Sunday 30 October 2022

Audacious Autumn

It simply beggars belief that yet another month has reached its end. Surely last time I looked we'd just turned the calendar's page to October, with Halloween and the bi-annual ordeal of changing the clocks still a whole month away. And while I'm not celebrating the former - even if there's no getting away from the spooky season merchandise - there definitely is no escaping the latter. Never mind the extra hour tagged on to the weekend, I'll still be feeling somewhat out of kilter for days. It's about time they put a stop to this nonsense.

Obviously, my blog hasn't quite made it this far yet. In fact, on Wednesday the 12th of October, we hadn't even made it halfway through the month.

We'd been blessed with another sunny day when, after a chilly low single figures start, the mercury climbed to 16°C. 



Long sleeves and layers were very much needed for that morning's commute. I even exchanged ankle boots for my knee-high mock croc ones. They are ridiculously comfy, which is why although my other knee-high boots are clamouring for attention, it is usually this pair I'm reaching for these days.

I've been busy with my seasonal changeover, doing a little bit at a time during the weekends. However, this long-sleeved frock with its blowsy pink and brown flower print is a permanent resident of my wardrobe, as I don't want to risk ruining the pleating by putting it to sleep inside one of my vacuum bags.


My blog tells me I last wore it during the first Lockdown, in April 2020, so surely it was about time I gave those pleats another twirl. I was actually wearing the exact same moss green suede belt last time, but I changed up my accessories, which were all of the green variety.

Even the lady in the vintage brooch I pinned to my briefly worn cardigan was wearing green!



No photos were taken on Thursday, which was a rainy and overcast run of the mill office day. I actually have no recollection of what I was wearing ,but it might very well have been some sort of repetition of Wednesday's outfit, or a trial run of Friday's.

The forecast for Friday the 14th of October sounded quite promising, as it was supposed to remain mainly dry. The weather gods must have been sending out the wrong signals though, as it rained from early morning until well into the afternoon. I'd taken the afternoon off, which I soon regretted as we were assaulted by lots of neighbourly building noise the minute we walked through our front door. Sigh! I guess we can't complain really, as we've had a couple of reasonably quiet weeks.



If Wednesday's dress had to wait two and a half years for its next outing, Friday's frock had to have the patience of a saint. Its last wearing dated from April 2017 and in fact I was quite certain I'd sold it on one of our local flea markets. A fact I regretted when I came across this photo, so imagine my delight when, while getting everything ready for this year's edition back in July, it turned out to be languishing at the bottom of one of my flea market boxes.

There's a smidgen of turquoise in the dress's Paisley-esque pattern which, same as five and a half years ago, prompted the addition of a turquoise belt. You can also catch a glimpse of my turquoise opaques, while I opted for blue and white for my necklace and brooch.




The temperature, which had remained a moderate 16°C all week, climbed a couple of degrees to an unseasonable 19°C on Saturday.  I'd woken up tired and with a lingering headache, which wasn't made any better by the grey sky we could spy behind our bedroom curtains and the pitter-pattering of rain on our landing skylight.

After our usual fruit & yoghurt breakfast, I washed my hair and got dressed. Then I spent a stupid amount of time looking for the snake patterned Van Dalen ankle boots I'd misplaced after finding them in a charity shop in August. At the time, I'd wrongly attributed them to Van Dal instead of Van Dalen, which is a Dutch chain of shoe shops established in 1873. I have a favourite pair of bright green suede ankle boots by them as well, and both pairs were made in Italy.




Except for the dress with its William Morris-style pattern which was an old  C&A sales bargain, the rest of my outfit was either vintage or charity shopped, including the tartan Gigue blazer and the frilly pink scarf, neither of which I needed once the sun had finally made short shrift with the blanket of grey.

We were dying for a rummage, but with the charity shops (called kringloopwinkels in Flemish, which actually translates as recycling shops) having their yearly event to promote their workings, we weren't keen on visiting any. The event usually draws quite a crowd, which the shops are taking advantage of by selling vintage and other stuff at inflated prices.



Instead, we drove down to the big Oxfam shop in the neighbouring town of Wilrijk, which is actually one of the only charity shops in the area in the true sense of the word.

Apart from two books, another King Louie dress, two cardigans and a pristine looking Oilily bag followed me home. 

I've actually been using a smaller, green bag from the same brand as my weekend bag ever since I found it back in January. This one is in a far better condition and more spacious to boot, so I wasted no time in putting it to use as my companion for our weekend escapades.



Rummaging urges satisfied, we bought a cake from a bakery we passed on our way back to the car, and drove to Jos's son and daughter-in-law for a visit and some quality time with grandson Cas.



The weather deities were on their best behaviour for once on Sunday the 16th, treating us to a sunny day with highs of 18°C. 

Aww, look at Ms. Bess basking in the rays of sunshine streaming in through the windows.

