She Wears Red Well

Anne Hathaway at Oscars 2011; archival Valentino gown

Ordinary Joy: Dancing in a Red Dress (of course)

Prompt for Dec. 27: Ordinary Joy. Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful, ordinary moments this year? (Author: Brene Brown)

Well, well. Although I wasn't able to find a red dress photograph for my 12/25/10 #Reverb10 post on the photo that most captured the "real me", I've been showered with a number of red dress shots from Carolyn's wedding (thanks, Maureen!). They'll work quite well for this post today on ordinary joy. It's not that weddings are ordinary or that donning a red dress is ordinary. But, dancing surely can be.

How can we not experience joy when cares are thrown aside, the music summons with a tantalizing, familiar beat, and it becomes all about being who we are in that moment without question, reserve, or worry? As today's author, Brene herself points out in her latest book, The Gifts of Imperfection, dancing along with laughter and song are powerful joyful forces.

So here is my ordinary joy.  How sweet it is.

 

Carolyn and Mitch's wedding Oct 2010

Party On!

Prompt for Dec. 9: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Shauna Reid)


This is easy. The socks rockin' celebration of my year took place on the evening of October 2nd at the Chicago History Museum. My niece, Carolyn and the love of her life, Mitch tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony in front of family and friends.

The wedding photo collection was fabulous and....perfect timing;  my photo selections arrived in the mail yesterday, just in time for this blog post. Here we are in the "bride's family formal".

And then we have these great shots....

Need I say that I had a fabulous time? Need I admit that the magic swept me away from a period of intense sadness and gave me a respite from tough realities back home in Seattle?  Need I say that I love to dance in a red dress at weddings?

 

Thanks Carolyn and Mitch for my "event of the year"! Party on and much love to you both.

They Wore Red

They Wore Red

The youthful hearts standing aside the bride
and groom wore Red.
The ladies, lingering in an enchanted drape of crimson,
drawn to the matching vest of proud groomsmen.
Red speaking boldly, never in a whisper, of
love, and hope, and dreams.
Red celebrating wildly, arms flung wide, hearts open
to unfolding moments.
Red remembering sweetly the reason for song, and toast, and tipping glass.
Red, forever a reminder of memories sweet, of memories dear.

Sentimental Dress

I'm cleaning out my closets, sorting and giving tons of clothing away to the "truck" that comes around our neighborhood every month or so to pick up donations. We almost always have at least one bag of items to give away. Recycling.

I come across this dress in my closet every time I make one of these "give away" sweeps. This one has been put in and taken out of the "to donate" bag dozens of times over the last 20 years. I can never bear to part with this dress even though it hasn't been worn once since we moved to Seattle in 1991! What's going on here?

For one thing, this is a red dress (a print but still, it's red).

More importantly, this is a dress I purchased back in 1985 when I was pregnant for Chris. I went all out on maternity clothes for some reason; spent way too much money and bought from higher end stores like "A Pea in the Pod". I had all sorts of classy looking maternity suits and dresses that I wore to work. I remember Denny remarking that I never bought such nice looking clothing as when I was pregnant. After Laura was born and we'd decided that two children would the family make, I donated all my maternity wear, except for this one dress.

The claim to fame of this frock is that it's "sneaky" maternity wear. Designed to be worn as a non-maternity dress with a cinch-in belt at the waist, it balloons into a roomy, comfortable dress sans the belt as the pregnancy progresses. I wore it many times in December 1985, 7 months pregnant with Chris, and felt festive and seasonal. I wore it again two years later when pregnant with Laura. Just to get my money's worth (this one was really pricey), I wore it several times (with the belt) over the next few years, always around the Christmas holidays.

I read once that if you can't bear to part with sentimental things, one way to ease the endless struggle is to take a picture of whatever it happens to be and keep the photograph as the visual reminder of the item in question. I'm going to give this a try because this dress has to go. Bye Bye.

Tri Wear?

I have passion for the color red. Especially red clothing. Especially red clothing that hugs the body and shows off arms, shoulders and upper back.

This swimsuit from a well known mail order catalog caught my eye today. Oh my; check out that color, check out the ruffle at the low cut neckline, check out that smart and sassy pareo tied against the right hip. I've gone off the deep end of the pool on this one.

