Day 267 of 365 - Sandals and Strawberries

The hot weather is finally here.  You know it's really summer once it's warm enough to consistently wear sandals, and once the berry crops, like strawberries mature.

Thinking back again to my childhood days, we spent a lot of our time running around outside barefoot, in flip flops or in those low cut canvas sneakers that used to be, and maybe still are, very popular.  Those were the days when it did not matter so much what I put on my feet.  They just served me whether I covered them or not.  In the summer, it was only once a week, for church, that they had to be pinched into any kind of dress shoe, and boy, did that feel weird after going barefoot or in flip flops all week.

Now of course, it's quite a different story.  I never, ever wear thongs of any kind. My feet just do not tolerate them.  It's an invitation for foot cramps extraordinaire.  It seems like every few years I find a comfortable pair of sandals, which offer some support and are good for everyday walking.  Then I wear them to death.  I do have a few nice, dressy pairs which are pretty good for a special event.

But, when those comfortable ones are on their way out, it becomes a project finding a replacement pair.  Last year, I tried replacing them with the same brand, slightly different style, which I ordered online, expecting to fit just the same as the old ones.  Not true.  I tried wearing them a number of times, but there is just something about them that's not right for me, despite the fact that they are quite nice looking.  Just this week I decided to let them go and return to my sandal hunt.

Yesterday, I hit a jackpot at a discount shoe place which carries lots of good brands.  In their outdoor tent sale, I found very good deals on two name brand pairs which are quite comfortable and also nice looking.  Then I went inside just to comparison shop and found another style I liked.  It's a sandal bonanza for me.  Looks like I'll be set for a couple more years.

But, let's not forget strawberries.  I picked up some organic ones today and am looking forward to using them in recipes this week.  Last week, I was also lucky enough to find rhubarb at the grocery store, a seeming rarity.  It used to grow in my parent's garden when I was young.  So, I bought some of that and cooked it up into a sauce.  It's too tart for my husband, but I love it.  I'll probably cut up a few strawberries to have with that this week too.

I'm lazy, and don't go strawberry picking or make homemade strawberry jam.  I'm happy to just buy the berries already in the baskets.  I've only gone berry picking a handful of times in my life.  Oh well, I have other talents...

This is a great summer weekend where I live, and a holiday weekend too.  As such, people are likely doing what they ought to be doing, which is spending time outdoors, instead of reading blog posts about being healthy.  Hence, my posts the rest of this weekend, will likely continue on a lighter note.

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