Wednesday 17 April 2013

Warning... or inspiration?



"When I am an old woman I shall wear purple...."
Some time next year, apparently, when my daughter and her fiance get married. She's already decided what I will wear, and it really is purple. This is a great relief to me, as I hate shopping. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy looking round shops; what I can't do is make purchasing decisions, particularly under pressure.

I was invited to a wedding last year.  With several months' notice, I thought I'd be ok.  A friend volunteered to take me shopping at the local designer outlet, and I had a good time trying on dresses and posing for photos to review later at home.  Plenty of time, no pressure, so I wasn't concerned about coming away empty-handed.  A couple of months later another friend took me to Manchester, where I had a great day and bought lots of lovely clothes.  None of them were suitable to wear at a wedding, though, unless bikers were going to be involved.  Finally, the weekend before the event, I went to York on my own, panicked, and bought three dresses.

I had to take all of them with me to the hotel, as I couldn't decide which one to actually wear until the day itself.   No-one was going to be looking at me anyway, I was only a guest!  Planning a 'mother of the bride' outfit doesn't bear thinking about.

"...With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me..."
I have two hats.  Both are black beanies, and one has 'animal' written on it.  Neither of them suits me, and I don't think either of them would be acceptable at a wedding.  I do not like hats.  I quite like fascinators, but they don't suit me either.  I do have a red handbag, perhaps I could use that.

Not on my head, obviously, although I suspect that's where it will end up if my daughter has to take me shopping.
 
(With thanks to Jenny Joseph, for her poem, 'Warning')