I moved my desk to be in front of my window. Somehow this makes it feel like I’m still part of the world. It reminds me that I still live in a city that exists beyond my apartment. It’s been six weeks since my access to it has been sharply curtailed. Today like yesterday the weather is grey and rainy. These are the days I find the hardest. When the sun is streaming through my front wall of windows, the place my desk is now, it all seems easier to bear.
I have several pieces of furniture in my apartment, including my desk, that have wheels. I think this probably can tell you something about the kind of stance I have towards change. Perhaps it confirms what you already know about my zodiac signs. I’m a Gemini who was also born in the Year of the Snake. Do you know those creatures that like to shed their skins? When the mood strikes my furniture on wheels allows me to re-arrange my space in ways that accommodate this element of my personality.
There’s a stand of brick row houses across the street from my building. They are three stories tall. Most of them are now painted dull brown or shades of grey and the drabness of the color makes them all blend together. They appear to be a solid block of housing. The houses are dressed in a uniform that strips them of their individuality. I am reminded of a barracks. I don’t like to look closely at them because they reflect the tedium of what daily life has now become. Built to house a middle class that has all but disappeared, it seems their unique character has too.
Yet, in front of my gaze if I sit up in my seat and look directly ahead are two outliers. The first is a solitary row house defiantly painted yellow with dark green doors, shutters, and cornice. What looks like gas lamps glow on each side of the door. In the transom window above the door, the same golden pinpoints of light shine through. I crane my neck forward and squint. A chandelier hung in the vestibule comes into focus and is revealed. This house I find out is a bed and breakfast, the reason for it’s sprucing up. Today it is quiet, the only person coming in and out is the caretaker masked and gloved. Planes that bring the people who fill its rooms are now silent and sitting still on the tarmac.
The second outlier can be found in the lot where two of the connected houses used to be. Given its’ size, the fir tree that fills the space must have been planted a long time ago. I imagine an unexpected fire might have swept through and destroyed the buildings that once stood there before help could arrive. The giant fir, taller than the row houses on either side is an anomaly on this avenue where there is no other green in sight. As this one proves, fir trees are long-lasting and resilient. As evergreens, they do not lose their leaves nor their color and remind us that life goes on. An evergreen in writing is something that can always come back into circulation and retains its’ relevance.
During these days I have a uniform of my own. I’ve taken to wearing silk pajama tops with my oldest, most faded and worn pair of jeans. My explorations into eco-literacy reassure me I am not a slob by not washing them even though they are worn every day. I’ve discovered jeans should be washed way less often for many reasons. With all the heaviness around me, the soft lightness of the silk hanging from my shoulders is all the load I feel like carrying right now. It allows me to indulge the aimless wandering and re-imagining about where I might find my place when the door opens again. It doesn’t demand any instant answers and for that I am grateful. The soft pastel flowers are blurred and remind me of my love of watercolors. Their fragility and whispered renderings a gentle nudge rather than a hard push.
There is something though about the weight and texture of my jeans that are grounding. Like the row houses I see in front of me, jeans in America are a symbol of those who work and of labor movements that created a middle class. Like the fir tree, my jeans seem to hold me and point me in an upright direction. As a child born in the 1950s jeans for me in the 1970s were a symbol of rebellion and non-conformity. Today they remind me of my father and my working-class roots. My silk pajama top reminds me of my grandmother and the life of privilege, luxury, and education she introduced me to. My clothes embody the merging of the public/private life I am living on-line. Just like the way I feel today, what I am wearing signifies a state of being in-between.
Today in the midst of my messy moodiness and in view of the defiant yellow row house and endlessly striving evergreen, I turn my body over and into my clothes. My clothes when I wear them are also a witness to the life I’m living today. The memories I associate with them keep me close to those I love. My silk shirt is like the shiny golden chandelier that beckons from the vestibule and my jeans a uniform as I try to manage a life that feels like it’s being lived in a kind of surreal captivity. So honoring the loss and sadness I feel yet allowing room for hope is the task for today.
What are your clothes witnessing today and what stories will they have to tell about it?
I am so thrilled to be able to read you more often! Today I actually made a bit of an effort, in order to alleviate my anxiety: I put on an oversized man Dior shirt with black tights and my ugg boots (best slippers ever) working actually feels easier today. Maybe I should keep dressing for work!
I wear the clothes I wear everyday to go to teach my Senior Excercise class, which, of course I can no longer now do. Stretchy and comfortable I I feel ready to bolt out the front door and jump in my car and go to my students. I am in a state of readiness. Fully made up, groomed and missing my crew I think I may still be in a state of denial. I have been doing this ritual every day for 50 days.
My clothes whisper to each other in the closet about when they will go out.
adorable
I feel the difference in you. Weeks ago you were dropping the names of high end designers which I also adore, though can’t afford for my true passion is to ride horses and own three. Today you are bringing forth the memories of your roots- the strength you now posses because of them. Those who worked and played hard. A luxurious lifestyle because of them. A melancholy day, because of them. The rain clears the dirt out of the city and renews life as that tree symbolizes. Hugs.
Thank you, yes I lost my way for a bit. The pandemic and Black lives Matter was like checking into rehab for me. A detox from consumerism.
all i want to wear right now are wide jeans & pretty kimonos
Maybe forever is how I’m feeling!
I love your comment on the heavy jeans grounding you. Unconsciously I have worn clogs, boots or wedge shoes to ground me most of my life and dresses on top because I love the flow.
Grounded and lighthearted!
Yes both and
Hang in there. I can imagine it must be very hard to stay put inside for dreary days on end. I count myself lucky to live in a suburban area these days, and am wearing “yard clothes” today. I wear all black (coincidence?) – a pair of insulated leggings, old garden clogs and a black fleece hoodie. It is chilly and windy. I will fill my bird feeders, clean and put away a tarp, and pull up weeds in the periwinkle. I will walk the dog, and enjoy the sun when it comes out. People walk up and down the street more than before. The herd of deer that enjoy the neighborhood, are more shy these days.
I will think of you in your apartment, taking in your view. A city filled with people, that are now invisible. Wow.
It is very eerie.
You’re such a creative writer. Have you written books? I think you’d be amazing at it! My weekends are comfortable in pj’s or bluejeans. Working on house projects during this crazy time waiting to break out soon. We did go riding in the woods this weekend with the birds and the breeze. It was peaceful, mindless, and desperately needed.
Working on edits to a proposal as you have posted this comment.
Dear Lyn – thank you for a beautiful photo and well-matched post to go with it. It is a lovely meditation on a difficult time. Warmly, Julie (Seattle)
Thank you!
I also live in NY but on Lake Ontario far from NYC.
