Secret Life of Objects - Navy Silk Dress

Just one more wear?

Putting laundry away and picking a dress to wear to a wedding, I pulled my lovely and loyal navy blue silk out. 

Where’d I get it? The clearance rack at Old Navy well over 20 years ago on a work-free afternoon when we lived in Saint Louis. 

It has survived this long because frankly, I was too fat to wear it for a couple of years. I put on weight struggling with fertility and then again after I had Will. It was a New Year's goal back in 2012 to be able to wear it to my class reunion in November, and I was able to start wearing it again by May. 

The hilarious "That door is a liar!" situation with Jill.

Hanging with Rob, I'm looking especially cute if I do say so. 

It’s effortless chic, a simple A-line with a slight ruffle at the neck and cuffs, the fabric is light and floaty, and it drapes but doesn’t cling. It dresses up with nice shoes and jewels or down with sandals and sunglasses. Falling just above the knee, the length is neither scandalous nor frumpy. 

It still fits, but alas, the fabric is wearing thin and discolored in the armpits, no matter how carefully I have hand-washed and air-dried. 

Twenty years, clearance rack, it doesn’t owe me a dime, but I can’t seem to part with it. Maybe a new effortless “it” dress will allow me to let it go. 

What’s Right in the World: Matching Sapphires

Affordable luxury. 

While at a wedding reception, a shy dinner companion happened to be wearing the same sapphire necklace as I. Cheerfully, I pointed out we were twinsies. It was apparent from her accent English was her second language and she didn’t understand at first what I was saying. I was also shouting over the DJ. I pointed at our necklaces and said we matched. 

She smiled at me radiantly and said, “Oh thank you for noticing, it’s the only fine thing I own. I cherish it.” 

This threw me for a moment. I was in a room full of beautiful people, a scene straight out of Crazy Rich Asians, with guests decked in expensive gowns and jewels. And then there’s me; while I am no Hilton or Kardashian, I still had my pick of many wonderful clothes and adornments to choose from for the occasion. 

I love and cherish mine too. 

We weren't able to have a conversation, she seemed self-conscious and didn't seem to know anyone else there, a plus one, the guest of a guest. Our thing in common was the necklace and being in the same place at the same time. Still, she made me recognize that I have more than one fine thing to wear, appreciate, and cherish.

August Song: Get that Shirt

The inspiration: pelted with a PotatoeBabies t-shirt at Festival.

Goal: write a song a month, with the resolve to not self-edit or worry if it’s crap. I shouldn't have to work hard at this, it’s summer. And we finally went to our first PotatoeBabies show - it was Dead Kennedys meets B-52s.

Get to the show early,

Space on the rail.

Leave the pit to the kids,

Thrashing? I’m gonna bail.

Get that shirt - get that shirt

The roadie just threw it out

Get that shirt - get that shirt

The crowd jumps and shouts

Air guitar paper airplanes

Toilet tissue gun,

Hit with a box of cereal?

This is so much fun.

Get that shirt - get that shirt

It hit me in the head

Get that shirt - get that shirt

Blue, black, or red.

Dancing in the heat

"Jump jump" the rally cry

Insanity rules the day

Punk fans ride or die.

Get that shirt - get that shirt

Some kid just got a bike

Get that shirt - get that shirt

Pink ice pop - the kind I like.

Get that shirt - get that shirt

It might be too small for me

Get that shirt - get that shirt

It’s my favorite price it’s free!

Secret Life of Objects: Afghan Rescue

That's a lot of blankets. 

I belong to a Facebook group called Weird and Wonderful Secondhand Finds. In it, members post images of, well, weird and wonderful things they have found while thrifting or at yard sales, and last year, there was a month where people posted nothing but crazy afghans they found. It was at that moment I fell in love with the artistry, the craft, and the colors. 

During that same time, I rescued a crocheted afghan for fifty cents, and Oscar admired my work. When I prepared a Christmas box for him, I threw a thrifted chevron blanket in the box for him. His mom messaged me to say he has slept with it ever since. 

I stumbled upon an opportunity to rescue one blanket this year, and it morphed into the piles you see here. Since it is Secret Life of Objects (SLoO), the story for these afghans is that they have mostly been acquired from Hersey's House of Hope where you pay what you want, a couple yard sales, a couple gifted by my friend Cherilyn, and two that were quite literally rescued from FREE piles by the side of the road. Currently, I am up to 24 with a goal of 30; however, I hit 24 so quickly, I might see if I can get to 40. 

So what am I going to do with them? Adult skaters are always looking for unusual tossies for competition, so it's Operation Afghan Rescue. I have washed, dried, and sanitized them, and these are going to be my competitor gifts for AN24. And I dunno, there's one in the pile that I just may have to save for myself. 

Edited to add: as of 7/31, I made it to 30! I'm going to dial it down, but if I stumble upon some lovelies that need rescuing, I'm gonna do it. 

What’s Right in the World: Called Up to the Show

OMG, it’s happening!

Press pic at his locker.

I’m a little nostalgic.

Wish we were there for this - his first major league hit. 

He’s accumulating highlight reels - this catch then how he avoided a double play. 

