My choices for this year’s Oaks and Derby Days are fascinators, both bought at Pix. A Kelly-green jacket atop a navy dress will pair perfectly with the navy fascinator highlighted with Kelly-green embellishments. The other fascinator will be perfect headgear for a blush and lace dress. The clothes complement the derby hats.
This past week was quite stressful as I accompanied my Dad through his various medical visits. My blood pressure which is usually quite low spiked a bit. So, I turned to art therapy. Since I am away from home I cannot access my quilt room nor my acrylic paints. So I began working on a felt Christmas stocking for the youngest member of the family.
As discussed in Economical Christmas Traditions, each generation is welcomed by the grandmother making a felt Christmas stocking. This is my first and there has been a bit of a learning curve. But, so far I am quite pleased. The felt Christmas stocking is almost finished.
The kit for the felt Christmas Stocking features a snowman surrounded by cardinals. As soon as I spotted the design I knew this was the one-my Dad loves cardinals. The stocking is a positive reminder of his love now and in the future.
However, I am making a few color changes. Instead of the ice blue vest and two-toned green scarf, the snowman will don a vest of fuchsia. Additionally, the scarf is now K-State purple with an accent of the fuchsia used in the vest. I also switched out the green ribbon on the top hat with purple felt.
The bright fuchsia color reminds me of the bright pink of Stargazer Lilies. This is the lily often seen on Kentucky Oaks Day. Churchill Downs honors breast cancer survivors on Oaks Day. For me, using the color in the stocking will always remind me of this time spent with my Dad; A time of courage and of love.
The purple color so familiar to Kansas State University graduates belongs in the home of two alumni. Perhaps their little one will attend school there. At any rate, the colors are favorites.
The stocking kit came with almost everything included. Construction is by hand-sewing not machine and a needle is provided along with the various colors of floss to correspond with the felt. Good lighting is suggested. Late one night I thought the pale pink floss was white. But I don’t think the mistake is noticeable.
There have been a few do-overs. I re-cut one of the bird’s heads as well as the brim for the top hat. The kit has a bit of wiggle-room for mistakes, but not much. The biggest challenge for me is keeping the beads and sequins from scattering about. I can see a use for little plastic containers if one was to create many items like this.
I also purchased a small pair of really sharp scissors. The smaller pieces would be difficult if not impossible to cut with either large scissors or a rotary cutter. Many, many curved pieces are involved in the pattern. Also, when possible as with the broom handle, I placed the pattern on the fold thus eliminating a seam.
Several of my college cross-country teammates were psychology majors. I credit them with introducing the concept of using art as stress relief. New England winters were not always conducive to running a 10K to decompress.
An alternative is art. I am grateful for the felt Christmas stocking tradition. This craft-work is fulfilling the artistic fuel my body and brain need at this point in time. Concentrating on the instructions as well as adjusting the pattern to fit my expression of color is having a calming effect.
The change in stress levels is so dramatic that I think it may be a key to the anger and stress that rears up in our society today. Creativity and completing work with one’s own hands provides a feeling of accomplishment. This sentiment is a positive that counteracts the negative. Perhaps the simple action of creation and enjoyment in art can provide the stress relief needed in today’s world.
Today is the day we finely get to meet the oncologist my Dad has been referred too. It seems like an eternity since the surgery. The waiting and wondering of the last two weeks is almost over. Naturally, there has been a bit of stress.
However, our moods have been fairly upbeat. I attribute this to a couple of things. First, the day after the surgery he felt up to walking. So we did. But we took it easy. A fifteen minute saunter around the neighborhood would be a more apt description. The following day the walk lasted a few minutes longer.
Now Dad is back to his normal pace and time. Thirty minutes of walking at a good pace. Last night he walked on his own while I made an early dinner. He had a club meeting to go to.
He has not resumed lifting weights, but my guess is the surgeon will give the green light next week. The physical activity helps keep the spirits up. Plus, he believes it helps him sleep at night. Octogenarians benefit from exercise and good sleep too.
A second positive during this period of waiting and wondering has been support from family and friends. My Dad’s siblings talk with each other on Sunday afternoons. I believe this tradition started when they were in college. For the oldest two, the college years took place in the 1950s. Long distance calls were not common and of course cell phones and their unlimited calling plans non-existent.
