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 !

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.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

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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AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND MARCH 21

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WEEKEND 21/03/2026 

On Saturday the sun was shining and it was quite warm for March, 15°C ! After working on my computer, and had eaten lunch, I went outside in the sunshine and walked nearly around the whole park, which was quite a target ! I felt nearly normal, then I sat on a bench in the sunshine and scrabbled for an hour. It was time then to join the others for the activity which was finding words. Very interesting. 

We even had little cakes with whipped creme and a fruit on the top. My friend Jeanine was not with us, she visited her sister who is in a hospital on the other end of Brussels, unfortunately her sister didn't even recognize her, she had fallen, broken a leg and lost her mind. Of course Jeanine was very sad, because it was probably the last time she saw her sister alive.

On Sunday it was the same, as soon as I had finished a went outside after lunch and sun hungry I sat on another bench after having done my walk. Not so good this time, I got quicker breathless. I did my scrabble and then joined the daughter of a resident and we chatted together so that we almost missed our Quizz ! Then it was time for supper, TV and bed ! Days are flying by !

Here are a few pictures of my daily walk.

I always take a photo of something which has to be replaced or repaired or cut ! Photos show more then words our female manager never makes a tour around the park, and the gardeners seem to be blind sometimes.

Behind the mini golf sits one of the 6 castle cats, I wanted to crop the picture but Picasa doesn't work anymore on my computer. Does somebody know a company who does cropping free online ? 

 

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

The beautiful spring weather continued and as there was gymnastic on the activity program and I wasn't interested, I quickly went shopping and only returned for coffee.

 

The next day, I took advantage of the beautiful weather and wanted to try walking around the entire park, as I was feeling well. I was quite proud of myself, I didn't manage the whole park, but I did manage a little more than half of it. If only I could continue like this ! At 5 pm, I went to my room and watched a little TV.

 

After the news, I lay down in bed and read some of my old blog posts on my tablet. Sometimes I really laughed, and suddenly I remembered things I had long forgotten.

I had just turned off the light when I became uneasy and thought I heard something unusual. I took out my earplugs and turned the light on. I had forgotten to lock my room ! In the middle of the room stood a wild-looking skeleton with hair standing up, in her nightgown. Naturally, I was startled! Then I asked her what she wanted , but she could barely speak. She must have been a mentally disabled woman who had run away from somewhere. 

 

Finally, I pushed her out of my room, into the elevator, and pressed the O button, where the two night shift male nurses were sitting. Normally, I would have taken her down, but I was still weak from my zona and also angry that I had been disturbed while trying to fall asleep, as I have difficulty doing so.

The next day, I heard that the woman was new and that she would have been better placed on the 4th floor, which is closed. She had tried to open several doors, and had caused some trouble with the scared residents. Since then I haven't seen her anymore, probably she is now staying in the closed section. 

On Wednesday, we had a meeting with the female manager and her assistant. Since only a few people dared to speak up about what is needed to be changed, they had chosen me to speak for everyone. I noticed that the manager always dodged the question and never gave a clear answer, but I kept pushing anyway. Finally, she gave an answer that was neither yes nor no. After a few days or weeks, what I had complained about was finally done. Also, I always take pictures to show her, and she always says "later," but I never give up and keep showing her the pictures. Despite the fact that I am a nagger for her, she appreciates and we understand each other very well. She is not stupid, she tries to win time for asking her superiors if they wood agree or not. I do that to !

After they left, suddenly many people started complaining about everything that was not for them personally, and I asked them why they hadn't said anything. They were acting like they were in primary school ! Despite that, we had a good laugh.

To end the week one of the three girl trainees, made a game with us concerning LOVE ! She gave us little pieces of paper where a sentence was written and we had to find a word concerning Love which fitted in the sentence. That was real fun. The best as usual was old André with his 96 years ! Real cute. Then we made fun of some ladies in their 80 who are still very active and try to find a man, but they are quite aggressive, they hug and kiss the men, and the poor guy doesn't know what to do. Good old André found a woman in his bed and was outraged. He told me he had been faithful to his wife for 70 years and now he found such an old woman in his bed. Poor André is in a wheelchair because he's so fat his legs can't carry him anymore. I nearly died laughing.

 

I have to investigate some more "Love" stories ! 

 

       

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE MARCH 17

1. St. Patrick's Day lands on March 17th. Do you believe in luck? Are there things you do thinking they'll  bring good luck or  things you avoid because they're considered bad luck? 

2. Forest-lime-sage-mint-olive-emerald...what's your favorite shade of green?

 

I don't like green at all for clothes. Grey and green don't suit me either; I look like a corpse in this color. The only green that suits me is olive green. But I like all shades of green in nature ! 

