Handbags

[stevieb]

Yesterday, it was just mom and me at her house for dinner... We both figured that was about as safe as we could make it yet both of us felt it was important for us to be together for the holiday. While she occasionally gets her hair done, (meanwhile, mine looks pretty awful a good part of the time), the only places either of us goes, for the most part, is to the grocery store and the pharmacy, so if this was too great a risk, so be it... Giving up some things in life makes one question whether or not it's all worth it... Besides, given her age, we never know if there will be a 'next year'...

Bless her heart, she's quite elderly, virtually crippled with arthritis and with a host of other maladies but insisted on putting together a nice dinner and did herself proud... We enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving dinner of turkey breast, home made gravy, Brussels sprouts, which we both love, fresh green beans, her delectable home made potato salad, cranberry sauce and egg-bread rolls (store bought but still delicious)... Neither of us cares for the traditional pumpkin pie, but the bakery's chocolate cheese cake was yummy... I think I ate two helpings of everything (except the cheesecake), and after all her hard work, she had virtually no appetite. Though she told me she'd sampled as she went along, her appetite isn't what it used to be...

Anyway, the tyrptophan kicked in and I was pretty useless for the rest of the day, leaving to come home after just a few hours, but we both had a nice visit and it was so nice to eat a meal that I didn't have to prepare... Predictably, the weather was unseasonably warm, hovering in the upper 60's and while I found it a bit annoying, it was pretty nice, so I didn't really mind... Fortunately, it cooled down later in the day...

To bring this all back around to the apparently mandatory handbag discussion... I go out so rarely, I decided to switch into a different handbag for my visit... I'd recently come across an older but rarely used bag I recalled buying for the color, which is a unique cherry red-deep coral hue that is just beautiful... The bag can only be described as a more or less traditional 'school boy' satchel with turn lock closure, a single handle (and long strap) and secondary magnetized short strap closures a la the picture of a similar bag below... I knew when I switched into it that it would be a short run for this one, because despite its beauty (and it is beautiful with polished silver tone hardware and leather smooth as butter) I've always found it awkward to use and particularly to get in and out of... Besides, though the leather is substantial, this one's a 'puddler'... It has a zip compartment on the back, one inside, a couple of slip pocket areas, and a center zip compartment... I can't say I enjoyed using it even for the day, but it was pretty to look at... In retrospect, I don't think I've ever carried this one for longer than a day at a time but still, go figure, I don't necessarily consider this one a mistake...

[Pecky]

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@Pecky wrote:

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@hicindy2 wrote:

@Pecky  Oh Oh !! This Chambray cutie (Dillard's) too

EEEK

This tote is brand new too...I'm impressed. C'mon Macy's, time to price match after I've said all those nice things about you. 

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@hicindy2   I did order the chambray cargo a few weeks ago when it was on sale.  I really like it.

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@hicindy2 Coach now had the chambray cargo for $116 but it sold out.

[hicindy2]

@Pecky  Thanks for the info.  Some things are just not meant to be. Plus, I have been busy over at MZ Wallace and their sale. 

Tomorrow, Coach Outlet has Wild Things  I would love a wallet in animal print. 

[Bird mama]

@stevieb   I'm so happy that you were able to spend Thanksgiving with Mom and it sounds like this was one for the memory bank for sure 

[stevieb]

@Bird mama  Thank you, and yes, for a variety of reasons, it's one I'll hold onto for as long as I can. Historically and growing up, Thanksgiving was always pretty much the warm-up to Christmas, but as things change, for some of us anyway, so do our perceptions and what we value, so I really appreciated the nice day.

[hicindy2]

@stevieb  That's so wonderful that you and your Mom had a lovely time.  My Mom would get me up at 6AM on T-Day (home from college) to start "prepping".  She would make me set the table and wash all the "good" china and wine glasses beforehand by noon.  It was just the three of us (only child) which seemed silly, but what the hey.  My Mom was a "meh" cook, so I generally had to salvage the meal and do a creative dessert. The dog of course got a special beef meal cooked just for him. 

Our "modern" Oasis dinnerware by Franciscan 

Black Friday I would be hauled out bright and early to the upscale department stores because she said I had all the "bright ideas" for gifts. My reward would be shrimp salad and strawberry cake at the cafe in the store. Saturday was spent on all my laundry and studies and Sunday, back to school. 

