WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

I learned to swim quite late—I was already thirteen. As a result, I remained a cautious swimmer who was also afraid of getting water splashed in my face. So, I always swam at a leisurely pace, like an old giraffe with its neck held high.

Nevertheless, I wanted to photograph the beautiful, small, colorful fish in the Red Sea. So, I sat under a bridge and took pictures. On the last picture I discovered feet, it must have been a snorkeler who was also  admiring the beautiful fish,  and who gave me the chance to photograph his feet amidst the fish. Unfortunately, I never saw the person those feet belonged to.

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AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND JUNE 28

 

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WEEKEND 

The heat wave continued over the weekend, and Saturday nobody went outside it was again over 30°C.

My virus seems to have disappeared and I feel good again. So I joined the others for a nice game, we got a lot of letters and had to find the corresponding words, which were written on a board but completely jumbled up! 

Fortunately, it was pleasantly cool inside our restaurant, but outside there was a sweltering heat. Even the "Castle cats" were nowhere to be seen, and the crows that usually get on our nerves had vanished, too. I was so tired from the heat that I was in bed by eight o'clock, though I ended up reading until eleven.

I woke up because something had fallen on my head. It was 2 am, I turned on the light and saw that a very strong wind had blown into my room and knocked my picture off the wall. Naturally, I closed the window. Luckily, I had kept the other window shut, as rain always blows in through that one. Then a spectacle began, the kind usually seen only during special celebrations: lightning flashes that looked like cobwebs, 18,000 at once making the sky look as if it were about to shatter. 

I could hear thunder in the distance and the roar of the storm. My room looked as if it was bathed in blue light. Finally, I had seen enough, I got back into bed, put in my earplugs, and slipped under the sheet, but not before closing the curtains ! as I didn't feel comfortable with all that lightning. Rosie was sleeping soundly and peacefully; the storm didn't bother her at all.

 

Pictures "stolen" from Belgian Newspapers  

The next day, I saw the havoc the storm had damaged ! Our new sun umbrellas, which had only been set up yesterday, had all fallen down,  only the old one, which was already broken, was still standing. Outside my window, the branches of the shrubs were gone, and I suddenly saw a dumpster filled with old furniture! It had come from the rooms currently being renovated. Chairs had tipped over, and a thick branch had fallen onto the small road. There was surely more damage, but it was getting too hot, so I didn't feel like walking to the far end of the park.

We remained in the restaurant, as it looked like another thunderstorm was coming up, but finally didn't and made a very interesting Quiz about general knowledge.  Of course everybody told how he or she had spent the night, but most of the residents hadn't heard anything ..... they had taken out their hearing aid. 

What a weekend, fortunately only one man died, a branch had fallen on his car. But there were a lot of damages and also flooding.

 

I wonder if our Waterloo Lion is scared, he has been renovated and looks a bit scary !

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

This week has been awful ! Never ever we had such a heatwave in Europe, France the worst and Belgium not better ! The temperature on Wednesday was 40°C (104 F). our 102 year old Jeanie couldn't remember such a temperature. The whole week we had to live with at least 30° and this in a country with only poor aircondition installations. 

It’s no wonder, really, since we often sit in the rain and need heating more than a cooling system. The small portable units—the ones that at least let us cool down a single room—were sold out in no time. 

Here in our "castle," things are still manageable because the walls are so thick, but the staff and residents just don't know how to handle hot weather. They open the windows when it’s sweltering, failing to realize that’s exactly when you need to keep everything shut tight! I finally asked one particularly "smart" person if she would open her windows when it’s freezing outside and the heating is on. She looked at me like I was crazy—until I explained that she was doing the exact same thing when it was scorching outside and she had no air conditioning. I think they finally get it now. (as it's said small country, small brain) which of course is not true, but here not all women have traveled a bit, not even to the next town, they don't read and watch the News. Their whole life they were farmer's wives. I really understand now why education and school is so important. 

On Monday I still had my Virus and didn't dare to go out shopping, I felt to weak. but on Tuesday I had to go, because cat Rosie needed sand and food ! Fortunately my car is nice and cool and the shop had air condition too. I returned into my oven, but it's bearable with a ventilator and everything closed. If there is a mouse hole without curtain Rosie hasn't discovered it yet.

