Disclaimer: this has turned out to be a long-winded ramble about my wardrobe so please feel free to skip over it if you don't give two hoots in a hollow log on the subject. You're welcome.
I've been reading Karen Templer's blog, Fringe Association, for about a year and she's all about fashion, style, and either making your own clothes or buying them from non-sweatshop retailers so I've been giving my "style" some thought for quite a while now. I like to sew, I like to knit so I should be able to create a mix & match wardrobe in my signature style, right? After months of contemplation and analysis of my current wardrobe I have come to the conclusion that my style is "day laborer" with a side of "dressed in the dark." All of the shoes I wear on a daily basis are Avia Avi-motion, rocker bottomed shoes I scrounge off the internet (they don't make them anymore because the shoe makers advertised that they were fitness shoes and would tone and lift your butt; it was a lie) because wearing them really help my legs muscles and lower back not ache at the end of the day, but I suspect they say "fitness walking" or "I have absolutely no style."
Same with my bottoms... I have four decent pairs of jeans, one raggedy pair, a couple pairs of chino-type pants that I seldom, if ever, wear, and one pair of black linen cropped pants that I really like but never wear. Last fall I bought 3, no, 4 pairs of "jeggings" on sale at Walmart that I tend to wear on weekends because they don't have pockets and I like pants with pockets for my hankie and lip balm at work. I have four or five skirts that I made a few years ago that I like and mean to wear in the spring and summer but usually don't manage to--mostly because of my shoe situation, I think.
...and tops. Some of my tops are so old that I bought them in the last century. No, really. I have a few remaining Eddie Bauer solid color tees (short- and long-sleeved) that are great to wear under things, like my equally ancient flotilla of Eddie Bauer cotton, sweatshirt sweaters in various colors. These I accessorize with hand-knitted shawls and shawlettes that I have made. Sometimes I wear a long-sleeved tee with a cardigan sweater (some I have made, others I've purchased) or under a "big" shirt. I'm a big fan of the "big" shirt over a tee and jeggings or jeans. I don't think that's a "style" but it's what I've got and, honestly, what makes me feel like I look good and put together.
This being the time of year when clothes seasons change and stuff is on clearance I browsed the racks in Walmart on Friday night and found three things--a black and white striped knit "swing" jacket (that I"m crazy about), a black and khaki paisley knitted "swing" sweater, and a mens button up shirt in khaki--all for $40. I still had boots on my mind so when I went back to Walmart today I looked in the shoe department and didn't find anything, but a woman ahead of me in the (endless) checkout lane said she got some cute boots at Payless so I cruised over there after I checked out. At ShopKo (which has Payless shoes) I found a gray and white big plaid flannel shirt for $10 and some boots I liked on sale. Naturally they didn't have my size there but the clerk called around, found some, and had the mall store (the mall store, ugh) put some aside for me. Then she gave me the slip of paper she'd printed off in her search and told me to give it to the clerk if I bought the boots. I did and got $4 off the already sale price, so the black "suede" boots were $16. Since I was in the neighborhood I swung into DSW and found the brown boots on the clearance rack for $21 or 50% off the sale price.
Part of me feels bad because I am absolutely certain that the nearly $100 worth of attire I bought this weekend was made in sweatshops and everything but the last pair of boots was bought in a big box, discount department store, but then I feel like I've made a baby step toward looking less like a "day laborer" and more like "an active woman of a certain age comfortable with herself." That's what I'm striving for. I want to look like me--happy with myself and my life, and more interested in learning new things and having experiences than agonizing over what to wear. But I can't wait to wear some of my new boots to work tomorrow.
January 24--Larry Bercow, Smiling Bow Tie & Suspenders. Greg was an anachronism-a nice guy in round glasses, a hand-tied bow tie, and suspenders. At a time when successful men all dressed alike in dark, Italian cut suits, rep ties, and handmade shoes he looked like a guppy swimming in a tank of sharks. Those sharp young men with their slicked back hair and darting eyes couldn't figure out how Greg aced them out of contracts and deals all the while looking like Barney Fife's city cousin.
Sorry I went on (and on) about my clothing style or lack thereof but thanks for listening. Now I'm going to go make some baked apples. Doesn't that sound good on a winter Sunday? I think so too.