I pottered for a while in typical Sunday fashion until the eternal drilling noise started up again next door by 11 am. We'd noticed that one of our neighbour's cousins from Austria - a Johnny Depp lookalike, so that's what we are calling him - had come over again for a couple of days to help him out so, instead of finishing the wall, they were doing some heavy building work.



Desperate to escape the madness for a couple of hours, we had an early lunch, after which we set off to the park in nearby Boom for a walk.

The perfect place for a impromptu stroll, we hadn't been here in months as, due to a blockage in the sewage system in a neighbouring village at the end of July, a large amount of wastewater ended up in the brook which is running through the park. Exacerbated by the subsequent heatwave, the stench had been unbearable. Several of the resident fish hadn't survived the ordeal and even the ever-present ducks refused to take to the water. Even now, an unpleasant musty smell was still noticeable the moment we opened our car doors, so we decided to go elsewhere.

We then tried another one of our local haunts, Solhof park in Aartselaar, but couldn’t find anywhere to park our car due to roadworks. A third option, provincial domain De Schorre in Boom, had to be scrapped as well, as there was an event going on. 


At that point, we'd been driving around in circles for a while and were about to call it a day when we hit upon the idea of paying the nature reserve in Terhagen a long overdue visit.

This is where Jos grew up, smack dab in the middle of brick-making country. In fact, part of the reserve covers the place where the tiny hamlet called De Wildernis once stood. Jos was born here and it's where he lived until the row of workman's cottages was swallowed up by the clay-hungry brickworks.


Same as Walenhoek, the reserve we visited the other week, the area was reclaimed by nature after the industry fell into decline during the 1970s and 1980s. 

We have walked here countless of times over the years, most notably at the height of the pandemic when the reserve was a firm favourite as it usually wasn't quite as inundated with fellow walkers as elsewhere.

A myriad of paths criss-cross the domain, although some of them can be quite treacherous after long periods of rain, when the clay-based soil has turned into sticky mud ready to suck you in. In fact, the boots I was wearing - a slightly worn pair I'm keeping especially for nature walks - were all but ruined the last time we attempted to conquer such a path, in November 2020.



I keep forgetting whether the vintage moss green, brown and orange-red floral skirt was a Think Twice find or a charity shop one. Whatever its origins, I think there couldn't have been a more perfect colour palette for this sun-drenched Autumn day. 

The red crepe blouse trimmed with tiny white pom poms at its yoke and collar (you can see its detail in one of the collages below) did come from Think Twice, while both the black and white belt and necklace were charity shop finds.

My green cord jackets (originally from H&M) and the black and white cameo brooch I pinned to the blouse were both picked up from flea markets.



We followed our noses for a while, taking the up-and-down paths meandering through the woods, until we arrived at a grassy clearing randomly dotted with trees. The soil is quite sandy here, sometimes creating hurdles of a different kind. When we walked here on a hot day in the Summer of 2020 parts of it had turned into a subsidiary of the Sahara, with the fine sand sloshing over the tops of the Clarks Cloudsteppers I was wearing and all but burning my bare feet.




We'd only met a handful of people so far, but then the quiet was briefly interrupted by the arrival of some youths riding mountain bikes, intent on tackling the uphill path which leads to one of the most scenic parts of the reserve. Yes, you've guessed it, the very path which was our undoing in November 2020. The mountain bikes are actually part of the problem, as they are the source of the deep ruts which make the going tough even in the driest of weather.



This time, we just took the path skirting the clearing and walked back the other way, breathing in lungfuls of balmy, almost Summery air and topping up our Vitamin D levels to tide us over the dark days to come.



It had been far too long since we were last here - my blog and journal tell me it was in March 2021 - so we are planning to return for a longer walk soon. Who knows, perhaps it will stay dry for long enough so that we can finally make it to the top of that path again. 



28 comments:

  1. I agree with you...it is shocking that the month is almost over already. Time seems to be passing quickly these days.

    That long sleeved dress is beautiful. I love the floral print! Oh how I love that vintage brooch you wore with it. What an exquisite piece! I'm sorry that it has been so rainy lately. That can definitely be frustrating and gloomy. I can't believe all of the noise still coming from your neighbor. I hope the work finishes soon, because it sounds frustrating and never ending.

    I'm so glad you were able to find the dress from 2017 and you hadn't sold it! It is absolutely beautiful. I have to say, the Emotionally Weird book intrigues me. I need to look this up and see what it is about! I always love seeing your beautiful nature photos. They are so special!

    the creation of beauty is art.

