FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

I made a good start in the New Year, I felt "normal". My landlord had called me and agreed with me that  the expert who made the inventory had exaggerated! He found damages which I, brave little old lady would have done, but it looked more like a horde of youngsters. And prices he invented ! I think we will come to a friendly agreement, although I never trust men ! So I started the week peacefully and relaxed !

Isabelle came with the little 10 year old girl with the strange name Inaja but is Belgian. The girl was taken from her parents by the social services because they were both alcoholics and neglected the two children they had. Inaja came with a nice design for me for Christmas, which I found very cute and Isabelle tried to connect my printer unfortunately without success.

The next day Dario came because we had to go to the Banks, he had to come in person to get a procuration on my accounts; to pay my bills if I loose my head or can't write anymore or I start to try to buy a Ferrari in memory of Rick who loved them. It went quicker as we thought so he had time to fix things which I couldn't do.

For the first time he had his lunch with me in the "castle" and it was so good that the servant saw in his eyes that he was still hungry and asked him if he wants a second portion. Of course he did ! 2 m need food. I had not finished with my risotto and roasted chicken, that he had already eaten his second portion. The afternoon he tried to connect my printer, but I had lost the password, and nobody was there who knew it

He carried 12 kg of litter for Princess Rosie, I hope that she doesn't think that this is an invitation for a diarrhea. 

Father and son and dog Lea. Toby is 13 and grows too fast, said the doctor. He had to give up football (soccer) and does Basket ball instead. 

I lost my mobile and asked a friend to ring me until I found it. It rang somewhere coming from the fridge. I thought it might be possible that taking out a bottle I had put my mobile in. Thinking that I am still 30, I got on my knees, to look if it was there, it was not, and then I couldn't get up, nice, the bell was on the opposite side hanging over my bed. While I tried to get up I fell to the side and it was even worse.

After a while I managed to sit and I slid on my bottom all the way to the bed. Then I rang the bell nobody came, after half an hour I thought theoretically I should be dead by now and with my tablet rang Isabelle. Unfortunately she misunderstood, called the home alerted the Nurse that I would lay on the floor since half and hour helpless and bleeding, while I sat on my bed and was reading, still waiting for the nurse, it was the fourth time that I rang. Suddenly 2 min after the phone call the nurse appeared and she checked me from head to foot but I had nothing as I had told her. 

Later in the evening I was checked again, but still everything was normal I was only  upset,  that she had interrupted my film ! This story went like a storm through the whole building, and I became almost famous. 

As usual we had our activities in the afternoon the next day, and it was again very nice, you got a letter and had to find the capital of a country, a plant, a fruit etc. We had a lot of fun !

 

Today we had fire alarm, nobody bothered or looked out of his room, only my TV was angry and went on strike, but my computer still worked. Rosie didn't even lift her head. She gets used to all these noises and it was the 4th alert since I am here. 

 

As for a week I felt real good despite the daily rain and humid air, I hope it will continue and I can lead an almost normal life again.  

 

 Rosie during the alarm, she continues to iron my invoice

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE JANUARY 4

1. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse or just general uselessness (go here to read more about how the words were chosen). 

Here are the words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2024- hack, impact, at the end of the day, rizz, slay, iconic, cringe worthy, obsessed, side hustle, wait for it.

 Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why?

 I didn't even know the word rizz and apparently Google neither because it's underlined in red. My dictionary says that it is seldom used, so for me it can be banished from the Queen's English ! For the word "hack" I don't care, it's almost the same in German and maybe I used it in English, so they can take it out or leave it, I don't know what I should hack. Slay exists even in the dictionary, but I wouldn't use it. Iconic they can keep, cringe worthy I never used, but obsessed they should keep as some women are obsessed with cleaning their house, and side hustle I don't know, so it doesn't matter, but wait for it they should keep ! I often wait in the post office if I have to send a parcel !

Are any of these a regular part of your speech? Is there a word not on the list that you'd like to add? 

No, for me there are enough words, think of your children when they have to learn the vocabulary in another language.

2. What do you wish you'd done more of last year? Less of

Nothing, I moved, I had health problems and I was a nervous wreck, that was enough. Less of, would fit !

 3. A place you'd like to visit in this new year? Do you think you will?

If possible, I would like to go to Eastbourne or make a tour in the UK. All depends on how I feel.

4.What are three words to sum up or describe your 2023

awful, disgusting, and shitty

5. What advice would you like to give yourself as we begin a new year ? 

Try to get rid of my health problems and get a bit more energy, also without Rick

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

There still  is one problem to solve with my "old" apartment, otherwise I feel like a fish in the water in my new home. I love my room which is very cozy, even the Manager of the home admired it and Rosie too ! And the view out of the windows is great. Now I can say that I have found the ideal place to finish my life in this world. Not too soon, I hope, but I saw a French lady on TV she was 120 years old and looked really nice ! She was full of humor and made the reporter laugh. She says she drinks a glass of red wine to all meals, and that keeps her fit ! An example to follow !! (not necessarily the wine), although here at lunch we get all one carafe of red and white wine.

 

and Princess Rosie likes it too, so many birds to observe !

 

 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 I made a tour around Greece (not the islands). What I noticed was that all statues were damaged ! I had seen the statues in Turkey which were much better preserved and taken care of. The tourist sites were neglected in Greece and well kept in Turkey.

more participants here, and Image-in-ing

AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND DEC 30

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS

 

WEEKEND

On Saturday afternoon Isabel came for a visit, to bring me this cute gift, warm cat socks ! With her was the now 10 year old Inaya, a little girl who lives in an institution because she was taken from her parents two alcoholics. Isabel takes her once a month for a weekend and also for holidays. I think that's a real adorable gesture. This little girl with the strange name although she is Belgian, cannot yet write but she has already made a lot of progress. I was very touched that apparently she likes me, because she had seen me twice and she had made this cute drawing for me. Then they left to prepare the living room for the New Year's celebration. 

I don't know if there was something organized here, anyway I didn't want to go and be amongst a lot of people. I ate with them in the restaurant at Christmas and the 31, but I didn't support the noise and the people in general, I had to hide in my cozy "hole". Outside it was very windy and of course it rained. I found this picture from previous New Years, when we were a young couple.

 I watched TV and answered the phone, and had my family on Whatsapp. I think Toby starts his puberty now, it seemed to me that his voice had changed a bit.

Then I went to bed with the TV on, not to miss midnight and watched the movie

 

"Keeping up appearances" which makes me always laugh, it's so typical British. I almost missed midnight as the TV was still on "mute", because the show they made on the Belgian TV I didn't like. At midnight and 2 minutes I wished a happy New Year to cat Rosie, who made eyes like fried eggs so round, and then disappeared under the bed, the fireworks had started.

 

It was not much because people wanted to cancel it completely because of the animals, but apparently not all are animal lovers to such a point to cancel the New Year fire work. But it was not official organized by the city, it was all done by private people;  I didn't even watch.

On Sunday I was so lazy, I didn't even make my little walk through the Castle's couloirs, I chatted an hour with a friend whom I hadn't seen for years, and another one who went to school with me in Germany ! But we always stayed in contact. from 1958 on. She lost her husband last year. 

I am happy that the festivities are over !!