28 Oct 2022

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

On Monday the sky was dark and from far I heard thunder ! Cat Rosie made big eyes and disappeared under the armchair. But that was it, it stayed away. I decided to not go out in this rain, and went to my neighbor having a cup of coffee together and listen to the happenings in the building. I don't know how she does it, but she is like a Newspaper aware of everything ! She is always home or in the garage for the garbage bins. It's there she gets probably her news from. 

Isabel rang to ask if she could come to assemble the stand I had ordered for my dressing. 

Unfortunately the company had delivered only half of the order and we couldn't do anything. I complained the next day and spent the whole morning on the phone listening to push nr 1 for flemish 2 for French etc. Finally I sent an email to explain what happened. Isabel couldn't stay for long, she had forgotten to take her anti allergic pill for cats, and little Rosie made her sneeze, getting red and swollen eyes in a minute ! And they even weren't in the same room !

 Rosie celebrates Halloween, she is the only one ! 

Before winter I always take my car to Auto 5 for an annual check up. I nearly fainted when he told me the price, it had almost doubled due to the energy crisis ! I sighed and payed when I picked it up, at least now the car is OK for a year. Normally it is not necessary to do this check up each year, but I have it done for my safety. 

Finally I could visit Nicole in her retirement home which I knew for 20 years because my painting class was there. Nicole is not anymore in isolation because of the Covid she had gotten and visits were allowed. It was strange for me to go in their, I had only been once in the retirement home rooms and found them old and neglected. So I was really surprised to find her in a nice big room with yellow seats and colorful curtains and everything looked fresh and new. It had been renovated ! Now it looks great.

Nicole too, she is a medical miracle ! She still looks good has only a few grey hairs but it is still so thick as it used to be and her face nearly without any wrinkles. She had lost a bit of weight but she really didn't look like some 83 old women ! Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures ! We were happy to see each other, she has difficulties to walk, but her brain still works despite the brain cancer ! I stayed the whole afternoon and then returned home. 

I don't know what happened to me, but suddenly in an energy attack, I got up from my sofa, and took out all of Rick's clothes which were still hanging in his wardrobe. I put them in my car and drove to the second hand shop in favor of battered women, and they were happy when they saw all the suits, shirts, etc.

 I thought that's a start, but couldn't continue, I will wait for my next "attack".

You certainly heard about the worldwide glitch of Whatsapp, when I heard it it was already fixed at 11 am. But all my contact names had disappeared and only the little photo and the phone nr was left. When the photo showed the person's head I knew who it was, but with landscapes, dogs and cats or cars I didn't know who it was ! I called the girls from the first floor who had helped me already in the past, and Flore came to help me. In no time she had fixed my phone as she knew what to do ! It was so easy, I just had to go into the settings and click on "allow" ! It's always easy when you know what to do. She stayed with me the whole afternoon and we chatted and laughed and had real fun. 

She told me that she and Carol her partner, will get married next year and she invited me to her marriage. That will be the first time in my life that I am invited to a marriage of two people with the same sex. I don't care, for me counts that they are happy and they are ! Fortunately it is now allowed and people are not treated anymore as sick and outsiders ! Except the pope who thinks that the person can become "normal" (whatever that is) with psychological help ! He really said that !!

Autumn continues its moving in here is a picture of today

And for those who celebrate Halloween 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN


 




more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.
 
 
 
 
 
 

27 Oct 2022

HODGEPODGE OCTOBER 27

 

1. In two or three sentences describe yourself to someone who has never met you.

I would say, that I live in Belgium since 1958, but still have my German passport, that I love writing and art and architecture and also photography. For a start that should be enough

2. Will you celebrate Halloween this year, and if so tell us how? Let's play this or that-chocolate candy or fruity candy? pumpkin seeds or pumpkin pie? Halloween party or scary movie? hay ride or corn maze? carve a pumpkin or paint a pumpkin? 

