FRIDAY''s FAVE FIVE

On Monday the weatherman announced that the air quality was bad, so I stayed home and we played bowling 

My car was really dirty and I went through the car wash. The man asked me how old I was, made big eyes mumbled something, smiled and reduced the price, which of course I didn't contest, I felt rather flattered. I also had to go to the pharmacy, but it was closed, so I ended up visiting a Facebook friend who lived in the area and  was very happy to see me as she has recently lost her husband and was glad to have somebody talk to. drugstore.

I was in no hurry as they had drawing as activity, and that bores me. So I arrived for the coffee and that was good.

This time, the result wasn't so bad. Everyone was given a leaf and had to paint it, and then the leaves were glued to the tree trunk.

My friend Pauline is in hospital for a check up, lately she had heart problems, I think she will come home on Saturday. That made me think that my doctor had told me to also go to a heart check up, I have no troubles, but I have never been at a cardiologist !!

After lunch I always make my little tour around the park, not the whole, as it is too big, and I noticed that the first bushes bloom. 

Our man for everything had cleaned now all the garden furniture and the benches in the park, that looks very nice. Now we wait for warmer weather ! I can sit in the sunshine but warmly dressed. 

Our students are still here, I think this is the last week, they are so kind and funny, I think we will miss them. A girl told me that it had been very interesting for her, because now she knows what profession she will not do ! It was very hard for her to see all the people on the 4th floor, who have lost their mind, who have to be fed and who lay in their beds. Some of them are dangerous, fortunately not many and they have to leave the home.

My son called me and told me that Toby my "little" one (14)

wants to change his basket club, because he is now so tall that he can go with older once. 

Nothing special happened this week, and I still feel very lazy and without energy. In a few days we will start April ! When we moved to Waterloo in 1975, it snowed and it was difficult to get the furniture in the house which also was ice cold ! Nobody had thought that it would snow in April ! 

  

on the street

and in our park.

In most of the small streets in Waterloo, Japanese cherry trees had been planted, and are blooming now, which is beautiful.

 

 

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE MARCH 26

1. Spring has officially sprung (in the northern hemisphere anyway)...did she roll in more like a lion or more like a lamb in your neck of the woods? What needs more of your attention in terms of a good spring clean this year-your house or your garden/yard? 

Nothing of the above mentioned chores, I just wait that the sun is shining and the temperatures raising to sit outside and enjoy spring !

2. What's put a spring in your step lately? 

Nothing yet, I am still in hibernation

3. When you were a kid, what was the best snack to find in your lunchbox? If you didn't do the lunchbox thing, tell us what was your favorite after school snack. 

I didn't have a lunchbox, I just had a bread sandwich wrapped in paper with what was available it was in end 1940 - 50th and we were occupied by the Americans. Our school hours were from 8 to 1 pm, in Germany,(still today)  in the afternoon we were at home or on the streets until the parents came back from work. My mother didn't work, so I went home and had lunch.

4. In what area of your life are you planting seeds ? 

I am at the last chapter of my life and don't plant anything anymore, I am retired, and only do things which I like and try to enjoy life.

5. Why do you live where you do? Would you consider living somewhere else? Why or why not? 

I ended up here incidentally. After selling our house because my husband started to develop Parkinson's, we moved into an apartment. After six months, my husband broke his hip, and then his Parkinson's disease took a full turn. On top of that, he developed Alzheimer's, and he had to live in a retirement home, where he died a year later. I was alone in the large apartment and was becoming depressed.

One day I took my car and drove around looking for a nice park to cheer me up. I found a park I had never been, here in Waterloo. I walked around, saw the castle and people sitting on the terrace. I thought it was a Restaurant, sat down too and ordered a coffee. When I wanted to pay, the "waitress" refused. And then when I wanted to return home I saw a sign that it was a retirement home ! I immediately decided, I want to live here, the last part of my life.

They showed me the rooms which were very big like a studio without kitchen. I choose the one with view on the park. 

That's why I live here in "my" castle with my little cat Rosie and have never regretted my choice ! I completely feel at home now. 

The view from my room and the room 

and Princess Rosie 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Today, all the news (Belgium, Germany, and France, I missed the BBC) were talking about war, which sent my cohabitants into a panic.

No one knew that it concerned a cyber war, and they should prepare an emergency bag for it. They gave a list: water, food, a flashlight, a Swiss Army knife, etc., for 72 days. No one could explain to me why 72 days in particular. The majority of the ladies here had bad memories of WWII and had no idea what to do with these things against bombs, tanks, and machine guns right in front of them, and of course where are the bunkers to hide ?

So I explained to them that a cyber attack only affects computers and that they could attack the computer of a power station, the traffic or something else important. And they probably need 72 hours to repair the computers. I tried to explain it as simply as possible, but one of them still asked me if her smartphone was in danger. As sad as it all is, I still had to laugh with Jeanine when we were alone. 

Why do the governments not explain to the population why they should pack up this stuff ? I have all of it in my room anyway. Not everybody is familiar with artificial intelligence and computers. 

I hope that there will be not a rush on toilet paper and toothpaste like with the Covid pandemic, where nobody knew, the governments included what would happen. Today they know, at least I hope so.

 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

Next to the Basilica of Koekelberg, is the oldest cemetary of Brussels,located in the neighbouring municipality of Evere. It is very interesting, a lot of famous people are resting here. The grounds also include many war memorials, including a large monument to the soldiers of the Battle of Waterloo by the sculptor Jacques de Lalaing and beautiful statues created by famous sculptors. 

 

 more participants here, and Image-in-ing

AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND MARCH 22

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS

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Saturday the weatherman was wrong again, instead of clouds and rain, it was sunny and warm. I had to go to the pharmacy to buy the oil I put in cat Rosie's dry food then she is not constipated. This works very well. Then I drove a bit around as the air quality was not so good for me for walking. 

After lunch I went with my tablet and scrabbled in the sunshine, before we started our games.  

Sunday it was cloudy and humid, but warm. I preferred to stay inside and still worked on my new blog, I hope next week it will be finished. Then we played a very interesting Quiz, with rather difficult questions, but we were not so bad. 

Two residents had been hospitalized, because of the gastroenteritis, she had lost weight and had a poor little face, the other is still in hospital.

And the weekend was over. Time flies by so quickly.