FRIDAY''s FAVE FIVE

Monday was the worst day of the entire week! From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., walls were being torn down and holes drilled right above, the noise was terrible. After lunch, I went down to the restaurant, where we found ourselves all alone, as Kim, who was supposed to make games with us, wasn't there! He had a good reason, though: his wife went into labor two weeks early, so naturally, he stayed home. In Belgium, fathers can take a month of paternity leave, the first two weeks at full pay, followed by 80% of their salary. 

When our son was born, Rick only got three days! Times have changed, dads today are much more involved with their children than they used to be. 

The next day, I fled to Ilona’s place; I couldn't stand the noise any longer, and my lungs were struggling with all the dust. I really wasn't feeling well.Things improved once I was with her; we talked about our past travels together and spent a very pleasant afternoon. When I headed home at 5 p.m., the noise, thank goodness, had finally stopped!

 Unfortunately it started again the next day ! And I was feeling unwell again. I crawled out of my bed and dragged myself to the bathroom, but I had to sit down quickly and take my medication first, I simply couldn’t stand. 

 

Rosie apparently had put on invisible headphones and slept peacefully despite the noise. 

Then the phone rang; the manager’s assistant told me she had some good news. I can move into my new room already on  November 16th instead of having to wait until February! The lady who had been staying in my new room temporarily, while waiting for her own unit to be renovated, was able to move into her place, freeing up the room for me !

If I would have been able, I would have jumped to the ceiling ! The renovations in the area where my new room is located were finished a long time ago; there’s no more noise, everything is nice and quiet! Now I’m busy planning how to arrange my furniture in the new room, and I already have a few ideas. Isabel and Ilona are going to help me pack up my personal belongings, and the staff will take care of the rest. So, I don’t need to worry about a thing, and I don’t need my son’s help either, since there’s no heavy furniture to move, and therefore  I don't  need a strong man!

In the afternoon we played an interesting Quiz about general knowledge, and most of the questions we could answer. 

 

HODGEPODGE NOVEMBER 4

 1. Our  November Hodgepodges always include a question related to gratitude. What is one small thing you're grateful for today? 

I just got up but I am sure that I won't be grateful for anything today ! They started to drill again ! At 7.30 am !! 

2. Chrysanthemums-pansies-burning bush-ornamental cabbage-camellias...your favorite in an autumn garden? Would we find any of these in your yard/garden this year? 

Chrysanthemums in Belgium are the graveyard flower ! When you see a graveyard on November 1st you only see this plant. In our park we have only shrubs and very old trees no flowers now. 

This is the Waterloo cemetery on November 1st. It looks very beautiful! But for the rest of the year, it looks rather bleak—no flowers, neglected graves. I’ve never really understood this custom.

3. If you could clear out or organize one physical space or mental habit before the year ends, what would it be?

I would immediately move into my new room and make it cozy just to feel at home ! 

4. Brussel sprouts...love 'em or no thank you? If you said love 'em how do you like them prepared? 

I like Brussels sprouts just cooked in water. I was very surprised that in the UK the traditional Christmas dinner was turkey with Brussels sprouts ! 

5. It's reassuring to know that I love my new room ! Can't wait to move ! 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Our activity leader Kim became a Dad yesterday ! As he was adopted by a Belgian couple during the Vietnam war, I wonder how his little son will look like, as mixed couples often have the most beautiful children ! For the moment he is 2 days old and looks like a mini wrinkled grandpa ! Of course for the parents it is the most beautiful baby in the world. 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

 

You can find all these lovely things at our flea market in Waterloo.

 

 

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FANCY STREET SIGNS

 

AWWWW MONDAY-WEEKEND OCT 31

 AI helped a little bit !

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

 

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WEEKEND 

On Saturday the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Unfortunately too cold to go out and we had to play our game inside. Now we have a special room for these activities, unfortunately we had to realize that the room was too small when everybody is present, then we would be +/- 20. Then we would be packed in like sardines in a tin. So, we need to find another solution. Furthermore, the room wasn’t soundproofed, and it felt as though we were speaking with an echo.

