Growing up, I had few shoes. I had long slender feet and they just didn't make too many shoes then that fit. My feet or our budget. So, I usually had a school pair that was comfortable, a dress pair that wasn't, and eventually a tennis pair for...well, tennis. My mother had a shoe thing. Still does. Once, she won a $100 a month shoe spree for a year. It was totally fitting because she loves shoes and has little, cute feet that you find all kinds of shoes for. And she could always find bargains in her size. But I never caught the shoe bug.....

A few years ago, the shoemaking elf came to live in my house. Shoes began to appear in droves. Basically, I went shoe nuts. I bought all kinds of shoes. And I hardly ever wear them. I still have the habit of wearing one or two pairs most of the time. I have given a bunch away and the rest are in plastic clear boxes on my shelf. One whole shelf of stacked shoes. Don't even know for sure what I do have. A year ago, December, I bought a pair of boots on sale with Christmas money from my mom and dad. Thought she would find that funny. Then, I made myself a small challenge without even realizing it. I decided no shoes for a year. Looking at those stacked shoes today, I thought about the fact that I had done it. No shoes last year. How had that happened? I guess the shoe elf moved on, having accomplished his mission. I have shoes for just about everything now. I need to replace the tennis shoes I grabbed out of DD's pile (she's her Nana made over) that she didn't want. But I need to pull out and see what I have and rotate those around so I will wear them. And only buy the one pair that I need to replace. That's the challenge for this year.

Now, what's with the coats and jackets.....