The staff thanks to the new Director is allowed to wear T-shirts with a sign of the residence, shorts are also allowed.  At least this is a human touch—unlike the poor folks who have to wear bearskin hats to guard Buckingham Palace. 

So, the staff organized a Wild West barbecue; the grilling took place out on the terrace, while we ate in the cool restaurant—the only room in the castle with air conditioning. It was truly fantastic. The Italian chef even came to my room to fetch me—since I was worried about infecting others with my virus—because he had prepared some lovely Italian salads (see photo), and I tried a bit of everything. After we finished eating, the staff put on music and even danced, despite the heat! The director enjoyed the meal too; she had to laugh because an elderly gentleman kept addressing her as "Madame la Directrice," even though she had told him to call her Amandine. He eventually found a compromise and called her "Madame Amandine." It was really funny. I spent the rest of the day back in my "oven" of a room, but I survived it well.

 

our cowboys and girls

                                                                                                                                                                          

 and the delicious Italian salads

The  next day it was 1°C less, we had become so modest that were even happy about such a small gift.   

                                                        

 

 

The Brussels symbol the ATOMIUM was closed too, because the heat in the metal balls was unbearable.                    

                                                
    

In Waterloo this week end a reenactment of the Battle of Waterloo was supposed to take place, but it was cancelled due to the heat. Of course, the English, Scottish, and German "soldiers", who had traveled to Waterloo from all over the world,were very disappointed. But it would have become too dangerous. All sport events were cancelled, too. Restaurant terraces are empty; no one wants to eat outside.

 

Actually, I really ought to thank Rick for teaching me, over the years of our marriage, how to live in a hot country without air conditioning, because whenever we drove to Italy to visit his family, nobody ever thought about air conditioning!

 

Even little Rosie moved from her all year around basket to this summer bed ! 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE JUNE 25

1. Summer's here!  In the northern hemisphere anyway. If you're in the southern hemisphere substitute winter for the word summer. What do you love most about summer? What's your biggest summer pet peeve? 

Yes  summer is here ! As usual or to hot or to cold. This time we have a heatwave which has never happened before. To much is to much that's my biggest summer pet peeve. But a nice temperature and a blue sky that's what I love. 

2. What song always reminds you of summer? 

I have no special song for summer, I like the same music in all other seasons too.  

3. What's something you remember about your childhood summers? Do you think kids today get to enjoy summer the way you did as a child? Elaborate. 

I spent my summers with my grandparents who lived in the countryside, near a small town. We played outside all day, jumping from hay barns into the hay, and had a great time. Luckily, our son had the same childhood as my husband and I, because when we moved to Waterloo, it was a small village with many farms, fields, and cows. The farmer who owned the field behind our garden let the children sit on the machines that baled the hay. my son, too, was outside all day. Today, that's no longer possible, since the Belgian child murderer Dutroux brutally abused and then killed four little girls. After that, parents were afraid to let their children go out alone.

4. We celebrate Fathers Day on June 21st. Do you favor your dad in looks or temperament? Tell us something about your dad. Or your husband as a dad. Or a son/son-in-law as a dad. Or your grandpa. 

We have never celebrated father's day. My grandma always said, "it's father's day the whole year long" It didn't exist either when I was a child I loved my grandpa very much, he told me so much about nature, took me in the woods at 4 am to watch The deer, stags, or even wild boars. 

                                                              My grandpa

That impressed me greatly. He also carved me little flutes out of willow wood. He was a real grandpa! 

I can't say much good about my father. I was like a Barbie doll for him to show off around, and when I was older, he even faked discretely that I was his girlfriend, because I was a rather pretty girl.  My poor mother was the victim of his moods. He could be very bitchy and hurtful. For the outside world, he was such a charming and nice gentleman; no one could imagine what a distasteful person he was. Except our neighbor, who was my mother's friend. He wasn't violent, it was worse; he found words that hurt her deeply, and I saw her crying very often. She was, so to speak, his doormat, but she loved him.  With me he never dared, when I was little I had my grandma behind me, and when I was older I also had a sharp tongue !

