FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

On Monday I had an appointment with my doctor's replacement. I needed some medication and I also wanted to know who to talk to, if I ever needed a doctor. My doctor had a burnout and was on sick leave until mid-December. That's a long time. But it's no wonder she took so much time for her patients that I once told her to slow down a bit. We had become very close because she had accompanied Rick until his last moment.

I immediately liked the young woman who replaced her, she looked as if she was still in High School. The first contact was real good and now she knows me better, I only have to make a blood test that's always good, at least hidden diseases are often discovered. 

In the night of Monday to Tuesday at 2 am I woke up because the fire alarm made a hell of a noise through the whole castle. I waited a bit, but it continued and nothing happened. After half an hour I jumped out of my bed put my bathrobe on, the long corridor was empty not a soul in sight. At the reception the doors were wide open and the one to the park too. The two night nurses looked a little lost and tried their best to stop the alarm. Nothing to do, I tried to read the instruction and followed them pushed on the button, nothing to do the hellish noise continued ! Meanwhile Lilli, another resident joined me and together we tried to stop the alarm. 

The male nurse had the alarm company on the phone, it was a real mess. Finally I had enough. The residents on the first and apparently second floor were all deaf and slept like babies ! I had FOUR ear plugs in my ears and still heard the alarm. As usual when I have enough I explode, I called the firefighters, I thought if there is a fire somewhere, they can and also stop the alarm ! 

Ten minutes later I found myself in front of a fully dressed fireman, with mask, gloves and he certainly had the volume of twice himself. The boots were impressive, I hope I didn't keep my mouth open ! I had seen so many fire fighters in movies but in reality they look different as on a screen !! 

Meanwhile it had been 3 h that the alarm did his work ! I told the fireman what happened and then excused myself and returned to my room, I was exhausted, on my way back there was my neighbor, leaning at her door and crying. She sobbed that she couldn't stand the noise anymore, I was close to that too, despite ear plugs, pushed her softly inside and on her bed and made a sign to sleep ! then I disappeared in my room, in my bed and tried to sleep. But I still could hear the alarm and then at 5 am, silence ! Unbelievable ! After 4 hours of torture, there was silence. 

The next day I wanted to hear what had happened after I had left ! The firemen couldn't stop the alarm system either !! They called the company which had installed this more then efficient alarm and asked them to sent somebody to stop the alarm. Now the company was located somewhere in the wild west, and it took them one hour to arrive. I suppose that now they will install another alarm or at least repair it ! I was really jealous that no one had heard this hellish noise and congratulated me for having called the firefighters.

All these excitements had influenced my asthma and the next days I only could walk very slowly and the slightest effort left me breathless.

Now I wonder if the castle's ghost is deaf too, because I haven't seen it !

 

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE OCTOBER 24

1. Monday was National Apple Day...did you eat an apple or enjoy something made with apples on Monday? Do you like apples? Do you prefer your apples raw, baked, or in cider? Do you have a favorite variety of apple? 

I didn't know that it was "Apple day", anyway there was a time in my life where I ate 2 to 4 apples per day for at least a year or more, now I don't like apples anymore only cooked as dessert. 

2. Do you think there's any truth to the saying 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'. Of the following healthy habits which do you find easiest to incorporate into your life and which is the most difficult for you to adopt-

adequate sleep, a balanced diet, plenty of water, eat breakfast, don't smoke, exercise, limit alcohol,  include fruits and vegetables in your diet, manage stress, limit screen time

I followed an apple diet because I had put on weight, which was quite unusual for me. On top I also believed that an apple per day would keep the doctor away. I don't know if it's true, but a part from a cold I never had a serious disease. I only notice that people like the Stones, Beatles, and a lot of actors are still amongst us in their 80/90, and they certainly didn't live healthy especially in their youth (famous people/age-group/80-89)! It was also the time of different drugs which you could consume just as you wished, there was no law yet. And everybody smoked like a chimney no smokers were not well seen. Finally those who had not a healthy life at all, live longer then those who pay attention on everything and eat ORGANIC ! Unfortunately we don't have yet a 100 year old organic person, to check.

