I threw my bag onto the nearest chair and ran like a fury down and into the sisters' office. I told the nurse who had told me that everything was fine, to come with me right away. At first she didn't want to but when I'm angry then I'm angry I stay polite but my voice gets very loud. I threatened to take pictures and go further, if she didn't come with me right away

Eventually she got scared and came with me. When she saw Rick she was very upset and ashamed. I told her that apparently she hadn't read his file after the weekend.

Then she called a giant who picked Rick up like he was a doll but first dressed him and put new bed sheets.  When Rick was sleeping peacefully and everything was fine, I left.

Neither the nurse nor the director showed up when I got off the elevator, they hid in an office. Of course, everyone had heard the scene. When I got home I had to calm down. 

The next day Isabelle went to check. Everything was impeccable he even had got a mattress anti bedsores with a remote control to make it soft or hard. He was not hungry he just drank a bit, but of course nobody had thought that Rick likes to play with remote controls and his mattress was nearly on the ground. But that hadn't disturbed him at all. Isabelle had to laugh when she saw him sitting like a bird in a nest ! I never had to complain about the residence, I don't know what has happened lately.

On Wednesday I picked up Nicole who is always alone in her apartment. Despite her brain cancer she has all her head she only became slow and needs a walker when she goes out. This time she climbed out of the car all alone and walked normally. It's a real miracle that she is in such a good condition. The doctor had told her that she is a miracle ! All the so said friends had let her down too. She was happy to get out of her apartment and we inaugurated the new parasol which I had put up alone, but it needed to be fixed a bit more. Adeline joined us with little Rottweiler but she behaved good didn't even see cat Rosie who was sleeping in her basket. So no war broke out.

 

Then Isabelle came to fix it like it has to be and also picked up a paper for the tax declaration. Fortunately her friend would do it for me this year again. I am so lucky ! We spent a real nice afternoon on my "new" terrace

Threatening clouds came up and I drove Nicole home before the thunderstorm started. 

I was looking for cords to fix the parasol against strong winds and suddenly thought of Rick's ties, and found three. Two with cats one with Father Christmas. The others he had given away apparently. So far I have been unable to clean out his room.

I knotted them around the parasol, so the wind couldn't blow them up. It looks very nice and I am sure that Rick would be pleased that his ties have found a useful place. He hated ties and growled each morning when he had to knot one around his neck. 

The thunderstorm arrived and my parasols stayed straight in the strong wind and the ties did their job.

I really feared to visit Rick, not knowing in which state I would find him and his room. And what a surprise ! It was like in the past, apparently my explosion had done its effect ! 

The room was tidy, Rick was in his bed with his new mattress perfectly set, the remote control out of his view. He didn't want to eat or drink anything. As it was again so hot, they even had found the the cooler with ventilator which looked like a little tower and made the air fresh and it was working perfectly. This had been a gift from our son who is also very worried about his Dad's well being. 

What was a bit bitter for me was Rick making plans to travel with me ! Since 2010 he refused to travel and I had to travel alone. Although we called each other every evening it was not the same. Now he talked about a cruise and that we should go to Africa etc. 

Again he only talked Italian and I agreed to all his plans. When he fell asleep after a short time I went home. I can't watch him sleep, that's too hard and brings back so many memories. 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

HODGEPODGE MAY 19

1. What's something that makes you feel stressed? How do you cope?

I am in a permanent stressful situation, because Rick's Parkinson/Alzheimer is getting worse and worse, each day a little more. What I do against that ? I try to enjoy little things, like the beautiful weather we have for the moment and I am able to enjoy my terrace, friends are coming to see how I am and a good anti-stress remedy for me is writing, then I forget the worries of the day.

This is an ideal anti stress working place !

2. What's a food you eat that evokes a memory? Explain. 

In Belgium as starter there are snails cooked of course but still in their house in a very good garlic sauce. Of course I wanted to be like the others and ate bravely my snails. As the sauce was so good I tried to forget what I ate. There was a special little fork and tongs to pull the snail out. 

 

When I slept peacefully in my bed during the night, I dreamed that all snails which I had eaten slowly crawled out of my mouth ! I tell you I woke up disgusted and then realized that it had only been a nightmare. But I swear, I never ate snails again, I took mushrooms with the same sauce !

3. This week's Hodgepodge lands on National Visit Your Relatives Day. Will you celebrate by visiting a relative? If so is travel involved? Geographically, who is your nearest relative (not counting those living in your own house)? 

The nearest relative is my son, DIL and grandson. They live in Amsterdam which is about 230 km from Brussels/Waterloo. In Germany I have relatives but have no contact to them since my childhood. I don't even know where they live. One cousin lives near Nürnberg, but we have seen each other when she was still a child and I 35 ! In Italy is Rick's sister and her daughter left. All others have passed away. But this is far away 1200 km. Our family is very limited.  

4. What's your most frequently used emoji? Do you make more phone calls, send more emails, or mainly text to communicate with friends and family? 

I mostly use cat emoji. I use a lot Whatsapp for phone calls and also for writing messages. Emails are more for administration, banks, health insurance etc (of course without cat emoji) !

