FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

Monday was the first Christmas day, most of the shops were closed except the Christmas market ! I made a lazy day, answered Christmas wishes, I haven't got a single in paper, all per email or Whatsapp. That's very nice, because Christmas cards are expensive, the stamps are expensive and the card takes 3 weeks to arrive, or even longer ! 

In Belgium there is no second Christmas day like in other countries, and in the UK is boxing day. When my English was not so good, I wondered why the British people are boxing on Christmas ? I really couldn't understand until my friend Ann explained me that the word "Box" is a carton which contains gifts and not Boxing shows ! They always teased me with my boxing ! 

We had quite a busy week. Every afternoon there is entertainment for the residents. If I like it then of course I'll go. This time we were supposed to pull a piece of paper out of a bowl and there was a word on it and we were supposed to draw it and the others had to find out what it was. I've never seen so many artists and we really had a lot of fun. I had to draw a box. Sometimes it took some time to find out what the drawing represented.

 

 

Here is Amandine who is in charge of the well being of the residents. She is an adorable girl and we get very well together. I also try to help her, it is not an easy job.  

Then the birthdays of the month were celebrated with coffee and cake. A choir had been hired who sang very well French songs, some of which also exist in English. The atmosphere was great, some people were dancing, and one saw a lady in a wheelchair wobbling back and forth, she wanted to dance so much. The man took the wheelchair and swung the lady and the wheelchair round and round, it was supposed to be a "rock and roll". How we laughed! And the lady seemed to have found her youth again.

unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of them.

But that was not all, on Friday we were invited to a Cocktail by the manager, there was champagne, appetizers, chips etc. I was lucky I sat with two women and a man, all of whom were all approaching the 90, but very funny. One told me her whole life that her husband was a drunk and, thank God, died early. She never married again but had a few lovers. You couldn't believe it when you looked at her! Then we all got a beautiful cushion which had a plaid inside. Rosie tried it out immediately when I came back.

Again I forgot to take pictures ! Then we had lunch, fortunately, as some of the residents had some glasses too much and were very funny. Finally I thought these oldies (me included)  have more fun then the youngsters. 

So my week went by very quickly. I feel very well here ! No shopping, no cooking, no cleaning, what a paradise !

The only worry I still have is with my landlord, he wants me to pay damages which I had never done, really ridiculous. He probably thought that old woman will pay. There he is wrong ! He doesn't know anything about it and takes me for a fool. 

 

 

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY- THE ISTAMBUL BAZAR

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 m², attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.

 

A VERY HAPPY AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR

 

 

more participants here, and Image-in-ing

AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND DECEMBER 23

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS

 

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 WEEKEND

Saturday I wanted to go out a bit, but the weather was so awful that I thought I will catch a cold/Covid,

 Therefore I sent my Christmas cards not by snail mail but by email. Our mail is so slow that I would have to sent the card at Easter so that it arrives at Christmas. The day went by so quickly and while I watched my film in the evening and fell asleep, it was 8.15 pm. The film was very interesting because I woke up at midnight and saw two fighting hippos ! I went to bed and couldn't sleep ! 

I red the happenings on Facebook and watched little movies with monkeys on my Tablet and then finally I slept. Unfortunately Rosie at 7 am did her morning jogging on me, so I got up gave her something to eat, but she wasn't hungry and returned to bed and it was 9 when the girl brought me breakfast. 

On the Breakfast tray were 4 croissants and a napkin which should say "Merry Christmas" unfortunately the personal in the kitchen didn't know English and gave us a napkin which made me laugh !  

Probably it was made for summer parties !

We had no Christmas weather at all, it rained and it was very windy. I went to the restaurant to see if there was something special, but besides that it was so full and noisy because of the visitors who had come to visit their grandmas and pas, so that I quickly returned into my room and waited for the Christmas meal, which was really delicious.  A shrimp salad as starter, a thick slice of meat in a Porto sauce and as dessert Brownies with a vanilla sauce. Maybe they can't speak English, but they can cook !

Had a few phone calls to do and the afternoon was quickly over. Then my son and family made a video call and since I had discovered that Whatsapp also works on a computer I saw the three very well. We chatted for a while and I told them that I had a nice Christmas. I had bought a bottle of alcohol free "Champagne" which tasted very good.

After having watched an old French movie   "Father Christmas is a rat" I went to bed.  I watch it each Christmas or rather we watched it. It is one of the funniest and very psychological French movie which are usually boring stupid. Except those on TV. And so I spent the second Christmas Eve alone, but I didn't feel alone. A ghost called Rick sat besides me !