WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 This is  our park where we can walk, sit on the benches or in the grass (if you can get up alone) 

Somebody has built cat houses, we have 6 castle cats, which live happily in the park, are fed by a volunteer and checked once per year by a vet.

Here is one just walking through the park !

There is also a Madonna in the Park, as a convent is annexed to the castle where once nuns lived.

Through the cat's house window I saw two who were not happy to see me, but I saw baskets, blankets, cushions etc and at the door is a is a sign that says: Caution, cats live here

 and that is their house, I could live in there too 

This is the monastery that has also been converted into a retirement home and is connected to the castle.

 

 

And if your guests want to have a picnic, there are tables with benches.

more participants here,

EXCURSION A VILLERS LA VILLE

Some of my roommates went on an excursion to the ruins of an old monastery in Villers la Ville. (If you want to read the story in more detail,here is the link.) 

My first girlfriend here is a 94-year-old Jewish woman from Rhodes, where she was born. Just before the persecution of Jews began, her father and the entire family moved to the Belgian Congo in Africa, and she didn't notice anything of the Jew drama. 

Despite the big age difference, we get along great. Now she absolutely wanted to go on the excursion. I know the place very well because I have been there quite often, at least for the first time 30 years ago, when it really was falling into ruins and you didn't have to pay an entrance. Then a clever mayor decided to restore what was possible, had it made to a very interesting Tourist site. Therefore I stayed home.

It's very big and not at all made for elderly people from 80 years on until 98 ! Our young animator didn't think of it. I told Pauline to stay here that it was far to dangerous to go with them, but she insisted. So I insisted that the family should decide because I was sure that she would return half dead. And indeed she was very angry that her family had not stopped her and at least I had tried, but she hasn't listened to me ! 

When you are 30 and have difficulties to imagine how a 90 year old will act, you should try to learn it. It was not the first time that he proposed something which was not at all for old people. 

Some parents had not known what excursion that was and had given their agreement, and now they are angry ! 

I went for my shopping, but there was no electricity, it had broken down. The store was dark, and of course the cash registers weren't working. So I gave up and sat on the terrace of a restaurant and treated myself to a large portion of ice cream and a cup of coffee.and watched people walking by. Just as I did in my life before.

It's very interesting, but you have to have strong legs !! 

 

 

 

AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND JUNE 14

 

A happy camel

 

stuck in the tree trunk, we had to pull him out by his tail

 

good for the teeth

 

 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

 The always hungry Arthur

 

 

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS

 

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WEELKEND 

On Saturday our two ergotherapists (I call them animator) had the day off. That annoyed me, and the others too, but they were too afraid to say anything. I mean, they both have a right to their days off if they work on public holidays, of course, but why both on the same day?

The weather was beautiful again, and the agenda included a coffee clatch. I had suggested it so everyone wouldn't stay in their rooms. I simply fetched them; the kitchen provided coffee and cake, and so there were seven of us working to make the world a better place. 

A newcomer who knew quite a bit and had traveled a lot told us his opinion about Trump. He analysed and dissected him, already knew what he would do in the future, and declared him bipolar. Then André chimed in and confused the Israel War with the First World War, which also made us laugh.

Many dug up their childhood memories, where they had to pluck chickens (only after they were slaughtered, of course), and the girls had to learn to sew and cook, while the brothers could continue to go to school. It was quite interesting. 

I didn't have eight or more siblings; I was an only child, and my parents weren't farmers, so our childhoods were quite different. The fact that almost everyone was hard of hearing and some had forgotten their hearing aids made it even more amusing, as they usually understood something completely different.

Our Italian Mamma, Rina, was happy that she could pamper a rather young woman, who is very beautiful and had been a model. She suffers from Alzheimer doesn't speak and her Madonna face looks always the same, on some days she gives me a smile, but her eyes are like two black knobs. Rina fed her and gave her to drink, and was really in her "mamma" role. She is already 94 but still very fit. Her head just doesn't quite work anymore. Every afternoon at 4:00 p.m. she wants to pay for her room and asks if she can be taken home so that she can cook for her five children. The children are now grandparents, too! But there is no point in explaining anything to her; after 4, she lives in a different world. 

 

On Sunday it had cooled down and we had to play inside. I don't know who is in charge of the air condition, but when I came into the restaurant it was very cold. I checked it and somebody had left the device on very cool because outside we had 33 °.. But now we had 20°C and it was windy. I asked one of the cleaners to switch off that thing because we were freezing, but he didn't have the remote Control ! Finally another one came tried to switch it off, but made it even cooler. Finally 3 boys managed to turn off the air condition. Of course they don't know that and I explained them that this thing works like a heating only the other way around. Now my intelligence is definitively confirmed.

