Shopping with a purpose

 Ash and I both hate shopping but today we went shopping together and for clothes.  I hope you realised it wasn't a food shopping trip, (because why would I tell you about something we do every week without stress) but instead trip of the kind that would, even in a pre-dementia world, have stressed us out and it was for Ash which is even more unusual that it would be if it was for me.  He needed new walking shoes and new trousers both of which we could get from our nearest outdoor shop (a 70 miles round trip but never mind) and this shop is one of his two favourites so I suggested that, rather than order them online, we had an afternoon out.  I'm sure you know by now that these suggestions can go either way so I waited with bated breath to see what his reaction would be and was pleasantly surprised when a huge smile came over his face and he nodded enthusiastically so an outing it was and to the city as well as he kept telling me over and over.  Set off after lunch and arrived to discover that they didn't have the shoes in his size which was a little disappointing but never mind I could order them online after all and there were still the trousers of which there were two pairs in his size so we got those and then, while I was browsing, I fell in love with a coat, tried it on and then carried it, along with Ash's trousers, to the till.  And I hope at this point you're excited to know that not only is it not my usual black but instead is bright purple AND it's a size 12.  How cool is that!! I seem to have come a long way since the beginning of lockdown when all my clothes were a tight size 16 and black.  Now the fun seems to be in how bright I can be.  So on with the afternoon and this really hadn't taken long at all so I announced we'd go and find a cup of tea which Ash was happy with and then we got in the car to drive home where he was utterly silent all the way back and I thought yet again how lonely an existence this can be but I also thought about how much I love my new coat and decided there are worse ways to live.  The only real downside to the shopping trip was when we got home and he tried on the trousers only to discover that I'd got a size too small so now we need to drive all the way back to change them but at least it'll be another afternoon out which isn't the end of the world obviously.  Upshot of this tale then is that the shopping trip for Ash ended in nothing new for him to wear until next week but a new coat (and a skirt) for me, in the smallest size I've bought in years, and I'm feeling very good about myself indeed.

Don't forget you can sign up to have this delivered straight into your inbox, just remember to click on the validation email (which may be in your junk mail/trash box).  You can share specific posts with others by clicking on the 3 dots at the top right hand corner of the page, you can share the blog by copying and pasting the web address www.memoryfortwo.com or you can email me at memoryfortwo@gmail.com if you have anything you want to say privately.  You can also now follow me on twitter, just search for Memory For Two, and you can find me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/Memory-for-Two-287197572048864.


Comments

Sarah H said…
Brilliant! Made me smile a lot too 🙂
Carol said…
Sounded like a great day - always a bonus!
Tehachap said…
This reminds me so much of my own experiences driving my husband and I in the car. He's totally quiet, looking out the window and not saying a thing for the entire trip. I don't know whether to try to talk or just keep to myself. It's good to realize I'm not alone in that silent world. Thank you!
Jane said…
It was a lovely day and has given me new strength to find ways to bring light back into Ash's life so watch this space. As for the silence on car journeys I can't quite decide whether he's just lost in his own world or whether he's trying to hold onto his courage when we're in the outside world. Either way I've decided it's best not to interrupt his train of thought but wait and see if he wants to talk.