So there I was, happy with my afghan rescue haul, sweaty from the heat, and about to tuck into a turkey and tomato sandwich when I decided to check the spotty internet to see what was going on in the world. 

And there’s the tweet: Dane made it to The Show. 

I gasped and Will asked me what was wrong. I showed him and said, “Dane got called up!” A huge grin spread across his face as I started to cry. Dave was napping and we both went in to tell him the news. 

I texted Rhonda and Mallory for confirmation and yes, it was true.

We texted our congratulations to them and then to Dane who shared his thanks for our support and his love. 

He didn’t get into the game on the third but he did on the fourth, and boy did he, going two for three. Next day another two-for-three. Next day, two-for-four, and a spectacular play in center against the wall - the Marlins calling him The Great Dane. 

We agree.

To have witnessed all he’s gone through since he was drafted in 2017 and for him to still flourish… good for him. He deserves every bit of positive press, every accolade, every highlight, everything.

I don’t know the protocol now for following and cheering. He’s family to us, but he belongs to his fans now too. I’m sure he’s getting inundated with people vying for his attention. We will always be there, time to gingerly step to the side and allow him space to enjoy this. 

Of course, then he hits his first majors league home run and we pepper him with more congrats. 

C'mon Andre, it's your turn. 

July Playlist: Old Love

Not Rotten, Just Heartbreaking

There are a lot of songs out there about young love, but precious little about love that goes the distance. This may be a challenge, either my ears aren’t listening or it’s not part of popular culture and it needs to be sussed out. I'm trying to find songs that are heartfelt without being too syrupy, but that is in the heart of the beholder. 

Hawaii, Johnny Rotten - The song that started the idea in the first place. The punk rock icon took the last few years off from the music business to care for his terminally ill wife. This song was written during a particularly wonderful vacation to Hawaii, which she promised to remember as long as she lived. He presented it as his Eurovision entry and it didn’t pass muster. WTF is wrong with you, Europe?

Harvest Moon, Neil Young - AllMusic’s review of the song says it well “The power of nature and music, as well as a feeling of celebrating lifetime love are the focal points here, and Young captures it all in his typically literate, artless style.” My only beef with this is his style is literate, and there is beauty, truth, and art in that. 

He Stopped Loving Her Today, George Jones - “Why today?” my naive self asked. Then he explained. Ohhhhh. I don't think I was ok for a while after that. 

Landslide, Fleetwood Mac - “Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides; can I handle the seasons of my life?" This song in particular speaks to me about the trials of growing older together and facing changes that while not sexy, deepen a relationship. 

Grow Old With Me, John Lennon - For as divisive as Yoko Ono is to even the most casual fan, give her a little for having been a Beatle Widow for - my God - the last 43 years. Where we as fans were robbed of his talents, she was robbed of a partner and made out to be a villain temptress. And yet she has carried on his legacy, mended rips in his patchwork family quilt, in particular making things right for Julian and his inheritance, befriended Cynthia while she was still living, and cared for his estranged half-sister, the one Julia gave up for adoption in 1945. John may not have grown older with her, but she did with him. 

These Are the Days of Our Lives, Queen - Roger Taylor wrote it observing his children growing up and gave it to Freddie Mercury. Freddie, as he was dying of AIDs, gave the song an additional poignant layer of meaning as he knew it was likely the video for the song would be his last public performance. One last "I still love you," and a kiss to the camera as he walked off screen. 

Danny’s Song, Loggins and Messina - Well, this may be a cheater, but it’s the story of a dude celebrating the next phase of his life, from being a stupid frat boy to a committed man in love with a son on the way. 

Evergreen, Barbra Streisand - If there was one song that was on the nose, this would be it. Too bad Kris Kristofferson’s character in A Star is Born has to go and die like that. Oops, spoiler alert? 

July Song: Crowning of Rose Queen

Goal: write a song a month, with the resolve to not self-edit or worry if it’s crap. This is the title song of my fake album that I created in February about the burden of being a beauty queen and being upstaged. Again, going to dip into the Courtney Love vibe, she certainly battled her "wanting to be pretty" demon. 

Happy anniversary to the Woolton Rose Queen, whose July 1957 coronation coincided with rock music's Big Bang, when Paul McCartney met John Lennon. We have a new host daughter coming, whose social media nickname is Rose Queen, which has me curious. I started writing this in January when we didn't even know about her. What's the story there? 

Crown of petals and a serene smile,

She's the prettiest girl by a country mile. 

She floats by in a beautiful cage,

Her style and grace is all the rage. 

The hair is curled but not too tight, 

Practicing poise with all her might.

Every emotion on a high wire, 

If you were to ask, she'll say she's tired. 

Desperate to be beautiful,

"But why," she whispers to herself.

Why are so many girls keen,

To be crowned the Rose Queen? 

Noisy boys in plaid shirts, 

Desperate to look up her skirt. 

About to cause a revolution, 

But is ruining her moment the solution? 

A hard July day turned into night, 

Her own mania to fight.

Fleeting fame, for a moment it seemed,

The crowning of a Rose Queen.