Hear Ye, Hear Ye

I am the judge! Well at least for the month of May thanks to Michelle at Scribbit. When I first started blogging and found Scribbit I knelt in front of my computer and did the Wayne's World "I'm not worthy" kowtow, so I'm sure you can imagine how honored I feel to have been asked to judge one of her fabulous WriteAway contests. I love this contest because it's about more than just getting free stuff, it is about writing. Don't most of us bloggers start blogging with a desire to improve our writing, and to possibly be discovered by some super publisher and offered a million bucks to write a book about our diaper escapades and trying to feel sexy with baby puke running down our back and dinner on the stove? Or is that just me?

This month's contest theme is shoes. I love simple subject themes because it means you can do so much more with it. Like a verbal Rorschach test, we get to see what one word means to you. Because I'm not entering I don't have to worry about trying to make a coherent piece of writing and get to be lazy and just do a list. Here's what comes to mind when I hear the word, "Shoes."

1. Saturday evenings polishing my church shoes with dad. He had these great shoe polish bottles that had little sponges on the tops of them that us kids could use. We would polish our shoes while we watched him shine his the old fashioned way, right down to the spit shine. I loved it when he would let me take the rag to buff the toes of his big black dress shoes. Just seeing a little round tin of Kiwi shoe polish makes me lovingly think of dad.

2. The fake black Converse style shoes with the metallic star painted on the side. Man I was so HOT in those things! I'm so glad my parents and sisters never told me what a dork I was back then. Ignorance really is bliss, that is until you are watching home videos with your boyfriend and suddenly realize how NOT hot you were.

3. I sit in church and stare at women in stiletto heels and just wonder, "How on earth do they stay up in those things?" I am even more amazed at the pregnant woman, holding a baby on her hip, that still manages to wear those things and not trip. I'll just stick to my 2 inch thick Dr. Martin soles, thank you very much.

4. I have a lizard tattoo on my foot and when I wear the right shoes all you can see is its curly tail and I love that.

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5. Baby booties are so cute, but they are never as cute as baby feet, so I don't buy very many baby booties.

6. Shoe shopping with kids... This is on my top ten list of tortures I must endure, and its right up there with going to the dentist and talking to Bobter (and that's all I'm sayin' 'cause for all I know he might read this blog and I'd be in big trouble).

7. My feet would scare a pedicurist. I'm not big on shoes so I'm barefoot most of the time. I also have a toenail picking problem. This means that my feet are wide, dirty, calloused, I have cracks all over my heels, have little to no toenails, and often am missing my pinky toenail all together. Some things are not meant to be painted cherry red, and my toenails are one of those things.

8. I love to have my feet tickled. It doesn't tickle me, it just feels really good.

9. My husband tickled my feet and it was one of the first things I ever loved about him.

10. I store my shoes in an old wooden pie carrying crate that my father stole from the Navy shipping yard back when he was in the Navy. Target will never sell anything that cool.

Edited to add (how could I forget this one?): #11. My mom's leather, or leather like, knee high boots. I think she has had them just as long or longer than she has had me. They have made me realize the fluctuations of fashion as some years they were SO embarrassing, and other years I would sneak them to wear to school. They were the first, and only one of the few, expensive things she ever bought for herself and they are still going strong even after being worn almost every Sunday in winter for all these years. Mom, I want you to give me the boots when you die. Ok?

So, what do you think when you hear the word, "Shoes"? I can't wait to read all the entries!