Black hat, white hat

Some of you may remember the saga of my black hat, which opened the door to a delightful Shabbat with Larry and Malka Esther Lennhoff. I love my black hat, but the walk back to Larry's and Malka Esther's home from Etz Chaim proved one thing--that hat is hot!

I recently received my first-ever invitation to a Chassidic wedding. It's bad enough being hot-headed--I'm known for my temper, unfortunately--but being a literal hot-head is another matter: How was I going to dance in such a hot hat?

I'm living proof that the Jewish American Princess stereotype is nonsense--I hate shopping! So I do most of my clothes shopping online. And, to boot, I usually wear a kippah in synagogue. Where was I going to find a dress hat?

A trip to Macy's department store was of no avail. The last time I went hat shopping, I got some help from RaggedyMom (thanks!), but this time, I was going shopping straight from work in Manhattan. Who was I gonna call--Ghostbusters?

Since I couldn't think of any other place that sells hats in Manhattan, I headed to the Upper West Side, because I remembered that there was a hat shop right next door to West Side Judaica.

I walked into La-Di-Da, and within less than five minutes, the wonderful saleswoman had found me the perfect hat. Like my black hat, it's collapsible, and fits into a zip-type bag, so that I can just store it on the bookshelf on top of my siddurim (prayer books). Unlike my black hat, though, this white hat is unlined, and it's also 100% cotton. Oh, Canada, thank you for Parkhurst, which made this delightful, washable hat. I look forward to taking it for a literal spin--around the dance floor!