Confidentially, I Am Comfortable

Apparelly,(!), I suggested this week’s topic. “What Is Your Most Comfortable Piece of Clothing”, but I think we may have covered this years ago, with other Foxes.

Only one piece?

First, I have to say that I am not a slave to fashion, but I do like to look good. You will never find me in something that is too “In”. I never rushed out for the biggest craze even when I was young. I have always preferred classic lines and that is more important to me now than ever. Nothing makes me cringe more than a woman wearing something that is obviously too young for her, thinking that she looks youthful because she thinks she looks ‘stylish’. That always backfires.

But back to comfort. I live in ballet-style slippers most of the year when I am home. I prefer the expensive leather-soled ones that are impractical for dashing outside, but they are Heavenly on my feet. I wore uncomfortable shoes on a walking tour of Washington, DC with a young man when I was 16; my big toenails turned black and swelled. I vowed never to wear uncomfortable shoes again. I have searched far and hard for the ultimate shoes: stylish, comfortable and affordable, and I have succeeded until recently. (I found heels that I could run in, honestly.) I hate a few of the pairs that I have broken down and bought in the last few years, even if they are comfortable. (I just don’t get to do the kind of shopping I used to.)

I seem to be the only woman in the world who finds panty hose comfortable. I wear them with dresses, skirts, and under slacks when the weather is cool.

I have a couple of loose-fitting, (but good-looking), dresses which I cannot let go of, despite that fact that I have had them for years. They look good and feel great. I just have to remember not to have pictures taken in them, so that it isn’t obvious just HOW long I have had them! I pick a new one up now and again when I find a good one.

I prefer natural fibers in blouses. I don’t believe I have any silk at the moment, but linen and cotton are my top choices, even though they often need to be ironed, unless they are double-knit. (Cotton mixed with a little Lycra make wonderful no-iron tops that keep a bit of shape.) I have a few nylon which are very comfortable, but only in steady, moderate temperatures.

The same with slacks and skirts: cotton and linen, or a really good blend.

Plus, all of my slacks and skirts have elastic waists. Even when I was young and thin, my weight varied almost daily. Even when they had buttons or zippers, I liked the ones with a little ‘give’.

You will not find one pair of jeans in my wardrobe. Not since I was a teenager and said,  “Enough is enough; these things are not comfortable to me!”

I prefer layers. I have many over-sized shirts, a few thin ,boxy jackets and some sweaters that can be put on and taken off when the weather is cool, or stuffed into my bag for when it is warm, but wherever I happen to go they may have the A/C kicked up to ‘freeze’.

No matter what, you’ll find me color-coordinated; one print per outfit.

I do not wear t-shirts or hoodies because I know that I look unkempt in them. I don’t wear sweatpants or sweatshirts in public and seldom at home. I have no illusions as to how I look in them. I can’t walk around feeling sloppy and I never let myself be that kind of uncomfortable because it shows. Looking good means looking confident and I can’t be confident when I feel frumpy, nor can I imagine being confident when I am trying not to worry about how to breathe or happen to be wincing in pain from uncomfortable clothing . You can dress well and still be comfortable. It just takes some searching.

If I am hot enough, I have a few muumuu-type dresses. (I have been looking for elbow-length, long patio dresses. Anyone know where I can find them?)

To pick one, most comfortable piece, however, it would have to be a piece of nightwear that my niece gave to me. Actually, she regifted it to me. Her (rich lady) boss gave it to her, but since that niece is very tall, it hit a little “high-water” on her, so she gave it to me. It is cotton, thin, with a comfortable zipper up the front. I wear it as a nightgown and it is like being surrounded by a cloud. I can wear it in very warm weather and when it is quite cool. The thing must have cost a fortune, because I have worn it off and on through most of the year for many years and it is still in good shape.

Here it is; Subtle blue with white butterflies. The butterflies on the collar are embroidered, but still very soft.

You’ll never find me in a torn, sloppy robe or thread-bare pajamas. I have numerous robes in varying weights for year-around wear. I need to feel comfortable, but I need to feel good about myself. The pain that I feel in sloppy clothing is almost as painful to me as tight clothing or shoes.

How about you? Can you be sloppy and still feel comfortable and confident?

Clothing of Comfort

My Venerable Leather Jacket

By Jeff Salter

For this week’s topic, our Friday Fox asked about our “most comfortable piece of clothing.”

Coming up blank initially, I finally realized this would my go-to jacket — my leather coat styled after the military’s A-2 flight jacket.

