Free Write Clothing Decisions

 

Again our three free writers are in two countries: France and Switzerland. Rick and D-L took a photo and sent it to Julia. This morning was too cool to write outside at a café but we were went inside at Mille et Une. Free writing is great if you alone, but when done with other people, I am always amazed at the details each of us notice or imagine.

Julia's Free Write -- The Colorful Lady.

There she was in all her glory.

The hat came probably hand-knitted from her English grandmother, roses and all; the scarf reminded me of the biblical story, Joseph and his coat of many colors – and it was Easter, but it was probably a more recent purchase; reading glasses were hanging on her neck as she wore her sunglasses (purple that matched nothing else); a vest for warmth with an additional shawl thrown over it all – it was cold if sunny.

What was she doing in this small French village? New villager? There are many expats mainly Scandinavian and English.

Simply visiting whilst looking for warmer climes, or a grandmother come to see her grandchildren?

Possibilities seem as endless and varied as her costume.

I’ll look for her next week and perhaps have more information.

D-L's Free Write -- Grace

In school, Grace hated her uniform.

When she worked in a bank, she hated her uniform.

When she married Paul, he wanted her to dress a certain way, following the fashions of the day. She didn't like the looks.

Paul died when they were both 600.

Grace stared at her closet, then went to the kitchen and came back with several large garbage bags.

Skirts, blouses, dresses, sweaters and slacks filled the bags. She drove them to Goodwill.

She saw a striped hat, almost a turbin and a scarfe that looked African. She found solored sweat pants that Paul would have hated and a crazy quilt jacket. She bought them all.

Over the next two months she haunted charity shops for crazy-colored clothes until her closet was once again filled.

When she went out, she didn't care that people stared at her.

Ellen came on Saturday to take Grace to lunch. Her daughter had always sought the latest fashion. Now she was an influencer,

"Mother!" Ellen's voice dripped horror, "You can't go the restaurant like THAT?"

The two argued.

"If you don't care to be seen with me, fine." She didn't care. If she couldn't do what she wanted at her age, when could she?"

Rick's Free Write -- The Village Eccentric

Ermaleene is the ultimate free spirit. The village eccentric. Actually, one of several. But she’s their queen.

Never married, she lives with three semi-feral cats, a parakeet and an iguana in a 15-square-metre studio near the train tracks. (Cheaper because of the constant noise.)

She spends her days shuffling from café to bar to PMU, sipping espresso and cheap wine.

Everyone knows her, or of her. How could you miss the rainbow sweaters and scarves and hats?

But the multi-coloured costumes don’t mean to Ermaleene what many assume.

When she was very young, she had been in love with a garcon. They spent most of their days together, away from the crowds. He was free-spirited too, and a bit of a daredevil. Each day he would test standing by the railroad tracks to see how close he could come to not getting hit by the train. Until one day he stood too close.

And it’s by that spot on the tracks that Ermaleene now lives.

Julia has written and taken photos all her life and loves syncing up with friends.  Her blog can be found: https://viewsfromeverywhere.blogspot.com/ 

Rick is an aviation journalist and publisher of www.aviationvoices. com

 

D-L has had 17 fiction and non fiction books published. Check out her website at: https://dlnelsonwriter.com