When Chad was in school, Abercrombie & Fitch was the in place for kids to shop. I never had the money to buy many of Chad’s clothes there and something deep within me is so opposed to being hung up on brand names so I never encouraged that kind of spending. I’m not sure how it came to be but Chad ended up with an A&F jacket. I think he had gotten money for Christmas and that’s how he chose to spend it. He wore the jacket for a year or two and I don’t remember if he discarded it because it wasn’t cool to wear the same jacket for several seasons, or, if he just no longer liked it. I suspect he just didn’t want to wear the same jacket year after year.
I detest wearing coats .. even in MO and KY, I almost refused to wear one. Of course, I’ve never lived where it was really cold. I do keep a warm jacket in the car during the winter in case we got stranded somewhere but for me, wearing a coat, especially in Texas, it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Put it on to walk to the car. Take it off before getting into the car. Put it on before walking into the destination. Take it off upon arriving inside destination. Hope I don’t forget it. Go through the same put in on/take it off routine. Get home. Hang it up or . . as happens around here, pile the coats up in a chair til the chair topples over.
Vince always gets frustrated at me for not wanting to wear a coat. I’d rather shiver for a few minutes than have to keep putting on and taking off a coat.
But, when you have chickens and a winter garden and fruit trees that have to be watered in the winter, sometimes you need a coat but not a new, expensive coat – especially for working in the garden and tending chickens. Probably 10 years ago when dealing with the chickens in MO, I remembered Chad’s old red jacket.
Winter in MO
Just seeing that picture makes me want to put on a heavy coat.
Ice
Maybe I needed a helmet along with a coat!
Anyway, I love that old red coat. It has a very soft, fluffy lining and it’s so warm. The sleeves are long enough that they cover my hands so I don’t have to wear gloves, which is nice when dealing with chickens.
Chad’s Jacket
This morning as I headed out to take care of the chickens, I had on my nightgown. I opened the door and realized it was colder than we had expected it to get so I headed back in the house and grabbed Chad’s old jacket.
Chilly Morning
Memories flooded over me for a second and then, as I was out doing my morning chores, as almost always happens the first time I wear that jacket each year, my mind wandered through the years of Chad’s high school, college, and of course I continued to wander down Memory Lane and came to Nicole and Addie. I am so blessed and so thankful for so much, including the old red jacket that has brought me smiles and memories for so many years.
Rebecca in SoCal says
Lovely.
Take a coat off to get in car? For a while, the car’s as cold as everything else!
BTW, your title and logo are appearing beautifully.
Pat says
I am with you hate coats. I always keep a jacket in the car year round and a little jacket/sweater to wear to restaurants
April R says
Reminds me of all the dirty looks i get in car pool dropping off my oldest. He hates pants and won’t wear them. Even the cold days in south Louisiana aren’t that cold but a few are. Yet, he still gets out of the car in his short sleeve school uniform shirt and shorts with jacket in his book bag. He feels the same as you. He’d rather shiver for the 5 second walk from the car to the school door than put a jacket on and off. Sometimes I reply to the dirty look with “Its in his book bag.”
April R says
What is more funny is his younger brother is always cold. He wears pants year round to school and has been wearing his jacket for weeks now.
Angie says
I too dislike coats. But I do like L.L. Bean’s Fleece jackets. They are surprisingly warm. I have several of them now and it’s all I wear here in North Calif. I like that you are enjoying Chad’s Abercrombie & Fitch jacket. I can remember going to that store in the mall with our granddaughter, the music was so loud inside I would stand outside the store while she shopped all the “torn jeans”. ;o) Hope Chad doesn’t want his jacket back!