6 Apr 2026

AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND APRIL EASTER



I was really lucky that I could take pictures of one of our 6 castle cats, which you can't pet and usually run away when you come too close. But here she cleaned herself from top to bottom on the terrace of one resident room, while we were inside. The sun had come out for a few minutes. 



 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

 

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WEEKEND

It was Easter Weekend, but honestly we haven't gotten anything special. On Saturday an Easter mass was held, which is normal, but what I don't understand is why so many people attended and why a priest was specially hired who only had an hour free that day to celebrate an Easter mass. I mean, if you never go to church for mass, except at Easter and Christmas, then that's rather hypocritical, and besides, they are taking the places from those who are really religious. 

We were four of us who didn't attend,  my friends, who felt the same way as I. Our animator, Elinor, was with us, and we played an interesting game it was a very pleasant afternoon. We were given a special room that's usually only used for family birthday parties.

Fortunately Kim had decorated the whole castle with bunnies, little baskets and flowers and it looked really like Easter.  





But that was all. On Sunday the Easter lunch was honestly disgusting, for that we all agreed, we haven't even seen one single Easter Egg. 

Last year it was completely different, everything was nice and we were all in real Easter mood.

After the activity, the coffee was served. Usually there is a cake, waffles or other biscuits, this time the basket was rather stingy there were a few biscuits and 3 waffles not enough for all of us. Fortunately we had a guest who had brought chocolate eggs more then enough for us. We will ask why it was so different then the other years ! 

 

The cutest card I have got !

4 Apr 2026

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE APRIL 3

 
From Monday til Friday we had a very moody weather,  just like the wannabe orange king of the USA. The days were always the same, except one day I met our new female manager. To me she  made a very friendly impression. I greeted her, and we exchanged a few words. She looks very young and is very tall, I am 1.70 m (5'7") and she's easily half a head taller. 

Then came April 1st. Nobody made a joke with me, and I didn't even realize it was April 1st, but then in the restaurant, I saw several people with a fish stuck on their backs. In Belgium, people call it "Poisson d'Avril," meaning "April Fish," which is why they try to sneakily stick a fish on someone.


Here is grandpa André who got a fish and hadn't realized ! Of course nobody told him !

On Thursday we went to an exhibition at the farm belonging to La Hulpe Castle. Unfortunately, it was the rainiest day of the week. Nevertheless, it was very nice and we had a great time.

 Domaine Solvay — Wikipédia

 the farm   

In one part of the farm is the restaurant in the other the exhibition of the painter  Jean-Michel Folon, a Belgian painter and sculptor, who showed in his exhibition about 500 paintings and sculpture in the Ferme du Château de La Hulpe.  He was born on March 1, 1934 in Brussels and died in Monaco at 71 years. 

When we went years ago, he didn't have an own exhibition, he just had his atelier in one part of the farm.

We went through the exposition, after one hour I gave up and walked over to the Restaurant,  I was thirsty and honestly I didn't like his paintings very much. I preferred his sculptures.                                             



 

This was a bird

 
Here we were in a room made of mirrors, and I took a picture of the ceiling so we were upside own, it was really funny. 
 
After a drink in the restaurant, we drove back home.  
 
I had been often in this park, when my son was little and later with friends. The farm had been converted to a very nice restaurant with a large terrace outside and in summer it is always full. The view over the fields and woods are gorgeous and there are also two little lakes where children feed the ducks and swans

Unfortunately, we couldn't sit outside because it was far too cold and wet.

Our animator should have scheduled this trip for a few month later. 

The week ended as usual, I was a little tired from the excursion and didn't participate in the game, which was a kind of bowling. Tomorrow Easter starts ! 


to all of you !



more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.
 
 
 
 
 
 

1 Apr 2026

HODGEPODGE APRIL 2

 1. March is rolling on out of here. Sum up your March in ten words or less. 

 March was extremely capricious! Sometimes winter, sometimes spring, sometimes autumn.

2. Are you afraid of heights? When was the last time you found yourself dealing with a height, and did it make you nervous.

Yes, I have a fear of heights. For example, I can't stand on a balcony if it's on the 5th floor. But I can look out of a window on the 50th floor or higher if it's closed. In an enclosed space, I can go as high as I want; I only get dizzy when everything around me is open. 

3. What's a word you struggle to spell on a regular basis, and sometimes need to double check before writing it down? Use the word in a sentence that tells us something about your April calendar.  