This morning I transplanted a holly bush and pulled weeds. My vest, jeans, long sleeved blood-donor shirt, Christmas tree sweatshirt, husband’s old blue ankle socks, both pairs of gloves and plastic shoes are filthy.
I now sit in my library wearing a huge orange sweater I knitted decades ago over a navy blue City Sports (Boston) shirt my son left in about 1996, pastel and gray striped, lined, last Christmas gift socks and thin leggings decorated with diamonds of red, green, white and blue.
I’m grateful.
I believe near future fashion might, could, should be spare and vibrant.
As a crone, I’ve tried to eschew fashionable black and gray and appear more as a fruit salad.
We need visual nutrition now.
Visual nutrition you’ve inspired me today.
Honoring loss and sadness I, too, am allowing room for the opportunity to once again cherish the energy of excitement when I once again am able to wear the clothes that spoke to my Gypsy soul.
Yes we can do a both/and
I love the mood your writings create as I wake in New Zealand…so far away from your reality….but in a sense your words bring us together….I was born in 1947 and of course can relate to the 50’s when I watched my older brother (7 years older) grow into
an `Bill Haley’ lookalike and his friends shine their convertible cars in an effort to emulate the films of the 50’s and merging 60’s.
New York represents all that those earlier movies imbued in my fantasy visions of what it would be like to live in such a big city, so I adored the pictures you drew as you surveyed the view outside your window. This forced captivity is a strange place for us to find ourselves in …..after all our generation is the `lucky generation’ . Missing WW2, coming through the liberating 60’s and now being adored and looked after by the powers that be…. I don’t think my children will be as lucky as we have been.
Now here we are in lockdown…for our own good they say as we are the `at risk’ folk. I feel a growing sadness for all the young people who are forced to join us ….as they would probably manage to fight and overcome this virus. Sweden might have a point…Though I do admire our amazing PM….she inspires the world and we as a nation are so lucky to have such an amazing women uncharge of our country. So young to be so wise.
I cry when I see what is happening in your amazing country and hope that maybe the news media is exaggerating the losses.
On a lighter note….thank the USA for blue Jeans…..and that Devine silk PJ top….perfectly stunning…..
regards ` a Kiwi’.
Thank you for your thoughtfulness and regard for my country. My only wish is that we could manage to entice your PM to come over here and give us her good care!
What divine eloquence and feeling in this post. You have totally captured these surreal and scary times. A pure joy to read.
Thanks so much for the feedback as I’ve been working on my writing.
Wow, that was beautiful. Made me want to go put on a silk shirt and jeans.
First time commenter.
Welcome!
Today I’m wearing a black Rundholz dress. This is the Summer version of their heavier Winter version that has long sleeves and a lot of tulle. This one is all cotton, no tulle, but it swirls almost as much. I love a loose fitting dress that moves or swirls when I walk because I feel free. The short sleeves allow me to get my work done. The looseness is hiding The Quarantine Fifteen that I feel I’ve “acquired.” Like the yellow house I’m defiant in that I refuse to wear dismal clothes. Lagerfeld was right – sweats are a sign of giving up. My Italian aunties always wore dresses in the tea length that my Rundholz is and looked so elegant and graceful in them even if they were not wealthy (the husband of one owned a corner store, the other was a spinster), and did their daily chores and routines. I’m a dress girl, but that said, I remember putting a dress over jeans in high school circa 1970 and being criticized by the other girls (and probably a few teachers) who told it that it was beyond weird to do that. Here I am, all dressed up and no where to go, but even before lock down I did that anyway – this isn’t new. I dress for me, for my own entertainment. I also think of my aunties, and my Nonni – all of them dress-wearing with flat shoes. Slipping into a dress after I hop out of bed is my proclamation that today will be a good day because the first thing I did set the tone, even if the news is bad, my dress says that I’m going to face it bravely, while looking nice and also as honoring my female ancestors, all of the them, dress-wearers.
Well said clothing sets the tone.
You talk of your real furniture and your willingness to change but your mind is set in a depressive state you must look out that window and see the beauty and joy that is inside you this is the greatest opportunity that we’ve been giving to see inside ourselves and I know that life is going to be better than it was before because we will learn not to be validated by other people we alone can validate our own wonderful lives as we play the cards that are dealt to us
This is a rather sweeping generalization. As a human, we feel a wide range of emotions. It is not realistic to think we will live in a state of constant joy. Emotions fluctuate from day to day and do not become a long-lasting “state” unless they are not given expression. I have learned that accepting my feeling whatever it is, honoring it, and then moving forward is how to stay healthy and happy. I have especially learned to not allow others to tell me what and how I should be feeling. I feel the sadness of the widespread loss and economic pain others are experiencing while at the same time feeling gratitude for my own health and well-being. Reflecting on what I saw outside me was an expression of what I was feeling inside.
These days at home require comfort for movement when the time and mood strikes. Whether yoga pants or a sport bra under a shabby chic t-shirt, this uniform mandates partaking in daily exercise and meditation. Monochromatic, dull and lifeless, they gather weekly in the hamper from exhaustion only to faithfully re-emerge fresh and ready for a new week. They remain relentlessly faithful and non-judgmental. We understand each other. I hope they survive the duration. This, I tell them, will be a long haul. I need you to stay together and keep me healthy and motivated. Do not reduce yourself to thread bare nothings. I cannot succumb to complacency or anxiety, and one day when you are chatting with the others at Goodwill, please tell them you were my heroes.
What a lovely story your clothes will be holding.
Today I am wearing black leggings with a silly black top that I’ve had for years with Darth Vader’s image on it. My aunt, who was my style icon, died this year at 97. She always looked chic and tailored even in very old age. Although far from wealthy, she cleaned house in her diamond earrings. I think I’ll go put them on now. They aren’t big or flashy, but they make me think of that elegant woman who always smelled wonderful. She instilled in me the importance of caring for one’s appearance, even when dressing simply at home.
Go put those earrings on!
Today, wearing my standard uniform of khaki capris and a light colored t-shirt, my clothes are witnessing working in the garden. Pruning roses that have spent their blossoms and their lovely aroma. Carefully tending the new container garden of tomatoes, cantaloupe, bell pepper, cucumbers and squash. I live in California so we are in what I consider more summer than spring. Later, when it is too hot to work outside, I will move inside to work on a camp shirt that I am making. The shirt is in bright colors with reds, yellows, greens, purples and white. Later I will move on to working on a mermaid afghan that will be a Christmas present for my niece. I refuse to give in to this “containment”. I like to move about, even if it is in my yard.
It sounds like a perfect balance of creation both in and out.
Today feels fresh and uplifting. Glorious sunshine and a cloudless sky after two days of thunderstorms and gloominess. As I got dressed I felt the need to where a bright white tee with my jeans. This is the first time I have chosen white over black or gray in quite a while. And … I put on lipstick. Feeling lighter and a bit hopeful today that maybe there is a change coming.
