HODGEPODGE APRIL 25

 1. When did you last have cancelled plans? Were you happy about that or disappointed ? 

All my plans have changed when Rick died. I became quite ill and my COPD (chronic lung disease) got so bad that some days I could only walk a few steps and then I was breathless. I also often fell down  all of a sudden and without warning and couldn't get up . I had great travel plans, but I had to give them all up. Maybe I'll feel better in a few months. It is already better.

2. On a scale of 1-10 how much of a planner are you? 

1= I go where the wind takes me  

10=I've got a power point on it, no matter what it is

 

That is a difficult question ! I am neither one nor the other. I first dream when I have seen a beautiful landscape or an interesting city, or that I would like to visit someone. Then I think about whether and when that would be possible and only then do I make plans. Therefore I don't go with the wind. But, it can happen that I go to a store to buy something specific and then come out with something completely different, even though that was a plan!

 

3. Do you have a menu plan for the week? If so tell us one or two things that are on it. If not, what's your plan for not having a plan lol? 

 

Now here in "my" castle I get a menu plan for the whole week.

 

 But when I was still living home, I never knew what I would prepare for the next day or even for supper,  let alone for a week !

4. The Hodgepodge lands on National Bucket List Day. Do you have a bucket list? Is it written down or just in your head? What is one thing on your bucket list? If you don't have a list, what is one thing you'd add to a list if you did? Yes I'm going to make you think about it. 

No, I have no bucket list or to do lists, the only list I may have is a shopping list. For the moment I would add nails, because I still have some pictures to hang on the wall !

5. Rain buckets, a drop in the bucket, couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, sweat buckets, cry buckets...which 'bucket' idiom applies to your life in some way currently? 

Without any hesitation I would say "Rain bucket" or rather it rains cats and dogs, that sounds more cute. Anyway that's my destiny since a few months and I don't sing in the rain ! Cry buckets are past or on some memory occasions.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

There are coincidences ! I keep thinking about it! Yesterday I was looking for a suitable header for my Facebook page. I wanted one from Rick's town where he grew up. I googled and found a nice one and placed a small portrait photo in one of the windows. As soon as I pressed "publish" there was a comment in Italian from my niece, Rick's sister's daughter, who wrote to me that my header was so nice because Rick lived and played in this street as a little boy! Isn't it strange that I chose this picture ?

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

 Selfies ! Down the memory lane ...

 

 

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AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND APRIL 20

 

Formule 1 fan

 

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WEEKEND

 Notre weekend was wet again, fortunately we learned something new ! It is never too late ! Guess what we learned ? BLACK JACK ! had been several times in a Casino in different countries and on our cruise and of course also in Las Vegas, but I only play roulette and nothing else. Beside one other resident all the others had never seen a Casino except in movies !

So our animator found himself in front of a group of 70 to nearly 100 years old ladies and 2 men !

Some understood the rules immediately, some it took some time and some never ! You can imagine what fun we had and I won !! I had never played  this game in my life, but I really liked it. I told my 3 other friends that we should go to the Waterloo Casino and play for real ! I wonder what the players would say when they would see the 4 vintage ladies playing and maybe winning  ! 

The day was saved and we hadn't even realized that outside it was a lousy weather !

For Sunday Poker was foreseen, but it turned out that it was too difficult for us,  so he changed to another game which is called "Naval battle game" (bataille navale).  Apparently it is very easy to play but I didn't understand a thing and it was not only me there were 5 others who were also lost ! We played and I even touched a boat, I don't know how it happened I was not in a mood to make and effort.

Here is poor Kim who explained for the Xème time how the game worked, I admired his patience ! There was one who told us all the time that it was not the right game until another lost her temper and told her to play her game in another place ! It is a new one.  

Fortunately Isabelle came with the little girl who lives in an institution for abused children. Isabelle takes her all two weeks. The girl is 8 years old, very cute and friendly, but she can't read or write yet. But she makes progresses !

Hopefully I can walk my half hour tomorrow !

