Month: May 2023

Wear what makes you comfortable

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Logo by Sam

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who responded to last Friday’s post, both here on the blog and on Facebook! Clearly, the consensus is that the top with the unusual neckline is not weird.

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I especially appreciated those readers who reminded me that what matters most is whether or not I’m comfortable wearing it. That leads me to today’s topic. I recently read another one of those stupid articles about what older women should or should not wear. Believe it or not, this one actually said that “a woman over 40 should never be caught in a jean jacket.” Really? What absolute balderdash! A jean jacket is a classic fashion staple that never goes out of style. If you’re comfortable wearing one at 101, why in the world wouldn’t you?

Created in the United States in about 1880 by Levi Strauss, it was originally designed as a durable, heavy-duty jacket to be worn by cowboys, miners, and railroad workers. Over time, however, the jean jacket has become a wardrobe staple for both men and women of all ages.

I have two of them, both thrifted several years ago. 

The one on the left is a very traditional style from Gap while the other, from Jones New York, is a bit dressier looking.

I love the versatility of a jean jacket. You’ve seen me wearing one with a dress both here and here, but they can, of course, be much more casual. You’ve also seen me in a “Canadian tuxedo” here.

I wore this outfit to church on Sunday. It fits my style adjectives… classy, casual, comfortable, confident, and authentic. 

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I paired the Jones New York jacket with white jeans, a sleeveless top, and sandals. It wasn’t until I looked at the pictures that I realized that everything except my accessories was thrifted! According to someone, I’m 30 years too old to be wearing a jean jacket, but as some of you reminded me, we ought to wear what we’re comfortable in and I’m definitely comfortable in a jean jacket! 

Is it too weird?

/ edebock / 31 Comments

Logo by Sam

Today I want your honest opinion about something. Awhile ago, while thrift store shopping with my daughter and one of my teenage granddaughters, I found this top. I liked the fabric and the colour, but I was unsure about the unconventional neckline.

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Though I was hesitant, I decided to try it on. When I stepped out of the fitting room, I asked my granddaughter whether she thought it was weird or not. She didn’t say anything, but the look on her face told me that she was skeptical. My daughter, however, said she really liked it. Hmm… what to do? Buy it or not? 

I decided then and there that I’d do something I’d never done before. I’d buy it and ask your opinion! 

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Shortly after hanging it in my closet, I noticed that cabi was offering a top with a somewhat similar neckline as one of their spring specials. Maybe my top wasn’t so weird after all.

1080 I haven’t actually worn it anywhere yet except out to the yard to take these photos. I’m waiting for your opinion, so… is this top weird or not? I’m looking forward to knowing what you think. 

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Hiking again!

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We’ve tried to go for a walk almost every day since hubby’s prostate surgery. The first was a very slow shuffle to the end of our short block and back, but it wasn’t long before he was able to handle a couple of kilometres. Last week, when we saw the surgeon for his six week check-up, we got the good news that he is cancer-free and that with the exception of very heavy lifting, he could resume his normal activities. Today, exactly seven weeks post surgery, we did a fairly strenuous 6.5 km hike!

About an hour from home, the Willow Canyon Trail at Donalda, Alberta has become one of our favourite hiking spots. The tiny village of Donalda is perched on the rim of picturesque Meeting Creek Coulee, the northernmost point of the Canadian badlands. It is best known for the 42 foot high replica of an oil lamp that lights up at dusk each day and and sheds its light over the coulee.

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The trailhead is located just north of the lamp and the old restored train station located nearby.

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The hike begins as a woodland trail that passes through private land to access 120 acres of fenced Donalda Ag Society property where visitors are free to leave the marked trails and explore to their hearts content.

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The established trails, which have been enhanced with signage and maps since our last visit, are generally quite easy and stay for the most part along the upper edge of the coulee. We, however, like to leave the beaten track and drop down into the valley wandering up, down, and around the bluffs that form its walls.

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We climbed to the top of that little knoll because… well, just because we could!

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I was delighted to discover that we were early enough in the season to find a few prairie crocuses still in bloom. It was a windy day, but these two were in a slightly sheltered spot where I could get a reasonably good photo.

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Eventually, after a couple of hours of wandering and eating the picnic lunch that we brought with us, we made our way up out of the canyon and back to town where we enjoyed a treat at the recently reopened Coulee Tea House. Under new management, it’s a delightful little restaurant serving a wide variety of teas as well as other beverages, sandwiches, soup, salads, and wonderful desserts. Since we often pass by Donalda on the highway, we’ll definitely plan to stop in for lunch another day even if we aren’t there to hike!

New walking sandals

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Shortly after returning from our latest trip to Mexico in February, I found myself dealing with metatarsalgia in my right foot. At first, I didn’t know what it was. It felt like I had a pebble in my shoe and was particularly bothersome when I walked barefoot on the hard floor. Thankfully, the symptoms didn’t show up until after we got home, but they were likely caused by the amount of walking that I did on uneven surfaces in less than adequate footwear. I had my good Asics sneakers with me which I bought specifically for walking, but on hot days I chose to wear sandals or flats instead. Unfortunately, they didn’t have as much cushioning or support.

My foot is better now, but it became very obvious that I needed to buy a good pair of walking/hiking sandals, especially since I’ve challenged myself to try to walk 350 km between May 1 and October 31! This week I found exactly what I was looking for.

