Thursday 29 October 2020

Rest and be thankful

It's quite unfathomable that only a couple of days from now it will be seven months since my working week was reduced to a mere two days. And while it has undeniably been and continues to be a bumpy ride, each tiny up followed by a freewheeling down, these topsy-turvy weeks have been a blessing, albeit one in an at times very clever disguise.

I'm not going to beat about the bush: I love being at home and having more time on my hands than I ever imagined having before retirement. The one thing I can't say is that I have always used it wisely.

And so, while the virus seems to be taking its toll more than ever, the weeks continue to roll along in their out-of-sync way, the seasons following in its each other's wake just like they did before. If we'd  imagined 2020 as the start of another roaring 20s, we could never in a million years have imagined the enormity of what we were about to be hit with.


Two weeks ago on Thursday, after a particularly stressful office day on Wednesday, I was more than ready for another four-day stretch at home.

While Jos was doing the food shop, I rummaged around upstairs, going through boxes of half-forgotten stuff and filling a couple of bags for charity with no-longer loved or wanted items of clothing. 

The weather turned out to be quite nice and, if initially a bit chilly, the sun which put in an appearance  by mid-morning soon warmed things up. Too good to waste the afternoon inside, I suggested to go for a walk and take the charity bags to the Oxfam used clothing container just over a kilometer from our home.

I dusted off my beloved but slightly moth-eaten belted Tweed jacket, wrapped an orange crushed velvet scarf around my neck, and grabbed my yellow snake print bag, a cheeky retail buy last year just big enough for essentials: my phone, hand sanitizer and, obviously, my mask.


Turning two corners, we arrived on one of our village's main access roads, which on this particular stretch is lined with some grand detached houses, each in their own generous grounds and often protected from prying eyes by shrubs and trees. On this glorious October day, these delighted us with their amber and russet foliage.

The most covetable of these houses is a villa called "Rest and Be Thankful", built in English cottage style in 1906. It was here that the surrender of Antwerp was signed on 9 October 1914 after the city was heavily attacked by the German army in the night of 7 to 8 October. In order to avoid further bombardments, all of the occupying forces' demands were met and the Belgian army subsequently withdrew behind the River Yser, which greatly determined the war's ultimate course.



We made a shortcut through the somewhat unkempt Altena park, where glossy chestnuts and their prickly husks were littering the paths. We dropped off our bags, and then returned to the park for a short stroll and, of course, the obligatory outfit photos.

The park is part of a domain which used to belong to an order of nuns, but which was taken over by the council in the 1980s.

The big chapel on the top right, built in neo-Gothic style at the end of the 19th century, has been turned into a venue for concerts and exhibitions.


The black floral Mae Scott frock I was wearing was yet again part of my Think Twice birthday booty back in September.  I accessorized it with both colours of its print, choosing a green cardigan and opaques, an orange necklace and a green and orange flecked brooch. The belt with its rectangular buckle could almost pass for orange, especially in the close-up picture, but is actually a caramel brown.




Before leaving the park, we halted at the Lourdes grotto, dating from 1881, and sent up a silent prayer for a miracle.

Back at home, I was thrilled to find that the first of our Toad Lily's late flowers was in the process of opening. Over the next few days, it would be slowly but surely revealing its exquisite contents.


Our garden's micro climate ensures that there's still quite a bit of colour, with some of our garden stalwarts having been in flower almost continuously since Spring.

Remember the non-ribbiting frog (bottom right) we found hidden under some ivy back in April? He used to make a "ribbit" sound when you walked past him, but in spite of cleaning him up and changing his batteries, the poor thing remained mute. Well, out of the blue, he suddenly started ribbiting continuously. We only found out after Phoebe came running inside in a panic. We had to remove the frog's batteries to make him stop, but it took Phoebe until the next day to pluck up the courage to go out into the garden again! Scaredy cat! 



Being in productive mode, we put up the black and white photo I'd found when rummaging in our bedroom's built-in cupboard (a cupboard of doom if ever there was one) that morning.

It was taken by Jos's younger daughter during our first Summer at Dove Cottage back in 1999. We were both wearing shorts, Jos still had a lot of hair, and we are sitting on our garden's original, ugly white plastic bench, which would soon be replaced by our current one.



Joining the photo are two of our childhood photos: a two-and-a-half year old curly me, and a school photo of a cute, eight-year old Jos. The Summer after my photo was taken, my Mum had my hair cut into a pixie, and the curls disappeared forever.


