A Christmas Conundrum

Christmastime is here. My mood is cheerful. And yesterday Rich called with an interesting proposition. Did we want to attend his company's Christmas party? Now, usually we are not social people, choosing to hibernate a LOT, but this sounds like a good time with free food at a GREAT place. (http://www.sullivansteakhouse.com/)

So, we're in. I'm even looking forward to the rare possibility of dancing. Then it hit me. Quite literally, I have nothing to wear.

Today I worked my heinie off and booked it over to Goodwill to see if I could pick up something simple and easy. Um, nope. So I went into my guest room closet where my banished, too-large clothes live now until they all sell. It occurred to me that maybe, just maybe I could take something from my previous cocktail-type clothes and make it work. (In case you haven't guessed, I've been watching Project Runway....)

I pulled from my closet a knee-length black dress and a knee-length black skirt with black lace overlay. Simple, classy, I thought. And neither no longer hit me at the knee, falling instead all the way to that mid-calf length that turns even lovely legs into tree stumps. Hmm. But maybe the dress with a belt. Egad, even the belts are too big.

Let me take a little break here to say I realize it sounds like I'm bragging about the weight loss, but seriously? I have a closet of clothes that do fit me and every single piece is a t-shirt/tank top/capri pant/gym shorts/sweatshirt motif. Seriously. And we're in a financial crunch so no new clothes and especially no new clothes that I won't be able to wear ever again since I'm going to shrink even further before another "occassion" will arise. So back to the dressing room.

The black dress might work if I tie up the waist with a scarf, perhaps a solid black scarf if I can recall what I might have done with it. The lace skirt might do as well if I pin the waistband way up under my arms in order to keep the hem just above the knee. But then I don't have any tops that will fall correctly to camoflauge the fact that my skirt is masquerading as an empire waistline.

Then I saw something forgotten in the back of my regular closet. It was behind the few suit jackets that Rich owns, over in the rarely used section of clothes. It was a bunch of clothes covered in a dry-cleaning bag. They were things that belonged to my sister, Beth. Kristen and I divvied up the clothes after Beth passed and these few pieces were things she didn't think she would wear and things I can either recall Beth wearing or just looked like her to me. (One fine example is the pair of snakeskin printed pants. She was wearing those at karaoke singing "Good-bye Earl" and I'll never forget it. No way those things are ever leaving my closet.)

But also in that bag was a sweater she and I used to fight over. I'd steal it from her closet because it looked so good on me and she'd steal it back just to keep me from looking so good in it. (or because it actually belonged to her... you know.) I looked at it and remembered wearing it years ago, when Kevin was a baby, when Rich and I were newly dating. I put it on and it fit.


There is no better motivation for my positive attitude today. That sweater is hanging in the "wearable" section of my closet even now, victoriously signaling my return to a smaller size. There are so few items of clothes in there right now that it's a pretty clear signal and should be an effective one for me.

I can't wear it to the party, true. Not nearly dressy enough. But something will work out, or something will work just well enough to get me through for now. Besides which, it's a martini bar. After a couple drinks, no one is going to notice my safety-pinned waistline anyway.

I'm positive.

I hope you all have parties and good times with friends and family coming up soon. Enjoy them all and enjoy this Christmas season!