We had to find phobias and were very much surprised how many there are existing, and who of famous people had them ! Snakes and mice were classical but there were really very strange phobias as you see below. 

On Sunday we had a lot of fog, which cleared up around 11 o'clock, but it remained grey and wet nonetheless. Kim, who was supposed to lead the entertainment activities, wasn't there; no one knew why. However, since his wife is expecting a baby, I assume that’s likely the reason for his sudden absence. We’ll see tomorrow. Therefore we played Bingo, everybody loves this game and it's always fun.

As I forgot to make a picture, AI helped me !

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

What a terrible week! The renovation work is happening right above my room, and my head is pounding; it’s impossible to talk on the phone, and the TV is turned up to a maximum volume. The only one who doesn’t seem to be bothered by it is Rosie the cat.

 

They’re tearing out the parquet flooring, and it sounds like a dentist drilling with a high-powered, amplified tool ! That’s probably why I’ve been feeling so unwell, too, there’s so much dust everywhere, even if you can’t actually see it and that is poison for my lungs. Personally, I find myself completely out of breath after just five steps and can't do no physical work at all not even my bed ! Fortunately I still have the strength to push the button to make a photo of our beautiful park in it's autumnal dress !

 

I found a brochure from our castle at the reception, and to my great surprise, it contained this picture of me and Rosie! I don’t even remember this photo being taken!

Despite the renovation works, Kim had decorated the whole Restaurant and also the reception
 

If you arrive you are received by this charming lady ! 

and the bar has its Halloween decoration too

 

 

On Wednesday I woke up because someone was trimming the hedges and bushes with a chainsaw!

I thought to myself: if the "dentist" starts working on the floor above my room, I’m going to jump right out of the window and strangle whoever is making such a racket! And then, when I looked out the window, I suddenly realized the hedge, which had grown halfway up my window was gone! For three years, I’d been complaining that the hedge was too high it hadn't really been a hedge anymore for a long time! The ground-floor rooms were completely hidden from view, and the terraces looked like a jungle.What a difference! For the first time, I could actually see the whole lovely white house, not just the windows!

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE OCT 28

 1. What most recently gave you goose bumps? 

I have never gotten goosebumps; instead, I tend to jump into the air and scream. That’s exactly what happened yesterday when I was standing in the bathroom and suddenly one of our residents, who isn’t quite all there, appeared right next to me! Did I get a fright! And the funny thing is, she looks just like a little 12-year-old girl and smiles all the time. She is there with her husband who is very tall, and holds her hand all the time, otherwise she escapes ! But I believe he is not quite right in his head either ! 

2. What does Halloween look like in your home and/or neighborhood these days? Do you participate? 

In my room I have nothing, but the whole castle is decorated for Halloween despite the works ! 

3. Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy, chia...your favorite seed on the list? What's something you like to make/eat that calls for one of these seeds in the recipe? 

Halloween was not celebrated in Belgium or in other European countries, except Ireland, so I never ate something especially made for Halloween. It started to move in maybe 20 years ago, and not everywhere.

4. What's the most (or one of the most) 'fall photos' you've ever taken? Share it here. Just one. 

The view out of my window

5. Somehow we're rolling in to November next week. If your October were a chapter in a book, what would the title of this chapter be? 

How does one learn to endure loud noise?

(our castle is being renovated )   

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I’m slowly going crazy! They’re tearing out the parquet flooring above me, and it’s making a huge racket. Meanwhile, I’m waiting to get my new room and I’m already busy furnishing it, in my head, of course. Unfortunately I have to wait until February !

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

On one of my travels I discovered a "beauty shop" where you could have your feet cleaned by little fishes. Of course I had to try this out. It didn’t even tickle! But all the little bits of dead skin were gone!

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WHAT PARENTS WRITE TO TEACHERS WHEN THEIR KIDS MISSED SCHOOL

“My dad forgot to do my homework for me.”

“Tommy wasn’t in school yesterday because he thought it was Saturday.”