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

For Easter I usually got an "egg" from Rick. As nobody else offered me an "egg" I thought I will buy it myself and I am sure Rick would very much approve my choice !

It's very cute and cuddly and keeps us company. I have to admit that Rosie ignores it, once she had sniffed the feet.

Again it was horrible outside this time we had hail, storm and of course rain. Wonderful ! Fortunately the activity we had was very nice we were given a letter and had to find the longest word we could. That was quite funny because with a lot of fantasy some people found words, which of course didn't exist. Then as usual we had our coffee. Amandine our occupational therapist announced us that she will leave the residence for another one, where she has more opportunities to exercise her profession, because with us she rather feels like an entertainer ! I don't see much difference except that she will work with heavy brain damaged people ! She is really brave! It is not easy to deal with these sick people. We are all sad to see her leaving but on the other hand she is young and has to build up her career. 

My new friend Lina has her room just on the other end of the hallway, with a not so nice view on the street and houses. Now she got another room, just around the corner it's the same room I have also with view on the park ! Now we are 4 girls on the same floor, who fit well together. That's nice, but we respect each others privacy. 

Lina was not so happy with her new room, because she doesn't know how and where to put her furniture, which curtain to choose etc, etc. So she was happy to hear, that I love to arrange a room, and know already where I will put what I don't need a plan. So I told her what I would do and she was really happy that I would help her. She has a very nice family, her son comes each morning and has breakfast with her, he brings fresh croissants and then he is off to work, at lunch time her daughter always brings a salad and cheese and then they share the menu we get. I have never heard of a retirement home that visitors can bring their lunch to keep company to their relatives ! Even with dogs !

The terrace is cleaned and the summer furniture taken out, unfortunately this hasn't influenced the bad weather ! To us it looks very inviting ! We could play our games outside ! 

I have to force me to go out but I had to buy my fruits and go to the pharmacy. I could order my prescriptions here, but as long as I can move and drive, I will do it myself. 

We ended the Weekend activities with a cross word game. I have never done cross words, my mother could spend hours with her cross words. I didn't find a single one, while a 96 year old found a lot of words ! 

The park becomes green and more green and we are all longing to go out, but it's cold for the season we have almost winter temperatures. I had asked the nurse who was the Easter Bunny, and who is very tall, to look in my wardrobe just under the ceiling to see what was in there ! And she found all my summer clothes and blouses ! Was I happy ! I thought they had gone during the move, and it was dresses I had bought in Egypt for very hot weather, I am apparently an optimist. In a fit of energy, I made space in my closet and hung up the summer clothes, then I asked a young trainee to put my winter coats and jackets on the top of the closet. That made a lot of space. Now it just needs to get warm!

Little Rosie had such long claws that she got stuck everywhere and of course scratched me when she didn't want to. I called my lady groomer from long time ago when I had to go with my long haired Kim. I hadn't seen her anymore since the Covid prison. It was nice to see each other again and we chatted a bit about what all had happened. Rosie who had sang operas in the car, was an angel while her claws were cut. She didn't meow a word ! In the car she started again, but less and finally when we arrived, she smelled immediately where she was. In my room I let her out and she found her cat tree immediately, and finished her claws on her own scratching tower. 

Nearly everything is green by now ! (view from my window)

 

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HODGEPODGE APRIL 18

 1. What's a skill you think everyone should have? 

being polite

2. Do you have a special place or organizational system for gift wrapping? Do you still buy 'real' cards to send for birthdays, anniversaries, get-well, etc? 

I am not talented at all for gift wrapping, if there is a mountain of gift packages, you can see immediately the one I wrapped ! Since more and more people I know have an email, I only send self-made email cards, or I call the person. I've never been a fan of postcards; I preferred writing letters or making phone calls.

 3. It's National Banana Day...are you a fan? What's your favorite thing to make with bananas or, if you're not a cook, your favorite thing to eat that contains banana? 

I like bananas, but I have no fantasy at all how to eat it otherwise then just peeled or cut in little pieces if I mix it with other fruits.

