Lovely little gold coreopsis pushing up through the invasive speedwell (round frilly foliage) and the obedient plant (the long, narrow, serrated-looking leaves --- which will bloom with beautiful mauve spires at the summer's end).
It's another wet, gray day, making the garden happy. I'm glad I planted things when I did, to get the full advantage of all this watering as the new plants settle and the seeds contemplate germinating. I still have one pot to fill and think I might put in some more lemongrass, which I used a good bit last summer in cooking Vietnamese-flavored dishes.
A pleasant pub evening with our friends last night, followed by a good dog walk. I wore my weighted vest yet again and really felt the resistance in my core and the backs of my legs, especially walking uphill. Ten pounds is a little too easy, but it does make some difference.
Today's agenda:
*walk dog, probably in the rain
*peck away at essays for next week --- I'd love to put this stupid Nashe essay to bed (I don't know why this one in particular is hard, because it's not as though I don't like Nashe or the sixteenth century generally . . . I think I'm just a little burned out is all).
*pick up some more lamb chops for dinner, as it's a meat Friday
That's about it, really. The husband has to go in for a faculty assembly, so Dora and I will be rattling around most of the day on our own, not that that ever really bothers us.
Wearing today:
*Secondhand Japanese linen (blend?) pinafore, bought 2023, outboxed for many months, rescued and mended toward the end of Lent. Last worn April 14. Wears in 2025: 2
*Devold merino-tencel men's base-layer tee, bought in Norway June 2024, sleeves and neckline cut out by me. Second year of wear
*Thrifted Peruvian Connection alpaca cardigan, year 3 of wear
*Thrifted Crocs thong sandals, given me by the TXgirl last April. Entering year 2 of wear
It's a little damp and clammy in the house, hence the cardigan --- which, I must add, I have worn in Texas fall heat and not been uncomfortable wearing. Wearing wool (of multiple animals) has revised my sense of seasonal clothing, what is "wintry" vs. what is "summery." Anyway, I love this cardigan and am glad to wear it year-round. The color is especially nice with soft tan linen.
One nice thing about resurrecting this pinafore is that it gives me more opportunities to wear tops that I like but not with separate bottoms. That is --- I find that I do like linen tanks with skirts, but not tees so much. Tees can look droopy and messy, and there's always some fuss about how they're tucked in (and then they won't stay where you tuck them). I far prefer a tee under a pinafore, so I get the advantage of the color, the neckline, whatever else I like about it, but don't have to futz around with how the two halves of my outfit go together. I wear and enjoy many different tops under my floral linen-cotton pinafore, but I like the way this neutral sets them off, with its lower neckline.
I bought this teal tee last summer in Norway, at the Devold outlet at some place whose name I can't remember right now, but there's a ferry there that we kept wanting to take and never did. I was really hard-pressed to find something to buy, and I don't know why I particularly felt that I had to buy something, but it seemed like an opportunity . . . The husband bought pair of wool house slippers which he wears every day, but they didn't have a color I liked in my size, so I was roaming about . . . and this tee was literally the only thing in the whole store in a color I liked in my size, that I could imagine ever wearing. It was also marked down, so here we are.
I like it a lot --- it's a soft, breathable merino-tencel blend, a great base layer in cold weather but nice on its own in warm. The only problem is that it's VERY thin. It's not so much that it's see-through, though it's not not a little see-through. The main issue is that it slithers around a lot --- it doesn't rest stably on your body. You can see in these photos how it refuses to lie smoothly where I put it. This may or may not bother me too much in the course of the day. We'll see. But it is my least favorite thing about a shirt I otherwise pretty much like. The effect isn't so noticeable under my floral pinafore as it is under this one. And --- well, it's meant to be a base-layer tee anyway, so I guess I should not be surprised that it behaves like one, and not like a tee to be worn on its own. BUT I love the color and the softness, and it's fun to embrace all that today, whatever the accompanying drawbacks.
The day seems to be brightening up out there, though I think it's still drizzling, and there's no real sunshine in the forecast. I should gather myself in a minute, put on my weighted vest, and strike out with the dog. The good thing about wet days is that usually we have the neighborhood streets to ourselves. As much as I love the sun, I also love the soft quietness of rain in the springtime.
So, time to step out and enjoy it.
PS:
Wearing Crocs because it's wet, but also because they're fun and comfortable. I like how they echo but don't match the color of my pinafore. This is a long-discontinued style --- I owned a pair years ago and was heartbroken when one thong broke, especially as they proved impossible to replace. The TXgirl happened on this pair in the thrift store last year and bought them, then when they were too small for her, gave them to lucky, lucky me.
ALSO:
I have at long last broken down and bought a Branwyn busty bra. It was time for a bra splurge, as some of mine have stretched out so much as to be not really wearable for me anymore --- and I've lost some inches as well in various places.
My main product review at this time is that just yesterday I was lamenting the dearth of bralettes or camis that actually covered your cleavage. My little Kosher Casuals crop tops are useful when I want more coverage, though they are a) synthetic and b) kind of overkill in that department. There are times when I want something just a tad less obtrusive.
So: as it turns out the Branwyn Busty Bra is that Holy Grail of garments. The straps are adjustable, so it can sit a little higher on your chest than a typical bralette. It does seem to hold things up more, so possibly there's more cleavage, rather than less, but I do like the higher neckline. I also like that it's less bulky than the Allbirds bralettes I've been wearing --- those are really sports bras, and I like them and find them very comfortable, but it is nice to have one that sits much closer to my skin and shows less under my clothes.
I like the wider straps, that don't cut into your skin. They are more like regular bra straps than like sports-bra straps, which was why I hesitated to buy this bra, but in fact they're really comfortable, and I like that you can adjust them.
I also like that the fiber content is 81% merino, with just enough nylon and spandex for durability and stretch. My tencel-merino bralettes have been good for travel and outdoor activities, but I anticipate that this one will perform even better, in terms of staying fresh and drying fast when washed. I will probably buy another sooner rather than later . . . I got the "light nude" this time, but I'm really eyeing that pretty purply blue, which would look pretty as a visible layer with my Brooklyn dresses.
It's unpadded, and I will probably slit the inside layer in order to be able to insert pads for that kind of coverage, but I do that anyway for every sports-type bra I own.
Anyway, that's my review so far. I'm wearing this item now and will report if anything happens to change my initial feelings about it.
Also, I've sold my Levis, so I'm off to the post office to pop them in the parcel drop. More weighted-vest exercise! Then I must make myself do some work.
AFTERNOON UPDATE
Thomas Nashe essay: done!
Poshmark parcel: mailed!
I still need to go out and procure some festive food for the Octave Friday --- though the husband might want to pick out some steaks. I suspect he has that on the brain, so maybe I'll just wait. I do at some point want to get some little earthenware flowerpots to use as waterers in all my containers. You plug up the hole in the bottom, then fill the pot with water --- the pot has to be plain unglazed earthenware, so that water will seep through it. This way, if you're out of town, you have cheap time-release waterers keeping your container soil moist. Today, however, water is not an issue, so I don't have to rush right out just because I've had the idea.
ALSO:
A few more lines of the opera libretto: written!