Like I promised, the picture drought I was experiencing, is over.  I'd been real good about putting a picture with almost every post for months, then all of the sudden, zippo, I had none.  The above picture was the 2009 Mayor's Ball.  To see last years pictures,  - go here - - .

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I was at the mall (a rare occasion) with my daughter, Rachel, helping her to find something to spend her gift certificate she'd gotten for Christmas from her grandma.  Somehow she persuaded me to go shopping for a new dress for the ball that was to be within a few days.  I generally hate shopping, and especially at a mall.  But Rachel took me by the arm and started me in motion.  I went through store after store not trying anything on, not like anything that I seen.  Finally, in the last store, Rachel told me that I needed to try something on, and if I didn't start picking something out, she would.  She selected several dresses and then sent me into the dressing room. 

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I did fall in love with this dress because it reminded me of something kind of vintage looking and it is my favorite color ( I call it periwinkle, although no-one has agreed with me yet on this.)  I have had very few clothes items in my lifetime with this color, but I do remember one suit I had while in my thirties (or twenties, I can't remember for sure) that I positively loved because it was this color.  I was totally pleased when I found out that this dress was a basement-bargain price.

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I just happened to have a scarf that matched it perfectly that my husband had bought for me just several months before.  I loved the scarf when he had bought it for me (we were somewhere that it was really cold and I didn't have anything to keep warm - he went into a store and bought this for me) because it too, was my favorite color of periwinkle.

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At home, it was my delight when I found that I had a necklace that matched that I have never had occasion to wear.  In fact, I rarely wear necklaces, and last year, I had found one that I fell in love with (it had the color periwinkle interweaved into it) and bought it, although I rarely wear necklaces.  I was pleased to have the perfect occasion and the dress to match to wear it.

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It was a lovely evening as I sat at a table with my husband, son and his wife, my niece, Jennifer (21), my daughter, Rachel, and her friend, Savannah (14).  I knew more people than usual at this event so I felt more comfortable than other years at this same event.  Rachel had a blast with her friend Savannah as they had looked forward to this for months from the moment my husband had invited the two of them to attend.  It was a Cinderella night for them.  Their enjoyment of dressing up and getting ready was our enjoyment.