3. Who taught you how to drive? Do you enjoy driving? Would you rather be the driver or the passenger?  Do you have a favorite scenic drive near you?

When I was 18 or 19 I wanted to learn to drive. I wanted to be independent and go wherever I wanted to go. In Belgium no driver schools or driver license existed. You learned with family or friends, my father had hired a guy who had transformed his car into a driver school car. I didn't want to learn to drive with my father, I think we would have killed each other. With this young driving teacher. I learned quite quickly and then I bought a used car and was happy to drive around. I think I was the only girl this age who drove a car and who owned one and had bought it with my own money. The reason for my luck, was the fact that besides German (my mother tongue) I also had made a diploma for business correspondence in English and French. (later came Italian) and had a very good salary.

4. What small habit has had a big impact on your life ? 

I would say the habit to talk to people in their language. That gives a completely different relationship to others..

5. Tell us about something nice that happened to you recently. 

It's not really nice, but the fire alarm went on at 2 am and lasted 4 hours, finally I had enough after 2 h of this awful noise and where nobody did something concrete and the two night nurses were running around like headless dogs and didn't know exactly what they had to do, I suddenly exploded and called the firefighters, who came quickly. Unfortunately they couldn't turn off the alarm either, but at least they called a specialist. The fact that they thanked me sincerely, was nice !

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Since the fire alarm I thought how much my life has changed. It is not unhappy it is completely different. I have new friends and I also like my "work" here as  "coordinator" between the residents and the personal, as most of these old ladies don't dare to say something they come to me ! It doesn't bother me at all, they are so touching.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

 

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AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND 20

 The choice ....

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

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WEEKEND

On Sunday I had a theater play and hoped that I could go ! My friend Laure had bought the tickets and it was to a special price for seniors in the afternoon. When I woke up everything seemed to be OK and I called her that I am ready to go !

I left nearly an hour earlier, because it is very difficult to find a parking space, but I was lucky, with my little car I found one immediately and therefore had to wait 45 min in my car. Then I sat in the entrance hall of the theater and waited for my friend. I didn't know anybody and was surprised that a lot of people came over to me and said hello and asked me what I had become etc etc. The worst is I suffer from prosopagnosia (face blindness), that means I only can recognize a person when I see her often or belongs to people I know, family and friends,  or if the person is very ugly or very beautiful. That's a terrible disease because at important events I meet somebody who knows everything about my life, and I try desperately to find out who it is ! It was always a nightmare when I had to go with Rick to company events and in the restroom women asked me the latest news and I had to rake my brain to find out who it was ! Fortunately I am on the first stage of this disease, there are people they don't recognize their mother's faces only the voice and the gestures. 

So I sat there and greeted people with a ??? sign in my eyes, until the friendly person reminded me where I had seen her ! Even one of my castle who had been with us for a month because of a broken hip, and her friends. I was relieved when my friend finally showed up and we could take our seats.

The play was awful ! Most of the people slept or dozed and I tried to understand the play ! it was so confusing and not at all for seniors. I still wonder why people are unable to think like an old person, or old persons have forgotten their youth. We escaped quickly as soon as the play was finished and went for a coffee "gourmand"

It is a nice strong coffee with three different little cakes. It was delicious and finally the best of our theater afternoon ! Then she went home and I too. 

On Sunday my mood sank, I felt again not OK. I hoped that after lunch it would be better and finally I decided to join the others half an hour later for a very interesting Quiz. I was greeted as if I had been absent for at least a year, and that did good. Meanwhile Jeanine had tidied up her new room and asked me to look at it, and I have to say she had done a wonderful job. She had taken some ideas from my room and as we both have the same room size she could make it. Indeed this room has two big window doors which makes the room bright and clear. Much better then the flat she had together with her husband. 

Soon there will be no double rooms anymore, only singles, because old couples instead as it is written in romantic books that couples are staying together forever, when one partner looses his head the other becomes really angry and the nurses have to pay attention that they don't kill each other ! It had happened that a woman had broken a vase on her husband's head, because he had told her "shut up" ! It's better to laugh in these cases ....