Monday Musings- Packing Again and Masking Up
Happy Monday, ladies, I hope you had a great weekend! BTW…I sewed the bunny ears on so fiercely that I had to cut the entire top off the hat and rip it back several inches to get them off. Luckily, I have another skein. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you might want to sign up for my emails to get my Sunday newsletter.
Packing again
I can’t believe we’re leaving for Portugal in less than two weeks. Eek! I feel like I just unpacked from Canada, and the ironing isn’t finished. We bought this trip at a Lung Cancer Charity Gala last November, and it just seems to have snuck up on me. We’ll have a condo in PortimĆ£o and are going a few days early to visit SĆ£o Miguel Island and Lisbon. Have you been? I think the major tourist season is over, so it should be quiet and restful.
COVID seems to be on the uptick these days, and several friends have gotten it, so it feels smart to go back to being extra careful again. I hardly ever see people wearing masks these days, but it’s not a bad idea. I never had so much as a sniffle the entire time we were all wearing masks. Did you? I still have a good supply of these N95 masks, which don’t seem as ugly as some other masks. The neutral color is easy on the eyes, and I never feel claustrophobic in them.
Carryon
We plan to go carryon only as usual so I upgraded my handheld to this medium-sized Everywhere bag. I sure hope they arrive in time because my old one has gotten pretty ragged-looking. I love bags that slip over the handle of my suitcase, and square ones seem to hold much more than other shapes.
Quiet Luxury Splurge or Save
Quiet luxury has taken the fashion world by storm. Just kidding…it’s simply a new term used to describe fashion that focuses on understated elegance, high-quality materials, and impeccable craftsmanship rather than flashy logos or overt branding. It’s characterized by simplicity, timelessness, and a subtle sense of sophistication. It’s also available at all price points, so let’s play splurge or save.
Quiet luxury is characterized by clean lines, simple shapes, and a focus on timeless, versatile pieces that can be worn for many seasons. It’s often in neutral colors which stand the test of time. If I look in my wardrobe, many things qualify as quiet luxury.
This outfit starts with a lady-like structured blazer, a simple white tee, some beige pants, a camel/brown loafer, and bag, and is finished with textural gold earrings and a bracelet.
The splurge outfit comes in around $1,738 and the save outfit runs $448. What do you think? Is the more affordable outfit obvious? What tipped you off? Which do you prefer?
Walking in another woman’s shoes
A reader complained when I mentioned my weight gain last week. Another reader thanked me for being transparent. I didn’t take either comment to heart because until you walk in another woman’s shoes, you don’t really know her story. So I’ll take this opportunity to tell you mine.
In 2015, I fell and cracked my femur in two places and tore my hip labrum. What the doctors failed to mention at the time was that my labrum was very thin and wearing out. I endured months of excruciating pain but avoided a hip replacement because the doctors hoped (and they were right) that I could heal without one and get back to life as I liked to live it.
I’ve been walking, working with a physical trainer, and doing yoga at home. A few months ago, I began having weird hip pain, so went to a fantastic physical therapist. He fixed my IT band pain and the stiffness in my back, but my hip remained “weird.” It suddenly dawned on me that the pain was in a deep spot in my joint, reminiscent of when my labrum was torn.
I was finally able to see my doctor last week. She’s sending me for some additional tests but believes that my labrum has just worn out. I asked what could be done for that, and she said nothing but a hip replacement. She noted my weight gain since I’d seen her last and suggested that losing those extra 8 pounds might help alleviate some of the pain until we see what’s going on.
So, while I dislike how tight my clothes are, I’m frantically trying to shed those extra pounds (which have also caused my blood pressure to tick up a notch) in the hopes of alleviating some of the pain.
It reminds me that every woman I meet has a story to tell, and I should not judge her on my standards. That woman whose hair is dirty could be caring for a spouse with dementia and have zero time for herself. Or she could be dealing with a terminal disease that doesn’t show on the outside.
We need to support others without knowing their whole story, which is not easy but a worthy goal.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to wear what makes you feel confident.
Thank you for being transparent. Iām caring for my husband on hospice while having a knee replacement a few months ago. Itās not easy and you donāt have time for yourself but with Godās help I manage each day.
I’m so sorry, Beverly. I’m sending you hugs and prayers!! Hang in there. xo
We were in Portugal in June. The food is really good and the local wines are delicious. We hired a tuk tuk for a private tour day tour- I highly recommend that. As well as a food tourā¦we had fabulous foods that I probably wouldnāt have ordered at places that we might have missed otherwise. I usually use Viator to book.
Thanks for the recommnedation. I’ll check it out.
Best of Luck with the hip! I have had three hip surgeries, as one of my replacements wore out and I had a revision surgery four years ago! The surgery does make a difference, but a warning that the physical therapy after the surgery seems more painful than pre-surgery! (Ha – really, it’s all worth it!)
Just got back from a trip to Alaska – I had taken the masks that you suggest and wore them a lot, but still came back with “covid.” (Just because I was wearing the masks didn’t mean that the people around me were! Germs are everywhere!)
