FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

As I had forgotten that it was Easter I hadn't sent a little gift to grandson Toby ! So I spent Easter Monday looking for the book he asked for a ...... guess what ? Harry Potter !! I ordered  two and had them sent to Amsterdam where he got them two days later. They were very thick, he showed me them on Whatsapp and then we had a little chat and he showed me all the Easter eggs he had collected in the living room, as outside it was too cold the temperature had dropped again. I told him to also watch the movie, but he wanted first to read the book.

His father at the same age hated reading and for us two bookworms it was quite a disappointment, we tried with all kind of books, but he preferred to play outside and sport. Now we have our bookworm, one generation later !

Each morning I have to look on the calender to see what day we are if I would go out or not. It was real cool although the sun was shining and we met at Nicole's



These beautiful Japanese cherry trees are in her street and were in full bloom



Little Isis to entertain us made excerises on her cat tree, while we had our Yoga laughing class,  we laughed a lot and it was good for us. The hairdressers are still closed, so Nicole cut my hair in the neck, which was already funny.

For the first time as long as I live in Belgium I am interested in politics, not really politics but more the politicians. We were without government again since beginning February because as usual the Flemish and the Waloons couldn't agree on a party or whatever it was they are like roosters in competition. Comes a young unknown women  48 years old, mother of 4 children and married to an Australian and what happened, she succeeded where all men failed she formed a government and she is now our Prime Minister. With her we are in good hands to handle the Coronacrisis.




She handles the problems with feeling and intelligence and released a bit the rules now, the elderly living alone are allowed to have a visitor, and the garden centers and DIY shops will open in two days. That will keep men busy who have to stay home and ran out of material, to buy stuff for their garden or for the house.

Mr. G. of doing nothing but wandering from Computer to TV, suddenly suffered from dizziness and could hardly walk. I led him to his bed where he fell asleep woke up for supper and went to bed again and slept for 30 hours !! He even broke cat Rosie's record of 23 h a day. It must be the confinement and the fact that he doesn't move enough, now I force him to do some gymnastic and chase him around the table ! Fortunately it's finished now !



Selfies of future bank robbers, two are missing


Nicole cheated !

My friends are busy with sewing masks, as there are not enough, Mr. G of course found them in "his" pharmacy and got 10, five for me and five for him. My friends sew  for their children who although in a certain age can't sew (like me), one even sew for the whole family and friends of the families and friends of friends, and made at least 20 if not more, but she likes to do it and it keeps her busy.

Another almost 3 weeks of lockdown, I can't even sort out clothes or things I don't want anymore, because then they would sit here in bags and cartons because I can't throw them away. So I leave everything like it is and wait until the moving and cleaning companies open again.

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

Another week went by with a few more dead and a few more people infected. I am always angry with the Belgian Television News because they never tell how many people have survived the virus and could go home. Fortunately there are other sources so we can be a bit more hopeful. Apparently the situation is slighly better, and we all hope that by April 18 they will start to release us slowly slowly.

Monday afternoon the sun was shining but it was quite cool. We met at Myriam's wanted to play scrabble the three of us, but then preferred to chat. Outside it rained cats and dogs and it was dark. The confinement rules in our area are well respected and the police doesn't have too much to do. Sometimes a few youngsters who a gathering and are too close together, but usually after a warning they behave.

To comfort me a little, I got an email from our Estate Agent, that he had an offer for our house. He forwarded it to me and I checked, it was OK there were only two little things which I didn't like. But this couple is so interested to buy our house that they agreed to everything and sent a rectified contract.

I was very happy. Mr. G. was more interested in the apartment which I had found and where he would live and when he realized that it was in the middle of our little town, near his Whist Club and friends he was happy too. 



The next day the sun was shining again and we met at Nicole and sat in the warm sunshine. Cat Isis was sitting on the wall and we thought she would jump one floor deeper into the garden, Nicole picked her up, and put her down,  but she returned immediately and continued to observe what she had seen.



Nothing interesting in the flower pot.


My shoes were very interesting to play with again. The air was a bit fresh, but in the sunshine it was nice and warm. The world seemed to be nearly normal again.

Suddenly I smelled smoke and thought somebody made a barbecue, but at 4 pm, was a bit strange. I looked around and in the garden beneath Nicole's terrace a stub of a tree had started to burn !



The neighbor had let his dog run in the garden, and had smoked a cigarette. He hadn't thrown the cigarette on the ground, but apparently a bit of ash has fallen into this very dry stump. Nicole called the neighbor and both came with buckets of water to extinguish the fire. Of course it smoked even more. Later we checked again, but the stump was so wet that no flame had a chance to become a fire. Now we saw life how it can happen so quickly and with just a spark of glowing ash !

Today we signed the agreement for the sale of our house and I sent the signed copy per email to our agent. So at least the paper work is done. We can't go to the notary of course because her office is closed. We have to wait until the confinment is lifted.

But I drove to two apartments which on pictures looked real nice and were located exactly where I wanted, so I contacted the estate agency and left my name and phone number. As soon as it is possible we will visit it.

All this let me forget the misery around me, but when the first joy disappeared slowly, I felt again that my life is not normal at all and the empty streets and closed shops confirm this fact. The nightmare continues although I try hard to make the best out of it not to fall into a deep black hole.

Now all countries in the world realize that their health equipment  is far from being enough, masks and other protections at least for the nurses and doctors are missing badly in all countries and let people become creative. Masks are made by companies which normally produce something completely different and a lot of women are sewing masks for the hospitals. Fortunately we have enough space for intensive care in the hospitals, only two university hospitals had a lack of space but outside Brussels there is again space for intensive care. Nurses are missing too, but medical students from the Universities are helping out as volunteers. That's the positive side of this situation there are a lot of very good and generous people !

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.