Monday, August 10, 2026

Old Things






This meme made me giggle aloud ..... because it's true!
I see little children I used to baby-sit applying for Social Security.  My own son is talking about retirement and I'm over here talking about "old folks."   Presumptions.


Like housecoats/dusters.  I always thought old ladies who wore them lay Afghans on their knees and sat staring out their windows.  Like our old neighbor in Unit D who kept a little cart of African violets in her front window.  (Nasty smelly things.)
Oops, I digress!



Anyway.  The other day I saw on FB where a friend was gifted a housecoat for her birthday.  Delighted, she wrote, "It's got pockets!"  

I had a moment, y'all.  Brenda's not old enough to wear housecoats!



Then, a memory.  How my little mother loved her duster.  Without fail, each evening after supper she'd shower and change, smelling sweetly of Jean Nate.


Vanity Fair.   It was always Vanity Fair.   Even at Christmas.  There was always a shirt box with my name on it which contained a plain Vanity Fair nightgown carefully nestled in tissue paper.   In that season of my life, I probably found it underwhelming.  Today, however, it (the last gift) remains one of my most treasured articles of clothing.



So, back to Brenda's housecoat.   A seed was planted. 
Unfortunately, when I went to Google, it seems Vanity Fair's quietly gone the way of the dinosaurs.  Not to be deterred, I went to eBay.
And saw ...

"New, with tags"!

What sealed the deal?  From the photographs, it looked like a twin to that my mother owned.  The price point was more than I'd intended, yet I wasted no time flashing my credit card.


It arrived exactly as advertised.  I'm not a betting person, yet I'd wager my last dollar it's a twin to my mother's duster.  The thought even crossed my mind, had I reached inside the pocket I'd have found a crumpled Kleenex.
The fabric feels absolutely blissful against my bare skin.  Even when Tom felt it, he suggested I go online and find another.  High praise!


I don't know that there exists anything similar but discovering it has made me a Happy girl.



It's enough.









I hope everyone enjoys a sweet new week!
Hugs, Myra




 

30 comments:

  1. My mom was a caftan wearer, but I would never in a million years follow her. A housecoat sounds much more comfortable, especially one with pockets.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Back in my early 20's I had a caftan ... foolishly thinking it made me look slimmer - haha!

      Delete
  2. I'm so happy for you. Enjoy. Just enjoy. Whether it's buying an item of clothing, a lamp or an ornament; I always say enjoy.

    When we enjoy it makes Jesus smile.

    God bless you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, how pretty and I am thrilled that you found "your mom's" duster!! I am stealing your meme to post on FB. It made me giggle and it hit home!! A sweet visit with you, as always! xo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Myra, you just made me breath a huge Sigh... Some things are just Enough !!!
    The crumpled kleenex in the pocket reminds me of my Mother in Law . She didn't have the duster but was always wearing a "cobbler's " apron ... you know, those kind that go over the shoulders like a bib. All kinds of things could be found in the pockets, depending on what her chore was at that moment, scraps of a torn envelope and pencil for lists and notes, tissue, maybe garden sheares, a few paper towels to wrap the "feet" of her tiny, mini Cecil Bruener roses. She always made little bouquets to bring to the checkers at the PX.
    Ah the memories you have resurrected.
    Enjoy your duster ...
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Would you believe, Sue ... I'm wearing an old "cobbler" apron right now. They're the best -- except when I forget to empty the pockets before washing.

      Delete
  5. I adored this post, Myra. It sent me on a sweet stroll down memory lane. After my mom passed, I kept her floral cotton duster, complete with the obligatory Kleenex in every pocket. Seriously, if it had pockets, it had tissues! I often have wondered what was going on back then that every mom pretty much had a pocket full of Kleenex? I’ve often searched online for the kind of housedresses my grandma wore - not for public outings, though I was quite the trendsetter back in the day. Who knows, maybe I could still make a housedress rock! Sadly, I couldn’t find anything close to Grandma’s style unless I sewed it myself, and that just isn't going to happen. Mom’s stash of Jean Naté lasted me a few months after her passing in 2008 - I would soak cotton balls with it and tuck them in my drawers determined never to forget her or her signature scent. Thanks for the smile and the tissue-filled memories!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll bet you could, Debby. How fun to gather together and have a Duster party -- complete with Tupperware, jello rings and what else?

      Delete
  6. My mother had the "snap up the front" types of dusters. Sweet memories! I'm pretty sure she always had a kleenex in her pocket, too!

