Better Day

I had a better day today. The first item on the agenda was my eye appointment, where I learned that my eye sight isn't changed enough to be causing my headaches (guess I can now switch to blaming it on stress or hormones....or both! Yeah, that'll work...), but I also got contacts!

Back in the days BC (Before Children) I only wore glasses for driving and watching movies. Once I had my first child, my eyesight got worse, and I started having to wear glasses all the time. I had contacts as a teen, and tried them at least once during The Baby Years, but it's said that pregnancy can make wearing contacts uncomfortable, and so I guess maybe that's why I decided not to stick with it.

Well, nowadays I'm working my way toward looking better, and decided the glasses have to go. I was able to pop the contacts in without a bit of trouble, and am doing fine.

It was so weird, driving around afterwards, getting a glipse of myself in the mirror. I haven't hardly seen my face sans glasses for 13 years! Obviously I took them off at night and such, but I haven't been able to go out without glasses at all. It's like rediscovering my face all over again.

After the eye exam I went on to buy some clothes. I was down to the following pants in my wardrobe:

1 pair perfectly fine black pants
1 pair jeans that look ok but I can barely breathe in
1 pair jeans that I love but have 2 non-trendy holes in the butt
1 pair fat butt pants that are only worthy of being worn to bed or around the house if I am ill

(translation: only one pair of suitable pants to wear in public)

And I had approximately 2 shirts decent to wear for fall/winter.

Time to go shopping!

We had some "extra" money come in, so I struck while the iron was hot and all that good stuff.

I didn't end up finding as many items as I hoped to, but what I got I do like. A new pair of jeans (no holes, and I can breathe AND sit comfortably!), a sweater that made my husband say RAWR (as I knew he would), a couple of those half-way sweater thingies called shrugs, and camis to go underneath, and another outfit with one of those see-throughish shirts and a cami underneath. The shirts are kind of a departure for me, but I'm going to trust that a leap into being fashionable won't hurt me very much. I always struggle with what kind of tops to get. It seems like for the past few years all I can see in tops fashion are shirts that are either the gaudiest durn shirt specimens seen since the 70s passed by, ones with arms that make me feel like a bat, empire waists that make me look pregnant (and I've already been-there-done-that enough for now, you know), or boring business-y button up shirts. Or plain old tshirts of course. I've found that a print works nicely for me, since with 6 kids I seem to inevitably get slimed with snot or peanut butter or whatever. Those prints can camouflage what a plain tshirt cannot. So, I didn't really want any plain Ts.

The shrugs and camis didn't make me look fat or like a bat, didn't feel to warm, and seemed reasonably flattering. So, I took the big leap and got two. I'm reforming my boring, fashion-free ways of the past, and doing pretty well with it. Last Christmas my sister was shocked to see me in boot cut jeans. She gawked at me and said, "Woa! Those jeans are actually in style" or something to that extent. Sis, you would be proud if you could see what I brought home today. And, I even know that I need some different shoes to wear with some of it! I looked, but didn't find the right thing at the right price yet. Will keep at it, though.

I would also like to report that I was upset yesterday because a woman in a group I am in went nutso about something she didn't understand that I did. She sent me a huffy email making some thinly veiled accusations, and so I had the pleasure of taking time from my already overwhelming day to construct a very kind, carefully-worded response, in which I was totally calm, rational, ignored her baiting comments, and hoped that it might help diffuse her upset. Later that day I found out that she had been calling many group members to complain about this problem and say rude things about me. All without contacting me in the first place. I was so aggravated because it was a very petty and irrational thing to begin with. I was seriously considering just not being in the group any more. But you know what? She sent me an apology last night, saying that she realized she had been wrong, had jumped to conclusions, and so forth. I wrote her back another nice note, and she responded again that she appreciated my graciousness and felt bad about her actions.

It was something of a relief to have her apology. I can only hope (and not hold my breath) that she might take the time to go back to all the people she blabbed to, to let them know she realizes she was wrong. I was very glad that I had not allowed my emotions to dictate what I wrote in my emails to her. By taking the high road, it allowed her to have to wallow in her bad behavior all by herself. It reminded me of the verse about a gentle answer turning away wrath. Sure seemed to work well.

I'm still considering leaving the group, though. It was one more example of unimportant things ending up taking too much time and energy out of my life. Some days I feel like I just can't take on anything extra. Other days I feel like I can do it all, plus more! I'm going to give it awhile, and also see at the next meeting how it seems the leadership of the group is going to function, and if it seems hopeful that the group isn't going to turn into a cat fight every other day (like it already has in the month that the group has existed!!).

Tomorrow is book group. We will be discussing MY FAVORITE: (say it with me now) OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon. I have actually been reading it through for the second time so as to be prepared to lead the discussion. Honestly, I just can't quit loving these books! Gabaldon is an amazing story teller.

Well, time to whip them all soundly and put them to bed! (Ok, chill. I'm not really going to whip anybody.)

Happy trails to you!