Fortunately, staying in touch these days is easier. So the phone calls have been more numerous. The brothers are commiserating since each is now battling cancer. Their younger sister is offering support through prayers and advice.
In my case, my biggest support is my husband. He flew down over the Veteran’s Day holiday. Even though the visit was brief, my spirits were buoyed. I just wish the distance wasn’t so great.
My kids have texted and called and my daughter-in-law has shared videos and pictures of the youngest member of the family. The little miss has mastered rolling over and cut her first tooth. Wonderful milestones to offset the waiting and wondering.
Support from friends played a big role during the last sixteen days since the surgical waiting room. On a couple of occasions my Dad joined friends for lunch. And he stays active in his Lodge meetings. He also continues to visit my Mom in the nursing home. Unfortunately, her dementia makes support from that quarter flighty at best.
Since my friends are distant, the support comes from phone calls, including a timely one yesterday regarding the purchase of Kentucky Oaks tickets. The email from Churchill Downs had gone to the Spam box. Fortunately, my time block to buy is later today. Kentucky Oaks Day highlights the fight against breast cancer. Survivors march along the track prior to the race for three year old fillies. I love Oaks Day. Attendance next year will be exceptionally meaningful.
Most of my reading the last two weeks has been via the Internet. Armed with preliminary lab reports from his mastectomy, I am reading mostly so I can follow the conversation he will have with the oncologist this afternoon. I am very grateful for the thorough website of the American Cancer Society. Male breast cancer is not common.
The waiting and wondering will continue after today’s appointment. But, I am hoping for an action plan of a sort. Obviously more testing will be done to see if other areas of the body have been affected.
I am not sure how much fighting my Dad will do. Side effects of cancer treatment vary by type as well as by the individual. Whatever decisions he makes, I will support. It is the least I can do.
Well it is hard to believe but it is almost Derby Time. The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs is just around the corner. For some it is the fastest two minutes in sports. For others, the Derby means much more. Across the country Derby Parties are being planned. Derby parties involve good food, mint juleps, party dresses and best of all, Derby hats.
I am a hat person. I love hats. Straw hats and felt hats, fedoras and even ball caps. My collection even includes a couple of fascinators. The best way to describe a fascinator is a headband (or barrette) on steroids. I think I need to add some fascinators because they tend to stay on your head if there is any wind in the forecast.
Hats serve a purpose in addition to looking nice. They protect from the outdoor elements. Both the sun and the rain can cause damage. Hats offer good protection from the sun for both the face and the top of the head. Guys going for the “Bald Look” need to consider the potential skin damage. Additionally, without a hat, one tends to look like a drowned rat if standing in the rain. Of course Derby hats, really fancy ones, need shelter from the rain!
Some hats are made specifically for an outfit. The photo to the right shows the winner of a hat fashion contest last fall in San Diego. I wholeheartedly agreed with the judges. But one needs to know a milliner to have a hat custom-made. There are none near me.
The next best thing is a store specializing in hats. Or at least a shop that carries hats. I am lucky to have a local shop with hats in my hometown. In some parts of the country such a store is not available. Fortunately, we live in the age of the Internet so for those without a local source of hats, shopping online is an alternative to driving a long distance.
If you are hosting or attending a Derby Party the first Saturday in May you need to act quickly. Hopefully anyone lucky enough to attend the race in person already has purchased their hat. But in any case there is still time and several options.
First, if you are artsy and live near a shop like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s, consider making your own hat. Most Derby hats start with a straw base. Then the decorations are added. The add-ons could include netting, silk flowers, feathers or all three. Some people go wild. I have seen horse heads and even the entire racetrack. The sky is the limit as you can see from the pictures.
If creativity is not your thing and you don’t live near a hat shop, go online. A simple web search will give you plenty of options. But at this point you may need to pay extra for shipping. Or you can spruce up a hat you already own by adding either a scarf clip or a piece of jewelry like a fancy broach.
No matter how old-fashioned hats may seem, the Kentucky Derby and Derby hats go hand-in-hand. So jump on the bandwagon and find a hat for the first Saturday in May. The slide show below will give the creative types some ideas. For the rest, it is time to go shopping!
