"You want a 'granny gooch'?" he asked. "The kind my mom used to wear?"
"My mom wore them, too," I said defensively.
Which opened a whole can of memories.
As a little girl, my grandmother used to sew us flannel nighties every year for Christmas. They were made of thick flannel and kept you toasty warm over the coldest winters. At some point, I switched over to pajamas. But I always had fond memories of that old-fashioned nightwear.
We never called them "granny gooches," though. That comes from the Ginleys, and who knows where they got the term. I googled the phrase, and there's a person on social media who calls herself "Granny Gooch." No nighties by that name.
But I digress.
Maybe it simply says I'm growing older and love comfort more than style. Then again, I've always been more of a comfort-over-fashion gal.
At the end of our shopping journey, I managed to find my flannel nightgown in JC Penney's clearance area. There was one left. It fit. It was a fair price. Everybody was happy.
Except...it is a much flimsier flannel than I remember. I'm thinking of buying a pattern and weightier fabric and making my own nightie. It will take some work and some time.
But it will also give me an opportunity to remember my grandmother. And winter nights growing up. Heart-to-heart talks with Denise while Diane told us to go to sleep.
I imagine getting nighties for Christmas wasn't very exciting back in the day. But now I understand. Grandma, who couldn't be with us at Christmastime, was keeping us warm and cozy, letting us know we were loved, just the same.
So...do I choose the flannel with little yellow, pink or blue flowers?
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