FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

For once I don't start my weekly report with bad weather but with desert weather ! We are all melting ! It's over 30° and besides the restaurant there is no aircondition in the whole castle. Normally we don't need it but now with the climate change more and more people buy one for at least one room or have it installed.

My son came for a visit from Monday afternoon until Thursday afternoon, he had taken a week off, but he came alone as Toby is in the middle of his year's end test and his wife is working. He arrived late, because they didn't want to leave dog Lea alone the whole day. 

He visited at the same time his friend, as his son is the godchild of Dario had its 16th birthday. and he also slept there in the guestroom. The next day it was even more hot but he wanted to go to "his" restaurant which has very good steaks. We could sit in the garden and it was really nice.  

This restaurant has a lot of success, because of his big portions, good quality and democratic prices. It's almost full every day.

With this roller coaster weather our park starts to look like a jungle ! They can only mow the lawn in the center of the park

The rest looks really very neglected and in some places where the path is paved, you can't get through at all because the branches block your way, they hang down so low. There will be a lot of work when it is possible !

Our mini golf has almost disappeared in the grass. 

 

In the afternoon we were invited to Isabel's; the two have known each other since childhood, and she is, so to speak, his go-to person in case I lose my mind and can't find it anymore! As he lives in Amsterdam, it's easy to get in contact with her if something serious should happen to me, she lives in front of our former house. We spent a very nice afternoon and talked a lot of all what had changed in our street. There is only one couple left which moved in at the same time as us and Isabel's parents.

 

Thursday morning we had an appointment at the bank, there were a signature missing. From now on he can handle everything from Amsterdam per computer ! That's really nice. I hope it is far away that I have to look after my lost mind !

 

On Friday it was so hot, that I didn't attend the birthday celebration it was only a pianist who played grandma songs, the youth has forgotten that we are the generation of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Queens, and Elton John ! I took my tablet and my beach seat, and sat under a very old tree, in the shade, there was a little wind and that was like a ventilator. 

 

Even little Rosie moved out of her basket and settled in this one which is more "open air" the little cat behind her is a fake, which I inherited from my friend Nicole who passed away a few month ago.

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE JUNE 18

1. June 17th, 1994 was the day of the infamous O.J. Simpson car chase. What were you doing in 1994? I'm guessing somebody is going to tell me they weren't born yet but that's part of the fun of the Hodgepodge. Lots of generations are represented here. 

 

After having made a travel to the past, I am quite sure that in this year, I spent a lot of time in London helping my son to furnish his house he had just bought and still has, he rents it. I loved this house, it is in the Victorian style and had been already modernized by the former owner. I loved going there, sometimes Rick came with me and then we went by car with the Shuttle.  We loaded the car with all things which were very  expensive in London, like alcohol, cigarettes (it was the time where everybody still smoked), and when we drove back our trunk was full with specialties we couldn't get in Belgium, and clothes too ! Rick loved gammon steaks, and we bought a lot, which I then put in the freezer. In general, the meat was better and far cheaper; our trunk was so full you couldn't stick a needle in it.

 

That was a time when London was still beautiful and did not look like a Dubai copy, all the old houses and the whole area were torn down for the Olympics. I also remember the Simpson's trial, but it didn't particularly interest me.

 

 

London today !!

 

2. What's your favorite summer salad that isn't the traditional tossed green lettuce kind of salad? Do you like fresh fruit in a salad (other than in a fruit salad of course)?

 

I have no favorite salads, they are all favorites, in summer when it was hot, I only made salads with pasta, rise, Greek noodles, couscous, etc in which I put all kind of vegetables like, Cucumbers, tomatoes, etc., and made the Italian dressing with just olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Basil and oregano were also added. It was always very refreshing. Sometimes a hard-boiled eggs, chicken pieces and shrimps were added as well

 

 

3. Is chivalry dead? Should it be? 

 

It is not dead, it depends where you are, I think it is normal and I educated my son so that he learned chivalry but also all household skills, as today most of the couples are both working so it is normal that they share the household too. For my son it was normal because as and example he had his father. And that a woman enters the room first and the man holds the door open for her should be normal too.

  

4. Would you rather spend a week of your summer vacation in Hawaii or Alaska? Have you ever been to either? Are they two places you really would like to see? How do you feel about 'Hawaiian pizza' aka pineapple on a pizza? Have you ever eaten Baked Alaska? 

 

No I haven't been to Hawaii or Alaska, all other States or nearly I have been to. I don't like the Hawaiian pizza it is to sweet for me and baked Alaska, I don't know at all what that is, now I know it's that what we call omlette Norvegienne.  Yes I have eaten the Norvegian  I really like it.

In any case I would prefer to visit Alaska !

 

 

5. World Cup play is happening now...are you interested? Watching any matches? Did you or your children play soccer/futbol? There are eleven US cities hosting matches-

-Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York with the stadium in NJ, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle

along with  three cities in Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey)

and two in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver)-

You get free tickets to one of these matches. Which city do you choose? Tell us why. 

Don't talk about the World Cup (football) The whole world gets hysterical, there is nothing else on TV in all countries ! I am not interested at all, but as everybody talks about it, I knew who won and who not, I really don't care. There are flags everywhere, a marketing about all players, all shops, boutiques mall are in World Cup fever. Trump is hated a bit more because he didn't let in players of a few countries ! And free tickets would be a dream ! The cheapest ticket for the game Belgium against New Zealand is 607 $ up to 1170 $ plus of course the plane, hotel, food etc, and for the final game you have to pay 9.076$ (!!!)  the cheapest price ! But there are crazy people who safe money for a year or more just to attend one game ! For that price I would prefer to travel around the world or at least a part of it.

 

The one and only sport who brings the whole world together

6. Insert your own random thought here.

My son came home alone yesterday because his wife is working and Toby is in the middle of his end-of-year exams. I continued enjoying AI and made a picture with him sitting at a table with a birthday cake; the dog didn't have a book in its mouth, and the background was a window. 

And this is what it looks like now. I had asked for a smoking head, so they added a cigarette. Shame on the AI and not on me !

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY JUNE 18

The RMS Titanic was a British luxury passenger liner that infamously struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. It sank a few hours later, killing about 1,500 of the 2,208 passengers and crew onboard in one of history's deadliest maritime disasters. 

A few years ago, there was an exhibition of items that were recovered from the sunken Titanic. It was very interesting, but also very sad, especially seeing the handprints of those desperately trying to reach the lifeboats.

 

A reproduction of the cabins

remains from safes 

the cabins

 

 

more participants here