Parasol

I have fair skin. My grandmother was a redhead and though I didn't get her beautiful hair color, I did get her coloring. When I was a child I never put on sunscreen and complained bitterly when I got sunburned. Now that I am older I wear sunscreen year round and avoid the sun as much as possible. This year for my anniversary, my husband purchased a parasol for me. It is black lace with a wooden handle. I look for any excuse to use it, but at the same time every time I bring it out, I feel like people are staring at me (though at our new home 90% of the audience is farm animals). The stupid thing is, no one is really staring at me, and I am more comfortable when I use the parasol. I wouldn't have thought that carrying around my own sunshade would make that big of a difference, but it is a whole lot more effective then wearing a hat, and just keeping the sun from my skin, even if the air isn't cooler, is refreshing.

And I will say I feel like a real lady when I go walking arm-in-arm with my husband on our Sunday afternoon walks.