Great point! Most poeple on our cruise weren’t wearing masks either but ALL of the staff were.
Oh Jennifer- you’re a better woman than I am! Packing, unpacking, packing, flying, planning for weather changes-eeeek!
The bonus is traveling to Portugal! So many people I know have visited and loved it ( not much said about Lisbon itself though) but Algarve? And one other popular area. I’m sure you will love it too.
I donāt know why anyone would take issue with you saying you gained a few pounds. Most of us have some weight fluctuations. And, sharing part of your real life with us is a big part of your blog. It makes you seem like a friend, not a stranger with a magical life as most influencers appear.
Iām sorry your hip is giving you pain. I know the feeling as I wait for my surgical date. I have lost weight and continue to walk every morning and do the physical therapy exercises given to me by the occupational therapist. Both of those will help me keep my mobility and flexibility, therefore recovering quicker from my surgery.
Another grand baby to love on. How wonderful! You must be excited.
It’s so hard to have to wait for a surgery date. I hope it comes sooner than later Joanna! I am sooo excited for a little one to snuggle.
This time I really liked the splurge outfit. Love the Nordstrom jacket. Both outfits are really my style. I like simplicity. I’ve been having hip issues but nothing compared to what you’ve been going through. I just had some inflammation I suspect from golf. Keep us posted and thanks for sharing.
I know you love your golf, Rosemary!! Hope your hip calms down.
Your comment to support each other resonates with me. Thank you for the reminder. Letās realize that people are doing the best they can and give them a mulligan. Good luck with your weight loss.
Sorry about your hip problem, so frustrating. I also am starting to get some pain in hip. I notice when I wear certain shoes there is pain. Maybe a change in shoes will help. A lot of friends have had knee, hip, and shoulder surgeries. I think getting older is a real challenge. Thank goodness we live in a time that we can get the medical help to repair our joints.
I hope you can get some much needed rest . Enjoy your trip, and be safe.
Blessings
I have been opting for sneakers most days just to get some extra cushioning. It’s changing my style quite a bit, but you gota do what you gota do:)
I hope you love Portugal. Try to get to Sintra, about 15 miles outside Lisbon. Quaint city with an amazing and eclectic Royal castle. Unfortunately, Portuguese food is wonderful, especially the cream cakes. Nit do good for your diet! Good luck with all you are doing for your health. Oh yeah, I liked the saver outfit best. Such a great jacket.
Sintra sounds magical. I hope we can.
Thank you for the reminder regarding not judging. As you said so well, we often donāt know the true story of what they are walking through. To show love and honor can mean so much to someone struggling. I appreciate you. ā¤ļø
I appreciate you too, thanks Jacquelyn
Thank you Jennifer for your comments about not judging because we never know the whole story. Even if we do know the story, who are we to judge? Iāve never stopped masking (immunocompromised from chemo for an incurable condition) and I canāt tell you how often people give me the side eye. I look fine-I am vain enough to do my hair and makeup and still buy nice things once in a while. People greet me by telling me how fantastic I look. Itās all so hollow.
You almost had me fooled with the spend or splurge, but finally the jacket gave it away for me. I do love those quiet neutral colors. And I love that mask, I may need some of those. I have white and basic black, but theyāre too bigā¦suffocating.
Thank you for your story, and I hope that hip replacement isnāt your future. But even if it is, youāve got this. And you will be better than new!
You’re so sweet, Susan, thanks for sharing your story.
On Sao Miguel island now. Absolutely stunning! The sights and beaches are awesome. Weather is perfect and the nights can be slightly cool where a light cover up works well, especially walking back after a late dinner.
Enjoy your trip!
Yay…I’m getting so excited. Have fun!
You are so right, Jennifer!!!! What business do we have judging anyone? Thatās Godās job, not ours! Praying for pain management and healing.
You covered a multitude of topics this morning. This ā quiet luxury ā trend is not new to me. I donāt put a dollar sign on it either. For me, it begins with clean, modern personal maintenance that will support the more budget friendly styles.
When I see the word āquietā, it also implies that the need to pile on accessories is just not necessary but may be more distracting.
I have had both hips replaced and kick myself for waiting too long to have the first one done. We are so fortunate to be living in a time when they have perfected these replacement surgeries. Itās critical to be mentally prepared and willing to follow all the rehab exercises recommended. And yes, a few extra pounds can make a huge difference too!
If it comes to surgery, I’m just going to go for it. You ladies have all been so encouraging!! The older I get the less I want to pile it all on. I’d rather have one standout and it ususaly needs to have meaning for me.
Thank you for your honesty with your viewers. You help me so much as I have a chronic disease but I still want to be stylish even though I’m not young anymore and those young people think we are not worth anything anymore. Respect and love is the answer.
Susi in Georgia
We are all worth it!! I’m glad you’re here with us Susi xo
Another great post and thanks for the reminder on masking up. Could you tell us where you purchased these neutral colored mask? We’re experiencing a spike in my part of the country as well and I found mask to be quite effective.
Ther’e a link under the image to them here. The company does make colored ones that are N95 as well.
