The kids and their many friends upended Mom's dress up box the other day, and I found my pants. I had actually been thinking about these pants recently. I put them on and the grown-ups all groaned and laughed. The kids thought they were fabulous and had no idea what was wrong with them.

They are Kelly green terry cloth that you put on like a diaper, and you have the option of tying the legs. When I wear them, I look like a hippie who swallowed lime jello and couldn't get out of my pajamas. They epitomize not cool. They aren't even ironic beatnik so dorky they're cool. They are just ridiculous. I bought them at the Pike Place Market in the early eighties as part of my attempt to be fabulously other.

One of the visiting kids asked if she could wear them to Lakeside. I can't remember if I ever did. Lakesiders? Rose asked to borrow them and wondered if they might draw attention. Fabulous attention, darling. My eleven year old friend Laina went home and made me a matching top out of a towel. There was no mockery in her art. I'm very touched. I'm going to tie-dye the top and wear the whole outfit to Folklife next year.