The next day, Friday, had to do without Thursday's sunshine and thus turned out to be quite a grey and dismal affair.

For our weekly charity shopping trip, I wore my all-time favourite coat, a vintage teal new wool one which, with its medium weight, has seen me through many an Autumn and Spring by now. I am always looking forward to wearing it again. 

The photos were taken after we came back, and the scarf I'm wearing was one of my finds, matching my outfit perfectly.



The peek of burnt orange emerging from under my coat belongs to a button-through cord skirt I charity shopped last year. It's currently on the naughty bench as, being unlined and thus rather unwieldy, I didn't feel very comfortable wearing it. And yes, I was wearing a half-slip underneath!

My chocolate brown vintage blouse has a striking flower and circles print in yellow, orange, pink and a hint of turquoise. I chose the latter as an accent colour for my belt and cardigan, finishing my outfit with teal opaques. The brooch I was wearing somewhat disappeared in the pattern of my blouse, but on the top left you can see my tiger-eye pendant and my reddish brown glass ring.



Pickings were meagre in the first shop, where I only found the scarf and a book, while we made a U-turn at the second shop as it's car park was absolutely rammed.

Feeling peckish, we returned home for lunch, after which we drove to the small charity shop in the neighbouring village. Here, a brand-new looking tartan Gigue jacket and a vintage handbag with the label of a long-gone shop on a posh Brussels street were waiting for me.


I wore both straight away the next day. That morning I'd filled another bag for charity, which we dropped off at the Oxfam container on our way to Jos's son and daughter-in-law to feed their cat, Abby.



They recently had new bookshelves installed climbing the wall of their cathedral like living room, complete with a library ladder. It goes without saying I had to try out. Not all the way up, though, as I do suffer from vertigo!

Quite a collection of cat books they have. The title of the middle one made me laugh, although by the looks of it, Abby might actually be plotting something!

But isn't posing for photos tiring? 




My higgledy-piggledy striped purple dress is an old favourite which has made it to the blog many times before. 

Again I turned to turquoise to stir things up, appearing in my cardigan, opaques and some of the beads in my necklace. A pink pearly brooch was pinned to my dress, while a rose-pink flower corsage adorned my cardigan. Finally, I accented my waist with a white vinyl belt and chose a swirly white, blue and green glass ring, which you can just catch a glimpse of in the last photo.

Well, that's it for now. I do hope you'll join me again in a couple of days. See you on the other side, and please do stay safe!



36 comments:

  1. Three fab outfits, as always! What a shame that skirt is such a nuisance to wear as it looks great. Love the dark floral dress and the burgundy with the turquoise.
    Your garden looks fantastic, how funny about the frog.
    I loved joining you on your walk to Oxfam. That house is lovely and what an interesting history.
    That photo of the two of you in brilliant and you were both adorable children.
    That jacket was a great find, that's charity shop karma!
    Abby does look like she's planning something evil. Those ladders! Fancy having bookshelves that high!
    Stay safe! xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix! I have relegated the skirt to gardening wear! I'm not averse to owning a library latter, but my vertigo would prevent me from getting books down from the highest shelves! xxx

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  2. I really like that pruprl dress at the end with the turwouise, although the first outfit is my favourtie. That jacket was a great find too! :)

    It's nice your adjusting to less work days. I find part time is a good balance for me although I'm sure that will change once both the kids are in school full time - the baby is in kindy for a while longer, so just a couple days a week while I work :)


    Hope that you are having a good week! :)

    Away From Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica! I'd been thinking of working only 4 days for years, but now that I've got a taster of what it's like not to work full time, it's going to go ahead for sure! xxx

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  3. i remember having a cord mini skirt in early 90s - the "thing" had a life of its own - riding up and turning around my hips with every move i made.....
    the frog story is funny - not for pheobe though - the poor cat!
    that english style house is gorgeous!! would´t it be fab living there - with the original furniture, no less ;-D
    lovely B&W photos of you and jos <3
    hugsies! xxxxx

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    1. I've relegated the skirt to gardening wear, so that at least it has still got its uses. I wouldn't mind living in that house either. I'm sure it's no longer got its original furniture, although the table and chairs used to sign the agreement are in the town museum! xxx

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  4. Oh I love the tartan jacket and vintage handbag what marvelous finds!

