Wearing Many Different Hats

   Like most people, women especially, in my life I wear many different hats...literally and figuratively! Figuratively I have worn the hat of teacher, nurse, sister, friend, care-giver, baby-sitter, substitute mom, wife, cook, caterer, house-cleaner, chauffeur, masseuse, dog-walker, dish-washer, writer, craftswoman, and daughter.

   I even wore the hat of a telephone answering service worker at one time. I was trying, even then, to figure out how to get paid for doing what I love to do...TALK!  Problem was they gave me a very strict script that I was suppose to stick to. We all know that doesn't work for me! And also, I wasn't very good at making sure the right people got the right messages at the right time. Too many little papers.  But whatever! There were plenty other hats for me to wear.

   I'm sure there's more hats that I wore, but I can't think of them right now. Good thing, right?! :-) Anyway...I brought this up because of two reasons. One, I've been feeling my age lately, and slightly ...and I mean slightly...mourning the loss of some of the hats I use to wear. I kind of miss being frantically busy with kids (not my own, but siblings, friend's, and students) and having to run here and there to meet deadlines like I used to have to do. Crazy huh?! Now that I have all the time I used to crave...I miss all the time I use to crave to have time! LOL

    And secondly, I literally have so many hats that I have to get rid of them. (I mentioned my hat collection in an earlier post about my button collection.) Whenever we're talking about hats, this is the kind of hat conversation hubby and I have:

   "Ooooo! Look! Isn't that hat pretty?!"

   "Yeah, but stop looking at it! You have so many hats now that you don't know how many hats you have!!"

   "Oh, I wasn't going to BUY another hat. I'm just looking"

   "Good...How many hats do you have already anyway...Seriously?!...because we're running out of room in here, and some of them have to go!"

   "*giggle* I don't have that many. Ummmmm...about 8."

   " *Laughing hysterically!* Yeah right!!!"

   So, this led to me taking them out of the closet and doing a serious evaluation. And...he's right!!!...Yikes! Did I say 'He's right!' Yes I did!!!...I have waaaaay too many hats! So, some have to go. I need your help though. Which ones?!!!

   The one in my header picture is my Southern Expression hat. It's going nowhere! Let's just get that straight right now!! LOL But I have my sassy leopard hat with the side buckle.

    My warm knit 'comfortable-to-pull-on-anytime' hat.

   My simply brown hat that I could dress up or down. I wear this one when my hair is pulled back in a pony-tail.

   But these are good pony-tail hats too!

   And how can I get rid of my "Crochet Club Hat" that my friend had especially made for the group of us that were having a girl day every week to make blankets and afghans?!

   And this 'pony-tail' hat not only has turquoise stones in front...

   ...but it has one in the back...and a cute little cowboy leather dangle!

   Oh boy! This is getting hard!!!...I wear this with my dress up clothes.

   And this one too. It's real fur. It was given to me by a friend who inherited it from a relative. She reminded me how valuable it was, and told me I was getting it only because she couldn't wear it. Wrong size head or something....It has a hidden feature too...

   See it?! It's a little foot, right on top of the hat!...I KNOW!!!! I can't just throw this one away, right?!

Then there are the hats I made myself, that I kept. That hardly ever happens! I usually give away everything that I don't put up for sale in my shop. I liked the easy wearable-ness of these though.

   This orange and white one I kept just for the little tail on top! :-)

Whew!!! You tired yet?!....There's more! :-/ I've worn this one so much that my bead work is getting worn.

   I like it though because it takes me back to my Cherokee Indian roots a little...I just love the raspberry color of this one.

   I bought this one on the trip I told you about the other day, when we went to Maine.

    And lastly, the warmest hat EVER!!! It's not so cute, but living in Massachusetts in the colder months, I NEED this one!

Quite a collection, right?! So, help me, will ya?! And be honest! I can take it! I didn't take it that well from hubby because he himself has been a 'hat hound' over the years! I can't even tell you how many baseball type caps I've thrown away already!! I know he has a stash of them somewhere still...probably in the car, or in his work truck! These are a few of his favorites...the ones he admits he has...

   His Kangaroo cap. That's what I call it...

 His racing cap...

..

   It has somebody's signature on the side....

    ...Whose? I don't know...and neither does he! But he loves it just the same!...And last, I promise!...are these two.

     Kinda glad he kept the rest of them hid, aren't ya?! LOL

I await your assessment. And please tell me "What kind of hats are you wearing?!"

The Hat Lady

I have become 'The Hat Lady',

but that wasn't always the case.

I had tried for many years

to find a hat that fit my face.

But then, while searching for some shoes,

I saw my size hat in the store.

"I'm not a hat girl", I had said,

but I can't deny it anymore.

Now I have hats made of straw,

in colors, with beads and tied string on the trim;

with tassels and felt, like cowboys,

and lace and fur on the brim.

I have become 'The Hat Lady',

a silly description, I know.

Cowboys die with their boots on-

but with a hat, is not a bad way to go!