FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

It was a terrible week; it got hot again, and just as I was feeling better, I suffered a relapse, this time with a head cold! I was sneezing as if someone had scattered sneezing powder around and right in the middle of the night. 

The next morning, I immediately started taking the antibiotics again; perhaps five days hadn't been enough. So, I spent the time from Monday to Thursday in my room, working on old photos either restoring them to look young again or completely transforming them. 

On Thursday, it was "only" 29°C; since I was feeling better, I made a quick shopping trip and appreciated the cool air in my car and the store. In the afternoon, I sat on the terrace playing Scrabble while the others played a game inside the air-conditioned restaurant. I’m convinced the A/C unit is so old that, while it still cools the air, the fan sprays cold air onto people and turns into a spreader of germs. Some people don't know what an A/C is, turn it on and open the windows and doors ! I have explained already several times but it just doesn't get in their brain. So, I prefer to stay outside, somewhere warm but in the shade, where the breeze is actually pleasant. In any case, I have no desire to catch another illness. Six members of our group are currently in the hospital, and one is even in the intensive care unit.

 It’s all because of the heat. Over 1,000 people have died in Wallonia alone, hospitals are bursting at the seams, and the government has finally decided to do something about it.

On Friday, almost all the men on our staff showed up wearing "Red Devils" T-shirts because Spain was playing Belgium that evening. Belgian flags were hanging in windows everywhere, and the kids were dressed up as "Devils." Our parking lot was full of cars decked out with all sorts of soccer-related gear. You couldn't hear anything else on TV, either.

Tomorrow I’ll find out who won! After all, there’s no Trump here who can interfere with the results. Poor guy, people just laugh at him now. He wanted to make America great again, but it seems he didn't have the expected success.

Let me show you a few pictures I created using AI!

My grandson, the original photo was him sitting on a chair in the living room playing on his phone !

My son as Superman, the original photo was one taken during a wedding 

 

and as Devil

That's me with Rosie who was sitting more to the right

 

I added this antique stone and dressed myself in Jeans

 

Rick as a young Dad, the photo was in black and white

The original photo was me in black trousers, visiting an exposition. I changed the trousers, the background and added our white cat Arthur. It's unbelievable what you can do ! 

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

Today marks four years since there is no longer a 'we' but only ' I '. Time flies so fast, I can hardly believe it, but unfortunately it's true.

1941 - 2022 

"When a husband dies, it's no longer us. It's just me. Not even death can steal the love I feel for you."

 *******

This week it was very hot, over 30°C, which we're not used to at all. It was also Pentecost, a long weekend. Half of Belgium went to the seaside, and despite the train strike, they ran 30 extra trains so everyone could get there. Naturally, the motorway was completely jammed.

We sat comfortably in our lovely park under a huge tree that must be over 200 years old, chatted and had drinks. We were not many outside, a lot stayed inside the cool Restaurant with air condition. 

 

The next day was exactly the same, but in the morning I went to Amandine (our manager) to tell her that chairs were broken and we didn't have enough, same with a table and  that we badly needed bins in the park. The visitors and children are sometimes not very well educated. 

 

To our surprise there was no activity at all the whole week except today. This game was funny ! I was given five plastic balls and had to throw them into an umbrella, one after the other. Inside the umbrella, points were written on a slip of paper, and depending on where the ball landed, you got 10 to 50 points. You couldn't really aim because you couldn't see the points. So I just threw my balls aimlessly into the umbrella, and the first time, four landed in the 50-point range! The other times, I got zero! Anyway, I came in second!

This is the last survivor ! I wonder how long it will last. 

We all had for the first time a meeting with our new manager ! I felt really sorry for her. Instead of admitting that she didn't really know yet how things worked here, she acted like she understood everything, but I didn't believe her. I had the feeling she was swimming in unknown waters, but she will learn.

We have a new couple. Honestly, they are getting on my nerves. He is constantly making jokes that no one understands except him, and then he laughs loudly and heartily! His wife looks like a 14-year-old little girl and must have been very pretty once. She's always smiling or laughing, and as soon as she sees a man, she runs up to him, hugs him, and tries to kiss him. As soon as our men see a man, who's quite tall, they know the little girl is clinging to his arm, and they "run" away or try to hide behind a table. She does the same thing with women. I only just managed to dodge her at the last minute,  otherwise, she would have "attacked" me too. But I jumped aside (it's still possible), and her husband caught her again. I don't know what they're suffering from, but neither of them is normal.

The rest of the time I worked on my pictures to make old once new and they really look now as if I had taken the picture yesterday. 

  

We are the couple of the right side together with my American uncle in 1971

and this is in the Yellowstone Park

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.