3. In Ireland the meal on this day is often a hearty beef or lamb stew served with colcannon (mashed potato mixed with cabbage and leeks). In the US corned beef and cabbage is the more typical St. Patty's Day meal. Will you/did you mark the day with one of these dishes? Baked-fried-roasted-mashed...what's your favorite way to eat a potato?

I have been in Ireland, but I don't remember what I have eaten there, only that it was all good. Corned beef and cabbage sounds familiar to me. If I haven eaten this must have been in my childhood in Germany. With an Italian husband such a dish was impossible ! But we will celebrate St. Patrick here in "my" castle, although most of the residents don't know who he was and why he is celebrated, that's too new for them. On the menu is written "Irish Stew". I hope our Italian cook, who is real good, will do his best and prepare an Irish stew (without Spaghettis) 

My roommate Rachel, dressed for St. Patrick. All the staff had such a head decoration ! 

4. What color of the rainbow best represents your personality/mood today? Tell us why. 

I would say yellow ! The sun was shining, the sky blue and I went with a friend to a real nice Restaurant and had a drink there ! We even sat outside on the terrace, it was so warm ! That really lifted our mood !! 

 

 5. Which 'lucky' quote resonates with you. Elaborate. 

  'Luck is not something you can mention in the presence of self-made men.' E.B. White 

 'Diligence is the mother of good luck." Benjamin Franklin 

'Luck is where opportunity meets preparation.' Seneca 

'Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.' Ralph Waldo Emerson  

 

I think the last quote suits me the best. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I have no special thoughts today, I enjoy the sunshine and our park, who slowly gets green and greener. When I am sitting outside and everything is green, then I love green, all greens !

When I go for a walk here, I feel really comfortable.

 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

I was very much when I saw the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland ! I had seen quite a lot of nature's strange creations a little bit all over the world, but I had never seen something like that !





The whole area looked as if somebody had cut huge columns shorter or even very short







I  watched (if somebody fell) how people like goats jumped from column to column.



 

 

With the blue sea in the back ground it was indeed a very special view ! People sat down and admired the beautiful landscape.

The Causeway was created over 60 million years ago following a volcanic eruption. The formation of the Giant's Causeway was due to intense volcanic activity.

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AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND MARCH

 

 

 My new dress

 

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WEEKEND   

Saturday was a nice day ! In the morning I did my blogging, had my lunch and then I went with a friend to the Waterloo theater where once a month there is a play for the seniors in the afternoon to a special price. in the evening you have to pay the full price. 

This time it wasn't a play, but an impersonator who mimicked the voices of famous singers. He was quite short and very slim, but what a voice!!! Incredible. He imitated French singers, but also Pavarotti, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, etc. 

At first, he had a little trouble turning the seniors into screaming and whistling teenagers, but he managed it. People remembered their youth, threw their arms in the air despite arthritis, osteoarthritis, and back pain, and tried to sing along, and some men even managed to whistle. We rediscovered our youth, remembered how we used to dance, and the hall was packed, not a seat was free. Outside, we all talked enthusiastically about the show, met old acquaintances, and I think it did everyone good. The sun even came out for half an hour.

We would have liked to have a drink and a chat somewhere, but my friend's cat was sick and she naturally wanted to go home immediately. So I went to join my group and had coffee with them and told them about the show. They had also played a game, but it wasn't very successful; it was the new animator we didn't like her very much. She has absolutely no sense of what games are suitable for older people. She makes riddles about St. Patrick's Day, even though this generation has no idea about St. Patrick, or just English songs and has them guess the singers, forgetting that the residents who were young in their 60s and 70s don't understand English. Or she has us fill out a paper with boxes in different colors as if we were three years old. Nobody participated. I don't know where she learned her job, but she's really incompetent. 

On Sunday it was really cold and the green grass was white when I opened the window and looked outside.  I didn't feel like going out anyway. Since none of our activity leaders were there, I suggested Bingo or Uno, which everyone likes. Many had gone out or had visitors, but there were still eight of us. It was fun as always, and afterwards, while we were having coffee, a discussion broke out between two of them that had me laughing so hard I almost died. The others didn't get it all but admired the "scientists".

It started when our "know-it-all"resident, who used to be a chemistry and physics teacher, asked a former doctor if he knew which chemical formulas made up the human body. Then it started, everyone trying to be right, but how they got from a chemical formula to the atomic bomb and then to the Bible, Torah, and Quran, I don't know. In any case, they were like two fighting cocks, but they calmed down after a while. I was laughing so hard that I went back to my room, they were talking such nonsense and mixing everything up. They are not exactly the youngest once, in their 90th but they have well aged and are in good shape. 

 

So my afternoon was really amusing and after supper I watched the News and then went to bed.  

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