I’m a frugal fashionista and I love thrift store shopping, but good quality footwear is something that I’m willing to spend a significant amount of money on. I first saw the right sandal at Atmosphere, “Canada’s Outdoor, Hiking, Camping and Adventure Store” but they didn’t have my size, so I went directly to an ECCO store. Not only did they have the right size, they had it in six or seven different colours including a couple that don’t even appear on their website! I wanted something neutral that I could wear with anything and, as the very helpful salesperson pointed out, the ones I chose look great with my gold summertime toes!

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Most of the hiking sandals that I looked at had closed toes which would definitely be an asset on a rugged trail, but I’ll continue to wear my trusty Merrell hiking shoes for that. The sandals will mostly be worn to pound the pavement in and around town and on easier trails.

Time to purge!

/ edebock / 2 Comments

Logo by SamSpring has finally come to the prairie! All of a sudden, the days are gloriously warm and sunny. Earlier this week, the time finally came to do my seasonal closet switch; to put away my winter wardrobe and bring out my spring/summer clothes.

Over 40 years ago, when we first moved into our present house, I thought the closet in the master bedroom was big. That’s because the one in the master bedroom of our first house, one of the original CPR homes built in the very early 1900s to house new settlers, wasn’t just small. It was tiny; smaller than my present broom closet!

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In comparison, the closet in the new house seemed spacious. Only it really wasn’t, especially for two people. When he built a large storage room in the unfinished basement, I had hubby include a rod across one end where we could hang our off-season clothes. Though there are some pieces that remain in the closet year round, much of my wardrobe spends approximately half the year in the basement. Even so, the bedroom closet is full. Too full!

When I do the seasonal switch, I also try to edit my wardrobe. The only problem is, I’m not very good at that. Oh, I have the best of intentions and I know what I need to do. I just don’t do it well! When I hang the new season’s clothes in the closet, I turn all the hangers around. Once I wear an item, its hanger is turned back the right way. At the end of the season, it’s easy to see what has been worn and what hasn’t. Realistically, I could/should get rid of most of the items that weren’t worn that season, but do I? No, not often enough. This time, I’m trying to be a bit more ruthless.

One pair of well-worn pants is in the garbage. They’d reached the stage where I wouldn’t wear them outside the house for fear of a major wardrobe malfunction. As much as I loved them, it was time to let them go. Five pairs are in a bag that’s going to the second-hand store. Those were mostly low rise skinnies that I’m quite sure I won’t wear again. Several tops have been set aside for this weekend’s garage sale. If they don’t sell, they’ll go to the thrift store too.

Still, the closet is too full and it’s not hubby’s section that’s overflowing! As I wear my spring/summer clothes for the first time this season, I’m determined to analyze each item carefully. Is it in good condition? Does it still fit well? Does the colour suit me? Do I feel good wearing it? Does it fit my style adjectives… classy, confident, comfortable, casual, and authentic? If I answer no to any of these questions, I’m determined to let it go. It’s time to purge!

Speaking of purging, our garage sale starts at noon today. If you’re in the area, come on over! Perhaps you’ll find a treasure and if not, at least we can have a visit!

Book of the month – April 2023

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From the Ashes

Jesse Thistle

9781982101213This month’s book was a difficult read because of the content, but at the same time, it was difficult to put down!

Abandoned at the age of 3, Jesse Thistle and his two older brothers were taken into care by the Saskatchewan Children’s Aid Society. After a short time in foster care, they were raised by their paternal grandparents in Brampton, Ontario. In his teens, struggling with the effects of generational trauma and loss as well as his identity as an Indigenous youth, Jesse succumbed to a self-destructive cycle of drug and alcohol addiction and petty crime that eventually led to a decade of homelessness.

Finally, realizing that he was going to die if he didn’t turn his life around, Jesse entered Harvest House, a residential rehab centre and began his healing journey. Today he is a husband, a father, an assistant professor at York University, and is working on his PhD. Once a high school dropout, he won a Governor General’s Academic Medal in 2016 and is a Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Scholar and a Vanier Scholar. He is also the author of the Definition of Indigenous Homelessness in Canada, published through the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness.

It was never Jesse’s intention to write a memoir. The fourth step in his addiction recovery program involved writing a “fearless moral inventory” as part of making sense of all that had happened to him. In 2016, the Toronto Star published a profile of him that led to Simon & Schuster approaching him about a potential book deal. Fleshing out that original moral inventory became the book in which, through both poetry and prose, he details devastatingly painful scenes with brutal honesty and bluntness. It is, at times, a gut-wrenching read, but it is also a story of resilience and hope. As I read it, I couldn’t help thinking of all the other Jesses living on our streets and in our prisons. Every one of them has a story, but not all will end well.

One such story is that of Jesse’s father.

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Cyril “Sonny” Thistle, who was born April 3, 1954, was last seen in 1981 in Brampton, Ontario, near McLaughlin Road and Queen Street East. At the time he went missing, he was described as having a fair complexion, light brown hair, a thick moustache, and a gap between his top two front teeth. He was 26 years old.

The Thistle family has been trying to locate Sonny for several years, without any success. Jesse and his brothers desperately want to know what happened to their father.

Anyone with information on Thistle is asked to contact investigators at 905-453-2121 ext. 2233. Anonymous information may also be submitted by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by visiting www.peelcrimestoppers.ca.