FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

The week started with sunshine and I decided to take a walk through the park every day, sit on a bench, and play Scrabble on my tablet. I dressed warmly and enjoyed the sunshine. And I managed to do that, noticing that everything was starting to turn green and some flowers were blooming.

Schoolkids came to visit us residents and pick up some chocolate eggs. Suddenly it was quite noisy in the castle. I could see them from my window, where they got together and then visited the residents who had an egg glued at the door. I had no egg, because in the mornings I have to inhale my lung medication, and am not feeling too well to receive little children. 

The temperatures continued to rise, and the day two women sold dresses, blouses, and trousers on our terrace was a real success. I didn't buy anything, but many others were happy to purchase some new jackets and blouses. We had a lot of fun advising the men, telling the women whether a blouse was too big or too small, and whether the color suited them.

Visitors who were there had a look too and some of them also bought things. The two ladies were happy with their sales results and drank coffee with us before packing their things and driving away.

Together with Therese (also a resident) I  planned  a day trip with a travel agency to Berck in France to see the annual international kite-flying event with 400 kites. It is certainly very colorful. Since we can do what we want, we can plan the day at our own pace; I just hope we have nice weather and that my asthma behaves itself.

 

 Berk sur Mer France

The last day of the week, I went with Jeanine shoe shopping. We both needed comfortable sneakers,  light-colored ones for summer. We already had black ones. Since we don't go out for fancy events anymore, but just visit places, we need comfortable shoes. We both found the same pair, but that didn't bother us. 

 

Little Rosie is still very happy here, next month she will celebrate her 19th birthday. Often people think that she is teenager, because she is a small cat but still looks very good ! On this picture she is hypnotizing me for treats, because when I join the others for our afternoon animation, I always hide treats in her second basket ! And I am not allowed to be late !

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE APRIL 8

1. Egg on your face, putting all your eggs in one basket, a good egg, walk on eggshells, nest egg, or a tough egg to crack...which eggy idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain.

Not all idoms are right for me. I don't put my eggs in one basket, and I'm not a nest egg. The best option is probably that I am a tough egg to crack.

2. April 7th is National Beer Day...are you a beer drinker? If so do you have a favorite? Beer battered fish, beer bread, beer can chicken, beer brats...which one sounds good to you? Have you made any of these?

 

 

 

I'm not allowed to drink alcohol, but I don't like just water either. Soft drinks are too sweet. Fortunately, almost all beer brands here in Belgium now have non-alcoholic beer, which is great for me. I can drink as much as I want and don't risk to dance on a table! Belgium is famous for it's beer, they produce over 2000  types of beer.

3. Do you have siblings? What's the best thing about being your sibling? If you don't have siblings, what would you say are the pros and cons of being an only child? 

I am an only child and never was jealous when I had a friend with siblings. I even thought it is better that way, because friends you can send home, a brother or sister not. And when I observed my friends around me they often fought with sisters or brothers and even when they were adult it continued or they broke with sister or brother because of their partners. I never had this problem !  I had an only child too. His wife has a brother, but they are not in contact anymore. 

 

4. How do you feel about floral scents in products? Do you have a favorite?

I haven't worn perfume or even eau de toilette since I was with my aunt in Madison, Wisconsin, during her final days, until she finally passed away. She had skin cancer and smelled terrible. I used all the perfume and eau de toilette I had on her so she would at least smell nice. But now, just the smell of perfume, or especially "Miss Dior," makes me feel sick. Such awful memories.

For laundry I prefer discrete, fresh and natural scents.

5. What's one thing in your home that begins with the letter G that you would say is a keeper, something you'll hold on to? Tell us why. 

 I looked around and thought about it, but I can't find anything that starts with G to which I will hold on. I am really not a keeper of something, rather to somebody. When I sold our house I had to empty it. 50 years of rubbish and other things from basement to attic. My son camped in the house for a week to choose everything he wanted to keep for him or family. I didn't care, I just took framed pictures of Rick, our wedding photo, my cat collection, and my handmade doll house (from 1946) with me. 

doll house furniture

Now sometimes I think I should have taken this or that, but then I think what should I do with that ? As my aunt always said "The last shirt has no pockets".

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The last days we had wonderful weather, blue sky and sun shining. And of course I got my travel fever. In the past, I would have booked something long ago, but with the oil crisis, the unfortunately senile US president who keeps changing his mind, and the risk of being able to get to Tunisia but not knowing if you'll be able to fly back, I see little opportunity to travel this year. Add to that my chronic lung condition, which can be quite moody on some days. So, what's left is a country not too far away with a nice beach, but unfortunately, even those are limited and it's often rainy and cold there. High petrol prices are keeping many families at home. I could also go to Amsterdam to see my son; they live a 5-minute walk from the sea. So, I'm raking my brain for where I could go. 

 

Remains a dream .... holidays in Turkey
 

 </

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

Sunrise

 

 

The beach early morning

sunset

 

cleaning the beach early morning

 

 My late friend Nicole had an apartment at the Belgian coast. This was the view from her balcony

 

more participants here