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    1. Thank you Gisela, I knew you'd appreciate the handbag :-) xxx

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  5. Let's face bad weather with colourful clothes. I have to wear very loose clothes these days, not because I have gained weight, because I feel so uncomfortable due to the situation. Black clouds at the horizon! All the best to you. Regula

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    1. I'm trying to put those black clouds to the back of my mind by wearing colourful clothes. There's not much else I can do ... xxx

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  6. Love the orange and green accessorizing enhancing the fab print details. Love a dark floral dress and this one is particularly gorgeous!. Glad to see you rocking it for your walk in the park. Looking Fab.
    The ribbit frog has put a smile on my face (poor Phoebe!) and I've kept smiling, your old photos are so cute!, those children!
    Love your teal coat (a fav color!) and this delightful color combo of burnt orange, brown blouse and turquoise details!. Glad that you found a perfectly matchy scarf!, isn't it amazing!?
    Your new jacket and cute bag are fabulous finds!. And love your photos on the ladder, mwhaha, so cool!, and obviously it's lovely to see the (possibly plotting) Abby!. And your purple dress with those turquoise accents! so beautiful!
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica! You are always giving the loveliest comments, which I truly appreciate. I love dark floral dresses too - I've got quite a few of them - and I'm glad the frog situation put a smile on your face. Poor Phoebe indeed, she must have gotten quite a fright! xxx

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  7. Same for me, Ann - I've been at 3 days a week in the office since the end of March basically. When we started 2020, it was so full of hope and promise - and lots of fun things happening (L's 50th birthday, my mom's 75th, possibly some travel), but it feels like our lives have just been upended after being shaken up. What a world. Cases are rising here too, and health authorities are limiting us to our "safe 6".

    I'm happy to see you indulging in a little retail therapy! I love your black/green/orange dress/outfit, and agree that caramel reads as orange!

    That grand manor home is so lovely! I also am soothed by your lovely garden, and had a chuckle at Phoebe's terror over the revived frog! Ha!

    Oh my gosh, look at you and Jos in 1999! Such a couple of kids! :) You are adorable as a wee one - I also had curls until my mom cut all my hair off, and then it was pin-straight.

    Your classic teal coat is incredible - I can see the quality of it. If the corduroy skirt is annoying you, it has to go! No annoying clothing allowed. :) You might end up with Velvet Rage or Corduroy Fury!

    Your new-to-you plaid jacket is gorgeous, as is that beautiful purse. Abby is so lovely - I used to have that same book (as we swore Vizzini was trying to kill us when he was younger!). I am envious of the wall of shelves and the ladder! So cool.

    Have a wonderful weekend, my dear friend. Hugs to you.

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    1. What a world indeed. We too had so many plans for this year, and Jos's age (he turned 73 this year) certainly doesn't help. It's not as if he's got years to spare, so to speak. This is my major bug bear and sadness over the virus. We can protect ourselves but we are far from living in a (care)free world! xxx

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  8. Believe me, if your cat is plotting to do you in, you'll never see it coming!
    I have my share of annoying clothing, but as your friend I encourage you to get rid of it. There are too many good clothes in the world.

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    1. I suppose you're right, Goody :-) Oh, and I didn't get rid of the skirt, but it will be on duty for gardening from now on! xxx

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  9. Funny how Phoebe got scared of that frog that suddenly started working. Cats sometimes get scare easily but maybe it is also due to their intelligence- it is best to be on the safe side:).

    Fun photo of you and Jos eating ice-cream on a white bench. I like BW photos, they are so timeless. The photo of you and Jos as kids is adorable. You were such a cute child with those curls and big eyes.

    Interesting to read about the history and the WW2 bombing. Your outfits are as fabulous as always. I like how you wear skirts with belts and how you mix colours.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! I think Phoebe scares even a bit more easily than other cats, as she didn't have the best start in life, being abandoned by her previous owners! xxx

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  10. Your Toad Lily is divine. Nothing so delicate would survive here as we're so open to the elements.
    That is such a cute photo of you, look at those curls! I was curly at that age too (so was Andy but don't tell him I told you).
    Poor Phoebe, stationary frogs must be terrifying, hehe.
    xx

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    1. Thank you Hazel! It is indeed quite delicate, and needs to be in a reasonably sheltered position. We thought it was doing OK in its designated spot, but hadn't counted on it being devoured by snails! xxx

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  11. I can well imagine getting used to less days at work! I've found travelling to work 5 days a week absolutely exhausting this half term and I haven't been even doing all my usual activities such as singing assemblies or clubs!
    You look so cute as a child and that's a great picture of you and Jos from 1999!
    I really like the way you've put together your outfits for all these photos- especially the orange and teal one! That coat is a corker!
    What a gorgeous Toad Lily that is! Toad sounds too ugly a name for it though!
    How odd about your rabbitting frog!