Hope springs eternal
Along with my jeans I’ve put on my orange boatneck knit top with the 3/4 sleeves. The boatneck makes my neck seem longer and sits nice at my collar bones. Something about orange,and I’m a redhead, makes one smile. It’s color is soft like a sunset and seems to say “Hi, I’m here”. As an artist, I need to see color everyday. It’s like my antidepressant for the day. Orange is what I think of as a “fresh” color, like a tropical fruit. It is why I create what I do in bright colors with muted colors done minamally. Without the visiion of color and it’s emotional power, I think this time in our world would be so very painful. Soak yourself in color everyday. It’s most soothing
This past year I have worn a great deal of orange, more than any other time in my life. I think you are right about it.
Thank you for verifying the need to rearrange my surroundings from time to time. My whole life I’ve done this. My mother used to say there’s something wrong with me needing this change. Well I am a Capricorn, and like you, was born in the year of the snake. Furniture arrangements are flexible accommodations to our need for beautiful surroundings that we can live with. Some people can live or work anywhere. My surroundings have to be just right and aesthetically appealing to me. And as an artist, this becomes so much more important. And thank you for all your posts! i truly enjoy them and admire you so much!
Love to read your eloquent posts. It is a sunny day, for the most part, and cool. My desk has a view of a large holly tree that filters the light. My clothes reflect my casual lifestyle and my love for beautiful clothes found in thrift stores. I have on a hand knit colorful sweater and dark blue jeans that glide over me. My shoes are Altra, very comfortable with a wide toe box to keep my challenged feet happy. Hope to find something more fashionable someday. My desk has a few things that mean a lot to me, a hand thrown lamp from a lady friend who died from cancer a few years ago, a beautiful art paperweight that has a flower design inside it easily seen when you turn on the lamp, and a rock I found in NC that is grey and black, oval shaped and quite unusual. Found it in a stream in a huge rock crevice. I have learned not to wash my jeans often as well. Can relate to the softness of silk and how it can improve your mood. Hope this finds you well and that the sun will come out very soon.
I love each and every one of the evocative objects on your desk.
It is a blessing that you are well. It is wonderful that you stay at home. Too many times in the past weeks have I futilely watched lives slip out of our grasp and seen others suffer. I applaud your looking for the beautiful and positive. It makes it all worthwhile as healthcare workers when we see someone remember and appreciate the good things in life despite the bad. It gives us hope
Yes in my past life as a social worker I came to understand how important hope and relieince is when people are suffering it gives them hope too.
such a beautiful and thoughtful verse of our situation. Thank you
Thanks
♥️♥️♥️???
I really like your blogs. And I like your talks about clothing. I grew up in a place and an era where clothing still really mattered. And I still love style. I live in CA and believe me there is no style here. Beach clothes, gym clothes and that is about it. I remember hats – big hats which made every face look beautiful…and jeans I really loved the flared Jeans look ..ans silk blouses – real silk like you are discussing is so luxurious. I also used to live in a cold climate…and while I hated the cold…I did love the clothing that was required. these days I try and make my gym clothes look “classy” and “stylish”…..and yes this house boundness is surreal ….I don’t like it – even though I live alone and can be a bit of an introvert…I like to feel I have choices…and right now I feel my choices are gone…so even though I am not doing much out of my normal realm …I do feel a bit trapped. but of course it has to pass eventually. Anyway I love your blog.
You make a very interesting point. Even for introverts and believe or not I am one in my everyday life I am one too, having the choice taken away makes it a little less satisfying
Ah, that fabric is luscious. In southern Ontario today we are having some sunshine and reasonable temperatures. So, I’m happy to be wearing a paperbag type pant–very utilitarian–along with a pretty and fluttery short-sleeved top (for inside). One still needs a spring-weight jacket for the outside, even when walking. I’m thankful we can walk and not be subjected to the crowding of larger urban settings. People are very courteous, moving aside or stepping away, even the children. The sunshine is bringing a smile to everyone’s face today.
We.ve been finding odd hours to walk and not go to obvious places like Central Park. Where you live sounds wonderful.
You’ve written this so beautifully. Thank you so much for your words. They inspire me more than I could ever tell you. Before this COVID chapter began I had always anticipated what I would wear to meetings, art openings and just the daily travels of life. Now I find my clothing to be an armor of comfort and it’s somehow reconnected me to the real power of clothing and expression as I wear it just for myself. One of the things I wear frequently is an artful apron that I made last year. It’s made out of hand painted canvas with lots of rivets, pockets, painted and airbrushed in wild colors. I dearly love it in times like these. My real work has stopped. Instead, like many others, I’m sewing up face masks that are ART. Since our faces get somewhat “erased” in all this, I want people to find as much individuality and STYLE as possible! VERY important!
I LOVE your descriptions of the fabrics you wear and the memories infused in them. This is so validating and nurturing to me as a textile artist. You always inspire me, you highlight life.
I truly cherish your posts and consider you a friend even though I’ve never really met you in person.
I’ve been a little obsessed with aprons right now but I’m envisioning upcycled ones that can be worn almost like a skirt over jeans. Perhaps we are all re-defining the nature of work and perhaps that is not a bad thing at all.
Today I am wearing a pair of dark navy jeans. Very comfy and a red and white striped t-shirt. I left the Parisian print red scarf off. I usually like to wear It when I wear this t-shirt, but it feels fussy at the moment. We live in a very quiet community of small retirement homes near Olympia Washington. They are small compared to our previous home, but I absolutely love the size now. We have a small covered porch that steps down to a small paver, fenced in patio with small flower beds on each end. I have 5 containers of roses that I lovingly tend and the first one is in bud. It is the perfect place for coffee or tea. The trees along the street on the other side of the fence are all in leaf and the birds are in constant flight and song. It is another world, so different from Seattle and the surrounding communities with the hustle of traffic and shops etc. Neighbors save as they pass by on walks. I am indeed fodfunate. But I do worry about our grown children amidst this world gone mad.
I am longing for a coffee outside and within range of a whiff of roses, bliss
These denim and silk musings paint images both evocative and strangely comforting. What an elegantly beautiful post. I wanted to thank you for continuing to inspire us. For sharing your one of a kind observations and poetic perspectives. For helping us feel not quite so isolated right now. Stay safe out there. Be in wellness. And may tomorrow bring you clear skies and the sun’s gracious light.
This means so much to me and gives me so much motivation to keep writing.
Jeans are always better the second day (not unlike Italian food). : )
LOL
I’m wearing grounding jeans, as well. A heavier-than-silk sweatshirt hangs on my shoulders. My mood is also heavier. My sister passed away three days ago. Almost to the hour as I write this.
