Love Songs & a Question

Last minute packing & book recommendation

We leave for London tomorrow, and I’m so excited! But before I go I wanted to leave you with one more book recommendation. This one is a big, epic family saga, and somehow I missed it when it came out but it got tons of love. It was an Oprah pick! It’s The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers.

I absolutely loved it. Like I said, it’s a multi-generational saga told from different points of view about a mixed family—Black, Native American and White—starting long before the American Revolution to current times. Of course, given the makeup of this family, there is generational trauma from slavery, genocide and abuse but trust me when I say that somehow the author pulls off a magic trick. It’s not an overwhelmingly sad novel, not at all; there is humor, all the characters—good and evil—are written as three-dimensional people with such empathy, you do understand, mostly, even the most despicable acts (although not all). Trigger warnings include sexual abuse of children along with racism and violence, so be warned about that. But again, I didn’t find it a sad and heavy slog; there are enough moments of triumph, of victory over evil, of healing and even of humor, to make it a wholly satisfying, and moving, read.

OK! Now I’m talking packing. And being a woman of a certain age. The other day on Facebook I shared that no one sufficiently prepared me for how much time I would spend trying to figure out my hair, post-menopause, and that little post seemed to strike a big chord with a lot of my friends there. So it made me wonder if I should talk more about things like that? Truthfully, I’ve been searching for a good lifestyle blog or site that addresses the issues we face as we age as women in a way that relates to me, and I cannot find one. Too many are really just talking about thin, fit, beautiful women who happen to have fabulous silver or grey hair. Um, that’s not me! I struggle with weight, with hair that has suddenly decided to have split ends as well as split personality; with thyroid issues and finding the energy to do all the things I used to do and wondering why I can only have one cocktail because if I have more than one I have to take a nap. Wondering why my feet have changed, why I have to pamper them like they’re precious little tender babies that have to be encased by only the softest of materials and the most supportive of soles. Wondering if I’ll ever wear heels again and finding myself unable to part with the few I still possess.

Anyhoo – if I talk about things like that, would you like it? Would you chime in? Just wondering!

Speaking of precious little tender baby feet, I’m mainly taking supportive sneakers to London. Here’s what I’m packing –

L-R: Skechers for the days of heavy walking, Cole Haan, Ecco

They’re all kind of cute, I think. And in colors that go with everything. I’m a huge fan of lightweight dresses with sneakers, and a sweater or a jean jacket to layer in case the weather turns chilly. Dresses pack so easily and can also be washed out in a hotel sink and hung to dry quickly. I do have a couple of pairs of linen pants and long-sleeved T-shirts, if I want to mix it up.

And when I want to dress up these cute little outfits in the evening, I’m taking my favorite pair of booties, these Lucky Brand Baley Ankle Boots.

These look absurdly long but trust me, they’re only a size 6 1/2. I have tiny baby feet.

They don’t make this style anymore but I bought two each of my favorite colors of them before they sold out. I have them in this neutral taupe color, a fun leopard print, and black. They are so soft—the upper is kind of a fabric/suede, very breathable and not at all tight or heavy in the toe box. And the heel is very reasonable and I can walk a fair distance in them. (Although obviously, these are not Skechers.) I always put felt insoles into my booties, to help my feet not slip and to provide a little cushion.

I can’t wait to spend time walking in cute but comfortable shoes in one of my favorite cities! I’ll be sharing some of my adventures but also saving some things for when The Windsor Affair comes out next year, because of course I’m going to be swanning about London pretending I’m the queen. Because I am!

Dreaming of G&Ts and Pimms,

Melanie