Since English is not my native language, I sometimes have to look up the spelling of certain words in the dictionary, or  I don't find the right word in English . But I can't think of a single word that I constantly need to check. 

Editorial cartoon for Tuesday, April 2, 2024 - Duluth News Tribune | News,  weather, and sports from Duluth, Minnesota 

Therefore I translated the most famous German quote for April.

April, April it does what it wants 

4. Love 'em or hate 'em, with Easter comes the sweet treat known as Peeps. So... do you love 'em or hate 'em? Speaking of peeps,

I couldn't understand what Peeps have to do with Easter and sweet treat, as for me "peeps" means people. But .... the AI  explained me that peeps are marshmallows. We have other sweets and although you find marshmallows here, I don't like them and kids prefer Easter eggs in chocolate. 

Prime Video: PEEP and the Big Wide World Season 4 

My favorite way to have (or eat) chicken is a roasted chicken, even at Easter, in case it's a chocolate or marshmallow chicken at Eastern.

5. This week's Hodgepodge lands on the first day of April, which happens to be National Poetry Month. Do you like poetry?  Share a favorite line or two from one of your favorite poems. What makes this one a favorite? 

I am not a fan of poetry, I prefer a romantic book. But I have one I still remember since  Rick died and that is : 

You might be gone from my arms, but you’ll never leave my heart.

/ 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

I have always decorated our home for Eastern, even last year, but this year I have no energy for nothing, the days just go by ....



 In the past
 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY




These are Belgian mussels, commonly served as moules-frites (mussels with fries), are a cornerstone of Belgian cuisine and a defining culinary tradition of Brussels. Despite their close association with the capital, the mussels traditionally used are largely sourced from the nearby Zeeland region in the Netherlands. 

When I was young, there were chip stalls on almost every corner, and I often bought a paper cone of chips. Unfortunately, they gradually disappeared, and now you really have to search for one. In Brussels dialect, they are called "Frittekot." In Waterloo we had one at the station, one in the center, one at the Lion. I think most of them disappeared during the Corona lock in !


Fritkot Bompa friterie - IXELLES | Friteries

Le match fritkot-frites maison : est-il plus économique de se rendre à la  friterie pour manger des frites ? - La DH/Les Sports+


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30 Mar 2026

AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND MARCH 28





 

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WEEKEND 

Saturday it was rainy, windy and cold ! A real nice Monday weather. Fortunately it's warm everywhere and company I have too. I didn't like the activity this day, it was "artistic painting" ! I have participated once and that was enough for my whole life ! It was what Kindergarten kids paint, little lady bugs, flowers, bunnies etc. I stayed with Jeanine in her room and we chatted until coffee was served, from all participants only 5 had not stopped their "work" ! One said that she is too old to return to primary school. I think that was the last time we had a painting activity !

Nobody went outside, it was again a lousy weather. My neighbors had celebrated I don't know what, they are a couple, he in a wheelchair and she walking, They only leave their room for lunch. Never together, they fight all the time. She kicks with her foot in the wheelchair to push him. The rest of the day they lay in bed and fight, I learn a lot of words which were not in my vocabulary. They drink the whole day and I see the bottles the next day standing on the floor outside their door. Usually 4 bottles of red wine and 4 bottle of a very strong beer. I couldn't find out why they are here, they are very unfriendly with the staff too. I have noticed that couples in one room doesn't work, they fight all the time and avoid each other whenever they can, even in the restaurant. From the 5 couples we have here,  two fight all the time, two are well together and the third have found the ideal solution, they have one room each,live far apart, each going their own way, only eating or going out together on weekends. They both seem quite content with this arrangement. It's certainly better than lying in bed arguing all day, and get drunk !

Drunk Cartoon Images – Browse 1,165,077 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video |  Adobe Stock


28 Mar 2026

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

The week started real nice ! A theater group came to perform a funny play for us. It was a private group of older actors, but they were really very good. The play was hilarious, and we laughed a lot. Unfortunately, a few deaf residents had forgotten their hearing aids and, of course, couldn't understand a word. Somehow, it seems to be normal for hard-of-hearing people to always claim they hear perfectly well and that the hearing aid is just for "decoration." Rick actually did that too, I remembered, because I kept yelling, "Put your ears on!"