My sweatshirt is one of my favorite colors, turquoise. It’s adorned with a shoulder swath of flowers that I painted on it back in the 80s. Fabric painting was a popular craft at that time. The flowers are in shades of pink, my sister’s favorite color.
I’ve held onto this sweatshirt through the years and six moves because it makes me smile. It lacks the grace and elegance of a silk blouse, but I don’t feel graceful nor elegant today. I’m appropriately wrapped in warmth and somewhat consoling memories.
Karen, my heart breaks for you. My partner unexpectedly lost his sister a few months ago and we all miss her terribly. I hope that with the pain of your loss you will also call up joyful memories. I believe that we carry those we love with us even after they are physically gone. I still ‘speak’ to my mother, six years after her passing. When I see a beautiful sunset, a beautiful object or a well-tended garden (she loved to garden), I’ll say, hey Mom, look at that, and take a moment to look for both of us. In that moment, she is with me, and always will be. Please accept a virtual hug from a complete stranger.
Such a beautiful way to remember someone who has been lost.
Thank you, I.C. I’m moving on. It’s not the grief that has me in sweatshirts now, but the chilly air that makes sweats and sweaters comfy. They are now a logical rather than emotional choice.
I’m writing a book about changes and choices. With Covid-19 and my sister’s passing, the changes are happening faster than I can address them and conclude the book. It may end with just that:
“Changes keep coming. We can only make wise choices and carry on.
The End.”
Please carry on with your Covid-time inspired writing. I truly enjoy reading your thoughts.
So very sorry for your loss. You seem to be exactly where you should be right now. That sweatshirt was kept for an important destiny that it is fulfilling right now.
I’ve been inspired by your posts and asked for a sewing machine for my birthday. When it came the other day I started first by mending some of my favorite clothes and then tried finishing sewing projects I started a while ago. Either way, it’s been enjoyable. I love reading your posts about the feel, the weight, and the colors of fabrics and how they make you feel. I have a newfound appreciation for the little things in life.
That’s wonderful!
In this extraordinary period of time I really enjoy reading your blogg posts. You write so well and this one is the best so far in my opinion. Describing limitation and isolation in a very poetic way. I am fortunate to have my freedom to take a walk outside but there are a lot of limitations and restrictions in social contacts even through we do not have a total lock down in this country. I am not complainibg just hoping that this plague will disappear
I have found that in these strange days when I have to leave the safety of my bubble, I put in extra effort. At first I thought it’s just because of the excitement of having to go into public but then I sat back this morning and thought it through. My workplace has a rotar system so that someone is in the office at all times to manage the office daily ongoings. Today is my day and I feel fantastic! New dress, favourite shoes, my red tench coat and a surprisingly fabulous hair day I haven’t seen in years. I feel empowered. I feel strong and given the uncertainty of the world this is a rare experience.
I realized that this is my armour and that it actually always has been. When I go to work, go out for drinks, the theatre, see a band or end up anywhere there is a chance I may feel insecure, I rely on this armour to carry me through. It’s built with care, with flare and in variations of strength required by the situation.
I thank you for sharing your exquisite insights today because your article really hit this concept home for me.
Thank you again.
I hope you are well and stay safe.
A.
I can see you from that beautifully vivid description.
Beautifully written!!
Thanks so much.
I’m working from home and suffering severe cabin fever! I’m a people person and get my energy and creativity from bring around others. I wear my business suits on work days to try and help me focus. It was ok for the first couple of weeks, but as time goes on I just feel a bit silly sitting at the kitchen table in my finery.
Yes, all the edges are blurry right now.
I reflect on your style as very similar to mine. I love the idea of a silk shirt with a pair of worn jeans. Must not forget at least one significant piece of jewelry and of course a spritz of a favorite perfume! Sunlight is a necessity for me and I am depressed when it does not shine! I took two walks outside today just because the sun was glorious and called to me. Almost four miles in total. Love your reflections and carry on snake lady, just like me!
You remind me I neglected to describe the everpresent earrings.
How brilliant is your command of putting those iconic feelings and observations to paper! We have quite a few fragments of mutuality… the jeans the love of watercolours and their transparency so too the conversation of the houses hedging your street.
God has put us all in our naughty corners and giving us ample time to detox.
Saluting you from the serenity and stillness of Sydney x
Yes and just like when we children put in our naughty corners, some of us make it bearable throgh the gift of imagination.
I so love how you have painted a picture for us of your environment, your clothing, and how you feel about your experiences of it all, inwardly as well as outwardly. Coincidentally, I too am wearing silk and denim today–a black and white ikat silk blouse (by Diane von Furstenberg) that I thrifted a few years ago; and denim cutoff shorts that I bought new for last summer. The blouse makes me think of my mother’s dear sister who passed away nearly 7 years ago; she was a very accomplished, cultured, civically engaged woman who “married well” and had an extensive wardrobe of quality. She used to pass clothing on to me as she tired of it; lucky me! Denim–especially classic indigo denim–makes me think of my youth in the 70s as well; but above and beyond that, the texture and color of it are my absolute favorite. Sturdy. . . holding one upright in a way yet also, as it ages, ever softer. . .We have come to the time of year where it is hard to wear denim in Arizona, where I live. It is 100 F at the moment. So shorts, yes.
I am looking out at the green citrus trees along my back fence, a brick planter outside my wall of windows with desert-happy salvia flowers, and a lot of dirt and rocks between the two planted areas. Off to one side is the vegetable garden that I planted in recent weeks; I haven’t done that in a long time and it felt right, at this time, to try to be more self-sufficient.
Tes who we can depend on is becoming clearer and clearer each day.
For us humans, this is a pretty shitty spring. Here in Boston, it’s rainy and gray. My condo is dark, with not enough windows. I am thinking about fashion and style to cheer myself up. When it’s safe, maybe I’ll put this place on the market and move. Ideas about making a nest for my old age have been dashed. I thought I’d sell my car and move downtown where I could take the T everywhere and walk. Then, I thought I’d move to an independent living community near Dartmouth. Now, we’re all afraid of the T and communities for aging are not doing too well, to put it mildly. So, I look on Zillow for new homes and imagine what life there would be like. I think about wearing a floral cotton kimono from Japan for my Zoom meeting. Your blog and your outfit have inspired me, Lyn. Thank you
So interesting because Calvin and I have had similar conversations about how this will impact our plans to settle in a smaller city when he retires. Still so much uncertainty and New York City will always be an international entryway for all things, this time a big dose of the virus. Actually looking at Zillow ourselves!
