Tuesday 18 March 2008

What's in Your Handbag?

I got this from musings from the sofa: http://musingsfromthesofa.wordpress.com/2008/03/04/stuff/#comment-300

It's a list of what is currently in her handbag. So, my secret will now be revealed: I am a female freak. I don't wear make-up (I hate the feel of it on my skin, get eye infections easily, hate taking it off ('aaack - that was on my face?'), have few things in my bag, and yet it is heavy: so here, forthwith, is what I carry around, that I deem I can't leave home without:

1) wallet (new green one. Currently the zipper falls open and leaks coins everywhere, usually when a lineup is behind me). Occasionally has money in it, usually has tons of debit machine receipts detailing how many withdrawals I have sadly made, plus assorted store cards, library cards and health cards for me and the two youngest kids. five coins and the wallet somehow weighs five pounds and is the heaviest thing in my bag.

2)brand new pair of prescription sunglasses! Every time I put these on I am thrilled. I last had a pair as a teenager....I think. I was getting headaches from the sun on the snow in the winter, and in the summer in general, so when I finally won my position in the government, I decided to treat myself to a pair of real sunglasses. I feel very posh when I put them on, I have finally made it.

3)keys. contain house keys only, with an Arsenal key chain holder (Nick Hornby's football team! My team!)

4) my bus pass. My access to transportation anywhere in the city, since I don't drive. This is the thing I check for most frequently to make sure I have, next to the keys, and -

5) my work pass. Since I work for the federal government, can't say anything more, even the pass only shows my picture, name, and where I work -Passport Office. Anything else and you need a secret clearance to know!

6)my asthma puffer. I don't use it nearly enough, which means when I do get caught without it, I need it right away.

7)astrology date book for 2008. I plant by the moon, and watch when the moon is full and new - hey, we are coming up on a full moon this Friday, should make for a fun-filled exciting Easter and Spring equinox!!! I'm an astrologer, so this book is my little guide for when things get crazy - and so I can book dates. The closest I come to a daytimer etc.

8)blank notebook very small. for when ideas, lines for a poem or story, characters, or stray thoughts come to me. I do use it, too! Just not enough lately.....

9) 3 tiny crystals - quartz, rose quartz, and citrine. Citrine in the purse is supposed to keep the purse filled with money - ok not filled, but containing money. Rose quartz for love (and I love this crystal), and quartz to remind me to have a clear mind and purpose.

10) minimum 31 pieces of paper entailing my lists of books I want, past Christmas lists for my husband, lottery tickets, drawings by my daughter, newspaper clippings of books I want. I have so many lists because I have reached the age, sadly, where I cannot remember titles of books I want, any more! If I see the book, touch it, fine, it's in my mind. but on paper, or online, it is ephemeral, and disappears like fog the minute I turn away from it. It's awful, but I need that tactile sensation to plug it into my brain. thus, the endless lists. Someday i will put them all on one master plan. Someday, I will carry a little computer that will do this for me automatically! n the meantime, I am a walking paper file.

11) feminine hygiene products. Because, you never know ; at my age, mid-40's, it comes whenever it damn well pleases now, and usually when I am least prepared, kind of like when i was a teenager. So I'm always prepared.....

12) 2 pens, one of which will work at any time.

and that is the whole of my bag. No tissue, because I can't find any little packs in this city that don't contain moisturizer (eeww! ugh!). No lipstick, no moisturizer, no hand cream, no mints.

Of course, there is room for a book :-)

and somehow, this bag weighs at least 10 pounds!!!! But, it has lots of pockets, because I need to find things quickly, especially with a small child who likes to run away - one hand on him, one hand in my bag finding my bus pass etc. Pockets in purses are my best friend. I'm with Emily who wants deeper pockets in clothing, and more pockets, not those stupid fake pockets and or shallow pockets that hold absolutely nothing. Emily also tried to do this meme, you have to read her result which is hilarious: http://emilybarton.blogspot.com/2008/03/stupid-thoughts-come-out-to-play.html


And, I do have another bag that I carry to work with my lunch, another notebook, pen, whichever toy Graham takes on the bus with him, small baggie with fish crackers leftover from his snack on the way to daycare in the morning.

So, what's in your handbag, book bloggers? room for a book?

Uh oh, digging in my bag, I found another pen, and - a nail file! I am a girl, after all!!!

9 comments:

Charlotte said...

Mine's too full of embarrassing junk to ever do this meme, but I do have a green wallet.

Patricia said...

