Housecoats

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

It is 5:00am and I am awake, sitting in a chair in the living room at The Cottage, wearing one of my dad's housecoats. I have no idea why I can't sleep - I didn't even take a nap this weekend, which is something I usually do.

As a place, The Cottage feels more connected to my mom than my dad, and always has. He loved it here but the creation of it: from its design, to decor, to furnishings, to activities, feel more related to my mother, her personality, life, and relationships. However, the garage feels utterly and totally connected to Dad, I will write about that some other time. Even thinking about brings a lump to my throat, and going into it breaks my heart.

So, today, I am going to write about housecoats. Dad liked to wear the housecoats. I remember him being in them many a morning, but I can't really remember how they fit into his morning (not that he really had a structured morning routine.) I think they were a 'before shower' thing, and that after he showered he would get dressed - but I can't confirm this. I do remember him sitting at various tables throughout my life reading the paper in a housecoat. I also remember he kinda had a thing about not wearing them past noon. If he did wear them for most of the morning he would always make a comment around noon. They also were definitely used when going to and fro from the hot tub, as were Crocs, but that is also something to write about on a different day.

First he had a thin multicoloured one. It may have been thin out of use, even when I was a kid it was already old. I don't think it is around any more. It was white with many different coloured vertical strips (red, blue, yellow, etc.) I think at some points I would wear it around the house singing Joseph (A musical that I went to as part of a school trip. Dad came along as a supervisor actually.)

The classic robe is a solid brown one, with a small white brand logo on one side of the chest. This one was bigger than the first, and more substantial. It is still here at The Cottage but looks a little worse for wear, the collar is pretty torn up.

Lastly, and the one that I am currently using, is a big, thick, fluffy, navy blue one. It is by far the newest of the bunch. I think there are two of these at The Cottage, I guess one for each of my parents. I think this one would have been Dad's, especially since I found it on the back of the door in the downstairs bathroom - his bathroom.