penny's party (lyn)

It’s a gorgeous cool, fall day.  I go to the Farmer’s Market and am surprised to see many more sellers than usual. Apparently there’s a one-day fair going on.  Vendors line the entire street, though It’s easy to pass most of them.  The jewelry is costume.  The unstylish clothes look like they’ve been recycled from someone’s closet. And even the hair ornaments look worn.  But the food is fresh and inviting. I buy my usual: corn, fruit, tomatoes, and a pie for tonight.  Penny is having another potluck dinner party.

I go without eating first. The strategy I tried last time of eating before so I wouldn’t be hungry didn’t work at all. 

I want to celebrate fall and wear something new, but I have nothing new to wear.  I look in my closet of forgotten clothes….ones that still fit, that were purchased years ago, and that I still like enough to hold onto.  I find a long black slinky skirt by Irie, a designer who, according to a September 4, 1990 New York Times article, “makes clothes that look skinny and curvy at the same time.”  I don’t think this once hot designer makes clothes anymore.

The skirt  fits just as it should.  Long and flowing, and very today-looking.  I pair it with a white fitted James Perse blouse and lace-up Stephane Kelian boots (also about 20 years old). I wear my favorite little jean jacket and I’m off.

By the time I arrive, the party is in full swing.  I find friends I haven’t seen all summer, grab some food (more than I should), and sit outside on Penny’s beautiful terrace.  We share stories of our kids’ experiences at college, talk about our quieter homes, and enjoy the beautiful night air.

It was a wise decision to eat nothing before coming.

Now that I’ve lost my in-home photographer, I don’t have as many photos to show.  But here’s one from last night, just as we are about to leave.