A cross-stitch hanging in our back hall, done by a woman in our parish years ago --- she just gave it to us. Framed and everything. She said the Lord had told her to. So we said thanks, with much overwhelm, and here it is. It's quite large, too, like 12"x14" or something.
Seems poignant to post this particular image on the traditional Solemnity of the Ascension. Being plain ole Latin Rite non-Latin-Mass-mostly Catholics, we make do with its being transferred to Sunday and having a Great 54 Days, but we always mark the day. The image of the Pieta is a reminder of how fast it's gone --- seems like no time at all since Good Friday --- yet how tiny in the rearview mirror that moment seems, all at the same time. It does go fast. It's the nature of time to fly. In time, no one moment stands out, or lasts longer, than any other moment. Only in art are we given back those moments to dwell in --- in art, and in prayer.
Meanwhile: cloudy and breezy out today, with a high of 74, but no rain, apparently. I have actually not much work to do today for a change, but I think we might have a couple of houseguests overnight --- our son-in-law's sister and her friend are road-tripping to New England to work on organic farms, and we might be tonight's wayside hostel, so I had better change the sheets upstairs and make sure the Viking Hall is presentable.
So there's that. Sent out some poems yesterday for the first time in ages upon ages, so there's that, too. Maybe I'll have a look at an oldish short story that's been languishing about my Google Docs, waiting for me to take it up again and make something of it . . . that might be something new and different to do.
Haven't been out to check the laundry room yet this morning, to see whether we've had any more jolly nocturnal visitors.
UPDATE: OK, yet again, the smell is there. My husband taped the laundry-room door shut before he went to bed, and yet. There it is. It had almost entirely dissipated by the end of the day yesterday, but now it's back. Weird weird weird.
Tonight is pub night, even with possible overnighters arriving --- we'll just tell them the new place where we've hidden the back-door key and direct them to their rooms, while we live it up with Clark and Christine and Trivia Night.
So I'm going to wear my new Brooklyn out tonight, because if ever a dress were made for nights out, it is she. But for the day's rounds, I'll wear something else.
Like . . . for example . . .
Since it is cooler this morning, I thought I'd take the opportunity to get in some 3/4-sleeve-wearing, while it's still bearable. Per Nat Tucker's outfit formula, LDCP, which I highlighted in yesterday's post, this extremely simple, basic outfit actually turns out to be pretty on point. My Willow dress is both light and a color. Shoes are dark (constrasting with my lowest hem) and provide some pattern, as does my Miraculous Medal (not that you can see it that much from a distance).
In any event, this dress is simple and great, easy to throw on and wear for a day when not much (as far as I can anticipate) is going on. I love the color, which I am counting as blue, although I'm also wearing blue earrings.
Still giving the blue glasses a break today, though maybe I'll wear them to go out tonight. I'll also wash my hair sometime today, but not this morning.
So that's it: Willow in a third May wearing. Camellia is the winner so far, with four wears, and she will probably continue to be a frontrunner through the summer, for her lightness, her sleevelessness, and her versatility. Overall, no matter what dress I wear, I love that I can be dressed in two minutes, looking as though I had put some thought and effort into my outfit, but feeling as though I were still wearing my pajamas.
Heating last night's stir fry for breakfast. Also, I made a first round of herb iced tea for the summer, but haven't tried it yet: a blend of mint, peppermint, bee balm, and pineapple sage, with some Swerve to sweeten and a dash of lime juice. Experimental, but I hope it tastes good.
Will wear my hat to walk the dog. Writing that here so that I will actually do it. Building the habit . . .
Nice 3-mile walk to begin our day in earnest. The weather is warming up, but it's still fresh and cool out. Willow was a good choice for the day. I keep saying this, but I know that soon it'll be too hot for me to want to reach for this dress, so I'm grateful for days when she is still a live option. I think I'm pretty realistic about my looks --- daily photos tell me that a) I look a lot better than my most distorted thoughts want me to believe, and b) I'm still a 58-year-old human in a fallen world --- but especially lately, as it's been nice enough to wear just a dress and sandals, I always feel breezy and cute in this dress. It's such a low-effort way to feel put-together, and that's what I'm after, all the time.
Meanwhile, last thing last night, I did pick out the tiny stitch I'd taken in my Brooklyn bodice. I didn't like the way it made the wrap hang, so I think I'm just gonna wing it. It might be cool enough tonight to wear a merino tank underneath without burning up --- otherwise I'll wear my pink bamboo crop top, which provides fairly good coverage. I might also experiment with pinning the wrap to my bra, if I can do that without its looking obvious. It really says a lot about my immediate liking for that dress, that I'm willing to entertain these options, when I said I didn't have time for any of that. I am already looking forward to putting it back on.
LATER:
Having hauled boxes and other stuff out of an upstairs room, changed sheets, and hauled a mass of laundry down and started a load, and made the downstairs bed, I am sitting down. My husband is vacuuming, which he does periodically out of the goodness of his heart, which is fortunate, because while my heart is good, it's not that good. Whether my son-in-law's sister and her friend show up or not tonight, the house is in order, more or less, and that's a positive.
We'll see if they get here. They have been driving to somewhere in New England from Dallas, but got T-boned pretty badly (in my daughter's sister-in-law's brand-new car, no less) somewhere in East Tennessee. So today they have to sort out car arrangments, and it's hard for me to imagine that they'll be back on the road that soon. They need to wait for the insurance claims adjustor, first of all, and see what the assessment is . . . none of this seems like an in-and-out one-day deal. But the door is open, and the beds are made. And the pot smell in the laundry room is dissipating again, so we don't seem quite so much like deadbeats.
This is why I like having a dress to change into to go out tonight. I could wear my Willow, even after a day of walking and housework and other sweaty, dusty stuff, because she'll be fresh --- I won't wash her, just shake her out and put her on the drying rack to air. But it's nice to look forward to something that hasn't been through all that.
ALSO:
The herb iced tea is really good. I'm glad I had some Swerve, because the sweetness is a good addition. I don't often sweeten tea, but this is nice.
ALSO ALSO:
Still wearing these glasses. I have to confess that for working, i.e. spending my day staring at a screen, these are the best. The round blue ones are not bad, but there's something about the size and shape of these that's just easier on my eyes. I can't explain it, but there it is.
And in other news, tiny bird buddies say hey. Are they the secret pot smokers in our laundry room? They are in the laundry room . . .
MUCH LATER:
Still waiting for Juliana and her friend to roll up, and putting on the date-night lewk while I wait.
Tried the merino tank under this dress, but it was a bit bulky. Maybe in the winter when I can tuck it into leggings. It's probably kind of a heavy underlayer for this time of year anyway.
But the dress is fun!
I am wearing this Boody bamboo bralette/crop top under for a little more coverage ---
And for a night out, really, I think this is okay. I do wish somebody would make one of these that's just a little higher cut, but it'll do. The dusty rose color is pretty with this green --- which I just love.
This would be a better outfit with my light-gray sandals, but eh. I am choosing to wear Birkenstocks. I might toss on my jean jacket, and will probably wear the blue belt bag I wore yesterday, too, to hold my phone and my lip balm. That way I won't have to lug a whole purse with me. Still wearing my blue earrings and my Miraculous Medal, so I do have my Marian blue about me . . . Just gotta scrunch the gel out of my hair, and I'm good to go.
(with jean jacket and belt bag):