Ohhhh Lyn you iconic joy of texture, tone, and intent slip into my inbox as you do thousands more and I take joy in seeing the world through your eyes. I was a young girl in NJ and spent many a lonely fall weekend slugging through 42nd street to get to the NYPL. At 16, I never stepped inside. Stupid I know. I felt it ominous, otherworldly, frightening to a girl whose dreams were locked up in working in the city and a tad behind in my reading comprehension. Oh, but to sit just ‘neath those Lions. Just to feel protected by their presence… thinking existentially about where I fit in the world and how does the world fit in me. I never got that job in NYC, nor did I stay near to it. Life took me on a roller coaster of events letting it push and shove me around. I’m in Mystic, CT now for the past few decades. I roll out of my bed in jammies that I wore the night before, shed them and leave ’em in the growing pile of worn once..twice clothes. I slip into a pair of pants I swiped out of my daughter’s laundry basket with fresh folded clothes I did the week prior. These pants are a parachute sort of poly fabric, and army green… a green I despise for all it stands for in War. These pants might be made for sports for they are lighter than what they appear to be. Perfect for today. I choose a cropped tie-dyed 100% cotton sweatshirt, underneath which is my cozy cotton jammie top that I just can’t take off because I feel cold and I’m not going out anyway. Stuck in 1,600 sq ft of a few rooms and stuff. Mostly books, tablets (the paper kind) arts and craft supplies and kid stuff. I’m 63 and my 12 year old child goes back to her other mom’s home today for a week and I look out praying for sun. She hugs me goodbye for the week and I whisper “come visit on lunch hours.” I stand tall and see the sun all but gone… again!? How dare this weather taunt me on Saturday with the warmth and sun shining making all the moss greens in the walking forests brilliant lemony green and soft soft soft! I look out the driveway to see her slip into my ex’s car, and I turn around to walk just a bit aways to the back of the house and look out the kitchen window where I plan on spending lunchtime no matter the weather. These pants are perfect for the chore ahead of me. Coding software at home for the college in which I work from morning til lunch… then break away for an hour when I get to attack the 50′ x 125′ “wayback” (the way back of my yard) with a rake, shovel, my favorite yellow leather work gloves, and my favorite fleece lined all-nasty-weather boots. I am faced with pulled thousands of roots out of the ground that tease me by poking through with what appears to be varicose veins of freshly cut back thick green briars. The thin rooty veins that tease me peeking through the moist rich black soil are stronger than they appear. My boots are quickly covered in dirt as I bend to pull, pull, pull the root that is attached to an ugly bulbous thing that has many other thicker roots shooting off in all directions. I pull and toss… pull and toss… taking both hands on a knotty root I pull up and sideways taking it ..or is is taking me.. through 3 inches of the top surface of the patch of earth I’m standing on. I follow it… it’s long, the black dirt pulls up with it as I walk pulling it up, trying to get as much as I can of the stringy monster lying just below the ground… the dirt pulls up too striking the green of my pants and covering my boots. A few more minutes and I’m in it without stopping until the end… just a narrow sliver of this monumental (for me) just to do by hand, alone, as I have done many times before. The rain falls on me, drizzling the entire time I’m outside, making the ground more wet, letting go of the monsters slithering just under foot…. ready to pop up a briar here and there in mid summer… Well I just won’t allow that to happen. Must. Do. This. Work. I stop. My oldest daughter. I think of her in jail. Why does she oppose my ethics, my rules, values, and all that I stand for. Is she wearing Orange? Grey? Drab. Her clothes are what I have of her… and I rake those orange roots up… those that I have pulled. I take the metal rake, up and back.. up and back.. up and back.. pulling all that I have killed to pile up and around me. I’m glad. I’m fulfilled for now at this moment in time, yet overwhelmed with green grief; two feelings are clashing together to make for another half hour of pulling up roots for those nasty beasts that grow overnight. My heart is racing, my legs from all the squats feel swelled above the knee. And I quit. I look down… I’m covered in soil. I’ve done a good job and tomorrow is another day.
No words, beautiful.
I read your entire post- when is your blog starting??
just love your blogs…i am seriously affected by my clothing decisions and visa versa. so many of my pieces have stories or bring me back to memories. they can be from the gap, or handed down from my beloved aunt, or something that i ‘invested’ in (but only on sale). they can be from my life in new york, or my marraige, or my many lives lived…
have to admit that today i didn’t want to make a decision.
Best thing you’ve ever written! Thank you.
Thank you.
My paint splattered jeans remind me .. I AM a maker of Art. My sweatshirt reminds me of a lovely crazy vacation taken just before the world was shut down.
Clothes do tell much about who we are.
Love this heartfelt post, and that silk pj top….I can just imagine it on my skin. For me today is about comfort and a glimpse of the ease and casual vibe I am so learning to love. Drop crutch soft navy pants, with a cashmere like steel grey sweater….this could become one of my uniforms. The casual feel this evokes is so special, because I am only just allowing myself to discover this unexplored part of me. Thanks for your posts, love them. Olimpia
Thank you. There is something about having softness touch your skin right now that feels so necessary.
Today I am wearing daffodil yellow, a light breezy top with pale blue shorts with a shell print stamped onto the fabric. My purpose is to bring cheer to my son – a golden smile!
Yellow feels cheerful to me.
I had to wear certain clothes for work that could withstand being subjected to the hazards of the job (spills, rough edges, constant movement. etc. ) that I changed my wardrobe attire from work clothes to clothes made in good quality but in fabrics of a softer material. Hence, I switched to wearing styles of housedress wear versus any pants wear. I still like to wear pants but I have yet to find good fitting pants for my body type. Long-legged gals have a much easier time finding pants that fit a woman’s body. I am short with a full woman body, which is more flattered by soft flowing fabrics.
I am glad you have an interesting view outside your window.
I spend my days sewing masks…trying to think of what would cheer up someone on a difficult day. I wear my stretchy jeans and a tshirt. I never go out, except to my growing vegetable garden. All my plants are small. Springtime does not know there is a pandemic. Everything is in bloom.
Yes it does appear that nature is oblivious or maybe just showing us whos boss right now and we should be more respectful in the future lol
I find myself changing clothes a lot these days. I’m a bit older than you….but do love my jeans, as well.
But because I live in the tropics of the great state of Texas (another words…the Gulf Coast).
I wear my sun dresses when I take my morning walk. Then I change to a bathing suit for some crossword puzzles and sun. Then I take a shower and wear one of many caftans for my evening. It’s loose and comfy but I could welcome guests for a cocktail, I feel if I were able to host a cocktail party! Ha! Fat chance.
My clothes reflect my moods in a constantly changing environment.
Sounds very romantic.
Thank you so very much for the frequency in postings.
Grateful and thankful.
Thank you, I am back on my schedule and it’s a very good one because I’m being so inspired by my readers.
thank you Lyn. I hold what you write.
