“If you love something, wear it all the time… Find things that suit you. That’s how you look extraordinary.”
The sun and the blue sky pushed away the earlier morning clouds, but I don’t know how long they’ll be around as cloudy is the forecast. It is windy. All the high branches are being blown. I can see the leaves falling. It is 54° but could get down to the high 30’s tonight. Right now it is a perfect fall day.
When I was little, my mother used to read to me. She told me I loved Golden Books. She said I could name all the animals in the circles on the back covers of the books. I was smart she told me, parental exaggeration I suspect. When I got a bit older, my mother switched to reading to us, to my brother and me, books, chapter books before we went to bed. I always hated it when she’d stop for the night, and we had to turn out the light. When I could read by myself, I’d read in bed until my mother told me to turn off my light, but I didn’t really turn it off. I’d hide the light under the covers so I could keep reading. Sometimes I got caught.
When I was growing up, I was never really girly. I grew out of dolls early except for that dancing doll I got for Christmas one year, the one whose feet you attached to your shoes with elastics so you dance together. I always wanted trains, but they were boy presents. I did like new clothes but nothing too fancy, usually sweaters and a skirt or a pair of ski pants. I always wanted books for my birthday and for Christmas, and my mother never disappointed me.
In Ghana, I wore a dress every day. At first I wore the dresses and skirts I had brought with me. I remember a purple dress, a white blouse and a wrap-around skirt with flowers. I’m sure I had more clothes, but I just remember those because I seem to be wearing them in so many of my pictures from Ghana. I also remember a zippered sort of house dress. It was black with white designs. I wore it every night after my shower. All the clothes were new. We had shopped in Hyannis for clothes and other items from the packing list sent by Peace Corps. We got most everything on the list and managed to reach the 80 pounds of luggage allowed for the flight.
Right now I’m watching the very first episode of The Lone Ranger. He has donned the mask made from the vest of his dead brother, a Texas ranger, killed in an ambush by the Cavendish gang. He and Tonto just rescued Silver from the buffalo ready to gore him.
On my dance card is mostly uke events. I have my usual practice and lesson and also three concerts. It will be a busy rest of the week.
keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
November 12, 2024 at 4:53 pm
Hi Kat,
Today the sun is shining brightly and the temperature is a pleasant 75°.
I have no memories of my mother ever reading to me when I was a kid. Regardless, I became a book lover anyway. As soon as I learned to read I skipped kid books and moved on to novels and non fiction books. When I moved back to New York City, I began buying paperback books. There was a small store in the neighborhood that sold paperback books exclusively. I not only liked them because of their low price, but they were small enough to fit in a jacket pocket. In those days I rode the subways and busses. Having something handy to read was a godsend.
I never saw the first episode of the Lone Ranger and I never saw Clayton Moore without the mask. It would explain the entire mask thing and Tonto.
November 12, 2024 at 8:34 pm
Hi Bob,
The sun stayed around all day. We had the most spectacular sunset. Tonight, though was chilly.
I learned to read before I started school but, at five, I didn’t move onto novels yet. I read kids books for a while, story books. Later, I remember spending my allowance on books, mostly classics and mysteries.
I used to hide books in my text books in school so I could sneak and read. Luckily I never got caught.
I remembered the first Lone Ranger. It filled in any blanks like why he wore a mask, how he had met Tonto, found his horse Silver and why he used silver bullets