--Barbara
But now it isn't. Sunny mornings give me energy, make me feel like accomplishing things, make me eager to cross things off my to-do list. Gray, overcast, cloudy days do not. This morning was great. I got up and did my yoga, read part of the paper while I had breakfast, organized a few knitting things while planning what I'd do about yarn stuff later today, made plans to zoom to the grocery so that all of the vultures wouldn't buy the wild-caught Ahi tuna and haddock on sale at Copps. But then the sun went away and I went from running on high-octane to bumping along on unleaded. Being the mature, self-starter that I am I forged ahead, got dressed and went to the store where I found excellent pieces of fish (and a few other things--can you ever go to the store and only get what you went for? I can't, Durwood can [I don't think that's normal, do you?]) so we'll have sesame lime broiled tuna for supper tonight. We're going to try making a Weight Watchers recipe for apple pie that's baked in the apple shell with just a small lattice of crust over the top. I'm eager to try it. Durwood's going to make a recipe of Chicken Vegetable Meatloaf for the freezer. Our Investment Cooking stock is down to one supper's worth so he'll do that today and I'll make something else tomorrow. No sense spending two whole days working ourselves to the bone just to fill up the top shelf of the freezer, right? Right. *nods confidently* Besides that gives me an excuse to go to the grocery again tomorrow. Why doesn't love to go to the grocery every day?
I was all ready to weave in the tails of Sudoku Block #5 last night at Friday Knitting and then crochet the Sudoku Block #6 squares into a block. I got #5's tails woven in but, when I reached into by knitting basket all I had was the squares, not the pattern with the grid, not the black yarn, not the crochet hook. Grrr. So I was reduced to knitting a few rows on the Hello Hamish cardi. Did I tell you that I checked my gauge the other day and I'm at least a stitch less per inch, which means my sweater will be bigger than the pattern dimensions. I'm not too fussed. I suspect that means that the sweater might fit him a bit longer. I'm good with that. Even if this turns out to be a charity sweater (which it might due to the scratchiness of the yarn) it'll fit some baby. Babies come in all sizes, you know.
Not having the supplies to assemble Block #6 meant that I stayed up until midnight (for the second night in a row) crocheting the blocks into columns and watching DVR'd episodes of "West End Salvage" from the DIY channel. I'm getting to be quite a fan of the upcycling they do on shows like that.
Look at the cool lines in the birdbath ice. The heater isn't strong enough to keep the whole thing ice free so it freezes in increments making lines like age rings in trees.
Another thing I noticed this morning is how glad my big pot of thyme is to be in the house this winter. Look! It's growing. That's what comes from watering it every once in a while, I think. Anyway, this is the first time I've kept thyme alive over the winter. I have a big bay leaf plant that's been around at least 5 years so I know I can keep herbs alive but I think I'm better with "woody" stemmed ones because parsley always croaks when I bring it in.
January 23--Dominion Photo Source, Poolside Seniors. Rae and Eddie had gone steady all through high school and then two weeks before graduation they broke up. No one ever knew why and neither one would ever say. Rae went away to college, only coming home for the holidays and going out of her way to avoid Eddie when she was in town. It wasn't hard. Eddie worked construction for his Uncle Mike and studied drafting at the local tech school at nights.
Okay, since I slept so darned late today I had a later breakfast so lunch will be later too. That'd be now, now seems to be "later" to my stomach. See ya!
--Barbara
Last night's Basic Sock class went well. We could have used another hour, at least, but all of the knitters got through turning the heel. PH suggested that we have them only do 3 rounds of cuff and leg before getting to the "good" stuff, that was brilliant. One person only needed help with the Kitchener stitch (closing the toe) so that was an early triumph for us. A few people hadn't used DPNs before so their night was a real adventure. I tried to emphasize to them that even though DPNs are my favorite needles, I still feel like I'm wrestling a porcupine when starting out. Maybe that helped them not feel too awkward. I hope it did. I was so glad that everyone got to the heel turn because that's where most knitters stumble and it's just so amazing to realize that you can make your knitting turn 90 degrees and make knitted fabric that cups a heel. It's like magic, and I loved helping them knit through those five confusing rows (it was a tiny sock) and end up with a turned heel. PH and I agreed that our students were brave and brilliant. They did it! This morning I tugged all my step-outs off their needles and will get them frogged and rewind the yarn into balls, ready to serve another time. I had a blast and I hope they did too. Although I was so busy helping that I missed the snack. Drat. Also PH brought a red wool vest that she'd knitted years ago as a shop sample. It's way too big for LC now but she said she's clearing out and wondered if I wanted it. Heck yeah, LC's only going to grow. I can store it for a while. (gotta send a thank you note; don't forget, Barbara)
LB brought me a bag of more old Edgings pamphlets from the 40s. I can't wait to sit down and page through them. Thanks, LB, you're a pal.