Pumpkin festival

Nothing at all, Halloween is not that much celebrated. In some schools, maybe in families who have kids. This year there are some Halloween shows, but pumpkins are not a Halloween dish. It's rather the pumpkin season. 

3. What's something that scared you when you were young? Are you still afraid? 

Horses ! I liked them but I was scared and admired them from far. 

When I had to take my son to riding lessons I stayed far away from the stables. And suddenly this fear disappeared when I was in my 60th  ! I even put riding a horse on my to do list.

If Queen Elisabeth still sat on a (little) horse until she died, I think with an old, little horse, I would do it. Unfortunately I haven't met the horse yet.  


4. Your favorite soothing drink? 

I would rather drink a strong Italian espresso, which I like very much. I don't know any soothing drink for me !  

5. Are you thinking about Christmas yet? Does this make you feel happy or stressed? 

Neither the one nor the other. It will be the first Christmas without my man and that is more than sad. I don't know how, if and where I will celebrate with my son and family (only 3). 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The season called "fall" let my mood fall too. I see myself in a rather good condition,  I don't have medications to take except the powder for my chronic lung disease, which bothers me from time to time. 

Unfortunately when I want to travel or go out to a theater or a show or an exposition, my friends either passed away, or have strong health issues and are unable to walk in an exposition, or going into a theater because the seats are not high enough etc etc.

I like them all very much, but except of going out for lunch, or visit each other there is not much to do. In fact I have very good contact to the daughters of my friends, they like me because I can tell them so many funny stories out of my life when I was a Teenager or in my 20th. Their own mothers married early got children and never had a real youth. While I went out dancing,  had boyfriends, traveled, had a car and enjoyed life before and after my marriage. I realize now, that I was one generation ahead of the women my age. I had a good job, as translator at 21 and was independent from my parents.  My childhood perhaps wasn't great, but from Teenager age on I had a very cheerful life without any responsibilities, only for myself.  

Poor youth today, they already lost two years of their lives with the Covid and now the situation in the whole world is no glorious either.

 

    

Here I am at 18 on a carnival ball



 

26 Oct 2022

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

These are photos I took when I visited the farm "Terroir à Villeneuve d'Ascq" which had been transformed into a museum showing the tools, furniture, etc in the beginning of 1900. These here are all concerning horses.








more participants here, and Image-in-ing here

24 Oct 2022

AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND OCTOBER 22

after having moved to another home, including a dog, Isis after two days feels at home !

 
The princess and the pea

Looking under his world

Arthur squats the bath tube


Linking to AWWW MONDAYS

 

 ********

WEEKEND

On Saturday I was very tired, I hadn't slept very well, for no special reason and finally got up at 6 am because at 7.30 Maria would come anyway to clean the apartment. I took it easy, didn't go out, watched TV and worked on my computer. I also noticed that in a couple of days the trees had changed colors and started to striptease. 

From the terrace
 
 
from the terrace

Front view
 
I had asked Maria to carry Rick's armchair which he had in his nursing home, from my Dressing room into his room (now guest room) which she did.

His stuff is still on it, so far I haven't found the courage to pick up the blanket and see what's underneath. I wasn't there when my son cleaned his father's room. I just couldn't. 

On Sunday afternoon I had invited the friendly couple who was so nice to me after Rick's death. They found my apartment wonderful and are now considering to do the same. Both have walking and breathing problems and she even needs a cane. They have the same kind of house as we had and getting older you need a lot of help, which can become very expensive. 

They just had their 57th wedding anniversary and I opened a bottle of "champagne" without alcohol ! It tasted very good, and even he who was a bit skeptical found it good, in any case very dry and not sweet. 

We spent the afternoon telling each other how we started our lives here in Waterloo, both also came     from Brussels. Time passed by very quickly and they had to go home because he wanted to watch a football (soccer)  game ! Which made me think of Rick who also always wanted to return home when there was the Formular 1. He didn't like to watch football ! Fortunately !