I’d seen these flight jackets in WW2 movies, of course, and some of the pilots at my various Air Force bases [during the Vietnam timeframe] still wore them on occasion. I guess I’d always wanted one, but knew I’d never be able to afford it. Cooper – one of the companies which made them for the military during the war – was still making them in the 1980s (and beyond, BTW) when I finally bought mine. But I had no $400 for a leather jacket.

One evening, when Beall’s was still one of the anchor stores in Pierre Bossier Mall – in Bossier City LA – I spotted a small display of military-styled jackets and tried them on. I think there were four left which were marked in my size… though they varied considerably in measurements, cut, and fit. I tried them all and this one fit best. It was around $65 — made in India.

That was the mid-1980s and this jacket has been my constant companion during the springs, the autumns, and even in some of the milder winter months ever since. That represented some 21 years in northwest Louisiana.

And, even though Kentucky’s winter weather is more severe, that jacket still gets many months of wear for each of my eleven years (so far) here in Possum Trot.

Why would a jacket make the top of my “most comfortable” list? Well, it’s warm enough to ward off the cold… even down to the mid-30s. But it’s still light enough to wear (rather than carry) even when I’m going to be indoors for an hour or two — like at a trade show. It likes being worn 6-8 months of the year and it’s not even afraid of the rain.

As I told my daughter, Julie, one time: I’m kinda glad I didn’t have $400 to spend on a fancy, “official” flight jacket 32 years ago. Had I bought one of those Coopers, I would have babied it, fretted about it, and kept it out of marginal weather. In other words, when I most needed a jacket, my Cooper would have been protected away in the closet.

Not so with this no-name, copycat flight jacket — it goes where I go. And we both like it that way.

Question: What’s YOUR most comfortable piece of clothing?

[JLS # 333]

 

 

comfortable clothes

This week we’re talking about comfortable clothes. It used to be I’d wear just about anything and could be comfortable in it. In high school my comfortable clothes were baggy jeans, clinched at the waist with a belt, several chains dangling down, paired with a fitted tank top, and the BDU (battle dress uniform) jacket my military brother gave me.

Then my twenties came and even though I was already a mom before I turned twenty I refused to look like one. I kept a similar every day look but mixed it up with corset tops. By the time I was twenty-eight I was a single mother of two with another on the way. My entire life changed and so did my wardrobe. I stuck with jeans but they were no longer baggy, I love a good boot cut jean. I switched from corsets and fitted tanks to cute t-shirts. Now that I’m 36 this is still my go-to style. My closet has been condensed, mostly because I have a teenage daughter who loves to steal my clothes.

When I’m home for the day I slip into a pair of pajama bottoms and a comfortable t-shirt with a scarf/shawl draped over my shoulders when I get cold.

I’m sure this will change in a year or two. How have your comfortable go-to clothes evolved over the years?

“I’m not going to wear that.”

I tend to avoid clothing that isn’t comfortable. You won’t see me in high heels, or dresses that require overly restrictive undergarments (or unsupportive undergarments) unless absolutely necessary.

As a stay at home mom, my wardrobe doesn’t require much variation. Jeans, t-shirt, and cardigan are my standard ensemble, although I am fairly picky about how each one of these fit. Jeans must be dark wash, boot cut, and light weight denim. The hem must at least touch the top of my foot in the front and the floor in the back. T-shirts can be long or short sleeve, but long sleeve must be fitted at the wrist and extend at least an inch past my wrist bones. Neck openings must be scoop-necked or v-neck. Cardigans or zip-up hoodies can be a variety of weights, but they must be semi-fitted and fit comfortably over my T-shirts. No bunching or twisting. Nothing bulky or flappy. Wearing clothes that don’t fit these requirements is physically exhausting. (I wasn’t this picky as a child, but I still drove my mother nuts. If I got one drop of water on my shirt, I had to change my entire wardrobe.)

In the summer, I switch of the jeans for skorts, skirts and a few pair of shorts. In warmer weather, I may forego the cardigan if I am in direct sunlight, but more likely will opt for a lighter version.

Some variation of the above is my leaving the house wardrobe. If I don’t have to leave the house for more than dropping the kids off at school or picking them up, I wear my running or yoga clothes. Some of these I prefer not to be seen in public wearing unless I am running or doing yoga.

I am learning that if I buy something that doesn’t fit these requirements, I probably won’t wear it. Every now and then I try to vary my wardrobe and try something new. The new dress or blouse usually ends up gathering dust in my closet.

I guess I don’t have one particular favorite piece of clothing. I have favorite types of clothing and as long as I have those, I’m pretty comfortable.

