23 May - Shoes & Grannies

This post is inspired by a Belgian uber rocking mama. I thought she was cool when I met her, then I thought she was even cooler when she told me she'd found some lovely second hand clothes one morning in her hometown, but by the time she'd pushed her toddler's stroller 5km (yes 5km) along a road to visit her sister, she discovered that one of the boots she's bought, the one lovely low slung flat tan pirate boots with tassels she'd alwasy wanted and never bought... was missing. Having paid 2€ for them... she'd lost 1€ but she was in love with them already.

I asked why she didn't go back along the road for it but she quite rightly said she was tired that day and the little one was hungry. She did contemplate putting up signs in shops nearby ... The next day though she was still mourning it, so she actually pestered and pressured her sister into going INTO the Louis Vuitton + Hermes store to ask if they hadn’t found her old trashy old boot as her car was initially parked right there. They treated her like a dog of course.

Then I discovered that uber rocking mama's mum holds clues to her pedigree. When I asked why couldn't granny babysit whilst we go to Ibiza for a long w/end, I was told that she was busy that w/end.
'Granny is probably jumping out of an aeroplane or rock climbing or something… No seriously; after she walked the pilgrimage) on her own 3 years ago from France to Santiago de Compostella in Spain ( 6 weeks), she is now volunteering in one of the refuges en route and that is from August, 1 – August, 21. She loves her grandson of course and is always asking to babysit but she also has a Life with capital L. She has more guts and adventure in her bones than any of us. She just went mountain biking for 5 days near the Mosel in Germany and is literally getting on a plane in 30minutes to go explore Prague. We (the kids) have to beg her each time to please please not hitchhike anymore. And we remind her she was born 1945 and that she should act a LITTLE bit like her age…

So you see, she was my cool idol. Until I spoke to my friend R. who at the w/end was taking her 90 years old aunt to a shopping trip in Brent Cross as she's still mobile and likes to go out. Auntie said there was a song she heard on the radio and wanted to get. After a little bit of description and humming, R. worked out that auntie liked Adele's tune. So off they went to HMV to purchase the album.

Can that be topped? Sure it would have been more amazing if she'd asked to buy the new Marilyn Manson but still....

Way to go.