FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

Finally the weather got better and we felt good, unfortunately it was still too cold to sit outside. On Tuesday there was a big party! Jeannie turned 100 !! The whole castle celebrated with her in the the afternoon. At noon she celebrated with her family, even her 99 year old sister came ! (the one with the bun on her head. 

At 2 pm the Waterloo city representative came with a picture of our royal couple and their signature. Then she had to sign the "golden book".

Afterwards, the champagne and white wine flowed freely, a huge cake was brought and everyone sang "Happy Birthday. From the director to the cleaning lady, everyone was there and clapped and sang and there was a great atmosphere. Jeannie's son gave a speech and praised our beautiful castle with everyone who worked or lived there as one big family and that his mother was happy to be able to spend her last days in such a beautiful place with such nice people. 

And then we danced, the wheelchairs swung around, it was just great. I didn't know that you could learn to dance with wheelchair users. Our 100-year-old also "swung" her dancing leg or chair and was in an excellent mood. It really was a very nice party.

Here is Jeannie (under the balloon)  Above the family and the Waterloo officials, underneath the manager (in brown, the nurses Elinor and two residents. She got from all of us a beautiful scarf and I had bought her this elephant in the Indian shop as a lucky charm.

The next day we had a lot to talk but played our games again, which was so nice that suddenly the staff played and the residents watched !

With so much laughter, we forget our problems ! Which is very good.

On the last day of the week, the fun was over, an epidemic of gastritis had broken out and those who had it were not allowed to leave their rooms. There were no more activities either, luckily it was almost summer weather so we could escape into the park. In the evening my face looked as if I had just come back from vacation. The poor staff who have to clean up all the mess !

 

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE

1. What do you love most about March? 

Nothing, maybe with the global warming it will be warmer in March as the other years, but honestly I don't have a lot of hope !

2. Hey! Did you know March is National Celery Month? Do you like celery? What's something you make (or like to order out) that calls for celery? 

No, I didn't know and that doesn't matter, as I don't like celery at all ! I would never order a Celery dish !

3. I am still standing (Elton John) lyrics here is the soundtrack to my life right now. 

4. Share a favorite motivational quote for overcoming challenges. 

I have no overcoming challenges, I think challenges belong to the past in my case

5. The Hodgepodge lands on Ash Wednesday this year. Do you participate in Lent in some way? If so tell us more. 

Coming from a part of Germany where Carnival is very important, from childhood on we dressed up and watched the carnival parades that stretched for miles. Later, as teenagers and even as married women, we always celebrated carnival and attended all parties and danced until early mornings.

 

 Here I am as a Dutch girl

Arabian girl

Hungry

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'm starting to think that I'm never satisfied ! Since Monday the sun has been shining as if it was being paid for, and that makes me angry because I want to go out and sit in the sun, walk around in the park, but for that it is far too cold I would have to dress like living in the North Pole, instead I sit here in my room and be annoyed by the dust that the sun's rays suddenly make visible and instead of birds flying trough the air I see dust art on the furniture. My cleaner will also be happy !

 

 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

 

I don't have a granddaughter, only a grandson. But since two years I have a "grandaughterdog" black as coal, sweet as an angel (or almost), very friendly with people, especially with people with disabilities, not a purebred dog but a very successful mix of a Golden Retriever and a Labrador. it is a happy granddaughter dog! She also has an aunt, cat Rosie, and when they are in the same room they stare at each other, but nothing else happens. Rosie doesn't like dogs and Leia doesn't like cats! 

For now they ignore each other in peace but maybe one day they will become friends !

 

more participants here, and Image-in-ing

AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND MARCH 2

5 cats which shared my life for 19/20 years
 

 

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

 

*******

 

WEEKEND 

I had a nice weekend ! It was not raining and I wanted to go out and change my daily routine ! I found that a good sign. Usually I prefer to stay home and avoid the outside world ! 

I finally had the energy to take two large bags of clothes that I can no longer wear to the shop that supports battered women. 

Since it was still early, I called my former neighbor and asked if I could come over. She was really happy to see me, unfortunately the other neighbor wasn't there, but we had a lot to talk, I hadn't seen her since Christmas. She still lives alone in this huge apartment and is pretty lonely. But she doesn't want to go to a retirement home either, although she thinks everything I tell her is wonderful. 

On Sunday I was invited by my friend Laure who had just returned from her trip to Guatemala. She had taken 700 photos and I hoped that I wouldn't have to look at all of them. 

But first we talked about our dear "children" and she about her grandchildren and then it was time for the photos. The pictures were very beautiful and I had never seen so many colors in a country, but the landscapes reminded me Scotland, Morocco and Egypt, like "deja vu". So I don't feel like flying so far to see what I've already seen in other countries. Only the colors were wonderful. I just got home for dinner and realized that I was pretty tired, which means that I'm still not 100% healthy, or that I'm forgetting that my date of birth now starts with 8 !