Comforts and Philosophy

I am not a fan of spaghetti, I prefer angel hair or vermecelli as well. I like to get (haven't gotten around to making my own) ricotta and add some to the hot pasta with some roasted tomatoes, garlic and mushrooms. Wow that sounds really good...I need to get some of the frozen roasted tomatoes out of the freezer I think.
As you know, I am not a fan of Winter but this year wasn't too bad. The lack of snow isn't a hardship for me, but I wish you could've gotten some up in your part of the state.

You're making me hungry!!

We did get one day of it and I'm so happy we got at least that much- and since we probably won't get more I'm even happier knowing that Max and I took advantage of it and ate lots of it and romped until we were soaking.

Your food sounds really good.

Hmmm....lots to think about here.

While I don't try to be mysterious, I do have a contrary bone in my body and when people try to tell me who I am I can't help but want to prove them wrong. Besides I often find that people see me as they want me to be and that means they usually think I'm just like them. You know the type. The people who will tell you a racist or sexist joke, or assume you share the same religious or political views. As I've grown older, I've become less openly provocative and yet I'm still always on the lookout for people suppressing a wicked little smile and exchanging knowing glances.

As for fashion, what a sad disappointment I will be to you. I might even be one of those "intellectual feminists" (I was disappointed at the dig.) My feelings about clothes, however, are not political. It's not that I think that clothes are frivolous but that I rarely think about them at all. I have always resented having to spend any money on clothes. When I was younger and poorer it was because I'd rather spend the money on other things. And now, it's because I never got into the habit of clothes shopping and it's more a chore than a pleasure.

Currently I live in my cargo pants. I got 5 pairs at $2.49 each a few years ago and I can't stand wearing anything else because I need the pockets for glasses and phone. I wear a T-shirt (usually solid color, no design) or a sweatshirt. My shoes, which I bought 3 years ago, are badly scuffed and worn and I keep thinking I should buy another pair. Everything I wear, I wear for comfort. I have been mistaken for an old hippie (never was) and a homeless person (hope never to be).

My biggest problem with fashion is that now when I could afford to buy nice clothes, I no longer have the body to wear the kind of clothes I would like. And since I'm no longer employed, I don't have any reason to dress up. The trouble and expense doesn't provide equivalent pleasure for me. I receive more pleasure in other things.

I think I didn't paint my verbal picture well enough. A woman can be an intellectual feminist who doesn't care about clothes and I wouldn't make a dig at that in itself. Why should I care if you don't care about fashion?

I don't personally think anyone needs to care about fashion- I am simply saying that whether a person cares or not- their choice in clothing (fiber, color, cut, style) does say some things about who they are as a person at least at the moment they are wearing them.

What really chafes at me are the intellectual feminists who think that people like me (women who take an avid interest in clothes and adornment) are frivolous, shallow, and that our interest makes us somehow inferior.

I have been reading fashion magazines my whole life and I can't tell you how many people (mostly intellectual women) who have made snide comments about anyone being shallow enough to care about clothes.

The thing is, I am not a "fashionista". I myself adore cargo pants and comfort. I wouldn't be caught dead in a stiletto heal and right now I'm leading the frump brigade in Oregon.

My point in this fashion commentary is that our clothes tell a lot about us and I think it may be harder to see this from a current context-but how people have been dressing themselves has been reflective of our lifestyles, our fortunes, our self image as humans, and our innovation for thousands of years.

I also want to point out that I have never in my life been able to afford designer clothes and wouldn't have even if I could have because most of them don't design for my tastes- which doesn't stop me from enjoying details of their work.

I would have liked to study anthropology specializing in clothing.

Anyway- I hope I've painted a clearer picture of what I meant.

We don't know about the rest of it, but had to comment on the very last paragraph. It has to do with the frequent coincidences that seem to be happening here, this time it's the ginger tea. We just went out and bought five pounds of ginger root to keep on hand for making ginger tea. Then we read your post where you mention ginger tea, this stuff happens all the time.
I was also surprised because when I was drinking the first cup, of the first batch, of ginger tea, I happened to be watching Gilligan's Island on dvd, and the Professor actually was mentioning something about Ginger! It is just spooky that's all.
Take care
J&J

What I wear at the moment is dictated by what I can fit my fat bum into and if I don't regain some self control I'll be wearing my pjs to take the children to school. Which is depressing when I have clothes in my wardrobe that I love but can't wear.

Clothing anthropology would be a pretty interesting study. I've always been quite interested in the history of various national costumes. Clothing affects posture and movement. When I dress up I have to assume the character of my costume be it a kimono or a business suit.

In trying to answer you question for myself and figure out what my clothes say about me, I suppose on the surface they currently say I'm very poor (which I'm not)--but the more accurate interpretation is that I'm the absent-minded professor type. However, anyone who knew me in my teens and twenties might be surprised to see how I clothe myself now. In those days I hated pants and wore floor length skirts (not-hippie ones) and capes (more pre-Goth, really). How does this change of costume reflect the changes in my life? Does it represent a certain resignation or conformity? Or just laziness? I think it mostly means I spend most of my time looking inward.

In my own experience I have never met a woman who considers fashion frivolous, even though in my working years I worked with many professional and geeky women. After 20 years of Martha Stewart's reign on the American home scene, I can't believe anyone still feels that homemaking and motherhood are held in contempt by those of us who had to slave for a wage to support our families. I thought we were all past that. From your descriptions of the small town you live in, I'm surprised you encounter it at all.

Austin is a very casual town where people will often go to even fancy restaurants in their running shorts and flip flops. Most of the year, it's too hot to dress up. If I lived in Seattle, I think I would take much pleasure in boots and woolens and more structured clothes.

Anyway, you do always bring up the most interesting topics. I like that you make me think about things.

resurrecting a post for you again.
I think that clothing says too much of who you are.
I used to dress vintage, before it was resurrected and I thought old clothes were great, I decorated myself with colored hair and make up and sometimes I still do. But mostly I am a cargo pants absent minded, possibly homeless style dress girl. I often wear men's clothes, or older not in style things. I am stripes and plaid, my mom says. i roll up my jeans like huck finn so I can walk barefoot in the grass, and I take my kid to school and even go shopping wearing M&M print pajamas...what does my wardrobe say about me? I don't care....It says I don't care, and I really don't...I think that if you are beautiful inside it shows in your eyes and in your smile, and people are always trying to look up our skirts anyways so I quit wearing them. Part of this is laziness, i think, as I so enjoy dressing up sometimes, and wearing nice, classic clothes...but on the surface, is where my personality shows, I really am the tomboy personality, that prefers boys cargo shorts past the knee, with a tank top, and flip flops....and that's ok too...I prefer to be this most days, and princess pretty for special occasions, so people can say stuff "she cleans up well" LOL