HODGEPODGE OCTOBER 8

 

1. Let's embrace it shall we? What's something you recently forgot to do? Is your memory these days more like a sieve or an elephant?

I could use my advanced age as an excuse for having a memory like a sieve rather than one like an elephant's.But the truth is, I’ve always been this way. When it comes to things like keys, glasses, or my smartphone, my memory isn't even a sieve anymore, it’s completely gone. Yet, when it involves a doctor's appointment, the theater, or something similar, my brain acts just like an elephant's. It’s always been that way! A classic example—which Rick loves to share with anyone willing to listen (or not)—is the time we spent, nearly a whole day looking for my slippers to finally find them in the fridge !! That was probably my masterpiece.

2. Share a trick/strategy you have to help you remember things you need to remember. 

 A paper calendar that hung in the kitchen and the small notebook I used to lug around in my handbag. Today, my entire life is inside a Samsung smartphone

3. What's your favorite fall vegetable to cook with? Do you prefer your fall veggies roasted, blended into a warm soup, or fresh in a crisp autumn salad? 

I have no fall vegetables. I have two seasons, winter and summer. In winter there you eat vegetables like Brussels sprouts, sauerkraut, chili beans, etc., while in summer you have more cold food—lots of salads and anything that keeps you feeling fresh.

4. October 5th is/was National Do Something Nice Day. Did you? If so tell us about it. Or maybe someone did something nice for you, and if that's the case please share.

I have never heard of this day. Maybe it’s because I do a good deed every day, or perhaps my memory is like a sieve has simply forgotten it. Anyway I had a cold and was laying on my sofa, suffering in silence ! Too many people did something nice for me .... they wished me to get better !

5.  Nathaniel Hawthorne is credited with the quote "I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house."  

Do you tend to spend more time outside this time of year? 

Do you actively pause to soak in fleeting moments of beauty in your daily routine? Elaborate. 

As I hate autumn in general, I don't care about sunshine or not it's too cold anyway. I only go out when I have to or if somebody forces me to walk with her because it is good for the health ! 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

 

I think I have already mentioned that the entire castle is currently being renovated. After nearly two years, it’s now our wing’s turn. People have to move out and stay in other rooms until their own are finished. When I heard that, I didn’t want to move to a different room for a few months only to move back to my old one later.

 

With Beti’s help, I was shown a wonderful room on the second floor with a beautiful view. I took a picture of the room plan, and now I’m constantly moving! And yet, I have until next February—or so I was told, though they didn't say which year!

 

The room is a little smaller, but still I can put all my furniture and of cause Rosie in it ! 

 

On  the left is the bathroom and straight ahead the entrance
 

and this is the view I have, laying in my bed or sitting on the sofa ! There are two huge windows in the room. As soon as I can show a bit more I will show you new pictures. 

 

 

 

AWWWW MONDAY-WEEKEND OCT 3

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

 

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WEEKEND 

 

Saturday, whole day sick .....

Sunday a bit better, whole day between sofa and bed
 

I HAVE A COLD AND AM OUT OF WORK !

 

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

This week was a bit strange. There was something in the air that made people, usually so peaceful, suddenly moody and even aggressive. It was warm, quite humid, and windy. We were playing a game on the terrace, a quiz about world capitals. Suddenly, two men got into a heated argument about which capital belonged to which country. Things calmed down once the correct answer was given. But then, a real storm brewed between two women in wheelchairs. And something happened that had never occurred since I’ve been here! I heard shouting and then a smack, one lady had actually slapped the other on her cheek. 

( I made this picture wiI made this picture with AI) 

After the initial shock was off, some people started laughing, which was understandable, given that both ladies were over eighty. I was more shocked, because one of them suffered from dementia and didn't really belong in our group, while the other was usually a quiet person who had suddenly exploded ! Fortunately, the coffee arrived, and calm was restored. 

