World Enough and Time

I bought a hat today.

I've wanted to get one ever since the Royal Wedding, when I went to a Tea Party at a friend's church and had to borrow a hat from raynedaze.

I saw some that I liked for sale a few months ago, for about $25. Didn't buy one. Should have.

So tomorrow I have a Tea Party planned at the Tea Party Cafe to celebrate International Dorothy Dunnett Day. And in my happy enthusiasm in making arragements, I decreed that all celebrants should wear a hat, and I'd give a prize for the best hat.

I found a prize, no problem. But then I realized I don't have a hat. And it's tomorrow.

So, scorning my old beret and my various knit winter hats, I tried to find something in the neighbourhood. This isn't really a hat-selling sort of place, but I didn't want to go all the way to a mall, or downtown. There are clothing stores on Bank Street. I figured they must have hats.

They do. I saw one in a shop window: it was quite wonderful. Black, with a broad brim. Quite dramatic. I thought I'd buy it if it was in the $25 range. So I went in and tried it on.

Yes, it was gorgeous. It was also $134.00.

Pom-Pom had no hats, just some fascinators.

So I went into Shoppers Drug Mart, and among their Halloween costumes, I found a hat, and bought it. For $5.99. At that price, I could afford some fancy silver ribbon to spruce it up.

One of these days, I'll get myself a real hat.