Books in the wild: at City Lights Bookstore & Cafe, in beautiful downtown Sylva, NC, yesterday afternoon.
Before the reading, my husband and I went downstairs to the cafe, because he wanted coffee. I got this kombucha, for something cold:
I wanted to tell everyone that while the orange and mango flavors were good, it was the sea buckthorn that really made it (reader, I still have no idea what sea buckthorn tastes like, but apparently it was there). I also appreciate how intellectually and morally broadening this drink was. I feel more open-minded already. Another kombucha, and I'd have been Ralph Waldo Emerson. Which is why, friends, I stopped at one. I just wasn't feeling the Oversoul.
Anyway, it was a great reading. We had a full house, thanks in part to Marly's family, most of whom were there (one son had had to leave yesterday morning), and Marly's mother's friends. Marly's mother, who just turned 94 and is in assisted living, was head of serials in the library at Western Carolina University, and had worked with a lot of women younger than she was. They were out in force yesterday, and a lovely audience they were.
Afterward, we went back to Marly's mother's house on the mountainside, where I'd spent some time last fall, and had carnitas for supper, and cake from Marly's mother's birthday party. It was a jolly time, and we got home late last night, but we're up and going today, anyway. I plan to spend the afternoon languishing.
Windshield view of mountains with dust of snow:
View of me in car:
Wearing today:
Feeling pretty tired, but it is Laetare Sunday, so here's my energizing shot of pink. Thrifted Eileen Fisher merino tank +
Audrey dress, masquerading as a skirt + yesterday's cardigan + unseen Snag merino tights + Tari boots. I'm also rewearing the bamboo slip I wore under yesterday's outfit, for a warm base layer. It's about 33F outside (yes, I know, if you live in North Dakota, that's shorts weather), with a projected high of 48F: bright and sunny, but not particularly warm, especially compared with the temperatures we had a week or so ago.
My tired face:
The shot of pink does provide a little pick-me-up. For years I thought I had to wear dusty, pale colors exclusively, but really, my level of contrast handles some jewel tones better than it does a lot of washed-out "baby" colors. Those tend to wash me out, though for the longest time I didn't see it (the value of taking pictures of yourself . . . it ain't just vanity . . . I can also see that my eyebrows need a little attention here, though I don't think I'm going to bother to pluck them).
I don't know that I really love this outfit, but it works all right, given that I wanted to wear this pink tank. Overall, I feel a bit bloated from everything I ate last night, and disinclined, probably, to like myself very much in anything I put on. I am looking forward, meanwhile, to wearing the pink tank in the spring and summer with the
Francis skirt I bought some weeks back, that won't arrive until late April. At least, I hope that skirt works as well as I've been envisioning. I've underutilized the tank so far, but then for most of the time I've owned it, it's been Lent. Ditto the turquoise silk/cashmere/merino tank I bought (also secondhand, on Poshmark) at about the same time. I love them both and am waiting for better opportunities to wear them.
So this brings Audrey up to three wears in March. She was one of my most-worn dresses in February --- funny how these things fluctuate.
And now I'd better let Dora out and take a little walk. We're not walking serious miles today, just enough to stretch our legs. Our dogsitter yesterday walked her for an hour and a half, on top of the hour I'd walked her in the morning before we left for Sylva, so even though she had to spend a lot of the day in her crate, she had a really adequate amount of fairly intense activity. Today I hope we're just going to laze around a lot.
PS: Added this silk scarf, which I don't wear very often but do like, for Mass.
The roses feel very
laetare somehow.