I am trying not to wear black all the time. I have a lot of black. I live in Seattle where a lot of people wear black. today was cloudy but I got out and saw flowers and bursts of color, my favorite, tulips! the tulip festival in Skagit County was cancelled this year, the first time in decades. I remember the riot of colors and shapes. tulips reach upward, yearning. A perfect flower for now. and always. I must wear more tulip colors.
In my very short walks, the color of tulips opening wide is like a jolt of energy.
A familiar Johnny Was shirt that belonged to my Mom adds hints of color in the embroidered stitching and the feeling that my Mom’s arms are wrapped around me. It’s a piece of comfort and style. My clothes are witnessing a juxtaposition between indoor life and outdoor life. The indoor reveals a quietness and order. Canisters of disinfecting wipes are visibly stationed for daily use. A bowl of fresh fruit was recently resupplied to insure sufficient consumption of vitamin C. The structure and routine that leads to planned meal schedules is already 2/3 complete for this day. Outdoor, there are sounds of activity that could be described as “progress”. Construction of a nearby home, dogs barking, planes flying overhead, and, in-between the rushing sound of wind and birds as the workday hours come to a close. The contrast between indoor and outdoor is stark.
Lovely descriptive comment.
After a dull rainy day yesterday, the soft blue sky and warm bright sun today filled the room. My choice of what to wear mirrored the outside. A large, comfortable mustard sweatshirt with my size up faded cutoff jeans and flip flops. Bright and comfortable! My hair is very similar to yours… I cut my bangs..looks ok as it grows! I sat out on my balcony in the beautiful sun and totally recharged for today anyway.
Love reading your thoughts… thank you for sharing! Stay safe.☀️♥️??? paula
Love reading yours!
‘ A ROOM WITH A VIEW’. Your beautifully written story seated at your desk by the window transported me back to NYC, a city I love and have visited many times.
Thank you Lyn.
My comfort clothes at this point in time (Autumn in Australia) are a cashmere sweater and soft wide legged black pant.
This is my favorite season and being entrenched in Stage 3 self-isolate time we are still able to exercise outdoors.
On my daily walks, I witness the Autumnal beauty in all its glory.
Mother Nature is breathing a huge sigh of relief and the birds have re-claimed the parks.
When this danger has passed and people join together again, grieve their losses, and create new ways to live, we will heal also.
and now you have returned the favor by transporting me there.
Since the start of the shut down, I have been unable to write. This beautifully written piece brings me inspiration. I’m also a stand-up comic out of Philly and have no idea if the clubs will even survive let alone when 100 people will be allowed to congregate again. My closet of beautiful clothes misses me. I live in cotton t shirts and leggings.
Thank you and please please keep writing, we will need some humor in what will be as you allude to challenging times ahead.
My clothes today demonstrate many things – my self that is practical and pragmatic, my vanity, my allegiances and loyalty. I have not yet changed from my walking outfit despite my original intentions. Sturdy walking shoes (a pair of relatively expensive Merrels), cheap track pants bought at a local chain store (because that is what is available and the need reached tipping point, still they are cotton rich and I hope they don’t pill badly like true cheap track pants). A white top with purple and black spots chosen for vanity, appearances and to lift my spirits. Replacing my usual blue or black solid colour cotton top. Topping this off as I sit at my computer clearing emails and preparing to start another job hunt is a shawl (woven from a combination of possum fur and merino wool). Worn for it’s warmth and purchased at great expense to remind me of my roots.
I can see you now sitting at the computer.
Interesting post today. The rules for ‘s would be good to review, especially in relation to the word “it”. It’s = it is or it has. Eg, It’s rainy today. Or, It’s been rainy this week. Its = possession. Eg, Its roof was dripping with water. Incorrect punctuation detracts from your good writing.
Thank you for this reminder. In my very first paper for my doctoral course, I got an A-. When I asked why the A- I was told by my professor exactly what you just told me. Obviously I did not learn my lesson the first time, this time I will try.
I. I was also born in the year of the snake, and I’m also a Gemini. Clothes have been important to me (at least as I recall) since I was 10 or 11. Thinking about it, probably earlier. In the Enneagram construct I am definitely a 4. And that is certainly confirmed by my passion to look rather unique. But not freaky weird! Just…. pushing it a bit, tugging certain angles a bit, celebrating color combinations that are “wrong,” loving architecture, physicality, comfort, playfulness…. and so much more. It is the exquisite tension between one aspect and the other (and, fyi, “exquisite tension” is mine!). And. I fuckin’ love it.
You captured in two phrases looking unique without looking freaky weird and exquisite tension. Perfect!
Today I had to go the office and I wanted to wear something feminine, so I wore a silky pleated black skirt with a striped black/cream top and black/pink floral tennis shoes and pink pearls. The office was silent only interrupted by my keyboard strokes. My clothes made me feel calm, at ease in a place that felt devoid of purpose for now. On my way out the sun greeted my face and my hope for another day, another adventure was recharged.
What a lovely interlude, beautifully described.
Hi,
Usually I don’t respond, as I live in Israel, Galilee mountain area, far from the city…and my English vocabulary is not enough to express my feelings and thoughts.
But this time I feel attached to what you wrote….loved the way you described the outside, of your home…
I see the nature every day, and we can walk 500 meters max.
I live here around 25 Years but wish one day to come back to the city Tel Aviv, which is 2 hours away.
We did a relocation to NY, for 5 years in 2006, my family, 3 children lived in Port Washington. it was hard to fit in, but we gain so much and we embraced the city every weekend, so I feel it’s another home for me….
In November 2018, I return to Manhattan for a quick visit with my oldest who was a flight attendant at that time, I felt mixed emotions with the city I love….hate the cold weather, can’t stand the High cost, but there is something else in that city u live, and I know it will always be in my heart. and may it ( what we going through nowdays) will bring positive changes….?
Besides, I really don’t know how I join your blog, it started after my last visit to Manhattan, I don’t remember in what occasion, but I know it ment to beeeeee?
Thank you for sharing and taking the time to struggle with the language. I have never been to your country but from friends I hear it is so very beautiful. Someday.
Just beautiful. Change and renewal. Spring is still coming, even during a pandemic. Memory is a beautiful thing, loss and grief fade a bit and become bittersweet.
As usual, inspirational and supportive, for which I thank you.
I’m out of sorts with clothing. I live in the Northern hemisphere. I travelled to the Southern hemisphere to celebrate a birthday before moving on to an island in the Indian Ocean for a 10-day beach ‘retreat’. Having just come out of winter, I gladly packed summer and beach clothing. Then all hell broke loose and I got stranded in the Southern hemisphere where winter is setting in… and I have beach clothes with me! I am miles and miles from the sea!
I feel like a real homeless person with my sister-in-law’s sweaters and the only pair of jeans I brought with me… So, yes – I can empathize with the jeans-story; they make me feel as if I still have a piece of home with me. Soon, this too shall end.
