A Day for Pedal Pushers

"Is it true? Are pedal pushers really back in style? Yes!
The cropped pant that was made popular by Audrey Hepburn in her iconic 1960’s Gap commercial has reemerged."

Back on the Fourth of July, we piled all of our crew into three cars and drove up to Ricky and Barbara's house. It was a lovely backyard BBQ with their little granddaughters making us all smile. All it took was a hat to protect the baby's head from the sun and a bit of water on a waterslide for Lillie and Emma to be happy. The rest of us sat around in a circle on the lawn and watched their squeals and giggles. One of my brother's friends said hello to my dad and then turned to me and said hello to Betty, thinking I was my dad's wife. Okay, maybe now that I am retired, I am part of some old lady's club that could range 30 years or more. I smiled at him as I smiled at Lillie. Then corrected him. I am my father's daughter, not his wife. I am 61 to Betty's 90. That is one long-reaching, proud club to belong to.

Norman also belongs to a club. It is called the Romeo's. Retire Old Men Eating Out. His breakfast club meets once a month in a local diner. Most of the guys are retired teachers and they get to reminisce and complain as old men do. There are days my husband will come home from breakfast so sad that someone has a new diagnosis or is on an oxygen tank. All horrible old men stuff. Still, he loves to get together with them, compare and complain. He is honored to be a Romeo. Only thing is that I don't consider him to be an old man. Not yet. We've got 30 good years of complaining ahead of us.

Ranney School began its orientation meetings this week for teachers who are still teaching. Instead, we went to see a movie and had Chinese food for dinner. After "Crazy Rich Asians" who wouldn't want a dumpling? How great if all decisions could be as easy as that? Maybe that's a good thing that happens in retirement. I stood in line for the movie behind two retired women. They might have been twins, they looked so much alike. It seems like all retired women of a certain age wear pedal pushers in pastel colors with printed blouses, white sandals with arthritic painted toes peeking out of the front, a sweater in case it might be cold, and a purse, of course. Their whitish hair is always nicely brushed and there is a hint of lipstick. At 116 degrees on this crazy hot day, retired women of a certain age go to the movies. I stood behind them feeling like I was in their club. My pedal pushers are called capris and I wore sneakers, not sandals, but still. On this day, I did not have to listen to a Headmaster introducing new faculty and reviewing mission statements. I was not cringing at a film about bloodborne pathogens. I was contemplating the deeper meaning of humanity, watching altacockers in Matawan enjoy a crazy movie about rich people from Singapore. I am not an altacocker yet. I wear capris, not pedal pushers.

"Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today."
Ben Franklin was very quick with his words for the wise. Problem is, I have no idea what I should get done today. What do you say to that, Ben? Sometimes you just want to be lazy and not do it all. Sometimes you just want to cool off at the movies. I have nothing looming on the horizon, not on my easel nor in my inbox. An empty day planner would have scared me back in June. I’ve learned to take it all in stride. Finishing my big summer project, Murray the portrait, was my big accomplishment for the week. Yesterday, I thought about getting a frame for the painting and decided to splurge on a good one for once. Murray is worth it. My painting is worth it. I set prices for people who might ask for an original B.Levine and reached out to more parents about tutoring art. All that decision making was enough for one day. The rest I'll tackle tomorrow. I have a few more days before August ends. I am still on Summer break. Sort of. Then I officially begin my retirement. I better go dust the mothballs off my pedal pushers.