The “big event” I was charged with coordinating happened last night. Actually, there were two events, over the last two days, and the day before that I picked up the visiting speaker from the airport and settled her in her hotel. (This all, of course, had to happen around my regular classes, so these were long days, complicated by the reality of life on the island with an hourly ferry schedule.) Months and months in the planning and organization, with many nested tasks being driven through institutional on-line requisitions and follow-ups and requests for approval, inquiries into protocols and policies and . . . . aargh!
All came together nicely. The press releases and posters and all the social media must have done their work, because we had good crowds, and the venues were ready, although there was some last-minute scrambling for A/V support (microphones and computers and whatnot). The last-minute cancellation of one of the dignitaries offering a welcome was easily adjusted to with others picking up the slack, and I managed to get all the names and titles right in my thank yous and acknowledgments. The guest speaker gave a wonderful lecture and reading, and the audience asked thoughtful questions, and when we all moved down to the reception room, the crowd commented on the simple but effective table decoration. Books were bought and signed, and poetry-lovers were happy to chat informally with the poet, and food and drink made for a convivial evening . . . . we couldn’t do much about the institutional fluorescent lighting, but I think we showed our community that Poetry Functions could be Good Times!
And now I’m going to collapse. I have no marking this weekend, and I’m pretty much prepared for next week’s course readings. We have an opera to attend tomorrow night in Vancouver, and I have grand-daughters (not to mention their lovely parents) to visit, but otherwise, I’m going to be as lazy and as comfy as I want.
I might wear these JCrew sweat pants, toile-print and all. Because, you know, despite what I speculated back here, these pants are clearly good for relaxing but perhaps not so much for wearing out anywhere that needs a sharper look.
Okay, admittedly, this Vince v-neck (I love it! Tissue-weight merino, drapes wonderfully) overwhelms, makes the overall look a baggy-on-baggy silhouette — oh yay!
But I also tried it like this, a more neatly-fitting top (charcoal, v-neck Bompard cashmere) pale-pink cashmere scarf (I know, piling on the comfort I was)
and then changed the shoes from low-heeled boots to flat Converse
and then threw a field jacket over the whole thing, like this
and even then, just heading to yoga class, I wasn’t convinced. . . . (In case you’re wondering, these are an XS, but there’s still too much fabric, isn’t there? It may be the length, d’you think?)
But they’re très, très confortable. . . . Which is exactly what I need this weekend, lounging on the couch with the Saturday Globe and Mail. Oh yeah!
When I’ve lounged to my heart’s content, I’m going to respond to the wonderful, wise, lovely comments you left on my last post. My plan right now is to weave the comments and my responses into another post, and extend the conversation, but I may be too ambitious in that intention. I will respond though, and meanwhile, I want you to know how much your presence here is appreciated. Thanks to new readers who said hello for the first time, in comments; thanks to regular and occasional commenters; and thanks as well to all of you who read without commenting (or those few I’ve heard from who try to comment but are foiled by the technology gremlins!), whose clicks here add to the stats that encourage me to keep writing.
Now, if you’re so inclined, tell me what will be bringing you comfort this weekend. Will you be oh-so-chic in your lounging state, or will you permit your tired self some leisure-wear coziness? Am I on a sartorial road to perdition or have I recognized the error of my ways just in time? Do tell. . .
I loved your last post on beauty and ageing. The photos of you and your granddaughter are sublime!
Glad to hear your poetry event went off well and congratulations on pulling it together. I am currently trying to coordinate visits from and to our rather large family – everyone suddenly wants to get together now the nights are drawing in, and it is proving incredibly frustrating as people change their plans…
You are probably right about the sweatpants – enjoy lounging this weekend. Not sure what we are doing – a bit of chilling perhaps, maybe a visit to nearby Cambridge for a bit of culture and dressing up, and definitely some work on clearing up in the garden after the recent stormy weather. Happy weekend!
