So many leaves have dropped, but my poor little old dogwood is hanging on.
It's the great Solemnity of Christ the King, a day I look forward to every year, the observance of an eschatalogical fulfillment to which the entire liturgical cycle points --- and which, in this sadly fallen world, we have not yet realized. This is the thing hoped for of which we are assured, the thing not seen at the heart of our conviction.
Next Sunday, Advent re-begins the cycle, with another season of longing both immediate and apocalyptic. We long for the Incarnation; we long for the ultimate renewal of heaven and earth. One thing has come to pass within the bonds of history. The other has not. But we long for them, properly, as one thing --- the beginning of the beginning of everything.
Meanwhile, my children are home and still asleep. I'm up and ready, soon, to walk the dog and go to Mass. My husband is out of town today, so I'm on my own and belatedly thinking I should just have gone to the parish, but I've already missed that. I'll dip in at the Abbey, where I really wouldn't want to miss this Mass anyway, then on the way home pick up some things for brunch and supper.
Feeling very allergic to something --- I hope I'm not getting sick, but I rather think I'm not. I think it's likelier that I need to tumble the scarf I'm wearing in the dryer to kill dust mites, as I haven't worn it since last year. I also slept badly, of course, since I have to go somewhere this morning. But we soldier on.
Wearing:
*Secondhand Not Perfect Linen Leila dress (S/M) in Cinnamon Rose, bought December 2023, last worn November 18. Total wears this year to date: 20.
*Secondhand Calvin Klein Jeans corduroy blazer, bought . . . 2019? Maybe? Can't remember. I've had it a good while now. Last worn November 2. Not keeping track of wears for this item.
*Very old ribbon scarf made for me by my mother.
*Snag microfiber tights in Thicket, bought 2022. Been a while since I wore these, and when I put them on this morning, I saw that they had developed a big baldish patch on the right thigh. These tights do that over time, and I'm not sure why. I have a pair of burgundy microfiber tights that have developed a lot of patches like this, again on the thighs, so I can wear them with longer skirts and have the thin patches not show. But it is weird and kind of disappointing. I do like the color with the color of my dress, though. The tights pretty much determined the whole rest of the outfit, once I had them on with this dress.
Yeah, see what I mean about a thin/baldish spot? Fortunately nobody today will be the wiser, but there it is --- and it was not there the last time I wore these tights, whenever that might have been.
*Xero Tari boots, bought summer 2022, in their third season of hard, constant wear as a default shoe.
I wanted to wear something today that I wouldn't be able to wear in Advent. This dress tops that list --- no shade of purple looks good with this shade of pink. Come next week I will be putting it away (figuratively speaking) for a 4-week rest, so it seemed an obvious choice for today. The weather is chilly right now, but warming up to the mid-60s Farenheit by midday. I figure if I toss on a coat over this to walk the dog, I'll be in good shape, and then fine in just the blazer for church.
And now it is time to walk the dog. Excelsior!
PS:
The mohair ribbon scarf really was making me sneeze and giving me a rash on my neck, so I switched to this more tried-and-true wool one:
Immediate relief, and I like the look better, too, to be honest. So off we go.
