FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

This week started very well, the sun was shining it was warm and nothing special happened.

On Tuesday I had to pick up my medication and at the same time bought my fruits. When I came back, they had already started a simplified Scrabble, that means we didn't count the points but only composed the words. It went real well once they had all understood the rules. I was happy to play Scrabble again and we decided to do it more often. 

On Wednesday the air seemed to be clean and I managed to walk nearly all around the park, which I had never done ! I felt real good and I made a few pictures of the beauty of spring !

Just in front of my window

The ivy climbs to the fourth floor

a castle cat didn't want to be photographed

On Thursday we were all excited because we went out having lunch in a very nice Restaurant. We were 14 and had already fun in the little bus. 

Here we all climbed in the two mini buses. Fortunately there were only four wheelchairs, all the others could walk. They only needed a bit of help to push them into the bus.. 

                                    

There was a beautiful Japanese tree standing in the Garden, which is also restaurant.

This was a huge photography which hang on the wall and I found it so beautiful.

There were only invisible guests sitting at the tables, the restaurant was closed on Thursdays, but they had opened it only for us. Although the food was very good and the wine too, the place was not really cozy as we were all alone and there was no other noise then ours.

I wanted to take a picture of all of us, but some were outside to smoke a cigarette. 

Suddenly my friend Aimée told us that she was a little dizzy and didn't feel well. She had eaten her desert and had been very cheerful during the meal. Kim our "Entertainer" asked her if she wants to be driven home and she said yes. It wasn't far, so he drove her home and she lay down. We continued until everybody was ready to leave. Which we did. When I arrived in my room I was a bit tired and watched a little movie. Then it was already supper time. I always eat in my room, so I wouldn't see Aimée anymore before the next morning. 

When I got up a nurse came to inform me that Aimée after supper had laid down fell asleep and never woke up again. She was found peacefully sleeping in her bed, only she didn't breath anymore.

 here she sits on the right, besides J. who wears sunglasses. She was only 4 years older then I, 85.

When I had heard this, I went to the reception, her room was just besides. There were others gathering and some of them cried. Betty our receptionist asked me if I wanted to see her once more and I said yes, I wanted to say her good bye. She laid on her bed, like if she were sleeping. One of our nurses had put a little make-up on her face and she looked very beautiful. I stayed for a while and thought that I had actually ended up here because she had told me that this was not a restaurant but a nursing home and had showed me her room.

The rest of the day we were all numb. Later, each of us wrote a short text on a clover leaf as a card to be put in the coffin.

In the afternoon we drank coffee together and everyone had something to say about her. She was such a kind and friendly woman. It was a shame that some of those who suffered from dementia came for dinner far too early at 4.30 pm and didn't understand a thing. One sang loudly and happily, we let her sing. It wasn't her fault. But we all agreed on what a beautiful death Aimée had. Restaurant, supper, laying in bed to sleep... only it was forever. She didn't suffer, wasn't sick, everyone wished for a death like that.

So ended the week. Her son had come immediately, but her daughter lives in Canada she will surely arrive tomorrow.

It was the first time that we all grieved like that, there had been many residents brought to the hospital dead, (there is no morgue in our castle) since I am here, but we didn't know them. Mostly very sick people from the 4th floor. 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE APRIL 17

 1. Do you complete your own taxes? Besides actual taxes, what's something you've found taxing lately  

Nothing has been taxed which concerns me, and the form is on a special computer program that I can easily fill out

2.  What are three values you treasure most in a friendship? 

Blind trust, loyalty, shared interests, 

3. Do you meal plan or do you mostly wing it? Share your dinner menus for this week.

That's easy ! I only have to eat

4. Thomas Sowell is credited as saying, ''There are no solutions, only trade-offs.' Agree or disagree ? Discuss.

It all depends, if I knit a sweater and the stitches fall off, there are no compromises, but if I argue with someone about a sweater, then there are compromises. In politic there are both, but it also depends with whom.

5. What's the best perk you've enjoyed at a job?

That was when I worked for a French Manager, who spoke a bit English, but I always had to go with him to translate into German or Italian. He also was a terrible womanizer and had asked (before he tried with me, although I was married) me to write his love letters or good-bye letters, because he didn't know what to write. I had no pity with these girls who were pretty but had nothing in their head.  They knew that he was married but thought that he would separate from his wife (as usual). Unfortunately for them he really loved his wife and she knew him well and accepted how he was. We became friends. So what did I do, I wrote love letters and he copied them in handwriting, and for the good bye letters where he informed them that he had decided to stay with his wife, I did the same, but had to order a flower bouquet and if they showed up in the office, I told them that he was on business trip. I always had a box of tissues in my drawer, and comforted them. Now when I think this over, it really makes me laugh, what a freaky situation. In this company I learned a lot about men !  I always told Rick my office stories, and in this case he only shook his head.

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

Each time when I have to insert my random thought, my brain strikes ! Apparently I have no thoughts in my head, besides the weather ! I don't have to worry about whether the prices go up or down (which of course rarely happens) I only have to pay one bill and that is for my room here. I feel good in this sunny weather and even think about painting again. These below were the last once in 2019 before my hard times started, which took all inspiration and pleasure of painting away.

 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

One of my friends had an open aquarium in her living room, in which koi and other fish species swam happily around.

 

more participants here, and Image-in-ing

AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND APRIL 12

 

 

Rosie and her mum

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

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This week we had a wonderful weather, a bit cold in the shade but very warm in the sunshine, and suddenly the empty park was filled with people enjoying the outcoming flowers and leaves. Spring was in the air. Unfortunately the air was not good, I don't know why, because the traffic is far away, but I couldn't do my usual walk, I had to sit down. But that was nice too, I took my tablet out and scrabbled. Then slowly slowly came the others and for the first time this year we could play outside. We played Micado

 with enormous sticks ! To my surprise I won ! It was fun. It was so warm that we had to take off our cardigans. There were a few visitors who also had fun. 

Sunday morning when I woke up I heard that it was raining ! The farmers will be happy, after one week of sunshine they feared drought ! 

It was the weekend without activities, so I did what I had to do with my Blog but then I didn't feel like it anymore. So I watched a short film, and it was already dinner time. I still eat in my room. It's more peaceful here, and Rosie is happy too.

At 3 p.m. I went to our restaurant, and as soon as I sat down and opened my Scrabble, the first people appeared, checking to see if anyone was there. I felt like a flower that attracts bees, or something that cows leave there and attracts flies.

And then Sonia came along with her walker and wanted to sit next to me. She did, but she hadn't put the brakes on, and the walker slipped out from under her bottom. She fell on her back on the floor, head first, and her legs in the air. We let her lay on the floor, and asked for a nurse. At that moment a male nurse stopped his car just at the entrance, he had forgotten something had returned, but it was his afternoon off. He helped Sonia to sit on a chair and checked if she had nothing broken. Fortunately everything was OK. So he left and the nurse on duty came, checked her head and back and then gave her a pain killer. Poor Sonia was a bit shocked, but she was OK and stayed with us. I told her that thanks to her we had an activity on a dull Sunday, which made her laugh. 

I returned to my room and finished this post. Rosie is still sleeping, so that she is fit for the night to play the flying cat and land on my belly.