“Please excuse my son. He will be out next week slaughtering goats for his manhood ritual. Thank you!”

“Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch and when we found it Monday we thought it was Sunday.

“Please excuse little Jimmy for not being in school yesterday. His father is gone and I could not get him ready because I was in bed with the doctor

“I won’t be in class today because I’m in love.”

“My son Michael won’t be in school today, he caught his thing in his zipper this morning while dressing and is in lot of pain!”

“Please excuse Johnnie for being. It was his father’s fault.”

“Diane was late on Wednesday. She fell asleep on the bus and was taken back to the bus yard.”

“Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrheea and his boots leak.”

“Please exscuse John from being absent Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33.”

“Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating.”

 

 

AWWW - WEEKEND OCT 24

 

 The inseparables 

 

 

 

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS 

 

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WEEKEND 

Saturday, we played a game that made us forget the noise of the construction work ! We had to solve a crime! First, we had to figure out the name of the victim and where the crime had taken place. Our brains were working overtime! Eventually, we discovered that the victim was Lord Edgar and that the crime had occurred in the library. The suspects were the butler, a maid, a nephew with heavy gambling debts, a niece who was exceptionally greedy for money, and a friend. The murder weapon—a letter opener!

After one hour I was proud to have found the culprit ! It was the niece ! She was wearing  a sapphire brooch, and a piece of it was lying next to the murder victim. I thought of all the Agatha Christie books I had read and the Sherlock Holmes, too, and I won. We all found the game very interesting, and we’ll probably end up solving a crime every month from now on.

On Sunday my son came visiting me, last time we had seen each other was in August ! time goes by so quickly ! We had a nice afternoon together but I forgot to take some pictures ! We ate a delicious Pizza in my room because I didn't feel to go out there was a left over of a storm we had during the night and it was quite cool despite the sun. I just caught a picture of him when he came towards the restaurant, he had played a bit with his dog Leia. 

 

We had coffee with the others and he could admire the nice Halloween decoration which Kim our animator had made. At 4 pm he returned home to Amsterdam.

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

I actually started to think I was developing an age-related dementia, since I still hadn’t managed to find my dashboard after two weeks. There were so many new hurdles that I probably did everything wrong. At least I have an excuse: after that nasty flu/cold/COVID—or whatever it was—it takes a long time to recover at my "vintage" age. I’m constantly tired, I keep forgetting things, and I would love to just sleep for 24 hours straight; unfortunately Rosie the cat isn’t willing to change with me. 

So many things have happened lately that I’m trying to cram them all into a single week.The renovation of the castle has progressed quite rapidly, and has arrived in my section ! People were moved into temporary rooms while their own were being renovated. Since my room is at the end of the hallway, all the "lost souls" who didn’t know where their new rooms were ended up at my door. I didn’t know either, though, so I just sent them all to the reception desk.

One morning I woke up and, looking out of the window, I saw tracks next to my room with a small cart on them; it was being loaded with cement to be transported up to the second floor, and would then come back down filled with a lot of rubbish. Three workers were loading the cart. Naturally, I didn’t want any spectators while I was getting ready in the morning, so I quickly closed the curtains

Despite all the chaos, our activity staff didn’t forget about the Halloween decorations, even though many of our very elderly residents aren’t familiar with Halloween at all. I read to them about its origins and how it made its way from America back into Europe (with the exception of Ireland, of course).

 

at the reception

Restaurant

With all the renovations going on, many of the long-term residents are quite disoriented. For instance, I got a terrible fright yesterday when a little woman suddenly appeared next to me in the bathroom. I kindly showed her out; she and her husband are staying two rooms away on a temporary basis, but she keeps wandering off whenever he isn’t looking ! I really don’t care for surprise visits like that, this is the second time someone has ended up in my room.

I’ve reported it, of course, and now I make sure to keep my door locked, even when I’m inside. I’m happy to help, but there’s a limit to everything.

 

What is really difficult to bear is the noise ! They brake the old parquet and take it out and also destroy walls ! Sometimes I feel like my head is a pumpkin!

 

 

 

 

R

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.