It has been a week of ups and downs.
Last weekend was cold and wet and now temperatures are upto 30°C. Two of my upcoming public speaking engagements were announced, but overall, I’ve been feeling pretty dispirited at work. My bank account has become functional and Amber’s immigration paperwork has come through, but we found out that I cannot even apply for my renewal for another 7–8 weeks, and that I need more documentation than we previously anticipated. When I was stuck indoors last Sunday due to wet weather, I completed an embroidery project I am very pleased with. However, I didn’t get around to preparing paper for my cyanotype artwork so I haven’t been able to make the most of the sun beating down. The curtains for our living room were delivered and we would have loved to hang them up immediately, but (by this time we all know how this post is going) we didn’t manage to find the right hardware despite going to multiple stores. I loved my mid-week walk around Étangs d'Ixelles, especially seeing a small group of Tufted Ducks up close. My plan for an encore the next day was foiled because Amber accidentally took both the house keys to work.
So I don’t forget, there have been some properly good things too. Last Saturday, I witnessed the Brussels Pride March, and it was so beautiful and joyful and moving. Amber found a community compost bin not too far from where we live, and on the weekend, we met the gentleman who runs it. I am looking forward to regularly dropping our organic waste there instead of putting it in the orange waste bag that is only collected once a week. We picked up a bunch of different small things for the house and visited Unity Bookshop. I came back with a small pile of books, including few new Pelican titles for my collection. A couple of books that I had ordered online also arrived. As did our coat hanging hooks and a new fan. I loved cooking and eating ratatouille pasta, fish burgers, and an asparagus tart.