sencillament vermell - simply red ( II )

sencillament vermell – simply red ( II ) (Photo credit: Jordi@photos)

It’s turned honest cold here in Southeast Tennessee today. We’re just beside ourselves, bundlin’ up and waitin’ on the next mood swing. The South rarely bores us, but it might be nice once in a while.

Do you know how hard it is to be short in winter? It’s a constant battle not to look like some kind of gnome, sittin’ in somebody’s snow-less. But I just read that gnomes are all males, with beards and blue tunics and red pointy hats.

You wouldn’t believe all the stuff I’ve got on right now, except for a beard and pointy red hat. I’ve got on a deep red scarf, which is so soft and pretty and generous, which I love, especially because it was given to me by three young women from India, who were students when I worked for a while at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Architectural Resource Center, in the library, years ago. (I hope they’ve added some color to that place. It used to be almost all gray. I longed to put something red there. Gray looks good with red).

Anyway, under my pretty red scarf, there are some other mentionables (hey, I try to keep things clean, when possible) like a black cotton turtleneck sweater, which is almost worn out, because it’s so comfortable. One woman at the center today had on a pretty navy blue and white cotton-blend turtleneck that looked so comfortable. I asked her where she got it. She wouldn’t tell me.

She also pushed me out of the way, with silver words, when I was washing the dishes. She didn’t want to dry dishes, she wanted to wash dishes. I didn’t say anything, but just dried. Choosin’ battles. But that’s how you know you have a real place, when somebody else takes it. (Don’t worry. They put stars in our crowns, when they put us down).

Back to winter clothing, for short people, who have many reasons to live. Besides the red scarf and black cotton turtleneck and dark stretchy jeans and shoes and double socks, I’m wearing a double-breasted jacket that drapes almost to my knees, because I’m short and this coat was made for a tall woman. I bought the jacket (with slacks) at a yard sale. (The slacks need to be hemmed. They’re in the car).

Short people are not supposed to wear double-breasted anything, but I’m wearin’ it, against the cold and the rules. It doesn’t look so bad, with my little hoop earrings, which I put on again, after accidentally discovering (while looking in my old jewelry box) that my ear-holes are still there, after not wearing pierced earrings for months. I tried to go all French, to be “less is more” and not wear any earrings. But hey, we Southerners have to gaudy things up a little once in a while, to feel better.

Oh, and I’m wearing black eyeglasses, like Brad Pitt and Christine Baranski do sometimes, so I can see clearly, instead of blurry. I bought these black eyeglasses many years ago, when I still worked at UNCC, before black glasses were all the rage. Who knew? Trendy! (Oh, when I was growing the dark brown fake color out of my hair, two students thought I paid to have dark frosted hair tips! (My son told me to go natural color with my hair if I wanted and my daughter advised not to get those big hair perms anymore. “No more poofy hair Mom:) I mostly listen to my children, since they are smarter than me (Really).

Anyway, I look like a woman gnome today, without a beard, but still rockin’ winter, aged-all-fine (instead of processed) and all fluffy too, for giving myself permission to eat a whole little tub of frozen peanut butter and true vanilla and red velvet yogurt yesterday. (Lord willing, I’ll tell you about it soon. YUM!)

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