OUT OF WORK

 After an update my computer refuses me the access to my dashboard, that's why you have no news from me. Hope I get it settled asap !!

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

On Monday it was so hot, that even moving the little finger was to much. I had left my two windows wide open all night to let the room cool down. In the morning, I closed them and drew the heavy curtains. 

So, I spent almost the entire day sitting with the light on, sorting photos, playing around with AI, and watching TV. I didn't go to our activities because the A/C there was either set too cold, blowing freezing air right onto the back of one's neck, or the doors were all left open, including the ones leading outside, happily letting the hot air pour in. The unit is ancient, and only a few people know how to operate it.

After all, eight people had been hospitalized with pneumonia, and I’m certain that A/C was what made them sick. I did go to the restaurant for coffee, though, to catch up on the latest news. But there wasn't any, besides some of the sick people were back. 

The weather cooled down and went crazy, it did exactly the opposite of what the weatherman had said !  Instead of returning to normal temperatures as forecast, it suddenly turned chilly! So, we changed our plans and played a fun letter game indoors.

These constant temperature fluctuations seem to affect people too,  my neighbor who spends all day in bed yells at the staff and drinks red wine. His wife isn't any better but she doesn't yell at anyone,  she makes fun of her husband and laughs loudly, which naturally makes him even angrier. 

The worst part is that he refuses to be washed and smells terrible, he has already been kicked out of the dining room twice much to his wife’s delight, because the stench was so awful. I really don't know what kind of people they are; they certainly have no manners at all, but a lot of money ! They get their ration of wine delivered almost every day from a man coming from outside, and I see the results the next morning when they simply leave the empty bottles outside their door. 

Here is his double, only the double looks "cute" !

The man is also incontinent and refuses to wear protections, so the room and unfortunately the hallway, too stinks. I have nicknamed him "the skunk." I don't know what medical condition the two of them have, other than the fact that they are both alcoholics that's for sure and they both sit in a wheelchair !

A friend told me they order five glasses of wine in the dining room every day on top of their room delivery ! I had already informed our manager and told her everything because it’s really embarrassing for us when visitors come, and  the hallway smells so bad. 

The maid scheduled to clean the room today is Tunisian a tiny handsome girl, looking rather frail ! But she has character !! Where others were running away crying, she shouted at the skunk forced him to be washed by taking his bottles of wine away and telling him that he will only get them back when he is clean !

I got out of my room because the guy made such a fuss and shouted insults ! He became hysterical and wanted his bottles back ! I laughed, she had found the weak point ! She could wash him and after that she probably gave him his wine back. In his room he can do what he wants. Apparently. I think our manager must first find out what they can legally do, before taking action and changing them to another floor or kick them out. They really don't belong here ! I pity the staff who have to deal with these two ! Jeanine and I are directly concerned too, because I have my room beside them and she just opposite, so when they open their door and we too, we almost faint. I think monkeys in a zoo behave better and smell less !

We ended the week with playing "Hangman". As I was never a friend of games of any kind, I didn't know it. I have to say that now on my old days I learn playing ! "The Hangman"is a guessing game or two or more players. One player thinks of a word, phrase, or sentence

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE AUGUST 6

1. What's something on your August calendar you're looking forward to? Or dreading if that's easier to answer. 

If my COPD allows it and I can breath and walk normally, I want to to spent a day at the sea 

2. August 5th is National Oyster Day...do you partake? How do you feel about pearls?

Certainly not ! I loved to eat oysters the more the better until one day I got an oyster poisoning and spent three days in the bathroom, it was awful. Since then, I can't even look at an oyster without thinking of that terrible week!

I tried to make it with AI but the ​​clasp is not quite right.
 

Pearls are a different story; I have a very beautiful necklace with a ruby ​​clasp that I inherited later from my mother. Here I was wearing it when I was with the dancers of Maurice Béjart I also have another one—a very long one—but that’s just costume jewelry. 

3. Tell us about a time when you felt like 'the world was your oyster'. 

That was mostly as a young woman, when I had a responsible job, was dependent on no one, and the world was at my feet (or my oyster)

Here I am 22 years old with my first car, bought with my own money !

4. Trip Advisor lists seven islands in the US that require no passport (for US citizens). If you're answering today from outside the US you'll still need to produce yours. An-y-way, have you been to any of the seven? Let's pretend you get an all expense paid trip to one this month...which one do you choose and why? 

