The Easter Bunny Brought Me Jury Duty

 

Signs of spring are showing up around Omaha. Also spotted on today's walk was the first dandelion, and the neighbour's hyacinths and daffodils. My garden is coming along, but nothing's flowering yet. The columbines have healthy looking foliage though, and they've spread to new areas of the garden, so we're hopeful they will be blooming in a month or so. Last year I saved the seed heads and planted them in new pots, but it is too soon to see if those will produce anything. Sometimes they take a year or so to settle in. No sign of the cardoons either, but they typically start around the middle of May. 

The sorrel just keeps coming! I sneak it into cooked spinach, curries, salads, etc. They boys will eat it, just not alone. That's fair, I guess. Even the rabbits won't touch it!

It was finally warm enough to wear short sleeves-hooray! This dress is probably early 60s, though it could be late 50s guessing by the giant buttons. It is a bit more snug than the last time I wore it in 2019, but still wearable, *just*. I wasn't going to be sitting down😀

A few years ago I went rather mad for these artificial flowers that have both a pin mechanism and a clip so they may be worn in the hair or on clothing. At 2 for $3.00 I bought several when they were available. Sometimes even the largest brooch won't do what a corsage will. The brand is Tiff and Tam and they were widely sold in pharmacies and supermarkets though in recent years are becoming harder to find (or I'm shopping in different places). This "orchid" was one of the larger flowers in the collection. I love how it looks against the simple black dress. The big plastic pearl-like beads were a dollar at a yard sale. The earrings are Dior from the 80s, and though the clips pinch the hell out of my ears, at least I know I won't be losing one. Once on, they don't budge even after messing with masks and straps around the ears. I bought them in the Goodwill for considerably less than they would have retailed for, but after wearing them for a couple of years I can honestly say, they would have been worth full price-they're quality!

This Indian cotton dress hasn't been worn for a while, which is silly because I absolutely love it. Soutache embroidery, a bit of velvet on the bodice, a lovely shade of brown-all beautiful details. It has ties in the back, but I usually wear it looser.

The lapis necklace is an 80s monster I purchased online. It is as heavy as it looks, but...I mean, how could I resist it?! It was a bargain too which just made it all the nicer. The earrings are antique glass re-made into modern pieces. There was a seller at the local antique mall that would recycle/upcycle broken pieces of antique chandeliers into these amazing pieces. I haven't been there in over a year, but I hope they'll still be there when I eventually return. These are one-of-a-kind earrings that feel like such an affordable indulgence. 

You might have noticed, I wear big earrings. I wear small ones as well-miniatures in earrings as with art are not without their charm, but only if I'm wearing my hair up. 

One of the Kay Windsor dresses has made an appearance. They're not so easy to wear in 2021 as today's automobiles weren't made for climbing in an out of wearing a tight fitting maxi dress. I managed to get through the day without putting a heel through the hem or ripping the leg slit higher, and that might be a first. This is one of those pieces that requires constant repair to keep it wearable. I'm thinking of taking down the hem to make a cloth belt for it as nothing I have really works that well. It has loops so originally it would have been belted and my best guess is that it was a fabric tie belt. 

This skirt requires no repairs as it has permanent pleats, an elastic waist, and appears to have been sewn in one piece. Alfred Dunner really catered to office workers in the 80s as it is also washable, saving on costly dry cleaning bills. I wore a LOT of Dunner in the 80s once I started working in an office because even then, I knew that I hated ironing! I still lived at home, but my mother also hated ironing. That might have been the only thing we ever agreed on. 

Isn't that a fab print? It still feels modern today. 

Might as well wear ALL the 80s pieces at once. The necklace is Carol Dauplaise. No marking on the earrings or the charm bracelet.

I've had these 60s slippers for a few years now, but have only recently started wearing them. They're slippery, so I'm making an effort to scuff up the soles by wearing them in front of the house on pavement. I could probably get away with wearing them in public with no one under 60 being the wiser. Unbelievably, the elastic is still tight and in good shape after all these years. 

I took Danny to the passport office to get his paperwork in order for his trip in spring of '22 (hopefully the Covid will be dealt with by then). We submitted everything to update his passport, put a deposit on the trip, and now we just hope for the best. His French instructor is guiding the trip. We had a Zoom call with the other parents and instructors and they certainly sold it as a educational. I'm not sure why Monaco is on the itinerary, but if my son comes home a high-stakes gambler I'm going to expect some answers😁

Danny took his pre-ACT last weekend (university entrance exams, but this was more of a practise test to see if we need to pay for an extra tutor over summer so he can do better on the exam that counts next year). We should see the results in the next few weeks. We're sending him for Test Preparation training anyway (he wanted it whether he needs it or not) so between that and driver's education this summer, he should be quite busy. After a year at home, He's looking forward to it. Once everyone's vaccinated (I go for my first dose on the 11th) he can return to school for the last month before break. I know he misses his friends. I'm so proud of the way he's managed his schoolwork remotely, and how hard he's worked. At 16, I would have been far less conscientious

I have jury duty starting on Monday. I have absolutely nothing to wear. I can't dress like I usually do, so I dug out a white blouse, white cardigan, and a navy blue skirt. I hope the trial doesn't go on for long because I plan to wear the same thing day after day. I don't do business casual, or "Normcore." I bought some new nylon stockings because I'm old and it feels inappropriate to wear a skirt in a courthouse without stockings. Go ahead, roll your eyes, but that's me. I wish I could have been vaccinated before going, but I'll be wearing two masks and a face shield so I think it will be OK. Much like working election day, I consider it a privilege to be able to participate. I do however hope it is a one-day trial. It is only a "Jury of your peers" if there are people like you on a jury. In Omaha, there aren't many people like me, so it feels personally important to show up. I could have asked for a medical excuse, but if I were on trial, I'd want someone like me on the jury. Not that I'm considering a life of crime because let's face it, if I'm too lazy to iron clothes I'm not going to be a good criminal. It takes work, and attention to detail. I'd really rather just get a job. But that's me. 

Anyone for a video preview of the garden? There isn't much to see yet, but here it is.

I've since moved a few plants outdoors including the giant poinsettia which will turn green over summer. It is doing quite well though with new growth coming through. 

Got my specs back. These frames won't last forever, but they're a giant improvement over the others. 

Hopefully I will be back shortly. To those that celebrate, I wish you a Joyous Easter. 

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