Friday afternoon E arranged his schedule so that I could meet Di in Brussels and travel back to Antwerp with her by train. Towing a surprisingly heavy suitcase to Gare Soud, we hooked up after Di completed a job interview. She looked sharp and brainy in a black suit, boots, and her Euro-cool glasses and I schelpped along at her side in my faded Levis, Almost-as-Good-as-Sex walking shoes and LL Bean parka. We chatted on the ride to Antwerp then caught the tram and tried to avoid falling on other passengers or sitting in each other's laps. Di says I groped her bum, but I think she sat on my hand on purpose. You can guess who's telling the truth here.

There was e-mail checking. sofa flopping, a walk to the store to get items for dinner, big plates of spaghetti, and quality time with the Wee Curly Grrrl, who dazzled me with hugs and happiness when she put on the luscious pink velvet princess cloak that E-Grrrl had outgrown and did a bit of a twirl. She is a feast for the eyes and the ONLY living creature who likes to admire my middle age belly. It is good to be three.

I'm just a bit older than that. My birthday is next week, and Di surprised me with a very special gift--a bracelet designed especially for me by my friend Lisa in Virginia (photos to follow when the camera batteries recharge!). I'd commisioned Lisa to make Di a bracelet in October, and she'd made one with unakite beads (the state stone of Virginia), silver Bali beads, and a centerpiece featuring a large glass bead that suggested the stones and mountains of New Zealand, Di's home country. I'd requested a silver charm engraved with the word "believe,"  to remind Di to always believe in her talent and her art.

Lisa's bracelet for me also features unakite beads and has Bali silver spacers as well as garnet and topaz Swarvorski crystal beads. The colors echo my favorite season--fall. The silver clasp is shaped like a leaf to honor my love of trees and nature. She added a dragonfly charm as a symbol of renewal and a charm engraved with the word "power." The centerpiece is a bead that resembles jade and is painted with a russet and gold flower that ties the whole color scheme together.  It is nothing short of perfect--and I love that it ties me to Di and to Virginia and to Lisa. Over the years I've purchased about five bracelets from Lisa as gifts, but I'd never purchased one of them for myself. 

Saturday we went to the market in the heart of Antwerp for crusty loaves of Ardennes bread, deep red flowers, and sweet crunchy apples. There was much buzzing about Saturday afternoon in preparation for my birthday party Saturday night. Jess made two pavlovas, Di cleaned, and I mulled over interview questions from Neil.

Saturday night brought E and the kids to Di's door, as well as Peter  and his s/o, Simon  and his wife Paola, Heather and Helen (Kiwi expats), Lut and Maurice (Belgian neighbors), and Ivan and Eva (a Spanish guitarist and his Belgian girlfriend), and Michelle, our favorite Italian from New Jersey. It was a particularly good mix of people and the conversation was lively. Ivan performed a number of songs for us, singing in Spanish and Portuguese.

E took the children home and I spent another night at Di's, embrassed by how much I adore sleeping under a down comforter with my arms wrapped around a hot water bottle . Sunday we were all late risers and slow moving. E came to join us for lunch and Di did a photo session with my family in the park.

And here it is, dusk falling, the weekend over, and pockets full of happy memories, soon to be followed by photos.

Hope your weekend was at least half as good as mine.

Janaury 27, 2008