Catalina Island California~Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts~Mackinac Island Michigan~Key West Florida~South Padre Island Texas~or Kauai Hawaii

No, I have been in California, in Michigan, Florida and Texas, but I don't know these places and I have never been to Hawaii. But I always had to travel with my German passport, because although I live now since 1959 in Belgium, I have never asked for the Belgian citizenship. I have the same rights as a Belgian so I don't see why, the only difference is as Belgian I would have to vote, voting is mandatory, and if you don't vote, you get fined. I don't like to be forced. 

5. Sylvia Plath is credited with the following- 

"August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time."

Agree or disagree? In other words, how do you feel about this month? 

I very much agree ! August leads us to autumn which I hate. It already smells like end of summer beginning autumn ! In the past it had often been the hottest month here, but with the climate change there are no rules anymore. 

Lago di Garda, (Garda Lake, Italy) in August. Rick's home,  the lake is very famous for Windsurf.
 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The last three days have been terrible for me. I could hardly dress myself and if I made 5 steps I was breathless, it is always better when I have taken my medication, but unfortunately it doesn't last in this heat until the evening. I hope it will get better the next days and that the temperature falls under 30°C and that the air is not so humid anymore ! We are not used to these temperatures and have to change our habits.  

 

WHAT CHILDREN SAY ABOUT THEIR PARENTS

“Mom, you have wrinkles. But doesn’t matter—after all, you’re already one of the old people.”

 “Dad, why do you have such a big round belly? Is there a baby in there?”

 “Dad is the one who decides things. But Mom decides what Dad is allowed to decide.

 “When Mom scolds me, it’s as loud as a tractor. But afterwards, there’s ice cream.”

 “I love my parents. They buy everything I want if I scream really loud.” 

 “Parents are there to tie your shoes and open the cookie jar.” 

“Dad, it tastes so deliciously burnt—it must be a specialty!” 

“Dad’s cooking today? Great—where’s the number for the pizza delivery?”

 “When Dad cooks, we don’t eat with our mouths; we eat with a lot of courage.” 

“The meat is so tough, Dad, you could still use it as a shoe sole.” 

“Dad said there’s a secret ingredient. I think it’s salt. A lot of salt.”

 “Your food tastes like love, Dad—you just have to swallow it.”

 

 

Pregnant Daddy 

 

 

AWWW MONDAY

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

 

************** 

 

WEEKEND 

Saturday was a real nice day, and we played our Question and Answer game on the terrace. There are two new residents, they look nice, we will see if they "fit" in our family ! 

 

On Sunday it was really hot over 30°C ! this is the second heat wave ! My friend Ilona had invited me and that was good, because in my car it was nice and cool and under a big tree too. We had a very good ice cream and chatted about the travels we had made together. There were quite a lot ! 

 

Before I left she showed me the last painting she had done before she too, stopped painting. She has no inspiration any more like me.  

  

She loves the Buddhism and has a few [statues] in her living room and a large one in the garden.

I woke up during the night and it was very bright! I looked out the window and saw a huge moon! I took several pictures because it looked so beautiful, and this was the best one.

of course the one I made with AI, looks much better !

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

This week really wasn't good for me! After a spell of rather cool, damp weather, the temperature suddenly jumped up to over 30, without any sunshine, and the air remained quite humid. The result was that I had trouble breathing, especially when walking; just a few steps left me breathless, as if I’d been running to catch a train. I also didn't take part in every activity, since some were held in our restaurant which was freezing cold.

The problem is that no one knows how to manage the climate control properly; it’s far too cold, they leave the window doors open and by now, almost everyone has caught a cold. 

I made a picture and AI added icicles ! 

 In fact as it was so hard for me to move, I restored photos and made paintings all with AI. I love to do that. 

  My son during carnival, 1978, today there is even a grandma amongst them. The photo was like the others looking old a fade, now it looks like new

 

and beneath they are playing in our garden

 

 

This is my first marriage, unfortunately I don't remember the name of my "husband"

Then I tried out making photos without a photo just in writing !

Sea, sailing boat, sunset

 

girl with a cold
 

It's raining cats and dogs !

grass, flock of sheep, mountains behind 

I had never made landscape pictures without using a camera and just writing what I want. 

and here I am dreaming of holidays, this is a real photo from at least 40 years ago in Egypt ! Looks like new !

