In the grey of November

Even more so than in years past, it truly boggles my mind that it's December already, and that yet another year will soon be coming to its close. Honestly, where did all that time go?  In my particular case a huge chunk of the last couple of months seem to have disappeared down a sink hole, which makes it feel even more unreal that we have turned this year's calendar to its final page.

In doing so, we are faced with the usual trappings of the festive season. Christmas lights are twinkling in the streets and any shop worth its salt has long ago dusted off the Christmas decorations, with their background music insisting that it's the most wonderful time of the year. I fully admit to being a bit of a Grinch at the best of times, but this year it's doubtful I'll get in any kind of festive mood any time soon.

But what am I blathering on about December and its inevitable jolliness, my blog hasn't even made it halfway through November yet!

Thankfully, the first week of November was followed by an extra long weekend. In addition to my usual Friday off, Monday the 11th being Armistice Day was a public holiday here in Belgium.

Friday's weather was a repeat of what we'd been served that week, dismal and gloomy and with a drop in temperature to a bone-chilling 5°C. The day started with a check-up at my ophthalmologist a.k.a. the Ice Queen, who seemed to have thawed a little since I last saw her. What's more, she declared that the low-tension glaucoma in my left eye seems to have stabilized. Phew!

The rest of the day was spent catching up on chores and doing the weekly food shop. As we'd left it too late to make outfit photos, this is what I was wearing on Saturday.

The diagonally striped polo neck was the missing € 5 Think Twice bargain I hinted at in my previous post. It found its perfect companion in a charity shopped grey and red tartan skirt - with pockets! 

If I remember correctly, the red beaded necklace was a charity shop find as well, but I am positive I found the red-berried brooch on a flea market! 

The mock-croc textured belt was a sales bargain a couple of Summers ago and I found the navy boots - which I'd completely forgotten about - while I was doing my seasonal shoe exchange. Although I was happy to see them, it would be their final outing as its upper layer had started peeling off by the end of the day. Serves me right for buying them in a cheap and long-gone village shop all those years ago!

What with some light drizzle being added to the usual weather menu, our activities that day were limited to a rummage at the charity shops. Or rather, shop, as we only visited the one. 

While Jos was taking a breather and a enjoying a coffee at the cafetaria, I trawled the aisles where I soon pounced upon this teal cross-body bag by the Parisian Inès Delaure label.

This handmade dove grey and red chevron striped poncho instantly leapt at me from the otherwise uninspiring clothing rails. Angelica was happy to show off its 1970s vibes and insisted on adding the red felt hat and bamboo cross-body bag, both of which have been in my collection for many years.

A quick perusal of the bookshelves resulted in finding another Emma Donoghue novel to add to my reading pile.

The mercury had climbed to the dizzying heights of 13°C on Sunday and what's more, it looked set to remain dry-ish in the afternoon. This very welcome turn-up for the books obviously called for a short walk, but before I invite you to join us, let's have a look at my outfit.

Yet another old Think Twice find, this faux-patchwork patterned brown on black button through dress seems to have been in my wardrobe forever. I deviated from wearing it with shades of blue as I usually do and added yellows and tans instead. The enamelled leaf brooch perfectly tied in for what we had in mind that afternoon.

What we had in mind was getting Jos a bit of exercise and clearing our cob-webbed heads among the Autumnal splendour of the part of the sculpture park called Middelheim-Laag. And we certainly weren't disappointed, as the trees and shrubs were playing a symphony of reds, russets and golds, while a satisfyingly deep carpet of leaves lay invitingly at our feet.

November

It only believes

In a pile of dead leaves

~Tom Waits, November, from the album The Black Rider (1993)

Much as a I love a spot of leaf-kicking and the other sensory delights Autumn brings forth on a good day, the seemingly neverending string of grey November days puts me in mind of another part of the same Tom Waits song:

November has tied me

To an old dead tree

Get word to April

To rescue me

But April somehow feels very far away right now.

There definitely wasn't a single ray of sunshine to be spied that day, which some of the sculptures seemed to mind more than others. Looking quite despondent and shivering in his dressing gown, Balzac (1892-1897) by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was offering a striking contrast to the carefree Het Zotte Geweld (The Mad Maiden, 1912) by the Belgian painter and sculptor Rik Wouters (1882-1916).

There's a light that never goes out ... although it does only light up when you approach Diamond Shaped Room with Yellow Light (1986-1990) by the American artist Bruce Nauman (°1941).

Blending in perfectly with their surroundings are the topsy-turvy houses (above, top left, in the far distance) by Berlin artist Timm Ullrichs (Modelhäuser Typ Bomarzo, 2001) and the maces (above, bottom right) by Belgian artist Berlinde De Bruyckere (Innocence can be Hell, 1993)

On Armistice Day, we both slept late-ish. When a peek through our window confirmed that it was yet another grey and dismal day, we unearthed our daylight lamp, whose light we basked in during breakfast. But then the sun made her entrée after all, bringing with her her friend the wind, who tossed around the Autumn leaves and tugged at those still hanging on for dear life on shrubs and trees.

But we never left the house that day, except to make outfit photos in the sorely neglected passageway.

The pinkish-red and grey dress with its folksy print was a Think Twice find back in 2019, while both the belt and necklace were charity shopped. My ceramic leaping deer brooch is vintage and a flea market find. 

I'll be back with more (non) adventures and a couple of outfits soon. For now, it's goodbye from me. And goodbye from Queen Bess of Dove Cottage. There's not a shred of doubt who's in command here!