Roller coaster life

I know, I know, it's been a while since my last visit to blogland, and even longer since I last posted. I honestly had every intention to be back here sooner, but somehow life, and the curveballs it continues to throw, kept getting in the way. Lately there simply don't seem to be enough hours in a day - as if time has shrunk in the wash - and there definitely doesn't seem to be enough space in my head either.

But here I am, determined that this post shall be written, no matter what. 

However, before I plunge headlong into April (yes, I am that far behind), I would like to put things straight about Jos's chemotherapy journey. If my last post gave the impression that all is smooth sailing for him, I'm afraid nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I think he's got all the side-effects on offer, and then some, which start kicking in when, after about a week, the cortisone-like medicine he is given during the first couple of days have stopped working their magic. Sadly, then it's hello to utter fatigue, complete loss of appetite and sudden drops in blood pressure, which make getting up on his feet quite the hazard.

We were in the thick of such an episode when the Easter weekend rolled along, so that we could kiss goodbye to doing anything involving the two of us.

Instead I had a long overdue hairdresser's appointment on Friday. Those of you who have been following me for a while might remember that Michel, my trusted hairdresser of over 30 years, was due to retire at the end of last year, which meant that I was in a bit of pickle! But fear not! I've found a worthy replacement in Mitte, who works at a salon called Hairspace, which happens to be just a couple of minutes' walk from my front door. What's more, during our first appointment we found out that I actually knew her Mum, who is the lady who always buys loads of stuff from my flea market stall!

The other thing I did was making a start with my seasonal wardrobe exchange. While I was putting away my warmest Winter things, I realized with a jolt that I still had lots of December outfits which were languishing unused in my photo folder. Now wouldn't it be an utter shame to let them go to waste?

Although it does feel a bit weird posting these when the temperature effortlessly reaches the mid-twenties!

Oh, and another thing which happened in December was this parcel of joy which was sent to me by the lovely Gisela (who blogs under Miss Magpie's Musings). She'd been having a clear out and thought I might like these brooches. And I like them very much indeed! Thank you so much, darling!

If the weather had been neither here nor there during the Easter break, the weather gods did their utmost to make up for their faux pas the next week. 

Thankfully, things were rather quiet at the office, allowing me the luxury to walk to Antwerp's small but perfectly formed Botanic Garden. At only a 10-minute walk from my office, it simply beggars belief that I hadn't been there for the better part of a year!

I was utterly charmed by this sunlit host of dog's tooth violets (Erythronium), which happen to be one of my favourite Spring flowers.

The garden, affectionately know to the people of Antwerp as Den Botaniek, is a landscaped botanical garden dating back to 1825, covers an area of slighty ​​less than one hectare and has a collection of approximately 2000 plants.  It's a joy to pass some time here whatever the season and it's a favourite place for the city's office workers and students to have their lunch breaks whenever the weather allows.

The weather even allowed the making of outfit photos when I got home that afternoon, when Jos was feeling well enough to do the honours. 

My skirt is an old wardrobe stalwart, found at Think Twice back in the mists of time, while the spotty denim blouse was a charity shop find almost exactly one year ago. The belt and boots were bought on the high street.

If I remember correctly, the carved wooden brooch was a flea market find, but I definitely know for certain where I picked up the multicoloured beaded necklace, as I picked it up from the charity shop in Poperinge while on holiday in Belgium's west country in September 2019.

With the meteorological deities still playing nicely, my next lunch break saw me venture along the Meir, Antwerp's main shopping thoroughfare. Although my ultimate destination was elsewhere, I did nip into one of the Think Twice shops which happens to be conveniently located in a side street. This red, black and white patterned skirt came home with me.

I was on my way to the Wapper, an elongated square leading off the Meir. Since 1980, the square was home to a fountain featuring the sculpture of an eagle catching a fish, by the Danish sculptor Hugo Liisberg (1898 - 1958) and dating from 1931. The concrete plinth it was standing on was designed by my Dad as part of his job as a joiner in a concrete factory. It's been known to us as Dad's fountain ever since! 

Although I was aware of the fact that the square would be redesigned at some point, it still came as a shock to see the photo of the sculpture being removed while I was scrolling through Facebook. By the time of my lunch break investigations, the plinth was gone as well. And while I suspect that the sculpture will one day find its way into the Middelheim collection, it's almost a given that the plinth will have ended up on the scrap heap :-( 

And then another Friday rolled along, which started with an early morning check-up at the dentist. As Jos didn't feel well enough to drive me all the way to the nearby town of Boom, this involved taking a bus which, basically serving the local schools, only runs early mornings and late afternoons. This meant that, after my check-up, I needed to take two buses, with a long wait in between, to get back home.

Thankfully, Jos was able to pick me up half-way, at the charity shop in one of our neighbouring villages. Obviously, it would have been rude not to have a quick browse, which yielded this gorgeous flower meadow of a blouse.

But that wasn't my only treat that day! Back at home, we had a visit from our neighbours, who'd bought me this brooch as a thank you for looking after their cats Bob, Billie and Pip while they were on a break in Valencia. 

Lately, in lieu of our customary cappuccino catch-ups, I've been meeting up with my friend Inez for drinks on Saturday afternoons. 

That Saturday, with the temperature rumoured to reach the low twenties, I'd plucked this dream of a vintage blouse from one of my flea market boxes. It always was a bit tight in the chest area, so I was surprised that it suddenly fit me like a glove. Although I've never owned scales, it was clear to me that I've lost weight. One of the perks of living in stressful times, although I would rather not be having to live through them.

The caramel coloured pleated velvet skirt was last's year charity shop find. The charity shops also supplied the stretchy belt, necklace and ring. The cat brooch is from Katshop - a local Antwerp shop catering for both cats and their servants (linkin' cause I love).

Anyway, Inez had brought with her a new photographer in the form of a tripod, so that I no longer need to depend on Jos for outfit photos.

As you can see, it has been approved by quality control (on the left in the tripod photo).

Thank you for reading. I promise to come and visit your blogs soon!