Next, my neighbor,"the Skunk"had an angry outburst because he refused to let anyone wash him; then, out of spite, he peed all over the room after he had finally been cleaned up ! Poor caregivers and cleaning staff. Unfortunately, he can't move to another room yet because the renovations aren't finished. It’s particularly awkward when we have visitors and they complain about the smell in the hallway.

Today the last day of the week, I woke up in the middle of the night  and I sneezed several times. I felt a cold moving in. So, I took some nasal drops and a flu pill and tried to get back to sleep. I still  felt pretty bad the next morning. That’s why I don’t have much else to report; fortunately, everything is quiet and pleasant, as always.

Nadia, my Tunisian cleaning maid, brought me a bag of "karkade". It’s a red tea made from hibiscus leaves that can be drunk hot or cold. I had actually looked for *karkade* (or *bissap*) here in shops before, but I didn't find some, they hadn't the right leaves, and it had another taste. I had mentioned this to her once, and she hadn't forgotten! I thought that this was really sweet of her. She’s bringing it for me on Monday.

 

Dried leaves of the karkade plant

 

more participants here 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE OCTOBER 1

 1. When you think of autumn what sounds come to mind? 

First I don't try to think of autumn I don't like this season, and as song I would think of "Ave Maria" which is a typical funeral song.  

2.  Is a trip to the mountains something you enjoy? What's your favorite mountain?

I love mountains and I have seen so many and so different. Rick's home was surrounded of mountains at the Garda Lake  

 

Garda lake, Italy

3. What's something that once felt like a mountain, but is now just a molehill? 

Before my parents moved to Brussels, we lived in Bonn which was the Capital of Germany until the fall of the wall and the capital became Berlin again. We lived just under a huge mountain, that's what I thought, I had never been in the mountains so for me these "mountains" along the Rhine were huge ! Today I must smile because they are rather hills.  

  

4. Let's play this or that-fall foods edition. Yes you have to choose. 

• pumpkin spice latte or chai latte 
• apple cider or hot chocolate  
• stew or chili
• sweet potato casserole or green bean casserole 
• butternut squash soup or creamy mushroom soup 
• cranberry sauce or gravy 

From all these "fall foods"  I would choose chili, and cranberry sauce ! I hate gravy, in the UK they put it over nearly all dishes ! 

5. Sum up your September in a sentence or two. 

 

First half of September was cool and rainy, second half sunny and very cheerful.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

 

 

 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Sometimes in August there is a scarecrow exhibition on the Grand'Place in Brussels. It's interesting to see the creativity of the people.

 

 This is the Grand'Place in Brussels (Belgium)

 

more participants here 

 

 

 

 

AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND SEPTEMBER 26

 

This is Spirou, a little Bichon, which my friend Isabel met in our shelter. He had been confiscated by the police along with other dogs because he belonged to Romanians who used them for begging. 

The little guy had never lived in a home before; instead, he had been kept in a cage. Isabel’s task was to get him accustomed to a normal dog's life. Naturally, she hadn't intended to keep him. But Spirou won her heart, and as soon as he was cleared for adoption, she adopted him herself ! He is so friendly, doesn't bark, is fine being left alone, and was in good health, apparently, he had been well-fed. The vet estimated his age to be two years at most. I also fell in love with Spirou, and bought him a stuffed animal. He has adopted it as his own little doll and carries it around everywhere with him. How lucky for Spirou that he was adopted by Isabel. The residents of our castle all fell in love with him too !

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

 

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WEEKEND 

 

 

 

 

We could sit outside, exchanged the last news and played Bingo. Unfortunately later, one resident who lives on the same floor as me, knocked at my door and came in. 

 

She was weeping and looked terrible. She stammered something and was hard to understand, but eventually I understood that she wanted me to go with her because she believed her husband had died.

 

Naturally, I went with her though perhaps it wasn't all that natural, but having seen several dead people  since Rick passed away, it didn't bother me anymore. I have changed. I looked at the man and initially thought he had passed away; his face already wore the mask of death, and his mouth was wide open.

