Whimsical?

Whimsical is not an adjective that I - or anyone who knows me well - would use to describe me.  Dependable - yes.  Responsible - yes.  Serious - yes.  But whimsical?  Never.

But as I got dressed today that is the word that popped into my head.

See, I have not exactly embraced the turning-50-and-becoming-a-grandmother phase of life.  While I may only feel 35, the calendar - and my aching joints - keep reminding me that is not the case.

So I decided this spring to embrace the poem, When I Grow Old, I Shall Wear Purple.  Not embrace it as in become a member of the garish red-hat society, but rather, I really like the last lines as they are paired with the first

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. ....But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple. 

In other words - stop caring so much about what others think and start living for me.  So I have decided to begin embracing this new-found attitude by adding the color purple to my wardrobe.  I needed some new t-shirts anyway (I think after five seasons I can safely say that I got my money's worth) - and so I focused on purple Ts rather than my traditional black and brown palate.

Yesterday I decided to treat myself to a trip to Charming Charlies in celebration of another completed school year.  By adding all these purple shirts to my wardrobe, I decided that I wanted a purple watch to match.  I found one (and a ring and a bracelet).  So today when I got dressed I put on my purple T - my purple watch - my purple ring - and my purple bracelet.

Now this will sound silly, I know, but I have always admired painted toenails - somehow it signifies a lady of leisure to me -- which is probably why I never take the time to provide myself with that luxury.  I mean there is the time it takes to actually paint - and because I am so inexperienced, the inevitable clean up around each toe - and then the added time to sit and wait until the paint dries so it doesn't smudge.  It was just not worth the effort.  But today....today I decided to treat myself and I took the time to paint my toenails --- PURPLE!

And when I finished I felt like a teenage girl again.  So free, frivolous, and well....whimsical.

Yes, I am not yet old, but I shall wear purple and embrace this new phase of life.