I've seen some women wear what looks like swimwear at the Danskin Triathlon. Amidst the more traditional tri suits, shorts and T's, these women catch my eye. Sometimes I spy a one piece suit and sometimes a two piece. And, I wonder.....is this comfortable for that long journey? Probably not.

My fantasy has me wearing this beauty on the swim, bike and run come July and August 2009. The pareo I'll save for the finish line, tossed to me by my proud husband who cheers me along the final fifty yards of sprint. Ahhhh, how sweet the image.

Red Dress

One wonders; is the dress posing, waiting for her
moment in the spotlight?
Or, has she been there already, now cast off,
languishing in rest.

Did she dance?
Did she love herself?
Did she know she was loved?

Did she know she was beautiful?

One wonders; the stillness of the moment carries
the unspoken and the unknown,
close to the heart.

Of Poetry and a Red Dress

Where to start?

Book Club meets again in mid-October. The topic for this gathering is "poetry". At our last meeting we discussed the format for poetry night. Some in the group feel mystified and perhaps a bit intimidated by poetry; others welcome the shift away from discussing books. I'm quite excited about our plan to each bring several poems to read aloud to the group. I think it will be interesting to see what type of poetry resonates with people; the choices they make will "tell", much like a window into the soul. Perhaps I'm being overly dramatic but I think what we like in this genre speaks a lot about who we are.

My selections are coming together nicely. Reading Kim Addonizio's What do Women Want? is a given. Kim writes boldly about the passion behind a red dress and captures beautifully the reason(s) for my obsession with my own red dress. I've given some thought to reading one of my own poems at this meeting and perhaps will pen some verse about my red dress in the meantime. I'll look upon the jitters of sharing as a way of revealing more of who I am much like I encourage people to read my blog. The evening should be interesting; fodder for another post in October.

As some in my family know, my love affair with a certain red dress began when good friend M.C. and I ventured into BCBG MAXAZRIA two years ago. On a whim this very generous woman shelled out hundreds to float my fantasy after trying on a certain little red dress. I'll need to write more about this story and may well share the details with book group in October.

In the meantime, let me showcase these wonderful photos of my niece, Jeanne who tried on her red dress recently. She wore this drop dead gorgeous frock to a high school prom twenty years ago. Two decades later, both she and the dress look amazing. Suffice it to say, there's much to be said about this powerful topic. Poetry is a good place to start.

photographs used with permission and courtesy of Jeanne M.
Thank you.

Red Obsession

When I bothered to notice there were red dresses in shop windows and on the racks in almost every clothing store Laura and I visited in Las Vegas. Laura just rolled her eyes when I pulled out my camera over and over again to capture the wonder.

"Jeeez, Mom, what's up with that?"

No words.

The Heart Truth

February 1st marks the start of "American Heart Month" and today is National "Wear Red" day. I have chosen to wear a red top and black pants to work. Wearing red is a reminder that women also develop heart disease, just like our husbands, brothers, fathers and all the other men out there. Women have long been forgotten when it comes to this most sinister of illnesses; after age 50 or so, our risk of heart disease approaches that of men and increases with each new decade. Our symptoms may be atypical, unusual and are often dismissed as originating from other causes.

We should all be mindful of all the ways we can reduce our genetic and lifestyle risks factors. Exercise, achievement of ideal body weight, healthy eating habits and for those of us affected by diabetes, hyperlipidemia, or hypertension, good control of these afflictions goes a long way towards reducing our risks. As for smoking: banish it to the winds if possible! Having said that, I realize that addiction to nicotine is the hardest of all to to overcome and I applaud all who have done so successfully; it's a powerful step towards the best possible health. Little things like dark chocolate and red wine coupled with good sex, relaxation, and the pursuit of joy are said to offer benefits as well. Yeah!

To all the wonderful women in my life; have a heart healthy day!

