I am wearing my late mother-in-law's pearls today.
I bought them for her when I was in Hong Kong.
When she died in 2012, her daughters gave them back to me.
And today on the farm, feeding the pigs, reminded me of that saying: "Cast no pearls before swine."
When I first got together with my husband, I think I was the swine in my mother-in-law's eyes.
I was never good enough for her beloved youngest son.
When my then fiance phoned his mum to say we had got engaged her reaction was: "you fool!"
She was a complicated woman and probably the most stylish woman I have ever known - I wrote about her here.
We didn't speak for about 6 months until the week before our wedding.
After that we muddled along.
By the time I went to Hong Kong in September 2002 I had given her four grandchildren and she realized I wasn't going anywhere and so we called a silent truce.
The trip to Hong Kong was back in the day when I was a journalist and as I worked for The Liverpool Echo (part of the Mirror Group newspapers) we got some pretty good trips.
We flew business class from Heathrow and stayed in the Mandarin Oriental hotel.
The trip was hosted jointly by the hotel group and the Hong Kong tourism board.
We had a great time being whisked off to all the tourist hotspots, treated to meals in the best restaurants, cocktails and manicures and the full works.
But the best part of the trip to me was the free time to wander through the streets and get lost in the lanes and the back streets where every corner had a temple.
The scent of jasmine, incense and the late summer heat was intoxicating.
I was the only newspaper journalist and the other members of the press pack included writers from travel magazines, womens' magazines and bridal magazines.
The trip was a huge success despite the night in the hotel's Captain's Bar when we were offered a large sum of money by a group of Australian businessmen who had mistaken us for some high class hookers.
I was flattered.
The fiery Irish reporter - not so much.
The look on the face of the hotel PR director when we told her in the morning was a picture.
I loved buying presents for the rest of the family including these outfits for my youngest two.
But I couldn't find a gift that was good enough for my mother in law.
On the final day we were taken to the pearl market in Kowloon and I decided to buy her some pearls.
I knew she had some very expensive pearls and probably would not be that impressed with the ones I bought for about £10 but I didn't want to leave her out.
Yet for the next 10 years until her death in 2012 she wore the pearls I bought her every time she came to dinner or went out with us.
I think that was her way of saying I wasn't that bad after all.
Today I wore:
Skirt by Warehouse from ebay
Jumper by J Crew from ebay
Boots - Hunter
Pearls - Hong Kong Pearl Market
oh yes the mother-in-law scenario - snap - but without the pearls lol. We have been to HK several times, it's hubbys favourite place - last time (2019) the bird market had become sanitised, the street markets were disappearing and it was losing some of the things we loved - Chungking Mansions was still there though - love it - favourite curryhouse including cockroaches still there tick - but the fancy shopping centres I could have done without :)
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a more glamorous shot in a pig sty! Love your outfit.
ReplyDeleteHow fabulous to get a freebie to Hong Kong, I'd love to wander the markets and the silk shops, I'd be in heaven and the outfits you chose for your youngest two are so sweet.
I'm glad your Mother-in-law was won round in the end and loved the pearls you chose for her. xxx
I love that you're wearing pearls to deal with the pigs! That is good of your mother-in-law to have worn them afterwards when she saw you - it does show a slight "thawing". My mother-in-law probably wishes I was closer to her (she has two sons), but she's difficult to deal with at the best of times!
ReplyDeleteThat is so often the case with mother in laws. No one's ever good enough for their son. But glad to hear you won her over in the end. X
ReplyDeleteThat is a super glam look for the allotment / farm! Luckily my mother-in-law and I get on great, but I did have a 'posh' boyfriend years ago who's snooty mam was absolutely horrible to me! (His dad didn't seem to give a hoot about where I was from). Glad you won your mother in law over and what an exciting trip to China! Lulu x
ReplyDelete