It’s been a successful first three days of the new year so far.

I got in three walks, despite thinking this morning would be a washout since it was pouring when the alarm went off.

And, I’m still organizing clutter with great gusto and getting re-acquainted with my “stuff” as part of my resolution to be more orderly.

Well, first things first.

For 2017, I also resolved not to listen to the weatherman’s forecast to plan whether I’ll walk or do errands, but to look outside first. You cannot believe how many times, based on a morning forecast or prediction the day before, I altered my plans.  No more!  It was soggy and there were mud puddles galore, but I got my four miles in, making that twelve miles walked so far in this young year.

It was Day #3 of walking at Council Point Park. I’ve now exhausted my supply of peanuts – it was only a small bag that I bought in late Fall for one squirrel on the Boulevard.  So, today when my Park squirrel came to visit, with his friends close on his heels, I knew I was in trouble.  I tossed the remaining four peanuts to the lead squirrel and the rest were out of luck.  But, he shared with his pals, then all four persisted in following me around the perimeter path.  Tomorrow, weather permitting, (oops – old habits refuse to die), I’ll pack peanut butter sandwiches for all of them – that sticky goodness will keep ‘em happy for awhile.

As I mentioned above, over the long holiday weekend I began tackling the clutter, a/k/a the cupboards, closets and drawers. One of my favorite hobbies used to be shopping.  I found items I hadn’t seen in years, mostly clothes and accessories that have been tucked away since I quit working on site.  The basement contains even more stuff , but I won’t peruse  those clothes racks, cabinets and cedar closet just yet.

The closets held a treasure trove of clothes from when I got dressed up to go to work, as opposed to just wearing shorts and a t-shirt or a sweat suit. I know the pant suits will still fit, but, as I flipped through pencil-slim skirt suits, form-fitting Capri pants and then checked out high-heeled pumps and sandals – well, maybe those days are gone for good.  I even slipped on a pair of soft leather loafers, but years of  wearing soft moccasins all day in the house, plus wide walking shoes made even those flat-heeled loafers not doable.  Although the walking regimen has been great exercise and provides fodder for a blog, it has created muscular thighs, so, sadly I held those capris up in the air and admitted “not in this lifetime” to myself.  Secretarial spread likely has decimated those pencil-slim skirts as well.

Luckily, before I got too depressed over my once-favorite clothes, I spotted a comfy outfit ordered from Coldwater Creek about a decade ago. When Robb and I left the law firm and went out on our own, we had no dress code at our office.  So, I proceeded to expand my wardrobe to include capris, long skirts with dress boots, and other items, like a cozy Sherpa pullover and flannel pants set.  I remember trying it on and my mom said they looked like lounging pajamas, so I put them away for my retirement years.

This morning, I decided to try them on and the sweater sleeves and pant legs were way too long, a rare find for me at 5 feet, 9 inches tall, unless I buy a tall size.

So, while I wondered if they were sized for talls, or I shrunk in stature during the past decade, I flipped up the label to find the size, and found the care instructions on the label from the manufacturer named “Got Keys” … the label made me smile and I decided it was a “Musings-worthy” share for today’s blog post:

For best results: Machine wash cold.  Tumble dry low.  Never iron design.

For worst results: Drag thru puddle behind car.  Blow dry on roof rack.