I learned very early to protect her from my father's spiteful words.  That made me very distrustful of men, and I told them all to get lost, not very politely, until I finally met the love of my life. We were both 24 and 26 then. When he became a father, I was so surprised and amazed, he was so loving and caring father, and also playful I had never seen that. 

Ready for the Opera
 

5. Let's wrap up with a summer this or that-

• flip flops or sandals
• beach or pool 
• watermelon or peaches
• shorts or sundress
• iced coffee or ice cold lemonade
• amusement park or water park 

I prefer sandals, flip flops hurt me between the toes.

Beach of course, pool only when no beach is available

                                                  

                                                           carved Watermelon

Watermelon ! I could eat alone a big one ! 

I think I look better in a sun dress at my age

Only if there is nothing else, I would drink iced coffee

Neither of those, that's something for kids or teenagers and devoted grandmothers. When I was younger I loved water parks

6.Insert your own random thought here.   

It's to hot to have random thoughts or others 

 

I got a virus, my nose is running 

If it remains hot like in the past days, I will melt and all what remains from me is here laying on the beach.

(I make some progresses in AI !)
 

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Just fished and already for sale !

They look more beautiful when they are well prepared on your plate !

 

 It's very hot !!

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AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND JUNE 20

 

Partners in crime

Pedicure

 

Where am I ?
 

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WEEKEND 

All weekend I felt like I was living in hell, probably to get used to it for the future. It's really rare that we've had temperatures above 30°C for a whole week. When it's hot, it's usually around 25°C. I think we'll have to install more and more air conditioners in the coming years.

So, to sum it up, yesterday after dinner I sat under the largest tree in the castle all afternoon; there was a bit of a breeze and it was bearable. Luckily it cooled down at night, otherwise I would have melted.

On Sunday it was not better, even worse and I remained inside with the others because our restaurant has air condition.  But we were all more or less hanging around, chatted together and were even to lazy to play whatever !

I just show you that AI helped me to shoot a photo of me sitting in hell. The devil made just a coffee pause.  

 

The chairs remain empty, it's too hot and we stay 

only the palm trees are happy, finally they have found their ideal climate !

Little Rosie had thrown her fake friend out of the bed, so that she has now a lot of room to stretch out

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

For once I don't start my weekly report with bad weather but with desert weather ! We are all melting ! It's over 30° and besides the restaurant there is no aircondition in the whole castle. Normally we don't need it but now with the climate change more and more people buy one for at least one room or have it installed.

My son came for a visit from Monday afternoon until Thursday afternoon, he had taken a week off, but he came alone as Toby is in the middle of his year's end test and his wife is working. He arrived late, because they didn't want to leave dog Lea alone the whole day. 

He visited at the same time his friend, as his son is the godchild of Dario had its 16th birthday. and he also slept there in the guestroom. The next day it was even more hot but he wanted to go to "his" restaurant which has very good steaks. We could sit in the garden and it was really nice.  

This restaurant has a lot of success, because of his big portions, good quality and democratic prices. It's almost full every day.

With this roller coaster weather our park starts to look like a jungle ! They can only mow the lawn in the center of the park

The rest looks really very neglected and in some places where the path is paved, you can't get through at all because the branches block your way, they hang down so low. There will be a lot of work when it is possible !

Our mini golf has almost disappeared in the grass. 

 

In the afternoon we were invited to Isabel's; the two have known each other since childhood, and she is, so to speak, his go-to person in case I lose my mind and can't find it anymore! As he lives in Amsterdam, it's easy to get in contact with her if something serious should happen to me, she lives in front of our former house. We spent a very nice afternoon and talked a lot of all what had changed in our street. There is only one couple left which moved in at the same time as us and Isabel's parents.

 

Thursday morning we had an appointment at the bank, there were a signature missing. From now on he can handle everything from Amsterdam per computer ! That's really nice. I hope it is far away that I have to look after my lost mind !

 

On Friday it was so hot, that I didn't attend the birthday celebration it was only a pianist who played grandma songs, the youth has forgotten that we are the generation of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Queens, and Elton John ! I took my tablet and my beach seat, and sat under a very old tree, in the shade, there was a little wind and that was like a ventilator. 