Thursday

Thursday, the last day of January 2008, ticks away. This month has passed quickly but then they all seem to zip by at record pace. I am "off" today but thinking ahead to my next 4 1/2 days of work with some dread, unable to just let it all go and enjoy the present moment. It is cold but bright outside; I should be out there walking briskly instead of sitting here eating cookies and drinking water infused with vitamin C and glucosamine/chondroitin. But, it's cozy here by the fireplace with the "fake logs" fueled by natural gas glowing and creating some warmth in this drafty house of mine. The cat sleeps by my side and music plays in the background. I've swept the hardwood floors, made the bed, and vacuumed the downstairs carpets/rugs. Lunch was a hardboiled egg and dessert, of course....cookies from Costco that have me hooked. Deceptively light they make me feel that eating a half dozen is nothing at all. Ahhhhhh.

I got the word from my sports med doc yesterday that the best fix for the torn cartilage in my right knee is arthroscopic surgery. I don't have to do it; it's just that my knee will continue to hurt me in certain positions if I don't take this step. If I wasn't so invested in being a mid-life athlete, I'd say "what's the point?" but as I'm trying to stay fit and know this knee thing will interfere, I guess I'll go ahead. But when? When is the best time for this sort of aggravation? Recovery is quick, not like a ligament injury they say. I'll have to pull out the calendar and work around spring break, work schedules and Mom and Dad's needs.

I'm reading today; hoping to finish up a really weird book I picked up last month called The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. It isn't my typical pick but this futuristic bit of fiction caught my eye in the bookstore. It's pretty good and based on the premise that when we die we go to a place where we keep living (sort of) until the last of those who knew us on earth also die. Then, we pass on into another "beyond".

Browsing around Magnolia's Bookstore today I also picked up What is the What by Dave Eggers. The book is a fictionalized account of a Sudanese youth (one of the Lost Boys) who braved all odds to find freedom (?) in the United States. This one received excellent reviews and is a bookclub selection (joined a new bookclub recently) for later this year. I also bought Eckhart Tolle's, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. Sure, it's an Oprah pick but I've read his other book, The Power of Now which was enlightening even if the message evaporated quickly. I have read so many of these inspiring books, hoping that one will stick on me like super glue. I figure it will take more than just reading to actually incorporate these states of being into my everyday life. A little here, a little there; would that it would add up to something bigger. I will try again.

I also passed the clothing store in Magnolia Village this morning and stood mesmerized by a red dress (just in time for Valentine's Day?) in the window. Although the color and the fabric are the same as my red dress, this one has a covered back but a charming criss cross front. A more sedate style, certainly much more appropriate for my stage in life. This makes me sad. I don't think this red dress of mine will every make another showing unless it's to dust the house or run in the Valentine's Day Dash (I made that up but my red dress could certainly double as a great sports top coupled with a pair of red or black tights. Ha! Guess my back can only be out there legitimately if I'm at the pool, at the beach, or running a race.

And so, I'm done with my musing for this sunny but cold and windy late January day. Things are a rumblin'. There's work to be done both inside and out. Life's a mystery. Open up those sleepy eyes and witness.

Red Dress

What do Women Want?
by Kim Addonizio

I want a red dress,
I want it flimsy and cheap,
I want it too tight, I want to wear it
until someone tears it off me.
I want it sleeveless and backless,
this dress, so no one has to guess
what's underneath. I want to walk down
the street past Thrifty's and the hardware store
with all those keys glittering in the window,
past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old
donuts in their cafe, past the Gurerra brothers
slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly,
hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders.
I want to walk like I'm the only
woman on earth and I can have my pick.
I want that red dress bad.
I want it to confirm
your worst fears about me,
to show you how little I care about you
or anything except what
I want. When I find it, I'll pull that garment
from its hanger like I'm choosing a body
to carry me into this world, through
the birth-cries and the love-cries too,
and I'll wear it like bones, like skin,
it'll be the goddammned
dress they bury me in.

This is one of my favorite poems; it captures precisely the magic of owning and wearing a red dress. In my wardrobe I have quite a few red sweaters, shirts and tops which I pair with black pants and skirts, especially during the December holidays. But, I have only one red dress and I have worn that dress to only one event. There are many times that I think about my red dress and want to put it on, just to take out the garbage or to clean the house and maybe to wear to another big event in my life. But, I don't. I'm hoping that I will do so and not worry that it may show too much skin or be a dress designed for a woman half my age. I want 2008 to be a year when that glorious red dress and I march into the storm and are victorious.