4. Do you believe in second chances? Elaborate. 

I really don't know, because belong now to the 3rd youth. 

I had one big chance in my life which lasted 54 years, now honestly I don't want a second chance I only want a healthy life as long as possible without loosing my mind and be able to still have fun. 

5. What is your idea of fun? 

I like to have company and meet up with friends, I like to go to the theater to see a fun play, or to Shows and musicals.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Despite the fact that we are really spoiled here, and they try to cheer us up with interesting games we all are affected by this terrible weather, nobody even the nearly 100 years old remember such a rather warm but always humid or rainy weather.

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Whirling Dervish Show in Egypt

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AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND APRIL 13

 

Lunch time !

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

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WEEKEND 

On Saturday it was a dream weather ! 23° and after lunch I went in the park sat in the sun and purred !

Suddenly I saw  a small truck that was unloading a lot of stuff and that was later put together as a big tent. 

Waterloo city had started to build up the tents and everything necessary for the Sunday's dog show and promenade ! For the first time the departure and the arrival took place in our park. So we had a lot to see the whole day !

We watched how they put up two enclosures for the dogs to run free and distress, before the promenade started.

When Saturday evening I looked out of my window I saw one big enclosure ready !

Now they were ready for the next day's reception of all dogs and their owners !

 

and the entrance tent too ! Here the owners of the dogs got a number and a map as guide for the walk and dog shows in two other parks.

at 2 pm sharp they started arriving !

of course there were  barks of greeting and then they all sniffed each other properly.

and here I saw the first Corgi in real and not with Elisabeth on photos ! I had thought they would be much smaller but this one looked like a German Shepherd dog whose legs had been cut off. 

As I approached he stood up and ran towards me as if he had known me his whole life. Unfortunately, he almost pulled his owner off her bench! He tried to climb onto my lap, but couldn't because he was too big. Luckily I had my jeans on! So it was love at first sight and I told the owner that I probably had royal blood in my veins, but that my name wasn't Elisabeth. We all laughed, they are really funny dogs.

 

This one was not so keen for a walk and preferred to stay with us.

And then they started their promenade to the next meeting point. There was also a police demonstration in another park but I had had my dose of dogs. 

I don't know what kind of dog he is, but he looked really uncombed. He also came to me to be petted and it was difficult to find his eyes ! 

From the arrival we didn't see very much, not to disturb the residents the bar where the dogs drank water and their owners beer, was on the other end of the park. 

Isabelle came to visit me and watch the dog arrival, I have to say I had a real nice weekend and we were so lucky that the sun was shining !

 

FRIDAY's FAVORITE FIVE

On Monday I woke up because I dreamed that I was in a schoolyard. But even when I was awake, the chatter and noise continued. I looked out of the window and didn't see anything. But the noise continued and then I opened my door and saw a group of teenagers standing in my neighbor's room demanding chocolate eggs. It was the last class from the school kids who had come 3 days to pick up their chocolate eggs. While the little ones didn't make any noise or mess, the older ones were loud and had a great time, playing foot. Apparently they forgot where they were and that not all residents appreciated this visit. Then they disappeared. I wonder where the teacher was. Later I heard that usually the little ones are noisy and not tall guys and girls from 12 years on. 

The next day, I saw a lady walking in our park and picked up papers and other dirt, the big ones had left while the little ones had put all little papers in the bin. 

As usual the weather didn't know what it wanted, so we had to play inside bowling which was very nice as the room is huge and used for all activities. restaurant, meetings, games, guests, etc. and I thought it is the first time in my life that I play bowling under Crystal chandeliers. My ball landed everywhere fortunately not in the glasses behind the bar but didn't knock down the keys ! And who won ? The 99 year old lady sitting in her wheelchair. Maybe I should try with a wheel chair. 

The sun had come out for a short time and I quickly bought my grapes and oranges and just arrived in time to play a very interesting brain training game, which had the funny name Tic Tac Boom ! 