 

5. Tell us the story behind a favorite piece of furniture.  

As we recently moved into an apartment, I got rid of all our old furniture. I have no personal relationship with furniture, the main thing is that I like it. So I really didn't care to get rid of the old furniture that was as old as our wedding! So the story of my current furniture is pretty simple. I went to the store, bought what I liked and had it delivered to my home. Rick doesn't care what kind of furniture we have, he would have sat on boxes too.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

It is very hot today, very unusual for May. I can't think of anything else then Rick's decline, each day a little more. Now I or Isabelle go every day to check that he has enough to drink he can't do anything himself anymore and I wonder how long this situation will last, but we are both prepared my son and I.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

No words needed  ...... the ice cream is delicious

more participants here, and Image-in-ing here

THE NORTH OF THE GARDA LAKE

 

 

This is the Lake of Garda it is 52 km long (32 miles) and 17 km large (10 Mi)

 

 

15 km from there my husband Rick was born. It is a beautiful place for tourists which of course he never realized  ! He lived there, had to go to school and played on the canon you see below, on the left on the picture. The orange church had a cloister annexed, which had been transformed into modern apartments. Rick's best friend lived in the yellow house which shared the walls with the church.

In summer when the beautiful Dutch, Swedish and German girls arrived as tourists, he and his friends went "Tourist" hunting. But it was not there that he caught me, it was in Brussels. 

From the first time on, when I went with him to know his family I fell in love with the lake ! It was so beautiful when you arrived. And then of course we spent nearly each year at the Garda Lake where friends put our huge tent up for us, as at that time it was nearly impossible to stay with a toddler in a hotel. It was a real luxurious  camping !  in the evenings we were always invited by the family and my SIL did our laundry.  I had to drink and eat a lot !! And never say that you have enough, then your plate will be filled again.

My American aunt when she came once with us stated at the end of our holidays "here people are killed with love !" As she had to taste the self made wine from all uncles, she had a hangover every day (a little one ...) She never forgot these holidays and my poor uncle had to squeeze himself in these very little cars the Fiat 500 ! When he got out he was white like a blanket.

Linking to

TRAVEL TUESDAY

THROUGH MY LENS 

AWWWW MONDAY

As Rosie after 13 years of being and inside/outside cat, and now lives on the 4th floor, each time I find a feather from a pigeon or a magpie I bring it to her as a little gift. Then she is happy and runs around with the feather and doesn't even realize that the bird is missing ! 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS

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My son and grandson came this weekend. Son wanted to visit his Dad, I stayed with Toby because we didn't want that he sees his grandfather in such a state.

In the morning we were parasol hunting ! Not easy as there was not much choice left and after 3 stores we finally found one which was suitable for my terrace. One is not enough as I have sunshine the whole day. 

When they arrived I stated that Toby has grown again ! So before we entered the shop, my son took these pictures of us. I have to point out that I measure 1.71 m and Toby is nearly as tall as I although he cheated in one picture when you consider that he is 11 years old and taller then his mother I wonder when he will stop growing. We had a lot of laughter during the photo session. 

Then we bought the parasol. In the third store we found a suitable one it was the last ! 

Then we returned and my son put it up ! I never had problems with my old parasol and it was a lighter one, but this heavy thing flew in the hedge of the neighbors house the next day, when of course I was alone. The two girls from the first floor helped me getting it back, they knew the neighbor in the next building, but we first had to go through the garden of my neighbor on the first floor. And while I was angry because of this dammit parasol,  my son was with Toby and his best friend in a swimming pool. Of course they had told me so, but I had forgotten. My memory is like a sieve ! 

Saturday evening we went to an Italian restaurant, the one which Rick liked so much, because the food was real Italian. We were all tired but before we went to bed we had an ice cream ! Which Toby ate in no time together with whipped cream. 

On Sunday I prepared the terrace for several people and waited for my two men plus Benji, of course they didn't come because they were in the swimming pool. Finally I had my lunch and then the parasol flew away. A little later they showed up armed with two big hamburgers and chips and ate with appetite. Dario returned to Rick again, while I didn't have to go, it becomes more and more hard for me to see him, or rather what was left from him. 

While Dario visited his Dad, he left me the two boys. As they were probably tired from the swimming pool they behaved like two angels. They were busy with a game and I didn't hear a word. After having finished their ice cream they put the plates in the dishwasher and then tried to put this silly parasol back in the box, because I will try to change it ! It's not normal that this thing flow away with a little wind !

Meanwhile my son has come back and gave me the last news of Rick. Now he only speaks Italian, which Dario hardly could understand and had taken off all his clothes ! Good that the doctor and I had decided no visitors anymore. Anyway it only agitates him, and anyway besides me and Dario he doesn't recognize or remembers anybody. The friend who always played cards with him and visited him twice a week, is not allowed to come anymore. Sad for her, I have to say she has disappointed me very much, not once had she proposed to help me or invited me for lunch or tried to cheer me up a bit. The patient is well taken care of, but the spouse who suffers more could have needed a bit of support. Some people are strange. Fortunately I have got support from a lot of people and want to thank you all for that. It really did me good.

I really was happy to see my "little" men again and suppose that in a short time at least Dario will come back for a day. Meanwhile I visit Rick and check that he has everything. 

A friend and my niece called from Italy and asked me how I feel. My friend is the wife of Rick's best friend who died two years ago, so she knew how I felt and my niece had seen it with her father and comforted me too. Good to know that some people take care of me too. 

Meanwhile little Rosie keeps me company !