Auntie M is facing one of those chores that come at us in life and we just have to deal with them. Doc is leaving Weds for a few days in MN with the Grands and a big lacrosse tournament (Eldest Son coaches U of Duluth LAX) and my Big Job is cleaning out our bedroom closet.
This usually gives me tremendous satisfaction, looking into corners, finding that skirt that’s slipped off the hanger and lying behind a row of shirts, getting those things I haven’t worn in three years ready to ship to the Women’s Shelter. I’ll put away the truly thin and summery stuff in our blanket chest and haul out the warmer gear. All of this will give me a great sense of order and satisfaction when it’s done. And because Doc will be away, I plan to do this at my leisure, piles spread out on the bed, probably naked as I try on and make decisions. Fun, right?
But part of that involves going through my shoes. Now one thing you don’t know about Auntie M is that she USED to be the Shoe Hoarder Collector of All Time, and I still have a tendency to be that way. I love shoes, all kinds of shoes, the cutest flats, the snappy heels, the softest boots. I bought shoes when we traveled the way other people bought postcards. It took me YEARS to throw out a pair of the (cutest) white leather flats that had been resoled twice and were totally worn out because Doc had bought them for me on a trip to Paris.
Confession: I still have my white nurses Clinic oxfords in a box, although I haven’t worn a uniform, scrubs or even a lab coat since 1999.
Yup, this is them, in all their school-marmy glory. After trying many kinds of nursing shoes, trendy and otherwise, I kept coming back to these because nothing felt as good when you were on your feet for hours and hours. Maybe I’ll use them as part of a Hallowe’en costume, ya think? Can’t ditch those, right? They’re classics.
And then there are the ones that just match a specific special dress, also in boxes on the upper shelves.
Of course, the fact that I probably don’t fit into those dresses doesn’t come into play here, right? I mean I just might need them at some point, and they’re just so darn cute!
You can see my dilemna, when the goal is supposed to be cleaning out and clearing up. And then throw in foot surgery, two knee replacements, and arthritis, and I’ve decidedly changed my shoe buying habits. While I’m still attracted to the sweetest ones, I no longer will wear anything that’s not comfortable. Or wide enough. Or that rub in the wrong places.
My shelves went from NY buys like Dior and Jordan to Keens and Birkenstocks. My pumps, in delectable colors with carved heels here and there, are now . . . . kitten heels, when I wear them, which is almost never.
The ones I ACUTALLY wear every day tend to look more like these:
See those toe cushions that keep my sensitive toes from getting bumped? Or these:
And I confess also that at home when I’m just lounging, I tend to go either barefoot or in a pair of warm, chenille socks that keep my feet toasty:
Oh, how the mighty have fallen~
Auntiemwrites Crime-Mystery Author M K Graff 
I’m the same way about my shoes. I have a couple pairs of really cute ones that I can’t quite part with, even though I’ll probably never wear them again. On a daily basis, I wear Danskos, Keens, and Crocs (the mary jane ballet flats).
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Shoe hoarder…who knew?
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