I can’t imagine not having the comfort of home during this, I will have gratitude today!
I, like you am a child of the fifties. I remember everything I have ever worn, and have made a good potion of it. Every day I wear something I have made, be it a coat, bag or piece of jewelry. Today I will wear a sweater I have just knit from leftover yarn. It has 65 stripes – just counted! During this time having textiles around me along with all my tools to make and my library of books makes me feel totally happy and content. I am working from home, making the bed, taking the shower and contemplating either never cutting my hair again or chopping it all off.
We could be twins right now.
Thank you, I enjoyed this piece . Thanks for sharing your inner thoughts and reflections.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
I just love your pondering writing style and beautiful way with words. And your style! Rock on.
Thank you, your feedback is inspiring.
Have you thought of creating a work of fiction? Your writing has a story telling quality that is compelling and descriptive.
I can’t tell you how much your suggestion means to me. I’ve been working on my creative writing and trying to break the vise grip of academic writing I have had to master for the last 20 years. This now is more the kind of writer I have always wished to be.
Thank you for such an eloquent post that is both grounding and uplifting at the same time. In a way it has given strength to my own inner voice. Stay well.
Thank you.
Your post reminds me of a children’s picture book about a row of houses that all look neat and exactly the same. Then one owner decides to paint his house with rainbows, and a lions head, I think, and plants two palm trees with a hammock in front, where he lies down and drinks lemonade. Everyone thinks he is bonkers, but he says something like “my house is me and it is all my dreams.” Each person who goes to talk to him, to try to talk him out of this anomaly, goes home to paint their own houses to be their own dreams- there is a castle house and a ship, until the entire block is full of dreams!
Wouldn’t it be lovely if your neighbors painted their houses to be their dreams? Maybe you can just imagine it! 🙂
Qhat a wonderful story. I would love to see the house become full of people’s dreams.
I was just talking about this with a friend, re: our quarantine uniforms.
No one sees me from below the neck and shoulders these days, so bottoms alternate between three pair of Uniglo black leggings, which in normal times, serve as long underwear and/or walking attire. On top goes a Tshirt of some kind, then my black LLBean down sweater. I keep my heat low and it’s remained cold outside for an overly long time now, so the down sweater has earned its keep this year. Sometimes I slip on a loose dress or skirt over the leggings and T shirt when I’m going out for a walk. All uniform pieces comfortable as pjs and easy to wash and dry. No bra, undies are Calvin Klein boxers–yes, marketed for men, but so darn comfy, so who cares?!
None of my business of course, but your writing often has a particular focus on color and description. In this piece, you make me see your room, the buildings across the street, the spruce tree. You sound like someone who would enjoy painting. You even mentioned watercolors. https://www.dickblick.com/products/schmincke-horadam-aquarell-watercolor-pan-sets/
xoxo,
Your virtual art prof friend 🙂
Thank you for that suggestion professor! Right there with you on the no bra too lol
I’m mixing it up, combining items I normally wouldn’t wear together which provides the variation I need during this time. I may wear leggings and graphic t-shirt with a colorful scarf, a fleece top and yoga pants with a multi-string of pearls, or a silk blouse (you are spot on about the weightlessness), mini skirt, tights and slippers. Or stay in my pjs but wear a cocktail ring and/or rhinestone earrings. I also regularly move my furniture around, ha ha!
A ring can make all the difference in the world.
How remarkable that clothes are as significantly more comforting, when with our stories. You’ve given me something to think about too when looking to dress these days, being home.
And it makes them more sustainable in that we will want to keep them!
Be tough like those woven materials you have studied over the years, vivid like those accents, enduring like the fashion you create. Hang in there, you have much to give and enjoy for a long time.
Thank you!
I can identify with your comparisons – thank you for sharing this – love my jeans and flannel shirts which I change for linen as the season warms to summer. Appreciate your sharing this wonderfully descriptive scenario.
Thank you for noticing the joy of that everyday moments
Your writing is a gift, it articulates what many are feeling. Thank you!!! And as a woman mid sixties who has always used clothing as self expression and a creative medium….
kudos for your daily inspiration!
So happy you appreciate my writing, I’ve been working on it.
Loved this story, and all thus far.
This one in particular stood out for me as, like for many, I’m trying to find my belonging during these times. Ever reinventing my existence in my small city apartment, I call home, while looking at the same solitude out my window as I experience inside.
So many iconic storefronts closed in my neighborhood, some temporarily, some perhaps for good. Decolate streets, high rises still standing tall, reminding us they are still here.
What is certain is that once this is over it will be a new rebirth for all with the hope of being able to look from the outside in and know we have become better humans.
I pray for that outcome. You captured the city mood perfectly.
Hello:
As a visual artist I enjoy wearing the different clothes I paint in. They are full of character and I enjoy them immensely.
My art studios have both large windows so getting natural light at different times of the day is so wonderful. My front studio gets the morning sun and is warm and glowing and my back studio gets the afternoon sun and is even warmer and full of natural light and the natural noises of the birds enjoying my bird feeders.
My clothes that I wear when I paint and my favourite clothes that I wear after mean so much to me that wearing them during this “time” is so symbolic that I keep them aside, wash appropriately, and wear special T-shirts and shirts with them in the evening.
If only when this “time” is over my clothes could sit down and tell their side of the story
Please be safe and well
All my best
John-David (JD)
Your studio sounds glorious! Oh, indeed there will be stories to tell.
Thank you for this beautiful and thoughtful piece. You have so articulately captured just how I feel at this time, too. I thoroughly appreciate how the pop of colors from the “outlier” building and the stately fir in your view can lift your spirits. It’s often these little discoveries that can bring our lives into clearer focus. I’m fortunate to live in a very verdant place, surrounded by spreading trees, singing birds, and the occasional deer strolling by. Today as I take a walk down my road, I will be aware of how my jeans and t-shirt are playing their role in my enjoyment and comfort. Maybe they’ll see some wildflowers, a turtle, some cows or sheep grazing in a pasture. I’m pretty sure they’ll be happy for the outing, and I sincerely invite you to join us in spirit!
Oh, I love how you decided to play with me today!
Hello Lyn, your writing is captivating and so poignant. I practice expressing myself through fashion and I walk forward daily into finding a balance in the clothes between comfort and style. Right now, I’m finding comfort in my usual jeans and a Tshirt, but attempt to elevate it with a French tuck and casual jewelry that has meaning for me. This including an ‘Om’ pendant on a grosgrain ribbon choker, which takes me back to a time of Bikram Yoga, juicing, freedom and the lovely breezy-ness of my thirties. ? please stay cozy and safe today. ❤️
Thank you for your lovely words. I’ve been working on my writing so that means a lot. Sta well too!
a relatively new pair of pants, a warm enough sweater in my favorite color, a black linen cardigan and my fair trade peacock earrings–I am fresh, sturdy, transitioning and trying to practice resurrection…
I think you’re on to something/ There is definitely a feeling a re-awakening of being in a kind of spell that hopefully, we will all come out of.