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    1. I can well imagine travelling to work 5 days a week is exhausting. I don't think I'll ever return to full time work. Once everything is back to normal, I'll be applying to work 4 days only, which is what I've been planning to do for years! xxx

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  12. Ann, I looooove your navy coat. It looks beautiful on you.

    As for your vintage bag and jacket you scored at the opshop- they are wonderful finds.

    How cool is that bookshelf and ladder. That is an absolute dream of mine. As soon as I have a house of my own, that's one of the first things on my to-do list. X

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    1. Thank you Jess! I'd love ceiling high bookshelves as well, but luckily our ceilings aren't that high, as I have vertigo :-) xxx

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  13. Good morning Ann, I enjoyed the walk, it’s a beautiful area.
    I keep thinking I’d like some library ladders. I might just try propping a set of normal ones against the shelves and see if I get along with them or they become a nuisance.
    Looks like we are all going to be staying home more for the next month. My sister Jill took Mum back to Oxford with her yesterday for a couple of weeks so I’m hoping that will be good for all of us. I won’t be worrying as much about her and they will be company for each other. Jill is still working full time though as she is one of the key sales people at the timber firm she works for.
    Philip isn’t bothered about going out and just does the market shopping.
    Keep blogging Ann, it’s so nice to see you and your colourful outfits xxx

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    1. Thank you Lynn! I'm glad to hear your sister took your Mum home with her, which will be less of a worry! And don't worry, I'll definitely keep blogging. It's one of the things that keeps me going! xxx

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  14. A nice walk through the park .. and what wonderful old and magnificent houses! Your delicious outfits give the right color to the days! I love flowers this time of year ... they give us hope for spring ... Ohh Phoebe dear, like our Lenny with the shop doors ... Pampering! I love black and white photos ... sweet children! Delicious the pendant with the tiger's eye ... Abby, what rascal eyes !!
    Hugs,Carmela

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    1. Thank you Carmela! I do love the changing seasons - in spite of our eternal moaning about the weather. If we didn't have Winter, there would be no Spring to look forward to :-) xxx

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  15. Hello Ann , I do so enjoy seeing your outfits for Autumn and today's are all wonderful. The new jacket and bag were brilliant finds . Always enjoy joining you on your walks and having a peek at your neighbourhood.
    The photos of you both on the bench is a gem . You were both very cute little people.
    Stay safe Ann . xxx

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    1. Thank you Jill! I always enjoy having a peek at other people's neighbourhood, especially if they're in another country, or even better, continent! xxx

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  16. What a totally wonderful name for a house! I might have to steal it...

    How peculiar about Ribbit Frog and poor old Phoebe - what a fright she must have had! We had a rather wonderful witch outside Barnardo's charity shop who had a sensor inside; and as everyone passed in and out had some scary things to say to everyone. Several children were very freaked out by out her!

    Loved your outfits and your new jacket and bag are fabulous. I also loved and coveted the library ladder!

    Take care
    xxx

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    1. Isn't it just? I won't tell anyone if you steal it ;-) That witch sounds like lots of fun, but I can imagine that children would be freaked out by her! xxx

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  17. I sometimes put on a cute outfit and think I can post this on the blog but I always feel so silly posing for photographs.
    I am in awe of those who do.. love your first frock!

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    1. Thank you Hena! I do think you should try it out. I felt a bit silly posing for photographs in the beginning, but got more natural as time went by! xxx

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  18. You two were endlessly adorable children - aww!!! What sweet, wonderful photos to not just have, but to display.

    Posing for photos can be draining, you're quite right. I can well recall extensive photography sessions back in the days of my vintage blog that left me as drained as a just-emptied bathtub. 😄 I felt it was pretty much always worth it though, and generally greatly enjoyed the experience - even though (both then and now) I've never stopped being somewhat camerashy. I think it just comes part and parcel with being a very introverted, shy, self-conscious person. That said, I've certainly come a looonnnggg way on that front over the years and try to prevent backsliding by taking and continuing to share (albeit at a much more relaxed frequency) snaps of myself online (mostly on IG) to this day.

    Many hugs & joyful wishes for the start of November!
    Autumn Zenith 🎃 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Thank you Autumn! I don't really mind posing for outfit photos, but I prefer doing it the natural way and incorporate them in one of our outings. Now that we are at home so much, it is often a chore going out into the garden for them, particularly now that we're heading into Winter! xxx

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