Hmmmm....

I've been wearing one of my mother's necklaces (sometimes the matching bracelet as well) in androgynous mode for quite some time, and to a number of neighborhood get-togethers.    At several of the gatherings, one particular woman has expressed happiness that I honor Mom by wearing her jewelry.  (I'm not exactly confident as to whether she knows my true gender, and fortunately she hasn't asked when I will start wearing her earrings!)   But her comments fortunately have never occurred within earshot of my wife.

Until now.

At a get-together earlier last week, the lady stopped me and checked for my necklace again, to be sure I was still wearing it...and this time my wife was nearby.  She watched and listened, but said nothing.  Till on the way home.  Wifey didn't believe it was actually Mom's necklace.  I truthfully told her that not only was it Mom's necklace, but I haven't bought any necklaces to add to her collection.   She said she still prefers that I don't wear it (or its matching bracelet) around family and close friends, and she will remind me when not to (she's done that many times, but not that day.)   However, she concurred that it was a very nice gesture.

A few days after that get-together, I stopped at a nearby store to pick up some furnace filters.   (The ever-present Honey-Do list, you know.)  Dressed in my tan stirrup pants, black tights, flats, turtleneck, and with a black sweater and women's hoodie (neither shown in the below archive photo),  I was addressed as "Ma'am" the entire time I was at the store.

As I checked out, the clerk (a 20something male) reminded me: "Ms. (insert my now-exclusively-female first name here), you could save 20% by coming back to buy this at tonight's Ladies' Night.  We'd love to have you attend."   A very nice gesture, for which I thanked him.  "But we may get snow tonight, so I guess I won't worry about Ladies Night this time around..."  "No problem, Ma'am."

We didn't get snow, and I didn't attend.  Yes, I would have saved a bit more than a dollar, but would have used more gas than that for the round trip.  (Hmmm, perhaps I should have gone, simply to celebrate another first: my first official "Ladies' Night.")   But it was nice to be invited...

We had a box of books in the basement, which we wanted to donate either to to an area church for a book sale or for donation to charity.  I had emailed a church to find out if they were accepting donations.  And in their reply (to Ms. ______ of course), they assured me that they were.  So I subsequently dropped the box off.  (Before you ask, I was dressed in a color variant of the above outfit.)   Good news is that the entire time, I was treated as a female by the lady in charge.  

It's amazing how often I'm identified as female...even when not wearing a skirt!   (And it sounds good, even if they're just being "politically correct!")

Mandy