Distractions

  Last night I suddenly thought about a good friend who I have not seen in awhile. We had previously communicated about two weeks ago via a short text, but never got together to truly catch up. Our schedules are full and time is fleeting. After our communication, I spent the next three days telling myself that I needed to take a look at my calendar and come up with a date that might work for us meet up. By day four, I had totally forgotten about my resolve and did yard work. I remained blissfully forgetful until last night when I found myself suddenly thinking about my friend. I wanted to call her, right then, but it was on the late side and I know her day starts early, so I thought "I am going to write her a good, old fashioned letter."

Okay, I don't have fancy stationary.

   As I thought about writing her a letter, I envisioned her smiling face in my head. Not to worry, it wasn't like a disembodied head floating around - that would have been kinda creepy -her head was atop her body and everything, unlike the Mary statue on my front porch that met with an accident and has her head sitting next to her on the ground. In my vision, my friend was wearing an amazing dress that I have seen her in once before. She has great taste in clothes and dresses fabulously. Complete with this dress was a terrific pair of heels.

   I just love heels! I used to wear heels all the time, but alas, I cannot wear them anymore on account of a drop foot and collapsed arch. It is not a pretty sight when I try. The effect looks like a car pulling an over-sized trailer with flat tires on the entire right side. That doesn't stop me from longing for heels. I mean really, they go with just about everything from jeans and slacks to skirts and dresses. Have you ever opened a magazine and saw a model wearing a great dress and a pair of sneakers? Yeah, me neither, unless you count the ads for athletic shoes. And heels can be obtained for a great price. Stop at any thrift store and the shelves are lined with them, often brand new and shiny! I especially have a fondness for vintage looking

My favorite pair of heels!

heels - something about them is classy and polished, and when I wore them, I felt classy and polished. Not to mention taller. 

   When you are 5'3", you can use all the height you can get. Believe me, the extra two inches that I gained with my heels did a lot for my ego as well as my ability to reach items on taller shelves. You just can't get the same results from a pair of flats. Although I have to admit, you can get a lot of satisfaction from a pair of hiking shoes or boots. No, they don't pair well with a dress or skirt, but there is something freeing about wandering down a dirt trail and knowing that your shoes will provide the support and grip that you need to explore. 

My trusty hiking shoes

   Since I don't walk as well as I once did, I don't explore nearly as far in nature as I used to, but I still explore. My lesser range has not dampened my love for the outdoors and all thing natural. I love seeing a waterfall, climbing the cliffs for a better view and following a meandering creek. Having some mobility issues has made this a bit of a challenge at times. Folks don't understand that persons of limited abilities might still enjoy great outdoors and all the wonders of nature. And it seems beyond the comprehension of many individuals that you can still enjoy creation without hiking the twenty miles of rugged terrain up to the top of Mount What a View. 

   Take the ranger we encountered during our summer vacation this year. We were looking for some short hikes and places that we could visit to enjoy the wonders of the national forest in southern Illinois. After perusing the literature and scouring some guides available at the facility, we stopped to chat with the ranger who offered us assistance. When we asked what she recommended, she named off several great sights that were off the beaten path. Well off the beaten path. Way off our accessibility radar. When I nodded slowly she paused. I explained that while we were excited, these suggested hikes were beyond our present abilities and we were looking for something a little lower on the difficulty level.

   She looked at us like we had six heads. Apiece. 

   She was less helpful after this. Maybe she though we were just being lazy or were in a tremendous hurry. I was flattered that she viewed us a robust and hearty individuals, but was disappointed that her knowledge of activities was limited to backpacking and ten mile trails that went uphill, both ways. Perhaps she had not noticed that we were a group that consisted of a ten year old, a seventy-something year old woman, a man in his mid-forties and a woman about mid forties who came in walking with a gait that went "Hobbldy-hoy!" We left soon after. I assure you, we did find all kinds of stuff to do that did not require a ten mile hike to enjoy, much of which was not mentioned in the guides aside from a brief notation of location.  I am still thinking I need to write a book to rectify this oversight.

   So where was I? Hmm, can't really remember, but I do see that it looks like the grass needs cutting. Think I will dig out my hiking shoes and do some yard work today.  

Works like a champ these days.