What’s cool for school! – This week I saw two different groups of high school girls at Starbucks. One group wore uniforms with tan dockside shoes and crew socks. Very attractive. The other wore grey slightly oversized sweat suits. They may have been an athletic team with something going on first thing. In a different way, they were attractive too. I see a lot of bizarre outfits – clothing too small, shoulders or other parts hanging out or hair sticking straight up. They are going for an avantgarde look but not quite making it. It’s my daily entertainment. I wonder what aging adults thought of my outfits – go-go boots, die-dyed anything, jeans with bleach splotches, banana clips – oh my. One thing is for sure. Being young goes a long way to help you pull anything off. I don’t think I can wear go-go boots without looking silly!
Invisibility – The one thing they don’t you about aging is that you become visible. I don’t know how it happens but I know how it feels. I’ve learned to be more perky and bouncy (believe me that is work at this age!) to get waited on. Maybe that’s why I enjoy Starbucks. It’s like Cheers (young’uns google it!). They always know my name.
So what do you do? – I try to be attentive and compliment women my age who are dressed nicely. New outfit? I notice. New sneaks (most women my age only wear sneakers for stability) get a shout-out. My goal is to make everyone feel like they are not wallpaper.
Speaking of old age – My brother and sister-in-law are coming tomorrow for burgers on the grill. (It’s a holiday weekend in the USA.) They are 96 but you wouldn’t know it. My SIL will dig out some spiffy outfit from the 90s (or maybe the aughts) and look marvelous. She never became invisible but she’s incredibly outgoing. We are who we are.
It is the holiday weekend – And it wouldn’t be official unless there was a medical crisis. This time it’s Sasha. It’s not really an emergency. I’ll take her into the vet later this week. Her issue is consistently barfing up her breakfast (after pestering me for it). At least this isn’t fatal, but her morning screaming may make me resort to two mocha lattes!
So how was your week?


96!!!!! Awesome!! That really gave me a boost of hope!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are awesome!
LikeLike
I LOVE your Docksiders. They’re comfy as well as nice looking. I have a pair somewhere. Mine are just one color though. Like the two-toned. :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are Clarks which is a brand that’s comfy for me. At one time I had 4 pair — black patent leather (so cool!), red, blue and this off which kinda tannish. The blue ones wore out. I have narrow feet so I never could wear the Sperry Rand which at one time was the brand to buy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We once had a Clarkes on the Upper Eastside. Now it’s online. Don’t like that since, if they don’t fit, back they go. My foot size keeps changing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My feet are weird so I don’t like to buy on-line either. We have a local Clarks store but they don’t carry a full line.
LikeLike
I’ve never been ‘cool,’ so that works well in retirement because I wear what is cotton and comfortable. Yes, older folks are invisible in general except when it comes to younger men holding doors. They do that quite well. Enjoy your company.
LikeLike
People love cotton but I’m not a fan. You are lucky to have anyone hold a door for you! :)
LikeLike
I’m still a jeans and t-shirt person. I stopped wearing cute outfits about 10 years ago. Seems like a waste of time. Along with makeup and doing my hair in any way other than just pulling it back. I would rather spend that time doing something else. I sure hope Sasha’s tummy feels better soon! Have a wonderful visit and weekend.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I was a jeans person early in retirement until I found the convenience of athletic pullups (no, not the tight ones). When I first retired, I would get up and do the makeup before I went for my coffee run. I figured out fast it was a waste of time. Now I rarely put on makeup. We are trying different things with Sasha. So far nothing has fully worked.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Youth seems to drive kids to be seen, to make a presence, one way or another. But with age and wisdom we learn that true visibility comes from what we do rather than how we look.
Love those deck shoes. Nice colours and quite timeless.
ERin
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are timeless. Mine are at least 10 years old.
LikeLike
we love this kind of shoes too… and we cross all fingers for Sascha. we hope for good news from the vet…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sasha is hoping there is no vet! :) We are still trying new approaches to breakfast to see if we can find the right one.
LikeLike
I’ve heard for years about the invisibility of older women, although I’ve never felt it a personal problem. Maybe it’s because I’m fine not being the center of attention.
I don’t know what’s cool for school these days. When I was in high school, we all wore Pendleton skirts and sweaters bought with the money we earned picking strawberries–plaid pleated skirts, plain straight skirts, crew necked and cardigan sweaters and saddle shoes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Minus the saddle shoes, that’s what I wore working my first job. Invisibility is less about being the center of attention and more about getting waited on and not having doors slammed in your face. Unintentional exclusion. I hope I didn’t do that when I was young.
LikeLike
I knew a blogger who used to say, GIYP – Google It, Young People!
I hope Sasha is feeling better soon. Maybe even before the vet visit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Please, BEFORE the vet visit! I never heard that one before. I may use it but then again, I’ll have to explain it.