3 letters were given for example COT and we had to find words in this case it could be cottage. It was amazing how many words we found and it was also a lot of fun. 

The next day there was a clothing sale, a kind of fashion show without a model. When I saw the lady who sold the trousers, skirts and blouses, I didn't like her I had a warn signal in my body and I was right, she had very expensive prices for things I could buy on the weekly market here for less then the half of the price. The things I had seen here on the market for 15 € and she wanted 50 !! It was a cheap polyester fabric and she praised the good quality. I didn't stay because I feared that I would open my mouth and tell her what I thought.

Especially those like my little Italian lady who has no idea of prices anymore and is a bit confused. She was the favorite victim and bought and bought, fortunately she had no money, but her children who pay for her will certainly refuse. I thought somebody should have watched over these residents. Before I exploded I escaped and walked my half an hour in the park ! I will tell the responsible what happened, later !

Over night, really all trees had gotent green leaves, tulips came out and other flowers and it looks very pretty. Unfortunately it's not so good for my lungs and instead of making my daily walk in one shot, I had to sit down because I was breathless. 

and over night

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Today it is a sad day for me. Rick would have celebrated his 83 birthday

Happy Birthday wherever you are

HODGEPODGE APRIL 11

1. Do you complete your own tax returns or hire out? Something you've found taxing lately? 

As I have nothing to declare except Rosie, I can fill in the formula online. It's very easy, now that I am in a retirement home. 

Am I deductible ?

2. It's spring (in the northern hemisphere anyway)...would you rather spend the day hiking in the great outdoors or planting a garden? Do you/will you have a garden this year? Flowers, vegetables, or a bit of both?

Nothing from the above mentioned activities ! I have a wonderful park at my disposable belonging to the castle. The park is taken care of an army of gardeners and as I never liked gardening I am happy to be able to sit or walk in this beautiful park. Even when we lived in our house I didn't like to work in our garden and Rick did it very reluctantly, he didn't like it either ! But we both loved to sit in a nice park or garden. 

3. Do you consider yourself a patient person? In what sort of situation is patience not desirable? Are you happy with the degree of patience you have in your daily life? If not, what can you do to cultivate more of this quality in your life? 

I am not a patient person ! Not at all, everything has to go quick and I can't do anything about it, that's just me. But I am very patient with brain damaged people, I didn't even know that, but I have been told so by the nurses here. There is one resident with us who is completely normal until 4 pm and then she starts to ask where she lives, if her room is payed, if she has to stay here, where is her mum and that she has 5 children, but nobody visits her. And this she does every day. She interrupts conversations and starts always the same text. Apparently I am the only resident who is able to answer her and direct her attention to other things than the past, and it is not always the same story if have to invent. She is 92, I always think maybe with 92 I am like her and would be happy that a friendly person answers my questions. I have learned a lot with Rick, who behaved like that too, but always with other subjects.

4. Do you like the flavor cinnamon? If so what's your favorite something made with cinnamon? 

Not really, it doesn't bother me, but I don't particularly like it either. I can't think of anything that's made with cinnamon ! There are so many recipes with cinnamon, but I never used one.

5. Learn by watching or learn by doing? Elaborate. 

I can't put together something with the help of a notice. I read the notice, think that I have understood, but when I try to put the thing together it doesn't work, there is a gap between visual and practical in my brain.

The best is I see it how it's done and then I try to do the same without reading the notice. Usually that works ! YouTube is my little helper ! In the past it was Rick who explained or did it for me ! Now I have to do everything myself or ask for help.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Looking out of my window when I got up, I thought, maybe now the winter is over ! In the last three days it was a bit sunny and I could do my half an hour walk, which I have the intention to do every day if possible ! 

 I want to be able to travel again or at least see exhibitions or do something interesting. 

That's now since  23 September 2023 that the ABBA exhibition is here in Waterloo and fortunately for me lasts til the 18 May. I absolutely have to find a day to go there, because it's a special event. If only I would have a bit more energy, sometimes I think I act like a somnambulist.