A combination of cream or white and black has long been a Summer favourite of mine. Last week for my trip to Hobart I paired this cream blouse from Victoria & Wood (from a few seasons ago) with my Moyuru check skirt, I rather liked the way the different shapes worked together. The blouse is both cotton and made in Australia , always a plus in my book. Today’s accessories , except the Preen sunnies, are all thrift shop finds collected over many years.
Now for my cautionary tale, it is a health related one. For the past couple of years I had been suffering from a shortness of breath on exertion , the symptoms coming on every Spring and I was pretty certain it was related to allergies. Last year after some non-conclusive testing my doctor decided I had lung disease (of a life threatening type) and prescribed medication,without providing me with full information. I wasn’t happy with the side affects, sore throat, hoarse voice , etc. , with very little benefit , so I stopped using it. The symptoms returned last Spring again and as we were about to go away I resumed the meds. Long story short , different season in Europe so no problems at all only to return when I returned home. This to me confirmed my own gut instincts that it was seasonal asthma (I was asthmatic as a child) but my doctor was not of the same mind.
After some soul searching I changed doctors and have had numerous tests and guess what I have seasonal asthma.
Why didn’t I change sooner , loyalty and a sense of gratitude for my previous doctor, she diagnosed my little girl’s brain tumour all those years ago.
My cautionary tale is this, you know your own body , in my case I have lived with it for 65 years, seek a second opinion and move on if the time is right.
Peering into the future , actually a workshop which is part of our old rail yards, now operating as a Museum . Friends , I need some feedback as to where to take my blog moving forward. I feel a bit stuck at present and would welcome any ideas on content , style, etc. I really don’t want to stop blogging as I do enjoy it and believe there is a place for 60+bloggers in the real world. I would be so appreciative of any suggestions.
Joining Patti for Visible Monday, Jess for Turning Heads Tuesday, Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb, Nancy for Fashion Friday Link Up and Mica at Away from the Blue.
Funny but my seasonal asthma comes on in autumn and winter with cooler weather and I'm ok spring and summer. I enjoy seeing what you're wearing and your garden and the interesting places you go I just wish we had similar 2nd hand clothing shops in northern NSW.
Thank you so much for your feed back on the blog Anne. I do sometimes find wonderful pieces at our local 2nd hand shops but often not and sadly my favourite is closing later this year.Interesting how your asthma is the reverse. Hope you are enjoying your Summer.
I am so glad you found a doctor who would work with you to figure it out and get the right diagnosis! Our health is so important.I really like your black and white outfit too, love the checks! :)I hope that you are able to find motivation and inspiration for your blog going forward – I always think if you blog the kind of blog you like to read you'll never get bored! :)Hope that you had a nice weekend 🙂 I just posted my weekday wear linkup, I'd love you to join again! :)Away From The Blue Blog
Thank you so much Mica for your helpful advice. Black and white is a long time favourite combination of mine. Thank you for inviting me to join your link up, I am pleased I managed to get it right this week.
I feel for you with the Dr. It is so difficult to find a good one, a doctor that is willing to listen and not have preconceived ideas. I also have exercise and allergy induced asthma. I'm glad you finally go it sorted out. Another great bold outfit full of interesting shapes and striking accessories. I think lots of bloggers are feeling the same way as you right now. I know that readership is down all around. So many people have quite blogging and headed over to Instagram. Personally I'm not a fan of Instagram at all so I'm not going to do that. The only suggestion I would have would be to take your blog off of blogspot and put it in WordPress. I have to use Chrome in order to comment on your blog. All blogspot blogs no longer allow me to comment in Safari. Suzannehttp://www.suzannecarillo.com
Thank you so much Suzanne, I do remember you saying you had developed asthma, I hope yours is under control.I think you are right about our fellow bloggers, I too have seen many giving up either altogether or just using Instagram. There are some things I like about Instagram but many that I don't at all. I am taking your idea on board and am in the process of moving to WordPress. I do appreciate your feedback Suzanne.
Indeed! You know your own body. I spend a year asking my doctor to send me to a lung doctor as I just knew there was something wrong. I'm glad you found a better doctor and listened to your body. You look fabulous!
I can only imagine how frustrating it was for you Nancy. Yes, we do know our own bodies best and doctors really should listen. Many thanks Nancy.
Gosh that is a cautionary tale – glad there was a good resolution. You know your own body. And I love that skirt to bits! Btw, I'm commenting on Firefox as I cannot comment on a blogspot blog from Safari – these things!
Many thanks Penny , you and I certainly do have the same taste in skirts. I am pleased to have finally received some answers.I am in the process of changing to wordpress , so i hope this making commenting easier for you.
What a stunning Summer outfit, dear Jill! I adore your accessories and the way you combined the shapes of the shirt and the top – just magical, both traditional and cutting edge modern at the same time.I feel like you at times – a bit stuck with blogging. I usually give it a rest and then feel a breath of fresh air, new inspiration. I love your blog because I love your personality. I would say, blog about what genuinely interests you. I love seeing your outfits and travels, I love learning a bit about your family, you mentioned your passion for gardening – that's another huge topic, then there is your dancing exercise routine, etc. You showed us a little corner of your home, and that is another possibility – write about your ideas of interior design, you are gifted in so many ways! I enjoy reading your thoughts, your outlook on life – you are a wise, insightful woman. In any case, just do what interests you, and the right reader will find you. As for changing doctors, you did the right thing. At times we do things out of a sense of obligation, but in fact we do know better if we listen to our intuition. But I understand that it wasn't an easy decision for you… I am so glad that you were right and you are dealing with seasonal allergies. Hope you find just the right solution, my dear!Lots of love!
Thank you so much dear Natalia for your insightful thoughts on blogging. You certainly have given me some ideas for future posts, your writers gift sees things with a different eye.