LikeLike
When I was young I so wanted to go unnoticed. Now I practically have to beg for assistance because people look right through women of my age. Still, that’s not the worst thing, I suppose. Have a great week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You get used to it and find ways to accomplish your goal. Sometimes it’s just annoying.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the cloak of invisibility at times, but when I want to be seen and/or heard, it does take work.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wait until you get older. It doesn’t get better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m already old.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not as old as I am!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ll have a great holiday, and I look forward to reading about it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We always make the most of what we have. We are lucky.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t “get” a lot of today’s styles and I also think of the styles that I was allowed to wear to look like my friends (not many trendy things, trust me) and our styles were just not that outlandish. Some of the styles today just do not make sense to me at all. I don’t have any tattoos and I seem to be in the minority as I seem to see more and more tats every Summer and as many on females as males. Enjoy your cookout – hope the weather is great! Hopefully Sasha’s sensitive stomach issues can be cured quickly!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wore my share of crazy clothes. The paisley bell bottoms, yikes! Platform shoes and shoulder pads! Loved them all! From a personal standpoint, I don’t do tattoos and it’s for health reasons. If someone else wants to wear them, ok with me. There are a lot of designs locally. Some are beautiful and some are not as artistic (I’m being nice). I didn’t get my ears pierced until I was an adult!
LikeLiked by 1 person
As a teenager, my parents had to “approve” of all of my clothes so they bought them all, but my grandmother and aunt sent me money for my birthday one year as we didn’t get over to Canada for Easter, so, in a rather rebellious mood, I “announced” I was going to buy something fun with that money. This was in the early 70s I guess, so I was about 14-15. I went to our local strip mall to buy my new duds. I don’t know if “trendy” was a word we used back then but I came home with a maxi dress which had a white Dotted Swiss bodice, ruffles at the neck and wrist and a paisley skirt attached. Think Candie’s look on “Here Come the Brides”. To go with that dress, I bought a wooden purse (all the rage at the time) and it looked like a treasure chest (no kidding). Then I stopped at the shoe department and got white Grecian lace-up sandals, flat on the bottom and laced to the knees. I got home and modeled everything and my mom said “you can wear that get-up in the house, but not to school and certainly not anywhere when you go out with us!” Given those limitations, I took everything back and got my money back and bought a few albums instead.
I have no issues with tattoos either – I should have said that, but I really don’t like them on the face, or neck especially and I’ve seen that for both men and women. I am surprised my parents went for platforms as my father nixed buffalo sandals and backless shoes as he would have to pay the medical bills and even that I was very tall!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my! My clothing was regulated at all but I didn’t go crazy. I just wore what was typical at the time. I had a maxi coat for the winter one year. Loved it! So warm!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was younger than my classmates and in high school it bugged me as they were all wearing maxi dresses which I thought were very cool. I wish I’d taken a photo of that outfit which really didn’t make a lot of sense I admit. Now a maxi coat would be very practical in winter. I should have pushed for getting one so I could be semi-cool. I had to walk about 1 1/3 miles each way to school!
LikeLiked by 1 person
In high school it was rarely about being practical but my mom was pretty cool. As long as my butt wasn’t hanging out, she was ok with whatever I wore.
LikeLike
I have beige dockside shoes (Skechers) – nice to know I am in style. I don’t get the big sloppy look in clothes on young people though? Nothing seems to coordinate and it all looks so blah. Enjoy your barbecue!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do you wear it with ankle crew socks? Mine are summer shoes and I wear them with no-see socks so I’m not quite in style.
LikeLike
Enjoy your visitors. Hope Sasha is OK.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope there is no vet visit in our future!
LikeLike
Sasha would not be pleased!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
No she will sing her heart out!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You and the Beloved have a wonderful time with your brother and sis-in-law tomorrow at your grill fest! We are doing hot dogs and burgers on the grill today and probably a repeat tomorrow. I have lost my quirky me look here in Florida. I miss it… I need a winter clothing season. I do love boat shoes though. I like YOUR shoes! I am sad to hear Sasha is barfing her breakfast. I hope you find the magic cure. I am going to splurge tomorrow and get an Iced Caramel Latte! Is it mocha lattes you get every morning?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes for mocha lattes! It’s how I get through the tougher days. I don’t have a lot of quirk anymore either. I stick with the basics.
LikeLike
Have a wonderful cookout. Hope Sasha starts doing better, with or without a vet visit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
She prefers without but we’ll see. Trying something different every day. Maybe I’ll hit the jackpot and it will all stop.
LikeLike
Mom has friends who are 94 and 96. They are probably more active than she is!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My brother is still very active but my SIL has some mobility issues.
LikeLike