I bought this Nativity scene at Dollar Tree, goodness knows how many years ago now. It's cutesy, and the baby doesn't come out for Advent, but I've always liked it anyway. You want to be reminded of what it is you're waiting for. As the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us, Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Faith, in other words, is an act of imagination, in which we picture what it is that we don't see before us. But sometimes, especially in the midst of busyness, the imagination falters. In that case, it's nice to have something pictured before us: not the thing itself, but an image of the thing, however debased the image might be as a reflection of the reality. So, here's this image, which does cheer me in the short days, the long dark nights of December.
Today's agenda:
*Mass at the Abbey
*Lunch with the husband
*Winding up my notes on my student's thesis, to send back to her. She has rather a lot of work to do in the last weeks of the semester.
*Turkey leftovers, I imagine, for dinner. We had steak last night as a break from turkey, but my goodness, we do have a lot of turkey left. I'm going to cut some of the meat off to freeze before I make soup, which is probably what tomorrow's dinner will be.
It's quite cold this morning --- just now 33F, with a high of 53 (not cold but definitely chilly) and a low of 24. It's bright and clear, though, so I can wear my purple silk dress for Mass, for the first Sunday in Advent. Silk is remarkably warm, and I plan to wear layers, so I should be quite comfy all day. Maybe I'll actually start wearing that dress on more of a daily basis. I do love it --- I just worry about how well it will stand up to the rigors of my daily life.
Wearing (now that I've mentioned it):
*Secondhand April Cornell vintage purple silk dress, bought summer 2024, last worn October 6. No, I don't wear this dress often, but I'm glad I have it. Sometimes it is just the thing. Today I like it as a light-but-warm pinafore, and I'm grateful for this sunny, dry, cold weather in which to wear it.
*Thrifted Banana Republic merino pullover, bought November 2024 at Texas Thrift with my lovely daughter, last worn November 20. I anticipate many repetitions of this sweater over the next four weeks.
*Snag merino tights in Red Velvet Cake. You can't see them, but they're really just a darker shade of the color of this dress, perfect for tonal layering.
*Devold wool socks, also not seen, but they take up some necessary room in my boots and keep my feet toasty. Bought in Norway, summer 2023, last worn yesterday, I believe.
*Secondhand Birkenstock Melrose boots in Graphite, bought summer 2023, last worn yesterday. My other winter default shoe. Again, I'm grateful for dry, cold weather --- excellent weather for silk and suede. Maybe I should wear my suede pea coat as well . . .
I love these sunny days when there's a splash of light on the door behind me. That makes it fun to pose these photos, with me as the subject . . . that is, it's interesting to distance myself from myself and just look at the composition I'm making with my body and clothes and the light. This silk, in such a lovely, lush purple with rose undertones, plays wonderfully with the light as it touches it in various ways, either directly or with a little more distance, as in the second photo. I had to throw in that last "Walk Like an Egyptian" shot, just because I thought it was funny. Preen Like an Egyptian . . .
The weather has made my hair almost absolutely stick-straight. There's still some crimpy wave up by my face, but otherwise --- although it was fairly curly yesterday --- nothing. So, ponytail it is. It's just gotten to a point where a default ponytail really works again. Up to now, the layers have meant a wonky shape that bothered me, but after my last little compulsive trimming session, the shape is a lot more smooth and normal. I still have layers, but they're increasingly low and subtle, and soon they'll be gone, except for a little at the front.
Now I had better brush my teeth and bundle up to walk the dog before we leave for Mass.
AND
While I'm waiting for the husband to be ready to leave, here's the whole going-outside-in-cold-weather lewk:
Why, yes, in fact, you can keep layering purples over each other. Thrifted cashmere poncho from the bougie consignment shop in Waynesville, bought on a jaunt with Marly in September 2023, but not worn that much last year. Hoping to rectify that situation this Advent.
And my trusty suede pea coat, which cost me a whole $8 at Goodwill some years ago, but which makes me look so luxe when I wear it:
I mean, really, these are all luxurious textures: silk, cashmere, merino, suede. Yet I did not pay luxurious prices for any of it. On both those levels, this outfit pleases me a lot. Welcome, the purple season --- it's a time of waiting and yearning for sure, but there is pleasure to be had in it.
OH ALSO:
I'm thinking of making some furniture purchases, now that I've been paid for various jobs this fall. I want to acquire a sturdy daybed frame for my study daybed, which currently just sits on a fold-down frame with no back. I think the whole thing would be more comfortable if there were a back for the cushions to rest against.
I also want another armchair for this room. AND I need to acquire something for the additional in-law sisters to sleep on when they're here for Christmas, so I'm thinking maybe one of those bean-bag chairs that have a futon mattress inside. If all the unattached girls can sleep on that plus the Artgirl's full-sized bed (the Artgirl wants them all in her room for a supersized slumber party, and I hope they don't mind), then that would leave the study open as a room for people to gather in, which with a houseful would be nice. This is also the room with the gas fire, which would be pleasant to sit in when it's cold.
I'm going to buy new for these items, because I HAVE a ton of old furniture already, and we're always patching it up to keep it from collapsing. I think the daybed frame and chair will come from Ikea --- yeah, yeah, but I do like Ikea. My Ikea kitchen island is possibly my favorite piece of furniture in the entire house. I don't want whole rooms of nothing but Ikea, but if you want something sturdy, functional, and kind of cool-looking, I can't think of a better place to turn.
Anyway. Time to go now.