What's in my handbag?

This is a meme for which Jenny of From the Living Room tagged me.

My current favourite handbag is a black leather backpack, the third in a row of similar design, as I seek to replace them as soon as they - finally - wear out. I was on a lifelong quest for the perfect handbag, and never considered the backpack style until Andrew and a shop assistant persuaded me some years ago. What do you know - that was it! The first one only had one front pocket in addition to the main cavity. I had always thought I needed bags with lots of different pockets, but I asked a friend who created wonderful leather stuff to make some pouches for me, one for make-up, one as a wallet/purse, and some miscellaneous ones. That worked beautifully. I still use the last remaining one she made for my make-up, but the latest bag has more pockets. I sometimes wear the bag as a backpack, and sometimes slung over my shoulder by one strap.

I don't have a digital camera to record the contents visually for posterity, but here's the list.

In the zip pocket just inside the top of the bag:

• My FlyLady wallet (the one my friend made eventually lost its zip).
• A large emery board.

In the main cavity:

• A packet of Bluetack, to be used for sticking flyers up on community noticeboards.
• 'Rid' insect repellent. (Not soon enough – with the advent of warmer weather, already I'm covered in welts and scabs.)
• A bundle of unused tissues.
• A fold-up-small nylon shopping bag.
• A slim pocket diary, used only to record how many glasses of water I drink per day. (Everything else goes on the big FlyLady wall calendar at home).
• The Ancestral Path Tarot deck, in a fine cotton pouch I bought at a market.
• A purple FlyLady lanyard holding a clip-on spectacle case for my 'Fitover' sunglasses. When I'm out it holds my key ring as well, but at present that's hanging on a hook inside the front door.
• A flyer about a talk Andrew and I are attending next Monday night.
• My FlyLady timer.
  

• There is usually my make-up pouch, but that's on my bathroom vanity basin just this minute.
• Often there's a folding umbrella too, but not right now.
• Often also a large notebook, either A4 or more often A5.
• And quite often a book I'm reading.
  

In the pocket on the front of the bag:

• My small Thoth Tarot deck (about a quarter the size of the original).
• A rectangular magnifying glass that slides out of a hard black case.
• A small velvet bear in a burgundy colour, used as a proxy or surrogate in 'absent' healing work.

In the pocket on the back of the bag:

• A pocket torch.
• A pocket calculator.
• A smallish folding fan.
• Two pocket-sized spiral notepads, for all kinds of notes including Tarot readings I do for myself when not at home, but mostly for writing poems when away from computer – one with purple pages, nearly full, the other with pink pages, still almost empty.
• A pocket-sized notebook with black vinyl cover, for magickal manifestation work.
• Two pencils.
• A pencil sharpener.
• Two magenta-coloured biros with blue ink.
• One Flylady give-away purple biro with black ink.
• A card from café d'bar, an art gallery/café which is stocking Andrew's book. (That will now go into our card file.)
• Three packets of rose stickers from the local discount store, to identify as mine items which Andrew has identical versions of, such as notebooks and pens. Had to settle for roses this time, as I couldn't find my usual cute purple cats. (This item will not stay in the bag either, but be transferred to a desk drawer.)
  

Well, there you are – pretty much what any resourceful poet/witch/Reiki Master might carry, lol. ... I wonder? I'll tag another such, satyapriya, to find out, and also The Cerebral Mum if she can find the time, and Pearl of Humanyms (and other blogs) because I'm curious about what she carries.

It's not compulsory to describe the handbag, but failing a photo I think it's interesting. And I won't hold it against you if you decide not to do it at all.

Thanks, Jenny, that was kinda fun.

Note: No apologies for advertising Flylady! She is A Good Thing. (No, she doesn't give me a commission, in fact doesn't even know I'm doing it.)