28 November 2010
The Purple Coat
30/Nov/10 09:05 Filed in: Museum of Possibilities
Spent a delicious sheepie weekend with Gill and Mieke in Bristol. It was all about indulgence, delight, insight, reflection, support, wisdom, love and laughter. It is truly beneficial to allow these times-out for nourishing body, mind and spirit. The sheepie reference is our every now and then ritual of allowing a space to wrap ourselves in whatever we need and once upon a time that included a pair of wool sheepskins, some tears of happiness and exhaustion, a boiled egg, and a view of the wind-filled sea shore. This weekend, we nestled high up as though in the branches of a tree and, together sat in front of Gill's fire, and discussed heartfelt matters, poetry,keeping track of our thoughts, and what women want! Retail. MMmmm. Stretch the back, bird-like wrapping and buttock beating session? MMMmm. Make a decision to stand one's ground. Let go? Mmmm. Retail. Maybe think of gifting for others? MMM...mm. Retail.
And so it was we went on a quest for a pair of funky yet practical boots for all, a coat for moi, a hat and scarf that is never going to leave her body for Gill, a cardi and talk of a mini skirt for model legs Mieke. We spent six long hours journeying around the inside airless interior of Cribbs Causeway, glimpsing the sun setting from a far away window, until finally falling in love with a purple wool coat. I frantically ring Graham and throw in a comment that I am in a vast shopping centre circumnavigating a wonderfully smart woollen coat. What you have to ask yourself, he says, do you actually need it? We go off to sink into a deep seat and scoff sweet cakes and coffee. I mutter about the guilt of getting something really out of the zone. The girls gave me courage to indulge and say they will invest in my creativity by buying an arm of the coat each. Mmmm, I think, maybe my husband could pay for the collar. And so it was, on a snowy wintery dark journey back home, I listen to the radio in the car and it is all about investments, in jewels, pink diamonds, they cost about 31 million pounds, so I reckon with my amethyst coat, I have a bargain. So, thank goodness for the kindness and solidarity of women friends. Now I have to be brave enough to wear it, and Mother Nature seems to have stepped in with the coldest chill, so that is sorted. Mieke had talked about some woman in the papers who wore the same dress for a year, maybe I could do that with my coat - as part of the Museum of Possibilities. So, watch this space!
And so it was we went on a quest for a pair of funky yet practical boots for all, a coat for moi, a hat and scarf that is never going to leave her body for Gill, a cardi and talk of a mini skirt for model legs Mieke. We spent six long hours journeying around the inside airless interior of Cribbs Causeway, glimpsing the sun setting from a far away window, until finally falling in love with a purple wool coat. I frantically ring Graham and throw in a comment that I am in a vast shopping centre circumnavigating a wonderfully smart woollen coat. What you have to ask yourself, he says, do you actually need it? We go off to sink into a deep seat and scoff sweet cakes and coffee. I mutter about the guilt of getting something really out of the zone. The girls gave me courage to indulge and say they will invest in my creativity by buying an arm of the coat each. Mmmm, I think, maybe my husband could pay for the collar. And so it was, on a snowy wintery dark journey back home, I listen to the radio in the car and it is all about investments, in jewels, pink diamonds, they cost about 31 million pounds, so I reckon with my amethyst coat, I have a bargain. So, thank goodness for the kindness and solidarity of women friends. Now I have to be brave enough to wear it, and Mother Nature seems to have stepped in with the coldest chill, so that is sorted. Mieke had talked about some woman in the papers who wore the same dress for a year, maybe I could do that with my coat - as part of the Museum of Possibilities. So, watch this space!