How Not to Ride the Metro

When I was 10 years old, we got to go on a business trip to Montreal, Canada and Washington, D.C. with my parents. We left from of all places, Joplin, Missouri airport and flew to Kansas City. In KC we almost missed our next flight to NYC. I remember running through the airport wondering what we were doing. This was a first flight trip for my sister and I. We did get to NYC and from there had to go outside to board a 747 to fly to Montreal. Such a HUGE plane!

Once in Montreal Dad had meetings to go to so us girls were on our own during the day. Somehow Mom had forgotten our swim suits so we went shopping. Actually found a Sears and got, of course, the ever-matching, different color, same suits. :) On our way back, Mom started walking, but in the wrong direction. So before it was too late, either my sister or myself got Mom convinced of the right way to go.

We got on the Metro (subway) to go back to the hotel, but it was very crowded and somehow Mom and I got to a different door than my sister who is 2 years younger than I. So when it got close to our stop, Mom motioned to Sis and we got lined up at our respective doors to get off. For some strange reason, my sister did not get off. Mom and I ran to the gate to get on the next train to the next stop thinking my sister would get off there.

The rest is a little foggy (it was longer ago than I want to admit), but my sister decided she was going to go back on her own to where we were supposed to get off. So we were all riding trains without each other in a country where French was the main language spoken. I think we asked the gate person to hold my sister at the stop she was at and we caught up to her. I think we skipped riding the Metro the rest of the trip unless Dad was with us.

What a lot of memories that trip brings back! Another quick one was one night Mom and Dad decided to go out on the town for dinner. My sister and I were to eat dinner in the hotel diner - Dad set it all up and paid for it beforehand - then we went back to our room. We fell asleep in the deep sleep that only children or fathers can drop off into. Our parents knocked on the door, a little louder, called us from the lobby (the phone was right at my ear), pounded a little louder, yelled, woke up the neighboring hotel guests and finally got a hotel maintenance person to come and let them in. We had placed the chain in so we would be "safe" from people trying to get in. Little did we know it would be my parents we were keeping out! ;)

What Is Fashion?

A friend's blog asked what is fashion? What fashion would you love? Fashion is an ever-changing monster that never really changes, just adds things to fashions of the past. That's what I think anyway.

I would love to be in the Gone With the Wind times for a few days, but I would probably make it look more like Carol Burnett did in her spoof with curtain rods at my shoulders. I don't think I could handle the corsets for long though. I like breathing for some strange reason.

I grew up in the 70s and graduated from high school in the early 80s. My first memory of fashion was the always matching or coordinating outfits with my younger sister. Especially Easter dresses. We also had to wear hats and gloves because of fashion. I hated those hats! I remember an orange and white checked maxi-skirt with a flowing butterfly sleeve blouse that I thought was the most lovely thing in the world when I was in 3rd grade. Of course it had matching white Mary Janes and white socks. In middle school I was "stylin" in my falling star bell bottom jeans and red, white and blue track shoes. In high school things went preppy to oxford shirts, button up Levis, Dexter "wallaby" shoes and anything OP. Also went through a phase of cutsie frilly dresses, jelly sandals, and those little China-styled flats with pants that were baggy at the top and tight at the bottom of the leg. Did those have a name? I also went through the layered polo look. I had a polo in every color imaginable and pants too. I had orange, yellow, red, bright blue, etc. And the "proper Keds white canvas tennies."

Now my fashion is jeans and whatever shirt fits that day. I rarely dress up any more - don't have a place to go if I did. I have skirts and slacks for church, but other than that, it's jeans. Unless it's one of those days and then it's jammies for the day. I would love to have a makeover and be "one of those moms," but I don't think I could handle the maintenance. I tend to take the easy way out. You get makeup if you're lucky.

I think Miss A has been watching Mommy too closely..........what do you think?