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    1. Thank you Shannon! I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted that dress at the bottom of that box, as I was certain I'd sold it! xxx

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  2. the blowsy roses dress is fabulous! and the morris-look-alike too!!
    jos looks like a very proud grandad :-D
    gorgeous nature photos from your walk at the reserve - love the snails on thistle <3
    but i really hope they dont change the time change - i love it like it is!
    hugsies! xxxx

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    1. Thank you Beate! I frankly cannot see the point of the time change, to be honest ... xxx

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  3. Fab frocks! The rosey dress couldn't be more Autumnal if it tried. I'm glad you rediscovered the paisley dress and the C&A dress looks wonderful - I've got a curtain I made from a 1960s Scandinavian fabric in almost the same print, William Morris goes trippy!
    Talk about third time lucky with your visit to Terhagen. The reds and greens of your outfit are at harmony with the trees.
    Love the photos of Jos and baby Cas and Bess looking like she's in charge.
    I love Sebastian Falks, I read The Girl at The Lion D'or over thirty years ago and still remember it vividly. xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix, I'm currently reading the Sebastian Faulks book, and I love it! xxx

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  4. What fabulous outfits...my favourite has to be the gorgeous "wannabe" William Morris print.
    Emotinally Weird sounds interesting (I just Googled). I've read Kate Atkinson in the past and like her style.
    What a coincidence that you should write about your roots being in brick making country. I purchased a vintage brick mould a couple of weeks ago to use as a display (although I'll happily have it in my home at some point).
    Lovely photo of Jos and Cas and the sunkissed Bess. xxx

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    1. Thank you - Claire, is that you? - and we've got one of those vintage brick moulds as well! xxx

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  5. What a beauty that pleated dress is. I love it! I also particularly loved the William Morris type patterned dress with the belt and the brilliant skirt, top and green blazer worn on your long overdue nature reserve walk.

    You did well at the chazzas. I've read 'Emotionally Weird; and have liked everything Kate Atkinson has written. I'm on the reserved list at the library for her latest book.

    Your grandson has grown so much!

    Hope your week is going well.
    xxx

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    1. Thank you Vronni! You're right: Cas has definitely grown a lot, even we are noticing it! xxx

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  6. Autumn is certainly here! I have no idea how it turns to November tomorrow... Where has this year gone?!

    Wonderful outfits, as always.

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    1. Thank you Nikki, and now all of a sudden it's the middle of November already! xxx

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  7. You look as lovely as always.
    I know we say it every year but this year too has flew by so fast.. how can it already be November?!

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  8. The workman's cottages are very cool. Not only is your architecture more interesting than what we have in the states, your fabric patterns are too!

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  9. Loving all your floral prints, especially the first dress. Have a great day!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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  10. November, hoe weird does that sound. On the bright side, it's Christmas before we know it and then we are on our way to spring again! I'll bet you two walked last Sunday, it was such a glorious day. We went to the national park yesterday and enjoyed the fall forest with all his gorgeous colours and ,,paddestoelen,,. Couldn't find the English word for that, lol. I always have the opposite with clothing that went to the charity shops. I gave it away too fast..... have a good week.

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    1. It's mushrooms, or toadstools :-) It's annoying if you can't remember a word, isn't it? In the past, I used to give away things too soon as well, but I've learned my lesson! xxx

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  11. The months are zooming by way too fast these days, aren't they, Ann? I am happy to see so many lovely dresses, and felt your relief at discovering the missing pink paisley one. I do that too - where is that thing??

    Aw, the lovely Bess. I hope she (like Vizzini) gives you extra love in the cold weather.

    Glad you made it to some nature. That larger scenery pic is stunning!

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    1. Thank you Sheila! Having a lap cat certainly does have its advantages when the weather gets colder! xxx

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  12. Clothes, cats, babies, a walk in the woods-all my favourite things. It can be exhausting mentally trying to find misplaced items, can't it? Sometimes by the point I locate the missing item I've lost the desire to wear it.

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    1. Thank you Goody, and I'm hearing you, I've had the same with missing items! xxx

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  13. Autumn is playing hide and seek here, still an elusive season!. The unseasonably warm weather doesn't help to stop the time running away, it makes things stranger.
    Love your delightfully printed dresses, lots of florals and motives and colours. That blowsy pink roses dress is such a fab piece and love it with the green accessorizing. Love the paisley-esque dress and turquoise accessories, it's great when you find something you thought was gone!. On the other hand, so annoying when you spend a lot of time looking for a misplaced item, totally my thing, particularly when I'm running late in the mornings!
    Love that William-Morris-style print, I'm a huge fan of this kind of prints!.
    And so fab that you found another Oilily bag, they're so cute (and expensive!).
    Lovely to see you enjoying a walk, so beautiful pictures!. And also a really beautiful outfit, totally appropriate for an autumnal walk!, love those orange and green colours together, so delightfully matchy and joyful ensemble!
    besos

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    1. It's finally getting a bit colder here, which is good as the unseasonably warm weather felt very weird indeed!
      And wasn't I lucky finding another Oilily bag? I've been using it as my weekend bag ever since! xxx

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  14. That floral dress definitely deserved a wear! I love the red blouse with the yoke and lace details! nice to know your persistence paid off in finding a park!

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    1. Thank you Laura, I'm a huge fan of that red blouse as well! xxx

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