Life After Shoes

It was time.  I didn't want to do it, but I had put it off long enough.  It has been my experience that this is something that most women don't mind doing.  Some even-dare I say it, like it.  Not me.  No.  For me, this has become something more akin to root canal, or a pelvic exam.  By now you are probably wondering what in the heck I am talking about so I will put you out of your misery, I am speaking of the dreaded act of shoe shopping.  That's right.  You read it correctly, shoe shopping.  For many this is an all to pleasurable experience, but for me it can be an act of pure torture.  I have come to dread it.  As a matter of fact, I have been known to come home from shoe shopping in tears.  I know what you are thinking, this woman is nuts!  But hear me out, look at it from my perspective.  This is what I dream of:

Pretty high heels.

Or this:

Cute, fun, designer sandals.

Then I go into the store and start trying shoes on.  Most of the time I don't even get a salesperson to help me because thoughts of Al Bundy sweating trying to shove a size 6 shoe onto the fat woman with a size 10 foot keep running through my head.  When it comes to my feet, picture this:

I'm not talkin' Wilma.  Yea', that's me.  Fred Flintstone.  Flat, wide, stout feet.  Get the picture.  Now add to that the fact that I spend most of my day on my feet, have let's just say muscle 'issues' and, I can be rather difficult to fit.  I have been out shopping and tried on no less than 30 pair of shoes and not been able to successfully get my foot into one pair.  It is not a fun process.  So, this evening after work and therapy I stopped at a store that was recently opened by a podiatrist.  He measured my foot on some fancy digital thingy and said 'My, you do have flat feet, and wide, and very flat!'  Um Hmmm.  'And one foot is flatter than the other, is that possible?'  he said.  'You're the doctor'  I replied.  'And one leg is significantly shorter than the other, has anyone ever told you that?'  'Well, yes.  I'm sure I've heard that somewhere along the line.'  Anyway, he had shoes that fit, and that are comfortable.  But in finding shoes that are comfortable and that fit you give up a few things.  Like style and a price.  So this is what I got.

Not bad, it is totally comfortable and not ugly but kinda clunky.

And this:

This one is patent leather, hard to see in the picture.  When Jim saw it he was surprised, said it was nice and  pretty, that I didn't usually get pretty shoes!  So, there you go.  Here's the kicker, my bill -and here is where I put the warning in, if you have a weak heart you may not want to read any further- don't say I didn't warn you! 

$264.00

For 2 pair of shoes.

Now, do you know how many pair of shoes I could have gotten if I wore normal people shoes?  If I went to regular stores and was able to shop like I normally do and get them on sale and then add a coupon on top of it with a super saver or something.  At least six pair-at least.  And a couple of bottles of wine.  Just sayin'.

But it is a necessary evil.  Much as I hated to do it. 

In my next life I'm gonna come back with cute little feet like my mother.  She has these dainty little pretty feet.  Ladies feet.  What's worse is that they are put on the end of slim, beautiful legs, that men (particularly my father) fall over themselves for.  I, on the other hand got my Dad's good German stock and my legs look like tree trunks with wood blocks plunked on the bottom of them! 

Oh well, at least I got shoes on them now.

Ahh the Romance!

Look at this Cathedral.  Isn't it spectacular?  I can't help it, I'm a hopeless romantic.  I tyvod the whole Royal Wedding, or at least I hope I did.  Lucky for me we have a TV at work and I am in the lobby for the first  hour and was able to watch it.  We only get one channel CNN,  but that was okay because that channel just happened to be carrying the wedding.  It was funny too, because very few people were in today, many took the day off to watch the coverage at home.  The few that were trickeling in stopped by to watch with me.  So why are we so fascinated by the royals?  What is it about them that captures our attention?

Maybe it is just the whole idea of 'royalty', the 'prince' and 'princess' thing.  Let's face it, what little girl doesn't dream of someday being swept off her feet by a handsome prince  I did.

Oh, and look at them.  Aren't they so cute?  I remember when then Lady Diana married Prince Charles.  I got up super early and watched the entire thing.  I had just gotten married myself and Michelle and William are only a few months apart in age.  That doesn't seem like so long ago...

Boy am I getting old!

In watching the coverage this morning they were interviewing some of the people in the crowd and they spoke with one woman who was camping out and asked her how long she had been there.  Her answer?  Three days!  Now, I like a good weddig as much as the next person, but three days.  Outside.  No thank you.  I'd rather watch from the comfort of my favorite chair if I had my druthers.  Now, make it a national holiday and maybe we can talk but somehow I think that my answer would still be the same. 

In other news, yesterday was WILD weather-wise around here!  We went to bed to severe thunderstorm warnings and th sound of rain on the rooftops and woke up to tornado warnings.  That is just not something that is the normal around these parts.  Sure we get more than our fair share of thunderstorms, but tornados are another thing entirely!   It was wicked.  There were road closings everywhere.  What was really surprising was that schools were open and on time.  Many people were up in arms about that!  The radio and TV news was warning everyone to stay inside if you didn't have to go out, and to delay travel if you could and yet the kids were trotting off to school. 

This is what it looked like.  Not too pleasant.  I was expecting someone to yell 'We have cows!' 

