FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE - RANDOM 5 FRIDAY

1. On Monday I had the blues. It was the first day at home after my one week holidays in the sunshine of Tunisia. I just did nothing except my aqua gym class, and found that I had done enough for the day.



I didn't even unpack my suitcase much to the delight of Rosie who had one more day to sleep in it, while Arthur played with my beach slippers.

As we had a breakdown of our internet, I finally decided to sort out my holiday pictures and put them in order, at least I had the impression to be there again.

2. Looking in the mirror and saw a mop like head, I called my hairdresser for an appointment, before I got back to civilization outside our house. Then I could make my weekly shopping and say hello to my friend Nicole.

3. Brussels was blocked by the visit of Mr. Obama ! The streets were closed in many places and  trams, buses and even the subways were not allowed to run. Although the city was quite proud to receive such an important visitor for the first time, the companies, shops, stores etc were not so happy. Nobody could get through.


They block all the roads, and I am only arriving by helicopter ?!

In reality he arrived in the evening with his special airplane Air force one and its twin. The planes were escorted by 2 helicopters of the marines, 5 helicopters of the army, 3 airplanes carrying "the Beast" and two other armoured  cadillacs. 45 patrol cars escorted the convey. 900 employes worked on the organization, 300 security agents were posted all around and snipers were on the roofs. This less then 24 h visit has cost Brussels 500.000 € (689.000 $) and 10.millions € (1.4 millions $) for the USA (according to the British Newspaper "The Guardian) !

Quite an expensive excursion for only one man.



He was greeted by our King and the Prime Minister, and the next day went to the military cemetary in Waregem, called  "The Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial". It is the smallest World War I American cemetery in Europe and the only one in Belgium.

Although the American president is very much appreciated in Belgium, people found these security measures a little too much !

 4. My friend Ilona had her birthday so I went to give her my birthday present. I had bought her a USB stick so that she can do back ups. She just had bought a new computer and had lost all her photos and documents which were in the old one. Fortunately I had almost all photos of her paintings, as it's always me who takes the pictures, which she regretted the most but also from our trips together, which I had put on the stick. Ilona and I have the same age both born in 1943 she is only 4 months older.


Here we are in Edinburgh together

5. Nature has changed in the one week I was gone ! The trees are starting to become green again



I have put some red (fake) flowers at the entrance and the Magnolia tree of my neighbor is in full bloom.



For the first time this year Oscar the lawn mower robot had to work, while Mr. G. and I were busy on our computers ! What a difference ! Two weeks ago we had to mow the lawn with our "normal" lawn mower and for our handkerchief sized lawn we needed two days, the grass had grown so fast and it had rained all the time so that it was wet like a sponge and too high for Oscar.

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

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CHARLIE THE STUBBORN DOG

This is Charlie, my friend Nicole's dog. He is the best dog in the world, I love him and he loves me, he only barks once when I ring the bell but then he recognizes my voice and brings me some of his toys to welcome me.

Charlie is a well educated dog, he doesn't pull you (unless he sees a cat), he walks quietly besides you, he sits and lays down on command. He gives the paw and does everything what his beloved nanny asks him.

When he comes to us, he first checks the whole house, has a glance on my sleeping cats, but ignores them, they are part of the furniture. Then he empties all the rests in the cat's food bowls and with two slobbers with his tongue empties the water bowl. My cats would need two days to do that. Then when he has done his check up, he lays bravely down and listens to our silly conversations, and falls asleep.

He only has one fault, he is stubborn, I never thought that a dog could be stubborn like that. 



I noticed that for the first time when we were at the Belgian coast. Suddenly in the middle of the road he sat down and didn't move. Nicole and Ilona pulled and pulled on the leash, but there was nothing to do. I laughed and took pictures but then I helped or at least I tried, I pushed his bottom. We were three vintage girls pulling and pushing Charlie without any success, much to the amusement of the people walking by. Finally we gave up, and we stood there not knowing what to do. Suddenly Charlie got up, went to a nearby café where Nicole used to have a drink before she goes home, looked for the water bowl, drank some water and then pulled us home ! He has his habits, and the fact that we didn't sit down there, didn't please him at all.





Apparently he always had been like that. Once when Charlie was 6 month old, he sat in the middle of a very busy street, and even then although he was much smaller, she couldn't convince him to move. She stopped a truck by waving with her arms, and told the truck driver that her dog just had decided to sit there and nowhere else. The driver, a huge man, got out of his truck, picked Charlie up and put him on the sidewalk.

Yesterday happened the same. In the middle of the very busy main street going through whole Waterloo, Charlie stopped, sat down and blocked the whole traffic. Nicole got angry, shouted at him pulled and pushed, but stubborn Charlie didn't move. The cars had all to stop and fortunately nobody got angry because it was so funny to see the dog sitting in the middle of this large street with his owner trying by all means, vocally and with force to get him move.

Finally a man got out of his car and they both pulled and pushed him on the sidewalk, while Charly braked with his front paws ! Of course he couldn't be carried anymore he is a big and heavy dog.  When finally the mission was accomplished, Nicole and the man where exhausted.  Charlie, a little offended got up and and showed her the way to the shop he wanted to go to. Of course it wasn't the shop with curtains she wanted to look at, but the shop a little further with dog food and toys !

Charlie knows what he wants !

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday