Shoes!

 A growth was discovered on my husband's kidney that turned out to be cancerous.  A Jefferson surgeon removed the cancer and the kidney.  It's been four months and he's still recovering.  The nursing home rehabilitation almost killed him.  Our daughter, the nurse/teacher, saved his life.  Nursing Homes could more accurately be called storage facilities.  But that's not today's story.

  While Harry was being tortured in the hospital and rehab, I dutifully brought him meals and stayed for hours at his bedside.  When I was home, I traveled on Ebay.  Or my fingers traveled.  I was depressed and anxious and Ebay was shopping therapy.  I discovered "Make An Offer".  I wanted Sapphires from India.  I found what I wanted and gave reasonable, but low, offers.  Very often, the vendors agreed and I bought myself earrings, a ring, and a pendant.  Nothing was big or over $75. 

  Eventually, I had all the jewelry I wanted and turned to shoes.  Suddenly--not really suddenly--all the leather shoes were over $100.  I always bought the expensive brands on clearance, often in unpopular colors.  I keep my shoes for over 20 years and those green and purple ones got plenty of wear.  The old ones have started to fall apart.  One got dry rot and the soles came away from another.  New Dansko Rieker and Keen  were out of reach.  I looked for the ones women bought that turned out to be too big or small, that never felt comfortable.  I have a secret weapon.  I stretch them until they fit.  I found L'Artist clogs fit me with no stretching and they're so pretty.  I'll do photos.  I hammer thumb tacks into wooden stretchers, so my bunion doesnt get busted.  First, I spray water inside the shoe, then stretch for as long as it takes.  The shoes usually cost me about $40 + S & H, usually $10.

I find the Dansko are narrow.  The Sanita, a little better, but still narrow.  The Rieker shoes are almost okay.  I have pink ones I bought years ago.  I had been buying 8 1/2 for the width, but sometimes felt like clown shoes.  I wear size 8's, but the shoes need a lot of encouragement.  

  My shoes are still stretching under my desk.  My new shoes don't cure lupus.  They don't even touch depression, but I do look and them and feel good.  Harry is improving.  I haven't bought clothes, but I can wear the old dowdy stuff with my new pretty shoes.  

#shoes  #stretchingShoes #BuyingShoes  #GettingExpensiveShoesCheaper  #LovingShoes  #ShoesAndLupus  #TheJoyofShoes  #economizingWithShoes

 

Some of the shoes have stretched and I can wear them!  This past year, my old good shoes began to fall apart.  That's my excuse.  I haven't worn any of the stretched shoes yet because after the medication, my covid is still here.  I'm waiting.  The Allegrias aree so cute and strange looking, heavy as regular clogs, but the "soles" don't come up the the very front or back.  The same size and style L'Artist clogs are smaller.  I'll put their photos in.

 Write to me at fivecatshere@outlook.com  Thanks for looking.