We’ll discuss my peculiarities with colors and prints another time.

What time of clothing annoys you the most?

Design for Comfort

This week, we’re describing our most comfortable piece of clothing.

Back when I was young and had a figure, I was comfortable wearing almost any kind of clothing. I could wear clingy dresses and heels, jeans and t-shirts, and even bathing suits that required less material than my father would have liked. The important thing was that I needed to wear things that were fashionable – or at least the kinds of things my friends wore.

Eventually, I graduated with a teaching degree, and I wanted to look professional. Since I looked pretty young, I guess I wanted to distinguish myself from the junior high students I taught. I wore dresses or skirts and blouses and dress shoes each day. I guess I was comfortable in them, because I don’t remember not being comfortable.

Then the children came. Staying home with them was not an option, so I adjusted. Babies spit up and make all sorts of messes, so my clothes had to be washable and easy to care for – no ironing, no dry cleaning, but still semi-professional. I had no time to think about comfort.

The babies grew into busy young ladies. My life became even more hectic. After a few wardrobe malfunctions (mismatched socks, inside-out sweaters and other mishaps that I described last August in THIS POST), I decided I needed to simplify my wardrobe. I packed up or gave away everything that wasn’t navy blue, khaki, or white. The socks in my drawer were either white or navy. Dressing became much simpler. As for comfort, I started wearing what became known as “mom pants” – slacks and jeans with an elastic waist — since my weight started to climb.

My collection of pajama pants all look like the bottoms on this pattern envelope!

Now that I’m semi-retired, it’s comfort over fashion. If I’m not leaving the house in the next half hour, chances are I’m in a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. I finally managed to lose some weight, so I don’t wear the “mom pants” any more (much to my children’s relief) but if I’m not in public, I’m not going to hold my tummy in. And when I’m writing, I don’t want a snug waistband to remind me about the last snack I ate. I have a go-to pattern for my pajama pants, and I have a drawer of long ones and another of short ones. When a pair wears out, they become part of the rag pile and I raid my fabric stash or the fabric remnant bin at the store to make another.

And now that my post is written, I’m off to cut out another pair or two of short pajama pants. The forecast for next week is sunshine and 60 to 70 degree temps, it’s going to be warm — well, warm for us. I’ve got a lot of writing to do this summer, so I’ll need lots of comfortable clothing!

Guest: Author Alan Orloff

Today my guest is Alan Orloff, and a fascinating fellow he is!

Alan Orloff

 

In his bio, Alan lists many varied and interesting career moves. As I was stalking doing research on him, he mentioned a number jobs that warmed me to him, such as having worked with forklifts, (I don’t know why but I love them!), and nuclear submarines,(I had a cousin who worked with them in the Idaho desert.)
Alan is now a writer of novels and short stories. Let’s find out more:

Welcome, Alan! You also teach writing, don’t you?

I do. I teach workshops, mostly at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, MD. It’s a great way to stay connected to the writing community and help out less experienced writers. I began my writing career taking workshops there!

Tell us about the forklift and the subs! Have you incorporated any of what you learned in these and other jobs into your writings?

Right out of college, I started working for General Electric, in a manufacturing management program. Different jobs in different business sectors in different parts of the country. While I was working at Major Appliance, they trained us office workers on how to drive a forklift, in case there was a strike in the warehouse. I was able to stack dishwashers three high! It was lots of fun until I accidentally backed up into a metal pole (no damage to me, the forklift, or the pole). When I worked at a small service shop in Richmond, we had a contract to provide maintenance on nuclear subs (the missile hatch seals). Fascinating! No, I haven’t yet incorporated any of my engineering experiences into my books or stories. Not yet, anyway!

I hope that you had to do research and were not able to draw on personal experience for “Running From the Past”. How do you do ‘homework’ for stories and how do you judge between sounding like you know what you are talking about and TMI?

Actually, I got the idea for Running From the Past from a real life situation. My family was vacationing at the beach, and we’d brought along a friend of my older son. I sort of extrapolated and imagined what it would be like if we never took him back! (We did.)
It is sometimes difficult to figure out exactly how much information to include in any story. If I get bored re-reading the passage, then I know there’s too much unnecessary detail. I’ve got a great bunch of critique partners and beta readers who will let me know if I ever get too long-winded.

Speaking of “Running From the Past”, it had a very interesting path to publication. Would you tell everyone about your experience with Kindle Scout?

I’d written Running From the Past, and I’d shown it to the agent I had at the time. She wasn’t sure where/if she could sell it, so she suggested I put it up on Wattpad (a very popular book-sharing site). I had a cover made (by a professional designer) and did the Wattpad thing for a while. Then I took it down, and the novel just languished on my hard drive. No plans. Just sat.
Fast forward a while until I saw Amazon announce a new program, Kindle Scout, where manuscripts could be posted and voted on by the reading public. Books that got a significant number of votes would then get passed on to Amazon Publishing’s editorial board. I jumped on that opportunity and my book was one of the first batch of ten to “win” a contract (along with a modest advance). Since then, I’ve been pleased with how Amazon has marketed the book. If there’s one thing Amazon knows how to do, it’s sell books!

I also read that you, like many of us, dislike being “cubby-holed”. However, your works lean more toward crime stories, am I correct? I believe every novel has a degree of mystery/suspense within their stories. Have you written in other genres or forms?

While much (most?) of my writing has fallen under the crime fiction umbrella, I’ve also published a horror novel, called The Taste. I have to say, it was extremely fun to write, and I’ve had readers comment that it was also a fun book to read. In addition, I’ve written a few YA books; hopefully, they’ll see the light of day sometime!

I find that many writers who started out using a pen name often decide that their own name will do. Of those who don’t revert to their daily name, it is usually to keep distance between different genres. Are you still writing as Zak Allen? How did you choose the name?

You hit it on the head, exactly. I chose Zak Allen when I published The Taste, so I wouldn’t alienate/ confuse/disgust any of my readers who enjoyed my crime fiction published under my real name. Choosing the name was a process. I knew I wanted the last name to be Allen (a homophone of my first name), so that part was easy. I came up with a list of possible first names, and I remember my agent and I batting them around for a good long while. I don’t even remember how we settled on Zak! (I think it might have been my agent’s son’s name, spelled differently.)

You and I have quite a bit in common since we were both born in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC, then we moved to the Northern Virginia suburbs. However, you moved around and then moved back to the area, is that right?

I’ve lived most of my life in the D.C. suburbs. Despite the traffic, and the relatively high cost of living, and all the hot air blowing west from Capitol Hill, I call it home. I really only lived away while I worked for G.E. (for two years) and when I went to grad school in Boston.

You made the move to writing full time. Was that a difficult decision?

I’m very, very fortunate to have a loving and supportive wife (a true patron of the arts, in every respect of the words). Without her support, I’d still be banging my head against cubicle walls.

One interview had you saying that Christopher Walken in The Dead Zone was a great film adaptation. I have just rewatched it, since I had his line about God throwing a truck at him going through my mind,(because I feel like God recently threw a Monte Carlo at me.) A question I had once asked the other Foxes and the Hound was: Do you know any movies that are actually BETTER than their books? Alan, do you know of any?

Well, I tried reading Puzo’s The Godfather and didn’t get very far into it before setting it aside. That was a pretty great movie, so I’d vote for that being better than the book (Can I say that without having read the whole thing?)

Thank you so much for being my guest this week, Alan. How can our readers learn more about you and your works?

You can follow my antics on Facebook and Twitter, or check up on me at my website: www.alanorloff.com.
Most recently, I’ve had stories in 50 SHADES OF CABERNET, Mystery Weekly (Jan 2017), and WINDWARD: BEST NEW ENGLAND CRIME STORIES 2016, all available at your favorite booksellers.

Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog—you’re a great host!

Thank you so much, Alan-you are a great guest!

Guest Fox, Renee Campbell

Welcome to Hound Day, Renee!

By Jeff Salter

Delighted to welcome Renee Campbell as my Guest Fox on Hound Day. I first became acquainted with Renee when I was inadvertently sitting in her chair at a recent local author event. Let me explain.

At our county public library’s annual Local Author event last month, I plopped down next to Kathy Ragle, who heads up the Gibson-Ragle Publishing outfit. Since I enjoy supporting local and regional authors, I have hosted three authors (so far) from that publishing house.

“Kathy,” I said, “have you got another author for me to feature on my blog?”

Kathy smiled and handed me a bookmark for Redemption. It turns out Renee just had her first novel released and was due to arrive any moment… and take her place at the author table with Kathy. So, you see, I truly was sitting in Renee’s chair.

When I later introduced myself, Renee won my heart right away — she handed me a tiny box wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. Inside that box was CHOCOLATE.

Besides that, Renee also loves old automobiles!

Bio:

Author Renee Campbell resides in Somerset, Kentucky with her husband and five children. Renee works in a busy Cardiology office. She loves reading, writing, and outside activities with her family and friends. She has a passion for vintage cars.

Interview

1. In my younger life, I visited the Biloxi area frequently, so I’m very familiar with that portion of the Gulf. My brother lived in Mobile for about ten years and I visited there often. What was it like for you to live near the Alabama Coast? What brought you all the way up to KY?

[R.C.] — There is nothing like being on the Gulf! The beaches are beautiful and the fresh sea food is amazing! I love the water! There is something so relaxing about the ocean. The ocean is what I miss the most.  Moved from Kentucky to Alabama in 1991 for my father to take a church in Mobile. I lived there until 2006 when we moved back to Kentucky to take care of sick family.

2. Besides working in the medical field, what jobs have you held? Which did you like best?

[R.C.] — I have held medical related jobs most of my life. I have worked as a Registered Medical Assistant in gynecology, pediatrics, family practice, as well as performing bone density scans. I also worked as a lab tech for years. I love my current job in Cardiology.

3. Your FB timeline has photos of you in clothing styles from what looks like the 1940s. Was that a special event, or do you identify with that period? If so, why?

[R.C.] — My husband and I attend a lot of car shows and for some of those people dress in 40’s -50’s attire. I love the era. I love that life was less complicated then. The style was classy and clean. The beauty was real then. I have a lot of fun with it.

4. I also saw several photos of antique cars. Do you help restore them? Buy and sell them? Or just enjoy driving around in automotive history?

[R.C.] — My husband and I have a 1956 Chevy 4 door Wagon and a 1934 Chevy Pickup, both of which are still works in progress. I love that we share a passion for old cars. I spend a lot of time in the garage getting dirty. I don’t know a lot about what needs to be done but my husband is a good teacher. We attend a lot of car shows and have a great time.

5. I get the impression you’re involved with school athletics. Were you an athlete in school? Or is this mainly as a coach or sponsor of your kid’s teams?

[R.C.] — My daughter is a very talented athlete so I spend a lot of time at athletic events. I was not involved in athletics in school. I stayed very busy with other activities. I was into drama club.

6. How long have you been writing fiction?

[R.C.] — I have been writing in some fashion since I was a child. I wrote short stories and essays in school. I was told that even as a small child I would gather the kids in the neighborhood and tell them stories on the front lawn. I have toyed with writing a book for years and one day I decided that I was not getting any younger. I decided that it was time to mark it off my bucket list. Fiction has always been my favorite. I love that with fiction you can become anyone and go anywhere.

7. Your novel, Redemption, looks like a thriller. What nudged you in the direction of this genre?

[R.C.] — Thrillers are my favorite type of book. I enjoy the suspense, the twists and turns in thrillers. The guessing about what will happen and why excites me. Thrillers seem to come fairly easy to me.

8. If sales (money) and critics (reviews) were immaterial to you, what genre and length would you write?

[R.C.] — I would probably write longer novels if cost were not an issue. You do keep up with the number of pages when cost is a issue.

9. You’re collecting some terrific reviews on your first novel. It’s not easy getting readers to review your books — how did you do it?

[R.C.] — I have asked readers to review the book based on their feelings. I have posted messages on social media asking readers for their opinions and they have graciously followed through. I am so very pleased with the reviews that I have seen so far.

10. Have you ever encountered people who seem unable / unwilling to comprehend that writing is something you are driven to do?

[R.C.] — I used to want to be an author as a child, but I was told often that I needed a real job. I don’t think people really believed that I could make a living writing back then. No one I knew had ever written a book so it didn’t seem possible.

11. If you were not a writer, can you imagine what else you might do to express the creativity within you?

[R.C.] — I really don’t know what else I would do if I were not writing. I might try to learn to paint or draw. I would have to put forth some major effort, I don’t think stick people count as art.

12. Give us at least one example of someone who has contacted you and expressed how much your writing meant to them.

[R.C.] — I have had a reader contact me to tell me that she bought my book and read it in one day. She said that she could not put it down and that she was so very glad she read it. She asked me to let her know as soon as my next book Vengeance is available.

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me, Jeff! I am so happy to be talking with you.

Blurb:

C.J. Cummings had a simple life in small town Riverton Township until Evil itself found its way in. A serial killer is targeting the people she loves the most and leaving C.J. messages at each scene.

Will she be able to find the connection that has drawn this killer to her town?

Will C.J. be able to stop him before she loses anyone else?

 

https://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Renee-Campbell/dp/1542935873

–  –  –

Vengeance — Book 2 in the series is coming soon.

Question for today’s blog readers:

What would you want to know most about Redemption? Is there a character in the book that you like the most… and why?

[JLS # 332]