Polo Shirts & Inadequate Packing Skills

Dear John,

 

It's been another cold, gray, damp day. We had some freezing rain early this morning - I woke up to a coating of ice on everything. Then it rained all day, snowed about an hour, and moved out. No excitement.

 

You know I kept your polo shirts, which means everything except your dress shirts. They're hanging in the closet because I can't bear to get rid of them. Yesterday I found this idea - making a dress out of old knit shirts. What do you think? I could make it with an empire waist and put matching ties on the back. You had so many shirts in so many colors, since it was what you wore every day and for work, that I should have some good options. What do you think? Would it make you happy for me to wear your shirts as a dress? Let me know - I'm seriously thinking about it for warmer weather. I'd have to re-set the sleeves on the top one, since your shoulders were so much broader than mine, but that would be an easy thing to do.

 

There are a few things of yours that I just can't get rid of. You know about your Nikes - they still live in the closet, and the dog still sniffs them whenever he goes in there. I still have your wallet, your chessboard, and I'm not done with going through your briefcase yet. As I find things that should go other places, I take care of it. I found a thermometer that belonged to the restaurant, and some pens you'd gotten for them, and took those in a few months ago. There are lots of little things that I can't let go. And that's okay. Since you forgot to take me with you (drat it!), I'll let myself do whatever I need to do to get by as long as I'm here.

 

See, if you'd made lists before going on a trip, like I asked you to do, you would never have left without me! And we always said that moving is harder on the one left behind than the one that moves. We were right.

 

Between the WFFs and my critters, I'm surviving your inadequacies at packing for travel. When the time is right, I'll join you.

 

Adore you,

Joan.