 

I also heard that a new female manager had been hired, the one we had and whom I liked, was only there as a replacement until they found the right one ! I wonder how many are to come because this lady is the 4th manager in the 2 1/2 years I am here. It doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't disturb my and the others comfort. 

The new one is a head taller then our little "old" one, I saw them from far, our "old" one just reaches the shoulder from the "new"one. They look like a slat and a pom-pom.. I have heard the new one is very nice. 

The next day the monthly birthdays were celebrated. This time the singer at least had a voice and sang French chansons from our youth. I had taken my tablet with me and while he sang I did a scrabble. So it was not so boring, French chansons are nice to dance, but only to listen .... not so much for me.  

But the best was the birthday cake, it was delicious. Not one slice was left !

With the new manager I noticed that also new staff had been hired. Of course, none of us knew about the new arrivals, so I had the pleasure of being asked by three different caregivers if I'd taken my medication. Each time I had to explain why I was here, and that I don't need any care yet !  I felt like I was living in a central station. And to top it all off, in the evening someone was scratching at my door and I heard strange noises in the corridor. I opened my door and saw a little hippie (her hair was all standing up) sitting in a leather armchair on wheels, almost disappearing into it. I had never seen this woman before, and she couldn't speak. Nobody was on my floor, and I certainly couldn't push that heavy chair. The woman was hitting her feet against the wall with all her strength (and she had plenty of it), which had made this noise.

Cartoon old woman a wheelchair Images - Free Download on Freepik 

I called a caregiver to have her wheeled back to her room. I have no idea how she got here with that heavy chair; someone who also suffered from dementia must have pushed her. Usually these residents with severe diseases are all on the 4th floor and locked in, because some of them always try to escape. That was enough for me, so I locked my door. Hopefully, things will calm down soon, once the new residents have settled in.

Ever since I had the Zona, my right eye felt not normal, I couldn't describe it, sometimes it hurt a little bit and sometimes it just had a strange feeling. As Zona can be dangerous for eyes, I called my ophthalmologist and when he heard the word Zona, he gave me an appointment for the very next day; otherwise, I would have had to wait a month! 

It was just lunchtime, when I arrived, there were still five people ahead of me. Then his assistant had me look through various machines, printed out the results, and brought them to my doctor. I've known him for at least 20 years; back then, he was just starting, without an assistant and without so many machines. Now he has worked his way up to become one of the best ophthalmologists, and his office is always full. I was really glad that my eyes were in good condition, that absolutely nothing was wrong with them. 

 He gave me eye drops in case my eye was too dry, now I'll see. I was so relieved!

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.
 
 
 
 
 
 

25 Mar 2026

HODGEPODGE MARCH 26

 1. It's officially spring in the northern hemisphere. Does it feel like spring in your part of the world? If you're in the southern hemisphere it's officially autumn where you live. Does the weather say autumn? Which do you prefer-spring or autumn? Why? 

This year spring arrived even before the official day. I love spring, the fresh green, the  blooming shrubs and trees. Without any hesitation I prefer spring by far !

 

 

 

2. What's your favorite thing about spring? 
 
The light and the smell 

3. Spring into action, spring in your step, spring to life, spring to one's feet...which spring idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain. 

Actually, I would do everything, but unfortunately I have this chronic illness which is incurable, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).It is a progressive, long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe due to damaged airways and air sacs.It holds me back in many ways, especially in physical activities.

4. Which spring food from this list is your favorite? What's a dish you like that includes your favorite spring ingredient? 

asparagus, strawberries, salad greens like mesclun, artichokes, spinach, eggs, peas, spring onions

 I love asparagus, strawberries and green salad

5. What's one task on your spring cleaning list? Do you actually have a list? 

I don't need a spring cleaning list ! I am a lucky girl in this way, I just can sit on my sofa the whole day and twiddle my thumbs, if that wasn't too boring.

Who Drunk the Sherry, Sleeping Grandma, Sleeping Nanny, Comical Old Lady,  Comical Granny, Funny Lady, 12 jpg images 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 It's spring ! Rain or sunshine winter is over and I purr like little Rosie below !

 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY




The Royal Palace of Brussels was originally constructed in the 18th century, and it has undergone several renovations and expansions since then. The originally building was commissioned by the Austrian Archduchess Maria Theresa in 1775 as a residence for the governor-general of the Austrian Netherlands. After Belgium gained independence in 1831, the palace became the official working residence of the Belgian monarchy. He and his family live in the castle of Laeken outside Brussels.

 

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