 

I hope that next week the air is better and the humidity gone ! 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PARENTING ....

 

  

“A two-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don’t have a top for it.”

 “The quickest way for a parent to get a child’s attention is to sit down and look comfortable.” 

 Why don’t kids understand their nap is not for them, but for us?” 

 “If evolution works, how come mothers only have two hands?”

 “Having children is like living in a frat house – nobody sleeps, everything’s broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up.”

 “Becoming a mom to me means that you have accepted that for the next 16 years of your life, you will have a sticky purse.” 

“Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare.” 

“Great parenting lies somewhere between ‘don’t do that’ and ‘ah, what the hell.’”

“A baby changes your dinner party conversation from politics to poops.” 

“One day I’ll be thankful that my kid is strong willed but that will not be today, not in this grocery store.”

“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.” 

 “All of us have moments in our lives that test our courage. Taking children into a house with white carpet is one of them.” 

“When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.” 

 “Silence is golden…unless you have kids, then silence is just suspicious.” 

 “Diaper backward spells repaid. Think about it.”   

“I have just returned from a children’s party. I’m one of the survivors.” 

 “People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one.”

 “Few things are more satisfying than seeing your own children have teenagers of their own.”

“Parenting without a sense of humor is like being an accountant who sucks at math.” 

   

HODGEPODGE JULY 29

 

 1. What was the last thing you celebrated? 

Rosie's 19th birthday ! She got a lot of birthday wishes from the staff and the manager ! It was very touching.  

2 July 29th is International Day of the Tiger. Besides the wild animal itself, when you hear the word tiger what's the first  person-place-thing-whatever that comes to mind? 

That I want to pet it ! It's just a big cat, in German we call cats "room tigers" 

 3. The expression 'eye of the tiger' describes someone with intense focus, determination, and the drive to succeed. What area of your life are you currently bringing that kind of energy to? 

I am learning AI and try it out ! That takes a lot of energy especially for a person who has a lack of energy, but it helps. 

 

Tiger's Eye Gemstone: It is also the name of a smooth, brown-and-gold quartz stone that people wear or keep to bring courage, power, and clear thinking. I saw a lot of these stones in Egypt and bought a bracelet.

In Buddhism it represents strength willpower and clarity   

4. What was the last meal you cooked? 

I swear I have not Alzheimer yet, but I can't remember when or what meal I last cooked, for the simple reason that when Rick had to move into a retirement home because of his Parkinson, I had no time and no energy to cook for me alone, and even before when he was home for a 6 months, I didn't cook, I had other worries. I suppose it was 5 years ago and certainly Gnocchi with Tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese, which was a meal he loved. 

 

5. Describe your July using exactly five words. 

Sick, weak, hot, cold, recovering,  

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I was happy that I felt real good on Saturday when my mini family stopped in Waterloo to visit me ! They came back from Italy and had a long way behind them. From the Toscan in Italy they drove 800 km to Metz in France where they spend the night and arrived here a little after noon.  

 

Grandson Toby had 4 cm more, only dog Leia was still the same, I shrank again 

here we are the 4 of us, the Lilliput wives in the middle 

 

We had a nice picnic in the park, nobody was keen to go to a restaurant, it was too hot.

Leia was the happiest dog of the world, as she could run around in this big park, and she did several rounds 

  

I dressed my two men with the help of AI into Body guards, so I feel protected, never ever in my life I have been so little ! I had always been a tall girl of 1,71 m and still am, despite the fact that normally people shrink when they get old ! 

 

 

AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND JULY 25

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

 

************** 

 

WEEKEND 

After the nice warm weather on Saturday, today the temperature dropped by half today, and I had to change into warmer clothes because it was simply too cold.

From the window of my friend you have a great view on the original castle, it shows the little tower with a cross on the top. The building around was the castle when it was built. The part with the red bricks and balconies was added later, when the winter garden was transformed into the today's restaurant. As I have exercised to make old pictures new with the help of AI, I now try to create pictures by just writing what I want. Here I asked for a full moon in a cloudy sky and this came out !

and then a burning open fire

 

and then I asked for a sunflower field with a bench in the front. 

I was quite happy with my trials and finally the afternoon went by very quick ! Outside it poured cats and dogs,

 which gave me this idea .... and then the sun came out, just when I wanted to read a bit on my bed.