I Said Good-Bye To Slegers-Heise ... Really... This Time I mean It

 I've been without a vehicle for a little while now, so I've been doing chores around the house and not much else.  On Monday, I took Russ to work so I could have the car to run some errands.  I know it sounds suspicious, but that's really what happened.  I had to pick up the kids dental records, some groceries, and a few other things in preparation for our upcoming move.  I finished quicker than I expected, so I decided to just swing by Slegers for one last visit.  All of my furniture has been packed and shipped out, so it seemed like a pretty safe idea.  It's not like I was planning on buying anything, you know. 

 I took one last walk around the building, admiring the antiques and wishing I had room for that lovely carousel. I was just about to leave when I saw it. 

I know.  I already have 4 scales (packed and on their way to the states), but doesn't it drive you crazy to have things displayed in even numbers?  And it has a big "B" on it.  It's like it was made especially for me!  What?  Only 30 euros?    Ugh!  I was standing there, debating purchasing it, when my cell phone started ringing.  Seriously?  Were his Spidey senses tingling?  Is he having me followed?  Long story short, he said to just go for it.  Worst case, I'll just mail it to our new base.  I mean, it's not like I can just pop back over to my favorite antique store and pick up another one, right?  Hmmm.  I might have to think about that one.

Scaled Down Collections

There she is. Isn't she amazing? On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give her a 10. I've been looking for her forever. She balances out my collection, you know. OK, I'll stop before you start throwing things at your computer. I think my scale collection is now complete, so my hubby can rest easy. I saw one of these when I first moved here, but didn't snatch it up. Now I'm glad, because this one is in even better shape than the other. She's brass, you know. And she's gorgeous. I have no idea why I've become obsessed with antique scales, but I have. And no, I have no idea where they will eventually go once we retire, but I can assure you that they will have a place of honor in our home. And they will always remind me of my wonderful days in Belgium, exploring new towns and searching for the perfect (and affordable) antique. And I've picked up some amazing things, some of which I haven't even shared on this blog. You'll just have to come and visit me when I get back to the states and see for yourself what mystical treasures I've brought home with me. Now you're really wondering, aren't you...

Antiquers Anonymous...It's A Ten Step Program

When the lovely folks as Slegers invited me to back my vehicle inside their warehouse to load it up, I knew I had a problem. OK, maybe it's not as bad as it sounds. Truth is, I only got a few fantastic items, and Denise got the BIG DADDY. She snagged an antique double school desk, complete with ink well. GORGEOUS! In all the excitement, I didn't get a picture of it, but maybe if I ask nicely, she'll send me one and I can share it with you. Anyhoo, I got to drive into an antique warehouse...score one for me and scratch another item off of my strange and unusual "To Do" list.

In case you're curious, here are my goodies. I found another trog - this time in light wood. My other one is in a dark wood, so this is totally different. (At least that's what I keep trying to explain to Russ. He's not buying it either, by the way.) I also found a long, skinny type of trog and a round sieve. It might not make any sense to you, but I have a picture in my head of what I can do with these treasures, and that's all that matters. Just go with it.

Check this one out. It's a square trog. I know. It's the coolest, and is now home to my phone books. If you don't own a square phone book trog, then you really don't know what you're missing. I recommend you go out and buy one right now. Go ahead. I'll wait. Here's the last of my purchases....my scale. Russ keeps asking what my fascination is with scales since we moved here, and I really can't explain it. They are just very interesting to me. I have a few pieces of blue and white enamelware, so the second I saw this one, I knew it just had to come home with me. A scale, fresh flowers, and my Starbuck's mugs. It just doesn't get any better than that. (Except maybe if one of the mugs was filled with coffee...)

P.S. Here's a pic of Denise's awesome desk! She's a beauty! (And if she encourages the girls to do their homework without any hassles, then she was well worth the money!)

My New Treasure

Russ had the day off yesterday. He had visions of a quiet, relaxing day filled with sleeping late and lounging at the house. This was not the case. (He really should know better by now!) I had him up and out before he knew what hit him, and we were on our way to explore an antique store in Hamont. Thanks, Dawn, for recommending it! As with everything else in Belgium, you don't have any idea what lies inside such an unassuming old warehouse until you peek inside. Wow! Imagine a two story football field packed wall to wall with antiques. Aisles and aisles of treasures, stacked up all around you, just begging to be explored. It's a bit overwhelming. All of the big items are on the main floor, but there is a balcony of sorts that runs around the inside of the building on the second floor, and that's the section that I spent hours in. There are tons of the little nicknack's and items there from every day life that I find so fascinating. I behaved myself, though, and came home with this one little treasure. After watching a group of people leave with a rented truck FULL of big furniture, Russ was breathing a sigh of relief at my purchase. This beauty is a Roberval Scale. It's named after it's inventor, Gilles Personne De Roverval, a French mathematician. It's very interesting to play with, too. I'll be weighing objects all over the house.

I was lucky to find these glass weights included with the scale. Most of the time, these are lost throughout the years. They also make the weights out of lead, but these are so much prettier. I didn't take any pictures inside the Antique warehouse, but here is a link to their site so you can check it out virtually for yourself. http://www.antiek.be/antiques-antique-dealers-furniture=import-export_ENG-2773.html?submenu=NoAfter leaving Hamont, Russ took me the long way home through the town of Leopoldsburg. He had been on a motorcycle ride through here with friends a couple of days before and knew it was the sort of town I would love. He was right. I mean, how could you not love a town with a statute of Mary Poppins in a roundabout? That is Mary Poppins, isn't it? It sure looks like her.
There were beautiful, flower lines streets, and lots of little shops and outdoor cafes to explore. I will definitely be back here to check it out when I have more time!

Apparently Leopoldsburg is a town with a lot of military history. Camp Beverlo was established here in 1835, and the town formed beside it as people moved to the area to support the camp. Leopoldsburg is named after King Leopold I. He had a Royal Palace here and stayed here quite often while working with the establishment of the camp. That is a statute of him in front of the building. Much of the original camp still stands, and has been turned into a museum. A newer military camp is just beside it and is still in use today.

This tank is on the side of the road in the neighboring town of Hechtel. It stands as a monument to the war. The Germans bombed the camp in 1940, and then occupied it until 1944, when allied troops bombed it and took it over. I was used by General Brian Horrocks as his headquarters when he ordered the start of the Market Garden operation in 1944. The 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade moved into the camp 1970, and it remains the largest garrison in Belgium. So much history is packed into this beautiful little country. Hope you enjoyed your Monday off as much as we did.