It was a big day for me and my daughter at the mall on Sunday. Actually, it was a big day for me. That's because, as we ascended to the first floor of Sears, that bastion of fashion foresightedness and enduring style (keyword: enduring), my eyes fell on a stadium coat, which could be loosely defined, because of its loose styling, as a parka, with patch pockets. Not so many months ago at a slightly (well, considerably) trendier mall here in the Nutmeg State, where we are all about style, I told my daughter that what appeared to be my lack of style was really a measure of my patience and understanding of that Newtonian principal of fashion and social dynamics as well as physics that what goes around comes around. I assured my child that when (there was no if in the conversation) patch pockets on plumb parkas come back in style, I will be right there on the cutting edge of fashion for the second time in let's just say a few decades. Coming up that escalator, my first thought was, "Wow. I thought I was joking." Still, I got over the shock long enough to get my daughter to stand alongside the evidence that I am a bloody fashion genius and smirk a little. Here is what's going into the baby book: 
From September 4, 2011
Look at that face long enough and you'll detect that she kind of gets a kick out of it when I am right. But we must move along--to the Fine Jewelry department of the same Sears, where we purchased Micky Mouse wrist watches we had admired at the Jacksonville, NC, store but did not purchase for the silly reasons that our feet hurt and we were very hungry. As luck would have it, they were on sale here as they had been there. Feast your eyes on these beauties. My daughter opted for the blingy one and suggested the one with the characters that go round and round and function as the second hand for me. I love it. I have been staring at it for hours trying to figure out some of the images. I am not old; the images are small! See what I mean: 
From September 4, 2011
We're fragile people; we wear out easily on these excursions. One leg of our shopping trip and we needed to stop for food. I had some darn fine sushi, and she had pizza. While we sat down to eat, we read this notice on the table: 
From September 4, 2011
I will honor all who were affected by 9/11 in these ways as well as by loving the people right in front of me. Even the jerks, because I know they're saying the same thing when they look at me. With all this in mind, I will do my best to fulfill my dreams, because 9/11 is a reminder like no other that we are here once and only for a little while. If we're going to make it good, we damn well better do it right now. I will give legs to my dreams, and I will remember to be patient, because some dreams move slowly. I will wear this pendant as a reminder to take it easy but to keep going: 
From September 4, 2011
I found this bit of faux diamond studded bling at one of my daughter's favorite shops, where the forever over 39 crowd can do little more than sit back and wonder how so many mannequins can be twisted into the most awkward of poses to flatter the most unlikely of clothing. I never would have thought Forever 21 had anything for me until Adella found this little turtle. I will wear it as a reminder that waiting and standing still and doing nothing are not the same thing. I will wear it to remember that dreams come true with patience. And the love of a good daughter.