Those were the best of times and we revisited them often over the years.  I kept her handbag and wallet after she passed away and smile over the memories of the tug of war over the restaurant check as an adult. My Mom worked until she was 65 and Thanksgivings were at a restaurant by then. Christmas was a take-out Chinese feast but served in a multitude of dishes at home which I had to clean and load in the dishwasher. One year, when Mr. HC's kids were little and were with us at my parent's, we filmed a horror movie (my Dad was film maker and director). Best Holiday Ever. 

Holidays are hard, but they are a treasure. My Mom was an executive secretary and ran the holidays like a military operation, but I do miss them greatly. 

[Leeny]

@stevieb 

It sounds like you really had a very nice Thanksgiving with your Mom  

Since both of my parents are gone and I was the only child, our holidays were usually spent at my grandparents home a long with aunts and uncles. 

Your Mom making the dinner sounds so special for you.

As far as your selection you made for your handbag, I think we all have "afew" of those kinds of bags We like them, we just don't like to wear them too long. I know I have my share of those.

My Thanksgiving was nice. Still too much food, too many leftovers. Even with everyone taking some home. I think I'll make turkey noodle soup with my leftover turkey. 

Tomorrow is my DH birthday. Since we can't make"outside" plans we will be having a quiet dinner with primerib and shrimp. ...shhhh.. but that means more cooking.

Spoiler

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@stevieb wrote:

Yesterday, it was just mom and me at her house for dinner... We both figured that was about as safe as we could make it yet both of us felt it was important for us to be together for the holiday. While she occasionally gets her hair done, (meanwhile, mine looks pretty awful a good part of the time), the only places either of us goes, for the most part, is to the grocery store and the pharmacy, so if this was too great a risk, so be it... Giving up some things in life makes one question whether or not it's all worth it... Besides, given her age, we never know if there will be a 'next year'...

Bless her heart, she's quite elderly, virtually crippled with arthritis and with a host of other maladies but insisted on putting together a nice dinner and did herself proud... We enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving dinner of turkey breast, home made gravy, Brussels sprouts, which we both love, fresh green beans, her delectable home made potato salad, cranberry sauce and egg-bread rolls (store bought but still delicious)... Neither of us cares for the traditional pumpkin pie, but the bakery's chocolate cheese cake was yummy... I think I ate two helpings of everything (except the cheesecake), and after all her hard work, she had virtually no appetite. Though she told me she'd sampled as she went along, her appetite isn't what it used to be...

Anyway, the tyrptophan kicked in and I was pretty useless for the rest of the day, leaving to come home after just a few hours, but we both had a nice visit and it was so nice to eat a meal that I didn't have to prepare... Predictably, the weather was unseasonably warm, hovering in the upper 60's and while I found it a bit annoying, it was pretty nice, so I didn't really mind... Fortunately, it cooled down later in the day...

To bring this all back around to the apparently mandatory handbag discussion... I go out so rarely, I decided to switch into a different handbag for my visit... I'd recently come across an older but rarely used bag I recalled buying for the color, which is a unique cherry red-deep coral hue that is just beautiful... The bag can only be described as a more or less traditional 'school boy' satchel with turn lock closure, a single handle (and long strap) and secondary magnetized short strap closures a la the picture of a similar bag below... I knew when I switched into it that it would be a short run for this one, because despite its beauty (and it is beautiful with polished silver tone hardware and leather smooth as butter) I've always found it awkward to use and particularly to get in and out of... Besides, though the leather is substantial, this one's a 'puddler'... It has a zip compartment on the back, one inside, a couple of slip pocket areas, and a center zip compartment... I can't say I enjoyed using it even for the day, but it was pretty to look at... In retrospect, I don't think I've ever carried this one for longer than a day at a time but still, go figure, I don't necessarily consider this one a mistake...

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[handygal2]

It sounds like you had a very special holiday with your Mom-- one you will both treasure. I enjoyed reading your post. 

[stevieb]

@hicindy2  Nice recollections of your holidays growing up... I guess we all have so many memories of them over the years and as we transition from one stage of life to another... I don't know, it seems to me I basically always enjoyed the holidays for many years, even if there was, at times, a nagging little feeling that something was missing... Now, of course, many of us have reached a stage in life when we can appreciate more fully what we had and realize that maybe whatever it was that was missing might not have been as important as it seemed at the time...

[stevieb]

@Leeny  Hoping your DH has a wonderful birthday. Dinner sounds yummy! And yes, we all have a few of 'those' bags...