Today I have tried on my three “nice” outfits, attempting to figure out which one might be right for a “dressy chic” event on Wednesday evening. A friend of mine is being honored at her temple where she will receive the Humanitarian Award. If ever there was a person who deserved it, it is this woman. She has five wonderful children – that should qualify her just on its own – but she is also a child psychiatrist in Beverly Hills, plus the president of her temple. Not to mention, she is a lovely person who is genuine, kind, giving, and gracious. So, I am delighted to be part of this celebration for her. However, I have this one problem…what do I wear?

I have a black suit that I bought for my niece’s wedding last summer and which I had planned to have altered then, but, just as now, I have failed to get those alterations accomplished. The truth is I am woefully inadequate when it comes to these matters. Yes, here I am again with sleeves halfway down my hands and a skirt that could come up at least an inch.

I am lucky in that my friend, Judy, is staying here at the moment and she has a good fashion eye. I tried on my black dress with a blue/black scarf, which she deemed, passable, but not great. Then on went my tried and true black pantsuit, which she gently remarked was a wee bit tight. Finally, I put on my new black suit, which she declared as nice, but in sore need of alterations, plus I would need different shoes and the right jewelry.

Okay, well, this was at 6:30 pm and all seamstresses were at home with their families for the night. My best bet appears to be one who will be at her place of business tomorrow at 7 am. As for the shoes, we headed to the Beverly Connection where we found a pair of black pumps, which, hopefully, will be comfortable enough for me to wear more than the twenty-minute walk into the building before I slip them off underneath the table. Jewelry? Well, I’m hoping one of my daughters has something I can wear. I have to wait until tomorrow to ask. You get the picture? A clothes-horse I am not.

Judy and I decided that as women of a certain age it is only appropriate that we now should gather up the “right “ clothes for particular occasions: weddings, funerals, and a few nice parties. I understand this intellectually, but when you’re 4 foot 11 inches tall and not exactly at your slimmest moment (though I have lost 7 pounds), I am not all that eager to run out and shop for those “right” clothes. This is just not my way of having fun in life. Perhaps if I had been 5’11”…

So, now I have to hope the seamstress has time to make the alterations or else I will simply have to wear my suit as it is. This is what I did for the wedding and nobody seemed overly alarmed. I just wish that I were a better planner. Then I would already own those “appropriate” outfits Judy and I have talked about and I would never be in a last-minute scramble.

As it is, I’ll be up and out of the house at 6:45 tomorrow morning. I have a rendezvous with a seamtress at 7. Who knows? She may actually be able to make those changes before Wednesday afternoon. That would be nice. If not, I’ll just have to make a note to take the suit back AFTER the event. Now that will be the trick – to follow-up without a deadline looming.

Hopefully, I will not be in the same situation when the next big event comes around. But in the meantime, I also need to re-touch my roots and get my nails done. Oh dear Lord, save me!