 

 I stepped closer and saw that he was still breathing. Then I called a nurse, who took care of Ivette. 

We sat outside in the afternoon, and I went to bed early that evening because I wasn't feeling well. The next morning, I was informed that Ivette’s husband had died around 5 a.m. When I went to see her, the room had already been tidied up; I hadn't heard a thing—he had been taken away so discreetly.

 

We all agreed it was for the best; he had cancer, was over eighty, and didn't want any more chemotherapy. That’s just how it is here, people come and go, but such is life: you get used to everything, even the things you never wanted to get used to.

 

 

 

FRIDAY"s FAVE FIVE

Monday we celebrated the birthdays of the residents born in September. It has never been this bad since I’ve been here! An elderly gentleman was hammering on our old piano, while at the same time, pictures of all kinds of animals—from chickens to elephants—were projected onto an old white screen (I initially thought it was a bedsheet)..... This was supposed to be "Zen" music.

 

It was so "Zen" that many people fell asleep, left the restaurant, or played on their smartphones. I played Scrabble and tried not to listen, but after a while, I couldn't stand it anymore either and went out on the terrace. Amandine our manager agreed with me that it was rather funeral music then birthday. And the tip of the top was that we didn't even get the excellent birthday cake, but the one always get and I don't like at all. In short this birthday celebration was a real flop. The Birthday residents weren't even there ! They probably had smelled the disaster. 

The next day we had a game finding words, which was very funny. On Wednesday I went with Jeanine picking up her new glasses she had ordered and at the same time we ate in the Lunch Garden, for a change. The weather was nice and warm and we liked to eat something else, although our kitchen is in general good.

Thursday we were 12 to visit the African Museum in Tervueren, one of the municipalities of Brussels. 

 

It was a real nice excursion and we all enjoyed it very much. I will write and show photos tomorrow or Monday, because it would be too much. The museum is really very beautiful.

Yesterday was the "Open House" day, and relatives, acquaintances, friends, and so on were invited.

From morning on the busy bees prepared the restaurant for the residents and their guests

and on the terrace others took a glass of Champagne 

While Amadeo our cook prepared the BQ ! which was very good !

our "do it yourself" man who repairs everything, a nurse and Beti the good soul of the house who has always an open ear for everybody.

and my friends Isabelle (with Snoopy) and Ilona who came as my guests and spent the afternoon with me

We looked at the new rooms and made this picture with a "Selfie" machine

 

They stayed until 5, they didn't want to go home! Ilona said she couldn't believe we were in a retirement home! The music from our generation was playing just as loudly as it is for today's teenagers; people were dancing, and the atmosphere was fantastic! Then we had crêpes, fruit salad, and coffee. We all agreed it was a real wonderful day and I think the visitors agreed that there are also other retirement homes then like hospital looking once, with the same price range. 

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE SEPTEMBER 24

 1. Fall arrives this week in the northern hemisphere. Does it look/feel like fall where you live?What's something you love to do this time of year that makes you feel its officially fall? 

2. What's a small daily task or chore that always seems to fall through the cracks when your schedule gets busy?

I really don't like filing papers or documents; I always put it off.

3. What's something you're falling for lately? 

Really nothing ! When autumn approaches I just fall for nothing, and certainly not for fall ! 

4.  Pumpkin is a popular flavor this time of year.  Are you a fan? What's your favorite pumpkin flavored food or beverage? 

I love pumpkins as decoration for fall or Halloween, but I can't remember  that I have ever eaten pumpkin. Neither soup nor any other dish. 

5.What's something you wish would never change? Explain. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

As October is approaching my mind drifts back to Rick. Seeing the world change colors makes me look back at the chapters we shared, tracing the lines of when we were us; I am now alone with my thoughts, wondering how time managed to move so fast and how a life can change so completely. We would have been married for 57 years now in October 2026.