This morning the Sharp-shinned Hawk came looking for breakfast. There were no birds in sight so he/she flew off but we love seeing its beady black eyes scanning for prey right outside our window.
Not a half hour later it was sparrow time out there. Sparrows are like gangs of teenagers that roam the neighborhood, shoving other birds away from feeders, hogging the birdbath, and splashing out most of the water with the enthusiasm of their bathing. Even sparrows aren't foolish enough to bathe in the dead of winter but they aren't above having a couple of their number sit on the finch feeder and scoop seed out onto the ground for them all to eat. They're messy but pretty darned entertaining.
January 22--Jim Westphalen. Miss Ella looked like everyone's favorite aunt with her soft hands and warm smile but Miss Ella was a businesswoman down to her boots. She was a big woman, always dressed in a suit and a white blouse with lace on the collar, her voice was low and firm. You just did what you were expected to do without question. Something about her brought out the best in her employees. We were all better people working for her. Except for Dexter. Dexter was the exception that proved the rule. Miss Ella would say white, Dexter said black, and the battle lines were drawn.
Durwood's got a chiro appointment in a couple hours and I want to stop at Aldi for blueberries and oranges on the way so I'd better zoom off to find some lunch... ooh, there's a bit of chicken taco meat left. I foresee a taco salad in my immediate future. Adios.
--Barbara
That's what LC says when Baba kisses her bumps, "Aw bedder." We decided that since Baba's unable to chase around, up and down with her, he'd have the "all better" kisses so when she gets hurt she holds her hand on her bumped head and runs to him for kisses. He's very good at it. And I am "aw bedder" because I didn't get whatever bug LC had on Tuesday night. Pepto and mint tea to the rescue.
It is so overcast today (and there are random, small, white things floating around) that there wasn't really a sunrise, it was more like someone slowly turned up a rheostat backstage behind the scrim. It was so dim this morning that even though I went out around 7 o'clock to fill the birdbath, the feeders, and the birdie tree I didn't see one bird, not one, when I did my yoga between 7:30 and 8:00. And speaking of that--YAY! for being able to do yoga again without the whirlies or much of them anyway. I only had one little touch of it when I stretched sideways with my arm over my head, but it went away pretty quickly. I moved more carefully and was fine. Whew. I never thought I'd say it but I missed doing yoga the 10 days I was too dizzy to stand up straight.
I got a bunch of knitting done yesterday so now the Hello Hamish cardi looks more like a sweater. (I'm campaigning [without much hope] to have the coming grandson named Hamish, others have suggested Sherlock but I think that might just be a "place holder" name until he makes his entrance in the spring to embrace his real name.)
With my near-exclusive focus on sock knitting this last month in preparation for tonight's lesson at the Bay Lakes Knitting Guild meeting (yikes!) I unearthed the Jelly Bean sock and knitted a few rounds last night. I know I should be knitting more Sudoku squares but I just can't right now, I need variety. Maybe tomorrow. Definitely tomorrow. Cross my heart.
January 21--Jim Cembon, DSP95010. To Emily's eyes the place looked like a steampunk Frankenstein lab. The building was old. Dark wooden shelves, cubbies, and bins lined the walls from the floor to the 12-foot ceiling. Access was by a rolling, wooden ladder that she thought looked old enough to have come off Noah's Ark. Not the waterpark either, the actual original Ark that Noah built for all the animals before the flood. The store and its fixtures were the Victorian aspect. The Industrial aspect was the inventory because tucked in every ancient wood space were car parts, here a bin of pistons, there a stack of hubcaps. The sensuous lines of a fender graced the counter and piles of gears resembled Christmas trees of the future. There was even a bouquet of sparkplugs in a cut glass bowl sparkling in a shaft of sunlight. "Help you?" came a gravely voice from the read of the store. Emily cleared her throat and reached into her purse. "I need a window crank for a 1963 Chevy Corvair. Do you think you have one?"
Oh! Look at the time. I've got to get myself brushed, combed and dressed and get outta here to get to work on time-ish. I have all I need (I hope) to teach people how to knit socks tonight so all I have to do now is get away from the computer and out the door to start my day. Toodle-oo.
--Barbara
Today is one of the few times that I don't have anything to say on here. I didn't take any early morning photos, it was too dark. I didn't do anything noteworthy last night after supper, staring at the computer screen playing hidden object games does not count as noteworthy. I didn't even knit.
