October 15/ Birthday

This is year 70 plus day one. Boy has it been fun. I have accidentally erased my blog on the Calligan party. But NoName has written it up very well. So if you are interested go to

www.expatprincess.wordpress.com

 

To go out to dinner at Campagne on Saturday night my girls, and my son-in-law each wore clothes that I had made in the past. I am sure that this came about because when one daughter asked how would I like my funeral to be run, I responded that I would like things I made over the years displayed. I have a large body of handcrafts that I have made and maybe people would see what I have been doing all these years. Well this need for my work to be displayed has been fulfilled. We can skip that part of the funeral.

One daughter wore a navy swing coat that I had made her in college and while she did like it, I think it was not in the frame of what a Berkeley junior thought she should be wearing no matter from what prospective you looked. But in fact, that coat still did look well constructed and current.

NoName wore this quilted coat/jacket I had made from bits and pieces of either old clothing or scraps from making something else, in one case jockey shorts. I would wear this coat with jeans, and the coat never stayed on my shoulders. But I could never throw it away as it had a piece of Margaret’s dress she wore to nursery school. Also It had a piece from a shirt in which my husband had looked very handsome. The best part of the coat/jacket was that it had velvet pockets, and my hands always felt elegant. People would stop me on the street saying how fascinating they thought the coat was.

Poor Margaret wore my tour de force. This was a sweater that I knit wrist to wrist in the style of designer Kaffe Fasset. I used over 30 different yarns, maybe 50, and made a bordello flame design. Once you knit this sweater you are in an elite club of knitters. It was hard and it took a long time. But the sweater was never right. It hung all wrong, the ends of the yarns, though knit into the sweater, started sticking out. Because of this, I never really wore this sweater very much. It was enough to have knit it. What should have happened is that the sweater should have been hung on a wall for decoration. The sweater looked like a bolero on tall Margaret.

Bill, the chauffeur, wore a sweater that I knit him, and while a little dated, it still looked like a regular sweater. Margaret had bought him a chauffeur’s cap.

I saw these daughter’s dressed up in these outfits and I realized what they had been trying for years to tell me, they had a kookie mother. I always considered myself a little free spirited, but the fact of the matter is, they were right, I am a kookie mother. At this late date, I would like to say publicly, I am sorry that I drove you nuts all those years. And my sister sent me this hat which did nothing to discourage the appearance.

Anytime someone sends you a pasties for a hat, I think you ought to wear it.

The dinner was great fun. The restaurant was all that I hoped it would be. I had pate, pickled seasonal vegetables with mackerel, roast duck, and a cheese course. It was deeeevine. I shall never forget how well the wine went with the duck. I never want to know how much this meal cost. But I will say that I am going to make every effort to be in good form for my 80^th birthday, because I want to do it all over again.

Comments

[MCV]

Radish, while you did not MAKE it, I did wear a dress you wore you in the early 80s--shoulder pads and all. While the photos from Mr. Shutternut suggested a need a boob lift, the dress was very accomodating to the figure. The dress in my opinion, although not quintessential Radish, reminds me ALWAYS of my mother. She wore it proudly and so did I.

It was a great night! I have to believe that Poppy was wearing socks knit by the Radish?

[Mood Ring Mama`]

No apologies for the kookiness - how boring would we all have turned out if you did and wore what all the other Arcata moms did and wore? While at the time the purple boots were embarassing, I now look back and think how progressive and brave you were - not so much kooky.

Your passion for creative projects - knitting, quilting, sewing, painting - has inspired me to pursue many of the same kinds of arts, and I am very grateful. I am also so much more appreciative of other's handy work, whatever the genre, and whether I personally like it or not. These are gifts you've given me.

[expat princess]

I had the conversation with Mom about funerals but Mood Ring thought up wearing the outfits. I do not believe I threw out out my dirndl - we are going to go on a hunt for it this summer. She read my essay on the subject and said, "Oh, I really thought you were darling in that." Let me just say that even if I am a preppy dresser at heart, your fashion sense combined with a quest for comfort has informed my wardrobe decisions. I will never knit but I love that you do. I will never cook as well as you but I love that you do. I will never, ever sew as well as you do but I love that you do. So do my children. Kookie schmookie.