The Family Costume

On the weekend, Shauna asked us if we had some plaid apparel that she could wear at work for Robbie Burns Day, which was yesterday. Sue gathered some items, which included my hat and a shirt. Yesterday, Sha sent us this photo.→

I believe this is the Stewart tartan, or more probably knockoffs.

I even have a mask of that pattern.

While you might think there's a pattern to my purchases of this ... um ... pattern, it was completely unplanned, for all items were purchased separately with no theme in mind. ↓

I can't remember whether the shirt or cap came first. I know that the shirt was either a birthday or Christmas gift from Sue. The hat, I purchased because I was looking for summer weight caps, which I was having trouble finding. I did find this one along with a blueish tartan from the Scottish and Irish shop.

Then when COVID came along, I looked for something other than plain masks and found one online ← .

One day I wore the cap and mask to grocery shopping, and I got a thumbs up. I didn't recognize the masked person but assumed that she recognized me and was just greeting me. After getting a few more compliments during other excursions, I figured the thumb was an expression of approval. Indeed, I remember becoming almost disappointed when I didn't receive a comment in those early days of the pandemic.

I have worn the shirt and hat together too as in this ↓ one of our myriad car-coffee-selfies. This was was taken last April in a bit of a celebration after Sue's initial C-vax.

Then, last Mother's Day, we had yet another outdoor and distanced celebration, and Danica  tried on the shirt and hat, looking much better in it that this old fella. So, as you can see, it has become a bit of a family costume.

At the time, I put the two version together in a diptych.

I stopped wearing that mask some time ago because it was only a single layer type. I purchased some double layer masks which also have a pocket for an additional filter. 

Lately, when I enter a store, which is seldom and for a short duration, I wear an additional good quality paper mask over the cloth one.

These are the times that we live in, but I am rather plaid (pun) that me and mine to continue to remain healthy.