We played a funny game, to find out professions which don't exist anymore, like the one who had to light each evening the petrol lamps on the street. It was amazing what profession existed !

 

NEW LIFE NEW BLOG

 

Welcome to my new blog, which is actually the continuation of my "old" blog,WRITER's CRAMPS

It's since I moved into "my" castle which changed my life  completely,  I think it's time to start a new blog,  after Rick, my husband, died of Parkinson's/Alzheimer's in June 2022. It had been a very hard time for me and I acted like a robot. 

Without him, I felt completely lost. I tried to start over, but it was impossible. Finally, by chance, I ended up in a castle that I thought was a restaurant. It had a beautiful, large park that I immediately fell in love with. 

After I found out that I was not in a restaurant at all, but in a retirement home I didn't think further, I wanted to stay here. I had the rooms shown to me, all of which were very large, rather a studio without kitchen, and then my decision was made. I couldn't find anything nicer. I could no longer live alone in our apartment, my health  was getting worse and worse. 

I had to wait 3 months and then I moved in "my" castle. I don't remember how I did it all, I have a total blackout. I've been living here for over a year now and haven't regretted it for a minute. My health has improved, and I deal much better with my grief. It seems like I finally understand that he's never coming back.

She is in good health, and sleeps 22 h per day (at least)

 

I love my room, and my cat Rosie loves it too. Fortunately I could take her with me, we have the same age ! (18 and 81).

I've met a lot of really nice people here and I'm finally feeling home. Of course I also have my bad days especially when I miss Rick. But what the heck, I have to accept it and build a new life for myself without him. Therefore I created this new Blog for a new start !

How I moved in here you can read here

This is our park

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

The week started with a day off, although we are "off" the whole year. But we were without our animators and had to amuse ourselves alone. It was very nice and we discussed a bit everything from the past and the present and the 100 year old found the lunatic Trump funny and very special, in her 100 years she hadn't seen a personality like him and wondered how it was possible that he became president. She has a lot of humor and we had a lot of fun.

The next day was like a crime novel. Someone found out in the morning that Regis, a Frenchman, had somehow managed to escape at probably around  4 a.m. Luckily, he was dressed and had shoes. 

Of course, it was supposed to be a secret, but the secret spread faster than someone trying to light a barbecue. Our castle was searched all day, and at 6 p.m., four policemen and a policewoman arrived and searched the rooms. They were armed to the teeth, as if they were looking for a mass murderer. The policewoman who searched my room looked in every nook and cranny, but none of us have any big furniture where we could hide a body. I suggested she look in my mini-fridge, at which she laughed and left. 

Through the open door, I saw my neighbor, who was probably sleeping off her hangover and had no idea where she was. When she saw the policeman, she stammered that she hadn't been driving. The police officer didn't understand anything, so I explained to him that she wasn't quite right in her head and put her back to bed. Of course, the police officer didn't find any criminals, so I secretly put the carafe of wine which was standing on her bedside table outside in the hallway and disappeared into my room.

The next day mother earth thought it was enough with the cold weather and heated herself up to 32°C. It was really hot. We sat on the Terrace and it was a bit windy so it was OK. They served us Straciatella ice cream and an ice cold drink which our cook had made himself and as it was not sweet, it was very refreshing and I liked it very much.

Meanwhile the News reached also us, Regis had been found at the Waterloo Station ! He had spent the whole day we don't know where and after a Helicopter had turned around Waterloo, TV and the whole population had been informed he had been found around 10 pm. They brought him to the Hospital for a check up. Now to be continued.../...

The next day, I had an appointment with the cardiologist, and I went there with very mixed feelings. One of my heart valves had a problem. The doctor was very nice, and after a thorough examination, she told me everything was OK and I wouldn't have to come back for another 15 years. Well, I doubt it! I'd be 97 by then, and I would have the wildest stories to tell. 

It was hot again, and we played a question-and-answer game. Big  André, once again, knew almost everything! And he's 86. I'm gradually starting to think of people from on 70 as teenagers !

Friday the weatherman informed us that it had never been so hot as this year then the centuries before, although I doubt that they had a weatherman before J.C. I had my windows and curtains closed and while it was 33°C in my room it was 25°. The thick castle walls also helped to keep the heat out. I think that sooner or later more and more houses have to have an air conditioner. So in the afternoon for our games, we were sitting outside but a few in the air conditioned restaurant inside. But then they came out because it was too cold inside. I told them that they have to dress accordingly and not thick pullovers when it is so hot. We were very spoiled before playing our Quiz we got the delicious drink like yesterday and also an ice cream again. We were reminded several times per day to drink a lot, because the elderly just forget to drink. One nurse even asked me if Rosie had enough to drink. That was really cute. 

The only thing which is missing in our beautiful park is a swimming pool, but ..... most of the elderly have never learned swimming !  

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more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.