Did I just find another possible clue to my fondness for girly things in this old (translation - poor quality) picture of me, found with some family archives? Look in the basket beside me...is that one or more dolls in my Easter basket? The big one beside it appears to be a boy doll...but I can't be sure 60+ years later!
Teddy bears? Yes, I had two, and enjoyed playing with them. In fact, I still have them...on display with some of my wife's, in a glass-front case. I just couldn't "bear" (no pun intended) to throw them out, when we emptied Mom's house.
But dolls? No, that I don't remember... Pictures don't lie, though.
It was cold outside Wednesday (what a surprise...) so I chose to wear my tan stirrups with a bright red turtleneck and my new dress flats. When I walked into Mom's room, she told me how nice I looked, and asked why I was all dressed up. It was very nice to be complimented, and I thanked her. But more amazing was to hear how nice I looked from one of the staffers. I guess I just wear "femininity" well...
Thursday's weather punch wasn't all that bad out here on the Delmarva. Snow changed to sleet about 3AM and when I got up, the roads were bad but there was only about 3 inches of accumulation. Most everything was closed, probably out of an abundance of caution, so staying home was the best option.
Overnight Thursday the Delmarva escaped the worst of the next round of winter weather (once again). Most of the bad weather afflicted the mainland. So Friday, my wife and I went out for a nice Valentine's Day meal. The place was full of women - only one man could be seen. And that wasn't me...the server addressed us as ladies the whole time, all the way to the end, including offering to split the bill for us. I bought, but thankfully my name on the credit card didn't betray my secret. "Ladies" continued all the way out the door. Very nice...
To those of you recently affected by, or currntly being affected by, these awful winter storms, I feel your pain... Having been involved with the 2006 and 2010 blizzards in the northeast, I know how hopeless one can feel as the driveway you cleared an hour ago looks worse than it did before you started... Fortunately, these storms have left the Delmarva mostly unscathed...what fell Wednesday is pretty well gone - there are only a few piles left. And by mid week, we may be in the 50's. Maybe spring is just around the corner?
Hmmm - that may be too much to ask!
Back in the era of our youth folks were not hung up on gender typing gifts. It was the cost that kept gifts rare. I know that one of my brother's had a rag doll that he hung onto for years.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that your mother and the other folks at the home care enough to compliment you on your feminine appearance. That is a sign of acceptance. Guys never mention anything about what another guy is wearing and often feel ill at ease to compliment a woman on her attire but women compliment other women as a matter of normal discourse. I am also pleased about your Valentine meal where you were treated as a woman while with your wife. That says a lot about your appearance, and more imortantly, the aura that you project.
The weather, as you note, here in NY/NJ has been miserable. With the exception of the week that we took the autotrain to and from Florida I have had my toenails polished all winter. While I had a mani/pedi back before Christmas I just had the salon put on clear polish on both my fingers and toes. I put the red polish on myself at home.
Saturday the weather was miserable and I told my wife that I was going for a mani/pedi. She told me that I should take the polish off my toes before I went. I joked that I would ask the nail girl for color and she said that was not a good idea. The place I go to is run by Koreans and they never seem to know what I am saying and I have trouble understanding them.
I was surprised that there was a nice young non-Korean girl who was assigned to me. She gave me a great pedi. In the process she must have observed the remnants/traces of the red polish that I had tried to take off. I noted that she used polish remover on my toes and the cotton picked up plenty of red streaks.
She was a shy girl and we did not talk while she did her work but when my toes were done she asked if I would like clear polish or a color. I jumped at the chance to get color and she then asked my what color I wanted. I started to stumble over my words and she asked me what my favorite color was and if I wanted red or something else. I had her do my toes in a pleasant neutral/brownish shade. They look very nice. Not loud or gaudy but quite nice whether I am barefoot or wearing pantyhose. She then did my fingers and asked if I wanted the same on my fingers but I chickened out and went for clear coat. She was very nice I gave her a nice tip.
I left the salon on a cold and nasty day with ice, snow ans slush in the parking lot wearing my flipflops with the toe spacers between my newly polished toes.
On my way home I realized that I needed an oil change for the car and when I pulled up to the Jiffy Lube the woman came out to my car before I was expecting it. She opened my door while asking if I was there for an oil change. She clearly saw the bright yellow and orange toe spacers on my feet as I got out of the car. I walked into the Jiffy Lube with the spacers in my toes and went to the bathroom where I took the spacers out of my toes. If anyone cared to look at my feet in the flip flops they would have noticed the polish.
When I got home my wife asked about the mani/pedi. I told her it was very nice. She did not metion the color although I have to presume that she saw it.
Pat
Pat,
DeleteIt's always a pleasure when waitstaff addresses us appropriately - as two ladies. And I'm glad my wife has come to accept it. But I have to admit that I sometimes let her take the lead when we go out to dinner...it just seems more comfortable to let her do the initial talking. But whether she - or I - lead, it's always fun to realize that for the event at hand, I'm known as, and treated as, a woman!
Your pedi experience sounds like fun! I'll bet you were lovin' it to walk into the waiting room in flip flops, with your spacers in place! I know I would be...but with shellac pedicures, the polish is ready to go when you come out from under the UV light. One of these times when I get a pedi before a solo trip, I'll see if she can paint them a nice red on top of the shellac. That way I'll get to wear the toe separators out of the shop, too!
I presume the clerk said nothing, even though she noticed???
My wife pretty much ignores the result of my fills and pedicures, though I put them on the calendar so I don't forget them. It's wonderful that your wife acknowledges them!
Mandy
You are correct that the clerk said nothing about the toe spacers...just a pleasant somewhat bemused look on her face. I think that if people see things that are different or out of place to what they normally expect to see that there is a time lag in their brains while they try to process the information. I am sure that she saw the bright orange and yellow toe spacers but she had to think twice about processing what it is that she saw.
ReplyDeleteNo one else at the jiffy lube seemed to be paying attention to my feet.
I know that my wife loves me and does what she can to overlook and or accept my dressing issues.
Pat
Bright orange and yellow spacers would be hard to miss.... And "processing time" is a good description of her reaction. Perhaps she wished she had been able to enjoy a pedicure?
DeleteI'm so glad your wife is "working at" accepting your dressing! As for mine, status quo is ok, but there hasn't been much real progress in a long time.
M