Happy to hear your event was such a success. I tried sweats and returned happily to baggy jeans, but, YMMV:).
It is now half term here in England and school is but a dream for a whole week. I shall be hopping on a train to the south of England and then a plane to Nantes for 3 days of nattering, eating and being a tourist with my daughter. Because I really enjoy the capsule wardrobe, I shall be black and tan with touches of gold and brass throughout. And – I shall buy a G&T for the train and sleep (probably really unattractively) over a glossy magazine.
It doesn't get much better. Even the thought of flying again cannot deter me. Enjoy the sense of a good job well done.
Enjoy your weekend. I'm already in my jersey pull on pants here after planting all my remaining Spring bulbs very quickly before it became dark her in North Yorkshire. Planned breakfast and newspapers out at nearby cafe and a walk tomorrow afternoon, then some baking on Sunday with friend's lovely 9 year old daughter. We'll have a Hallowe'en theme going on. Look forward to your next post and following 'retirement' issues closely. You are not alone in your anxieties but I'm sure you know that. Changing circumstances are always worrying but you have a battery of excellent coping strategies:- your running, a supportive partner, coastal living, opera trip and spending time with young family members. Jill S
Oh comfort; that's a good question. I may have too much grading for comfort—well, I do have too much. But clunky motorcycle boots and jeans instead of teaching clothing; that's comfortable, no? PS: late to comment on your last post, but thank you. Wandering among my early 40s here; feeling haggard in the midst of motherhood (with a young child) and a doctorate, and it's so lovely and heartening somehow to feel the possibilities of the decades to come, as you describe them, both in terms of inner states and a look (I can't think of a better word at the moment) that I can relate to, would be thrilled to inhabit.
Thanks for this, Chepkirui. It's true that there are pleasures ahead in these decades. I remember that haggard feeling, truly, having done the grad-school/motherhood juggle through my 40s. . .
Lounge to your heart's content. It sounds well-deserved.
Congratulations! Putting together such events is vastly more work than meets the eye- so many details. Enjoy comfy wear and time, basking in the satisfaction of the success.
Congratulations on getting the crowd to your event…it was a stress of mine that we would not get a good turn out when we had authors come to visit.
Enjoy your lazy day relaxing in your sweats. I plan to wear a baggy tee with my yoga pants while prepping for our dinner party tonight!
Even if you only wear your new pants for yoga class and lounging, that's perfectly OK. Why shouldn't we wear something pretty on occasions that are so important for our wellbeing?
This weekend marks the beginning of our "fall holidays"- a bit like half term in other places. As always, I dragged myself to the end of classes and then collapsed in complete exhaustion. Finishing the preparation of five jars of quince jelly is about all I can manage today. Now I'm out for a walk through the barrio, later a cup of coffee and the papers. And if I'm lucky, I can start on my holiday programme tomorrow: marking, cleaning, sewing,..
Congratulations on your big event, and have a lovely weekend!
Quince jelly! Perfect with cheeses, with ham, mmmmm.
I really wish we had a break of some kind, even just 4 days, somewhere mid-fall. Just to accommodate my collapses! 😉
I like your idea that my indulgent purchase of toile-printed joggers need not be justified by wearing them for more serious activities. I will enjoy my sartorial lounging, thanks!
I wore my similar sweats the other day (see, inspired by you!) and found myself dressing them down and further down as the day went on, although I think that may just be my mind-set at the moment. Enjoy your down time, and the comfy dressing; it is well-deserved.
Love the toile! If I were wearing them, I'd probably cuff the cuff with the brogues, but maybe the zip makes that difficult (I, personally, wear too-short pants–just have to). But I also really like the undone zip with the boots . . .
You mean you turn the cuff up? I might try that — I sense that part of the problem with them is that there's too much length for my short self.
Should also add that I am wearing Adidas soccer pants with skinny legs and scrunchy ankles with a side zip . . .