I couldn’t tell which outfit was the splurge but it turns out I liked the more affordable outfit and disliked the pants, shoes and bag of the splurge. Good thing since my budget doesn’t allow for the splurge! I agree about never knowing what someone else is going through. My mom had a severe case of MS (she died at 38) and many people attributed her unsteadiness to alcohol (she never drank) and would make unkind comments which really hurt. Hope you have a lovely trip.
I’m so sorry about your mom! People can be so cruel. I preferred the save oputfit too.
While I seem to instinctively gravitate to more expensive choices I really like the pieces in the āSaveā selection more than the āSplurgeā group – with the exception of the earrings which are not that much of a splurge. I would probably wear earrings I own and are kind of my signature pair anyway – same with bracelet. So cute!
I prefer it this week too!
I actually like the less expensive outfit the best – the pants are what were the deciding factor for me. Words of encouragement: I had a hip replacement two years ago a result of a femur break two years prior (hospitalized during Covid – had to wait four days there before other high priority emergency surgeries were needed – kinda like a bedfast vaca). Anyway the hip surgery was miraculous, done robotically, recovery not hard and hip functions great. Pilates moves are limited but that is it. I had my knee replaced 8 weeks ago (same leg) and it is a much harder recovery but my hip is doing all the hard knee pt with no problem. You will happy to be rid of the hip pain! Prayers for easy peasy surgery, recovery and a great trip to Portugal!
I prefer it too. Wow, I will ask about robotic, it seems to be the wave of the future. Good luck with your kee recovery.
I LOVE that you are reminding us that everyone has a storyā¦. Sometimes a smile for a person that is in her āstrugglingā portion of the story can mean a lot to them. We all need to remember that everyone has a story. Thank You for this!
“You never know what someone else is going through” is something that I always remember in my job, teaching. A student who is turning in late assignments or not showing up to class may have issues at home, or health issues that they don’t want to use as an excuse (but should). I love how you extend this to the comments that are made on your posts and it’s a good reminder to me to give others a little bit of grace whenever possible.
By the way, my husband caught COVID at the end of June when we were in Vancouver, BC, and I know you were there for some time, so at least you dodged that bullet! But still smart to take precautions, I think.
Happy travels! I’m in Paris now and it is indeed less crowded than it is in the summer – I hope you find the same in Portugal.
Have fun in Paris!! How marvelous!
Great Splurge or Save! I was fooled. The save look did it! Nice comparisons. I like the look of quiet luxury. Sorry about your hip pain. You never know someone else’s story and this is a good reminder.
Good morning Jennifer,
Thank you for your message this morning. Made me feel grateful š
Have a beautiful day!
This is a beautiful post. So true, never judge someone else as we do not know their story or is any of our business! As for your blood pressure, mine always spikes when I have pain . I have developed an issue with Gout since Covid. I never know when it will act up. If you have luck loosing weight please share. I struggle with this on a daily basis.
Gout is no fun, I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ll keep you posted on what works, but basically I’m cutting out all snacks and eating more protein and veggies.
Have a wonderful time in Portugal, but at the moment, there doesnāt appear to be an āoffā season for tourists in Europe. Never saw anyone (except myself) wear a mask in France, UK, or Italy earlier this year. Managed to catch covid on flight home, after throwing caution to the wind and didnāt wear one. Good luck with your hip and hope it doesnāt play up in Portugal
Oh no, I’m sorry you got covid! At least you were home when you got it and not in a hotel.
Thank you for sharing, mine started lasted spring with IT band diagnosis and then hip and PT for months, then shot in hip joint that did not work until they found it was low back degeneration and the injections finally worked. The only thing I could do was water exercises that works great. My weight also went up and down like my pain.
Water exercise was recomended to me too. I’m glad the injections finally worked for you.
As I said before you donāt look like youāve gained weight, and I think most women can relate to ups and downs in weight! Being a blogger takes having grit. I donāt think I could put myself out there the way you do. Enjoy your trip.
Thanks for the mask recommendation. We came back from our alaska trip a month ago with COVID. Fortunately we have had 6 vax and our symptoms were so mild we didnāt suspect COVID, until we got home and learned we had been exposed. Ps – I too am having a hip problem. Mine seems to be piraformes (sp.) and some arthritis. I discovered Tylenol arthritis (8hour) and I take one most days. Doesnāt solve the root problem but may help in the meantime.
I just got some Tylenol Arthitis today. I hope it helps because I do know I have arthitis too.
Seven weeks ago, I had my second knee replacement. I was driving in 3 days; I am continuing PT by choice. Both of them have been very highly successful; I put off the first one for 10 years doing PT and steroid injections. I am so glad to have new knees; my sisterly advice is to know you will be miserable for a couple of weeks but so much better for years to come.
Thanks for that advice, Nyla. I always wanted to have a sister š
Wow, Jennifer, so much going on in your life. I did read your newsletter yesterday, and am delighted to know that some of it is good. Congratulations!
As for everything else, my goal is to do the best I can everyday for me and others. If I succeed more days than I fail, my life and those of other I encounter, are better for it.