 

Even little Rosie moved out of her basket and settled in this one which is more "open air" the little cat behind her is a fake, which I inherited from my friend Nicole who passed away a few month ago.

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE JUNE 18

1. June 17th, 1994 was the day of the infamous O.J. Simpson car chase. What were you doing in 1994? I'm guessing somebody is going to tell me they weren't born yet but that's part of the fun of the Hodgepodge. Lots of generations are represented here. 

 

After having made a travel to the past, I am quite sure that in this year, I spent a lot of time in London helping my son to furnish his house he had just bought and still has, he rents it. I loved this house, it is in the Victorian style and had been already modernized by the former owner. I loved going there, sometimes Rick came with me and then we went by car with the Shuttle.  We loaded the car with all things which were very  expensive in London, like alcohol, cigarettes (it was the time where everybody still smoked), and when we drove back our trunk was full with specialties we couldn't get in Belgium, and clothes too ! Rick loved gammon steaks, and we bought a lot, which I then put in the freezer. In general, the meat was better and far cheaper; our trunk was so full you couldn't stick a needle in it.

 

That was a time when London was still beautiful and did not look like a Dubai copy, all the old houses and the whole area were torn down for the Olympics. I also remember the Simpson's trial, but it didn't particularly interest me.

 

 

London today !!

 

2. What's your favorite summer salad that isn't the traditional tossed green lettuce kind of salad? Do you like fresh fruit in a salad (other than in a fruit salad of course)?

 

I have no favorite salads, they are all favorites, in summer when it was hot, I only made salads with pasta, rise, Greek noodles, couscous, etc in which I put all kind of vegetables like, Cucumbers, tomatoes, etc., and made the Italian dressing with just olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Basil and oregano were also added. It was always very refreshing. Sometimes a hard-boiled eggs, chicken pieces and shrimps were added as well

 

 

3. Is chivalry dead? Should it be? 

 

It is not dead, it depends where you are, I think it is normal and I educated my son so that he learned chivalry but also all household skills, as today most of the couples are both working so it is normal that they share the household too. For my son it was normal because as and example he had his father. And that a woman enters the room first and the man holds the door open for her should be normal too.

  

4. Would you rather spend a week of your summer vacation in Hawaii or Alaska? Have you ever been to either? Are they two places you really would like to see? How do you feel about 'Hawaiian pizza' aka pineapple on a pizza? Have you ever eaten Baked Alaska? 

 

No I haven't been to Hawaii or Alaska, all other States or nearly I have been to. I don't like the Hawaiian pizza it is to sweet for me and baked Alaska, I don't know at all what that is, now I know it's that what we call omlette Norvegienne.  Yes I have eaten the Norvegian  I really like it.

In any case I would prefer to visit Alaska !

 

 

5. World Cup play is happening now...are you interested? Watching any matches? Did you or your children play soccer/futbol? There are eleven US cities hosting matches-

-Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York with the stadium in NJ, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle

along with  three cities in Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey)

and two in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver)-

You get free tickets to one of these matches. Which city do you choose? Tell us why. 

Don't talk about the World Cup (football) The whole world gets hysterical, there is nothing else on TV in all countries ! I am not interested at all, but as everybody talks about it, I knew who won and who not, I really don't care. There are flags everywhere, a marketing about all players, all shops, boutiques mall are in World Cup fever. Trump is hated a bit more because he didn't let in players of a few countries ! And free tickets would be a dream ! The cheapest ticket for the game Belgium against New Zealand is 607 $ up to 1170 $ plus of course the plane, hotel, food etc, and for the final game you have to pay 9.076$ (!!!)  the cheapest price ! But there are crazy people who safe money for a year or more just to attend one game ! For that price I would prefer to travel around the world or at least a part of it.

 

The one and only sport who brings the whole world together

6. Insert your own random thought here.

My son came home alone yesterday because his wife is working and Toby is in the middle of his end-of-year exams. I continued enjoying AI and made a picture with him sitting at a table with a birthday cake; the dog didn't have a book in its mouth, and the background was a window. 

And this is what it looks like now. I had asked for a smoking head, so they added a cigarette. Shame on the AI and not on me !