But we were lucky, no one was hurt that I know of.  Unlike the folks in Alabama.  We should all take a moment and say a prayer for those people, what a tragedy.  So much devestation and so many lives lost.  

Tomorrow the sun will shine and it is supposed to be a beautiful day!  I sure hope so, I know that I will enjoy it.  How about you? 

Another One Bites the Dust!

In the same week that bonnie Prince William announces his engagement to Kate Middleton, the not so  desperate housewife Eva Longoria files for divorce from her husband of three years Tony Parker.  Three years to you and me is when they are just coming off the honeymoon stage but in terms of a Hollywood marriage it seems like the equivalent to ten.   Why is that?  Do the rich and famous go into a marriage with the mindframe that it is just a temporary thing, until something better comes along, or something fancier catches their eye?  I'm not sure if that is it or not, but if it is I can honestly say that I don't understand that mentality. 

Don't get me wrong, I am not against divorce.  I fully understand that sometimes it is for the best.  My parents are divorces and in their case, it was for the best.  Their was no big scandal there, nothing that could be pointed at and said 'that was it'.  It was many things that added up to this, they brought out the worst in each other.  That is not what marriage should be about and that is not what they wanted to teach their daughters what love was.  They loved us enough to divorce and make a better life for all of us, independent of one another.

But marriage is hard.  Even with the right person, it is not easy every day.  You have to make a concious choice to stay married.  To honor your committment, each other, your families and your God.  There are a lot of people in your marriage, it's not just about two people.  It's so much more than that.  It's work.  Hard work.  It's a struggle, a balancing act, a leap of faith, a joy, a thrill ride, a crazy, zany, treasured, walk through life.  It can be so many things, but it is not easy.

Now, I don't pretend to be some marriage guru here-but I can speak from a bit of experience.  Having been married to the same man for nearly 30 years now, we have been through quite a lot together and have shared quite a number of experiences.  Sometimes I think that romantic movies have ruined us because we tend to want our lives to be like our favorite romanance and its not.  It's just not practical.  We watch a movie for an  hour and a half or two hours, and marriages take place over a lifetime if your lucky.  There are those moments that we cherish, those sweet, sappy moments that we hold close to our hearts and never will forget.  Real life over rides them for the most part becuse those moments are far more frequent.  Which is what makes those other moments all the more special.  Right? 

When I was but a blushing bride, my grandmother gave me a beautiful crystal vase as a wedding gift and told my husband that he was to keep it filled for our first year of marriage, thereby guaranteeing a happy marriage.  My grandmother was very special to me and at the time of my wedding she was recovering from a major life-altering stroke.  Speaking was often difficult for her and her words didn't always come out as she wanted them to.  But on this she was clear, he was to keep that vase filled for one year.  And he did.  The type of flowers didn't matter to me, what mattered was that he did it, that it meant something to him because she meant something to me.  That was special and still is. 

I'm not going to tell you that there are not going to be times when you wake up and see him lying in bed next to you and think 'Oh, crap!'  The reality is you probably will.  Or that you might lie awake at night wondering if you smother him with your pillow will anyone suspect you in his death, or will they think he just died in his sleep.  (Kidding, kinda!)  I mean let's face it, Eve probably should really have kept her hands and her mouth off of that apple.  But it is what it is and we have to deal with it now, so - my point- marriage is work people.
Work at it!  Honor your committments!  Teach your children how to honor theirs! 

And now, I will step down off my soap box.

Thank you.

 Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you're the only one for me.

Finally Friday!

Feels like it's been a long week!  Strange though how time can seem to drag yet fly by at the same time.  Know what I mean.  Here it is already November 5th!  Only 20 days until Thanksgiving and then another month from there until Christmas.  I've just started to think about my shopping and the thought alone has me overwhelmed.  I know that my SIL Linda is probably nearly done if not completely done!  I am not nearly that organized.  I have gotten a few things, but very little.  Too many people, too little time, and far too little money!  Ha!  But I do love it when I get a burst of creativity and come up with the perfect gift for someone on my list.  So the hunt is on now for all those perfect, wonderful gift-all on sale.  Can't wait to begin the begin!  What about you? 
As for the weekend, no real big plans.  Ironing.  Yeah.  Clean the house.  Double yeah. 
Jim has been working hard at packing up his den in order to move on out of there.  Once he gets his stuff out, I will get that room painted for Bella and move her bedroom in there.  Then on to paint her bedroom for me. Yup, moving the scraproom - again.  Shouda, woulda, coulda.  Should have moved Jim downstairs in the first place.  Would have saved a lot of trouble in the long run.  Could have been done with all of this mess by now.  Thought I'd take the easy way out and be done with it, but it just didn't work out that way.  Jim thought he'd like it better downstairs.  I don't care enough either way.  Bella really needs a bigger room.  Shoulda, woulda, coulda.  It can kill you if you let it.  Won't let it.  Maybe I'll hire someone to do the painting this time and save myself the headache (and bachache!).  Just hoping that we can get it all done soon so that I can get my Christmas cards done.  Right now I don't know where anything is!  What a mess.
So for now-pictures!