You're telling me that you only have 1 book in that bag? Seriously... 1 book? Sadly, I didn't see any surprises in your list, you astrology nut. I use an agenda that goes by the calender ~ my appointments run by dates and not the moon's cycle. Geesh, and I was just starting to think you were normal after all!

If I did this meme would there be any surprises in my purse? Hmmm I don't think so. NOt even money -HOOT!

Working for the federal government you can actually talk in general terms about your job. It is an administrative type job, your usual duties. That is not classified! Only parts of the job may be!

I'm going through another cycle of sleep difficulties and that day fatigue makes it hard to have enough energy to do much. Which explains the lack of many posts over at my blog. Still I'll see if I can do another post in a day or so.

Happy Easter to you and I'm sure you, for one, will enjoy the break! Are you doing a bunny hunt for the kids? Mine are so blase about that stuff nowadays. Mathew doesn't want chocolate; he prefers a videogame instead, thank you very much. I suspect he's figured out he'll get chocolate in one way, shape or form...but no one else will get him a game! That sneaky boy! Maybe I'll get him a chocolate video game....ha ha ha, that'd be great!!

Yolanda said...

I found your blog by way of your sisters. I am a book freak too. Have you ever checked out shelffari and good reads?Let me know if you need the web site address.

Rebecca said...

Thanks for doing this, fun answers!
And yes, I am indeed a big Firefly fan, and still waiting for Nathan Fillion to call...@

Jeane said...

Wow. I thought I was the only female sans makeup, no purse, carrying a wallet in my back jeans pocket and keys in the front. That's about it. Books go in hand. I think my husband is sometimes embarrassed that I don't carry a purse, and my mother in law doesn't know what to do with me because she likes buying purses as gifts, and I don't use them!

Suey said...

I got sick of my big purse awhile back and now just carry a tiny one. It can fit a wallet, some lip stuff, piles of receipts, a pen or two, some gum.... and that's about it! No books in the purse for me! And my phone and keys get put in my pockets.

Care said...

This was fun! I'm a simple gal when it comes to handbags. I have a small wallet with bare essentials: id, credit and sometimes cash. Keys, lip moisturizer, and a pen. It can fit my journal if it has to... and that's it! oh - and cellphone, but I've been forgetting it lately.

Emily Barton said...

Well, you're inspiring. Seems enough people still want me to do this meme that I'll give it another go soon. Meanwhile, don't you just hate that "comes when it damn well pleases" phenomenon? All throughout my teens, twenties, and thirties, you could make a calendar using my body. But no more!

Susan said...

Charlotte - does your green wallet leak coins too?

lady p - I could fit 2 books if I had too :-) sorry about your sleep problems....Graham is still young enough that he is erratic so we are too. Hope you get some good sleep soon, I miss your blogs! Yes to the Easter egg hunt, which we have to put the chocolate in plastic eggs or the cat will eat them overnight (bad for kitty, bad for kids, bad for Easter....) they always get something new too, this year it's books (surprise!), stickers and a puzzle (they both LOVE jigsaw puzzles)

Yolanda: welcome! I looked at Shelfari, but had already joined Library Thing, which I really like. My challenge is always to find time to catalogue my books online!

Becky: h-m-m, Nathan is Canadian, I might have an edge on you :-) he is so cute, he could be the captain of my ship any time! I'm so glad to meet another Firefly fan, so is my son (he got me watching it). Are the Reavers so-o creepy?

jeane: maybe this is a thing with book bloggers who are female: we're way more interested in books than make-up. I could make a link to deep thoughts vs superficial beauty, but think I might get in trouble if I did! (I think it anyway....!) I don't even have a summer purse vs a winter purse since co-ordinating never occurred to me and having multiple purses, whatever for? keeping track of one was hard enough sometimes! good luck with your mother-in-law.

suey: I always need room for a book, that is my criteria for a purse! and pockets in the purse so I can find my keys and bus pass easily. I know I should carry a smaller purse, but I need that book with me! Kudos to you for being to go without one!

care: this seems to be a general trend, smaller bags. I wonder if it has to do with children growing up, since those of us with small children tend to need bigger bags, but when they are teenagers, we are free and so can carry things just for ourselves? I don't have a cell-phone, I'd be afraid of losing it if I did.

emily: too true! I hate the 'comes when it wants to' phenomenon!! aack. I was like you, I could circle the day on my calendar and plan everything in advance. No longer. Now it's like, 'h-m-m, are those cramps I feel already?'

thanks everyone, for answering! This has been fun, and I enjoy so much hearing from all of you. Some day we'll have to take pictures of our purses and see who has the smallest one (bet their kids have grown up) and who has the largest (bet their kids are small)....Interesting that many of us want to carry as little as possible these days.