Letter 3 to Lyn
Dear Lyn
You mention the generation of those born in the 50s and jeans, which I also belong to.
I immediately had memories. As girls, we wore skirts and aprons. I hated aprons. The only pants girls were allowed to wear were wedge pants for skiing and only in the school camp. When the first school colleague came along with jeans, she had to go home immediately and got a reprimand from the school board. Insane! Girls in pants climb trees and sit with their legs apart. How trousers freed us! Clothes as objects of liberation! Today I can’t imagine my life without pants.
In the near future I will think about how, where and what liberation my clothes are all about. Also regarding my age.
After my creativity broke down on March 10, it bubbles again in unexpected directions.
Thank you for existing!
Cordially
Renate
Happy to see that creativity bubbling up again!
Hi Lyn
I am always excited to see a post from you in my inbox. Your descriptions are very visual and I can picture your place and your window view. I have been wearing natural fabrics lately. More than what I normally wear. Mainly denim boot cut jeans, cashmere sweaters, sneakers, on the cool days. Cotton shorts, soft flowy cowl neck hoodies, sandals on warmer days. Layers. The colors I choose tend to reflect my mood. The sunny days tend to provoke a more colorful choice. Pinks, fuchsias. I seem to choose gray on the cloudy, cool days. Reflects my moods, I guess. There is plenty of time for self care and reflection. But I don’t always feel like being productive. Being retired, I am used to a slower pace of life. What I miss is being able to go and do when I feel the urge. Walking and biking helps curb that urge a bit. Sunshine and nice weather definitely boosts my mood and outlook. Thank you, Lyn. I need your thoughts now more than ever. I am interested in sustainable and responsible consumerism. Especially as related to clothing. I am hoping many good changes will come of this pandemic. We can become bitter or we can become better.
I’m hoping for the better!
Absorbing your posts which I find very thoughtful and enlightening…I am considered an essential worker in our state of Washington so I am able to continue working with my clients. I tend to wear comfy casual cloths even before Covid-19, but recently I found these fabulous horizontal stripped cotton shits that remind me of when I was around 4 or 5 years old and we would go to Half Moon Bay in California. They take me to another time and place and bring me joy! Have a fabulous day!
A lovely clothing memory.
You never let me down. Today I am in one of those moods realizing how much the weather does affect me. After reading your comments , I feel that I maybe even understood. You are my sunshine on a dismal day.
Thank you!
This means the world to me!
You dress much more elegantly than I do on a daily basis. Your clothes are beautiful and unique. Mine are plain and utilitarian, jeans or sweats, tee-shirts and hoodies. 95% of the clothes I buy are from thrift stores.
Three years ago I had a nervous breakdown and spent many months recovering, often spending the entire day in bed. I began wearing long t-back dresses day and night because it made it easier to go from bed to daywear without having to change. I have maintained that practice maybe three days a week now that I’m retired and home all the time. The quarantine hasn’t changed anything.
I enjoyed wearing nice clothes when I was employed. Now I mostly don’t care, unless I’m going out, which is almost never during the quarantine and seldom before that. My largest wardrobe consists of garden clothing, grungy pants and tee-shirts to match getting down and earthy in my flower gardens.
It’s always a pleasure, though, to see you dressed in fine garments, interesting and unique and beautiful. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas.
It sounds like you are making a very good case for paying attention to the true function of clothes.
After today’s excavation of my inbox, I found this gem. Thank you.
Thank you!
A poetic, good morning read. Your clothing descriptions, below the obvious, were so lovely.
I’m in my black cashmere joggers and V neck sweater/white tee shirt. But, I could easily swing into a silk pajama top with my joggers. Oversized silk PJs the perfect outfit for dreaming.
thanks so much, totally enjoy your writing.
Kate
Thanks so much, means slot to me.
My dress is household elegant. My make-up is bold for the day but a marked message to the spirits that they better find someone who is more intimidated than I am; someone who believes they are to be feared. I dress as any woman of success and power because I shall not be defeated by a virus, depression, isolation, or the downturn of economics. This 64, almost 65, year-old woman is strong and shall prevail. I am the conquering queen. You will never smell fear around me. You shall smell the sweetness of lavender and cedar. I am beautiful and strong and I will prevail. See ya on the flip side. Once we have won, I will meet you outside in our jeans. Right now I am dressed for battle.
I can actually see you marching towards us!
As a British newbie to your Blog I would like to say that you have brought something so positive into this unsettling and scary lockdown for me. The quality and content of this blog is so refreshing and an absolute joy to read. Your posts and the commentators are intelligent and inspiring and I am immensely grateful to have found you. Thank you so much.
Thank you, I think my readers are fabulous also.
I like your writing, but don’t think that using “its’ ” to signify possession is grammatically correct: “Given its’ size, the fir tree that fills the space must have been planted a long time ago.” And in this second sentence “it’s” doesn’t require an apostrophe: “This house I find out is a bed and breakfast, the reason for it’s sprucing up.”
Please don’t mind me pointing it out. I’m a former English major, and it’s an occupational hazard. Here’s a helpful link to proper usage: https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-its.html.
I guess that my constructive criticism comment yesterday must’ve hurt your feelings. You’ve said that you wanted to improve your writing, but clearly, were offended by my pointing out the improper usage of punctuation. I even wrote you an email to explain it further. Yet you didn’t bother to respond out of common courtesy. I know that you won’t post this, because you just want sycophantic supporters on your site.
Wow! I did respond to your comment here on the blog noting I was fine with it. I also shared a story in my comment back to you that a similar thing had happened on my first paper in my doctoral program. I am sorry that you did not see it and get an immediate response to your email but I literally get hundreds of emails and even more DM’s a day. I have been making an effort to respond to comments here on the blog so there can be a communal conversation and I just can’t answer every email that comes to my box immediately. Perhaps for some context, I have close to a million followers across my three platforms and I do my best to remain personally engaged. Perhaps following me is not for you.
I greatly enjoy your writing. I rarely read a blog or anything for that matter to the end. Yours is full of insight shares the joy Of creation. A true fashionista!! Thank you.
Never knew how busy squirrels are…since the lock in, I have been having my morning tea in my easy chair by my front window…it faces a beautiful Stan of oaks across the street..Joey the squirrel has been determined to build the best nest ever for his beloved…but sometimes he seems to not be aware of his size as compared to the size of the sticks he tries to carry up…o dear…dropped it again….back down he goes to try again..
Here we are months later and SUCCESS, he and his love are ready to raise his family…are humans that determined to be successful?
The question of the moment is it not?