The sun is shining. That's a very good thing. It's above zero and even supposed to be above zero overnight. That, too, is a very good thing.
I made it to my chiropractic appointment and to work on time. There was even a paycheck waiting for me when I got here. So far today's batting a thousand.
The only downer in my day is that LC has come up with a tummy bug and, since I can't stop kissing her every time I see her, there's a slim chance that Meemaw might get one too but I have fortified myself with a dose of "the pink stuff" and will be brewing up a nice, tummy soothing mug of mint tea as soon as I give up on deluding myself that I have anything interesting to report. (I have to confess that I'm very suggestible so it's always a crap shoot as to whether I really have the bug or if it's just sympathy sickness. I am such a trial to myself.)
Last week I left work to discover a pair of kids using our pile of parking lot snow for a sledding hill. They were using a piece of cardboard and a toddler-size car seat for sleds. I cautioned them to be careful because I'm not old enough to think that kids are going to leave a convenient pile of snow alone. It's not much of a pile but from the eroded chutes down the side of it I'd say it'll do just fine. I did ask them not to throw snowballs at cars parked nearby (mine) or the dumpster (since we'd have to pay if it gets damaged). I have no illusions how long their agreement will last. Kids are kids and snow piles should be classified as an attractive nuisance and, thereby, exempt from personal injury liability. *gives a firm nod of agreement*
January 20--Carl Yarbrough, Man & Lab in Canoe. Before the leaf-peepers flooded the north woods Kevin liked to head out for a last peaceful paddle, just himself and his dog, Sadie. Kevin packed his tent and enough rations for a week and set off.
There. You see how not with it I was last night? That's a good start to an interesting story right there and I fell asleep almost before I wrote the last word. I suspect that 10 days of anti-vertigo pills has put me in this state. As of this morning I'm giving the whirlies the finger and stopping the pills. We'll see if my energy level rises over the next few days. I'm guessing it will since the pills are nothing more than prescription strength Dramamine and that stuff always knocks me out. Okay, I'm quitting before I chase you all away with my blabbering.
--Barbara
It was -2 when I went out the front door for the paper this morning and then out the patio door to top up the birdbath. Brrr. But now it's all the way up to 11 degrees above zero. Woohoo! And the door into the garage is still able to be opened. It's supposed to hit the mid-teens tomorrow and the mid-twenties the day after, maybe even the low thirties by the weekend.
All of my couch sitting knitting yesterday brought me to the point where I split off the sleeve stitches, put them on holders, and knit the body. These tiny things go pretty fast. But I gotta tell you, sitting on my duff most of the day makes me feel guilty for not getting a lot of things accomplished and I'm more tired than if I had roared around. I did get the laundry done so that goes to the positive. I even matched up all the socks.
January 19--Judah S. Harris, Haircut. This was not Gavin's first time int he barber chair. He had been at Blackie's many times and was used to sitting on the padded board that Blackie put across the arms of the barber chair for him. He liked the smell of talc and lime in the room and the talk of the men lined up in the chairs waiting their turn. Mom would run to the Rexall Drug next door while Gavin had his haircut. The men in the chairs would stop talking when Mom brought him in and then would start up again once she left. The chair men talked about sports, the weather, and politics. Gavin only cared about sports.
I feel that mid-day slump coming on. Maybe I'll sit on the couch with a book and afghan. That's a good cover for a little snooze, right?
--Barbara
This being the time of year when clothes seasons change and stuff is on clearance I browsed the racks in Walmart on Friday night and found three things--a black and white striped knit "swing" jacket (that I"m crazy about), a black and khaki paisley knitted "swing" sweater, and a mens button up shirt in khaki--all for $40. I still had boots on my mind so when I went back to Walmart today I looked in the shoe department and didn't find anything, but a woman ahead of me in the (endless) checkout lane said she got some cute boots at Payless so I cruised over there after I checked out. At ShopKo (which has Payless shoes) I found a gray and white big plaid flannel shirt for $10 and some boots I liked on sale. Naturally they didn't have my size there but the clerk called around, found some, and had the mall store (the mall store, ugh) put some aside for me. Then she gave me the slip of paper she'd printed off in her search and told me to give it to the clerk if I bought the boots. I did and got $4 off the already sale price, so the black "suede" boots were $16. Since I was in the neighborhood I swung into DSW and found the brown boots on the clearance rack for $21 or 50% off the sale price.