    ReplyDelete
  7. LoL...Myra! I love me a good duster, housecoat, or whatever you want to call them. I don't currently have one but that's probably a good thing. I would wear it all day! Well...until my Mister got home anyway. Enjoy you treasure!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I’m so glad you found it! ❤️

    ReplyDelete
  9. OK, I loved this. This one shakes my tree. Funny how all of a sudden, those old thigs ae NOT so OLD>
    Well stated and a good read. BUT you are not really old YET. I tell my girl I am getting older. She corrects me, "Not getting dear, YOU ARE OLD" So in 15-20 year YOU will be old.
    Enjoyed the read completely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Jack. Some days are better than others!

      Delete
  10. Is a duster like a bathrobe or a Mumu? The latter is what my grandmother called a dress that didn't care about curves. LOL! How sweet that you could find something so near to what your mother wore, Myra. I'm so happy for you, especially as it brings back special and tender memories. Blessings always!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This post grabbed at my heart... I remember my mom wearing these. A year or so after she passed away, my granddaughter was anxious to have them. She was only 10 years old at the time.. lol. How wonderful that you persisted with your search and found the perfect robe. I'm still waiting on the old time wind suits to come back around...LOL😂

    ReplyDelete
  12. I laughed all through this post . . . I think our mother's were one in the same. I can still see her standing in the kitchen with wearing her housecoat with a crumbled kleenex in the pocket. That was a great find, now you can be your mother. lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How I wish! I'll could never be half the lady she was.

      Delete
  13. I'm glad you mentioned this post to me in your comments on my post. I tried to keep up with posts yesterday, but I missed this one. Sometimes they just don't show up until later. Oh my goodness, that "duster"! It looks so soft and comfy! How wonderful that you could find one just like the one you remembered your mother wearing! That is so very sweet and precious. And looking for a crumpled kleenex in the pocket is priceless! I have to always check my clothes before I wash them, because there's usually a crumpled kleenex in one pocket or another. I don't wear "dusters" or robes much anymore, as they are too warm for me here in Florida. But I have my daily outfits that I wear all the time and hate to take off to wash. They are the ones that get the tea stains and bleach spots on them, and probably a blob of grease here and there, depending on what I am cooking or eating. As soon as I get home off go the outside "good clothes", and on goes the inside comfy, stained clothes. It's funny, I don't really remember my mother wearing a duster that much. She did prefer light weight pajamas to gowns, it seems. It was always hot in Florida back in the day, with no AC, and sometimes when she was cleaning house, she'd wear her bra with a large handkerchief tucked in the front of it to cover the too obvious part, and a pair of shorts or pedal pushers (we called capris that in the day), and she would clean house that way. Thankfully no strangers came to the door. We lived out in the country. That's a funny memory I have. You have stirred something up here, Myra! Thank you for the memories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for finding me, Pam. I don't know what's going on with Reader, but lots of my friends posts are going AWOL this way and that.
      Yes, I sure remember pedal pushers; I think my mother sewed most of mine.

      Delete
  14. Reader is having another MOMENT, and its been having it for a lot of moments. I enjoyed this post and all the comments... the duster is beautiful and perfect with the gown. Mother rarely had anything "storebought" she made all her clothing and had gowns and a robe, and house dresses and Sunday dresses.. women did not wear pants until the mid 70's when mother and daddy were scandalized when a woman wore pants to church, even Sears employees did not get to wear pants to work until 1976.
    I never wear clothes in the house, I wear gowns or mumu's and when I was younger I wore the snap down the front duster things and often a just above the knee t-shirt. I did get to wear pedal pushers in the 50's but not for good. only to school or hanging around.
    About The Age Thing. I suddenly said to Bob at lunch time, Do you realize David, my son, Cathy, his daughter will be 62 In Feb? they are retirement age. what does that make us and then I realized Daniels daughter will be 40 this coming Christmas, more proof that the two of us don't have much longer to tango

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm right there with you on wearing pants to church. Except, I do ... only because I own only 1 summer and 1 winter dress.

      Delete
  15. I get that! That is so sweet about Vanity Fair at Christmas. How awesome that you found that one.
    Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  16. There used to be a vanity fair in Monroeville, AL. I don’t know if anything is there now. Mom liked shopping there when I was young. Great that you found a twin of your mom’s. Take care, Sheila Y

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking time to visit. Your comments mean the world to me!