A Journey to the Jammie Drawer

Don't be confused.  Today it's Katherine and not Jim.  The content of this will make that important.

I just went up to the bedroom and took off my once favorite pair of leggings and put them in my jammie drawer.  It was a big moment.  Going through my jammie drawer reminds me of an old Sophomore Language Arts assignment where kids worked on introductions and somehow led the reader to masterful lists of the flotsam and jetsam that occupied their various junk drawers.  Exceptions could be made if you had a great medicine cabinet, or tool box, jewelry box, or even a jammie drawer.

My jammie drawer has a two purchased pair of flannels for the winter, a pair of long sweats, and a pair of short sweats.  All essential comfy wear for around the house.  It's the other stuff I want to talk about though.

There are three Howard Dean T-shirts.  I love Howard Dean.  He started his political career trying to get bike paths in Vermont because it was a healthy thing to do.  He ended up learning how to use the internet in politics and teaching the Democratic party to fight for the whole country and not just the blue states.  Franny worked for him and I scored three oversized shirts.  The best thing Howard Dean ever did was order the perfect T-shirt for bedtime.  No other politician has met his T-shirt standard since.  My three T's are not long for this world.  I try not to wear them because of this.

There is one T-shirt from Belize.  Jim hadn't packed enough.  I must say he's always a light packer, but he always misses on one item.  He forgot underwear when we went to Aspen once.  Try to buy basic men's underwear in Aspen.  Every store suggested we drive to Glenwood where underwear could be purchased.  Anyway, we went to Belize and he didn't bring enough T-shirts (go figure) and he bought this one and then he didn't like it.  I do.  It's in trouble too.

There is a pair of Walt DisneyWorld plaid boxers with Mickey waving (tiredly, I admit) at the rim of my left leg.  These were originally a strange gift to Franny from Chris when she was at Dunstan and disdaining Disney.  She never wore them.  I found them a while back (I was still teaching) and was so excited to have comfy boxers for my jammie drawer.  Another favorite item destined soon to go away.

There is a Snooze baseball shirt--the kind like a T-shirt with 3/4 length sleeves.  Mine is grey with green sleeves.  I bought it to wear because it would look cool and I don't mind advertising Snooze.  It just didn't fit.  My girl body and the boy shirt just didn't work in terms of public consumption.  It's fine in the den though.

There are two Patagonia hiking tops that fit before the mastectomy and don't fit now.  The gaps under the arms are too icky and I have nasty scars.  Again, on a really hot night I'm fine in the den.

I just put in the most expensive thing ever in my jammie drawer.  Several years ago (I think four--I just don't know), we went to California.  First we met Franny's in-laws in Santa Rosa, then we went to Justin Garland's beautiful wedding in Berkeley, and finally we headed up to the Napa valley.  I had a clothes disaster at the wedding.  The dress I brought had broken and I hadn't noticed somehow.  I lost the pair of shoes I had planned to wear.  I wore a cowgirl shirt and shoes that killed me at a setting that needed lovely-butt-sensible shoes (the ones that have never appeared again).  I was sad.

When we got to Napa we got there too early to check in and we went shopping and I bought a pair of leggings and tunics.  They were the first garments since the mastectomy that I felt good in.  We spent too much money, but I felt good every time I put the leggings or any of the tunics on.

The leggings are done.  Girls will understand this.  I can't throw them out.  They are a part of how I look in the mirror and do my own little version of Funny Girl's, "Well, hello gorgeous."

I put on newer leggings.  Basically the same as the Napa ones, just no story.  I put the first ones, the Napa leggings, in the jammie drawer.  They will feel really good when the weather gets chillier.