Old Blue

Last fall I threw out my old winter jacket. It was pale blue, with a zipper down the front, no buttons. The cuffs were worn, the coat soiled from wear, and no amount of scrubbing would make it look like new.

The zipper broke a number of years ago and I continued to wear it, dressing accordingly by layering it over a sweatshirt or fleece top.

But, I never got around to buying a new winter coat. I do have a 'good' coat. It's mid calf in length and too heavy to wear shopping, so I save it for dressier times.

I made do last winter with my quilted jean jacket. Lucky for me, I could avoid going out on the worst of our cold winter days, and as we had enough days of fairly good weather, I made do.

My jean jacket went from winter to spring and now it's fall and perfect, again, except we're having an unusually warm start to our fall.

That old blue jacket went from my closet, to a bag in the car. I was undecided as to whether to add it to one of those clothing bins, or toss it in the garbage. I wore it in its well-worn state, so maybe some poor homeless person could use it. I was convinced that any clothes added to those big parking lot bins of clothing, were sorted for resale or give away.

But the bag with the coat stayed in the back of my van, as I found myself unable to part with it. Like the jean jacket, with it's frayed and worn cuff, there's an emotional attachment. It will be much harder to give up the jean jacket, and as it has snaps, no zipper, it still works. I love the two breast pockets, with zippers, and the stylish addition of zippers at the cuff.

I'm a jeans and denim kind of girl, old girl, and I would need to replace this jacket in kind before I see it go.

Funny, how some clothes we wear over and over again, while newer and better items hang in our closets, unworn.

Well, my old coat is finally gone.

My son was putting something in the back of the van and asked why I had all these bags. One fabric store bag had an afghan in it, because you never know when you might need a blanket. Another bag had all my store bags, because I try to avoid the plastic ones. Finally there was the bag with 'old blue'.

"What do you want to do with it?" my son asked.

"I was going to take it to one of those clothing bins," I replied.

He tossed it into the back of his car, stating he also had a couple of bags to go, of too small kids clothes, and as easy as that it was gone.

Decision made, action taken, goodbye old blue coat, you served me well.