One Lump or Two

Imagine, if you will, a quaint, picturesque small town (think Mayberry) about an hour from the state capitol...Ridgeway, SC is the home of Laura's Tea Room located in The Thomas Company building. Begun as the I.C. Thomas Company by Isaac Thomas in 1885, the store sold general merchandise of every description. The present brick store was erected in 1911 and is still owned by a fourth generation member of the Thomas Family. Now, imagine a group of lovely ladies decked out to celebrate a birthday (as did the floozies), a bridal shower, a daddy-daughter outing or an afternoon of socializing complete with fabulous refreshments and servers that cater to your every whim! Sign the guestbook...select your cup and saucer...prepare to enjoy...

Lunch menu: iced herbal tea with lemonade and ginger ale, variety of black and herbal teas, scones, quiche, a variety of tea sandwiches (yummy) and a variety of desserts (think chocolate dipped strawberries) all served on beautiful china.

You may wear your own hat or select one to borrow...this is NOT a borrowed hat that our lovely Diva is wearing...Yes, she did have to walk through the door sideways. Can you see three of us in the picture? Jeanne is in there somewhere behind the plumage...she still has afterglow from the Hawaiian Honeymoon!

Let's try on some hats and open presents! So, whaddyathink...is it me, does this hat say "Princess" to you?!

How cute am I....

The "floozies" do what "floozies" do best LAUGH, talk, eat, drink and be merry whilst being waited on hand and foot. Oh did I mention the lovely general store downstairs...we are just darling at shopping...boosting the economy, if you will...

Ridgeway for all its quaintness also has A police car and they will give you A GIANT ticket if you are a fraction of a mile over the speed limit...everyone who has ever driven through the town to get to I-77 knows this for a fact. The town had to build a new police station to house THE police car. The old police station was open until 1990...how is that for progress.

A good time was had by all...the floozies and entourage will be heading out to Shagging on the Strand, affectionately know as SOS and yours truly (who does NOT dance) will enjoy the festivities as well! That is if I get a release (no, not from an institution) from the el doctorow...I am SUPPOSED to stay home and rest...All is well, dear friends...I am not having a heart attack...just inflamed, infected pleura...and blood pressure a tad too high...

I wish she'd get those darn feathers out of my face...it ain't easy being a Princess with a Diva for a friend!!! She gets all the attention...we love her anyway.

My Aching Feet

Human feet are amazing. The feet contain a quarter of the bones in the body. Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons. But like the rest of the body, feet eventually begin to feel the effects of daily wear and tear. Foot problems are common in women, particularly with advancing age. (Medical News Today)

Heel pain: The cause is stretching or tearing of the band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot (plantar fascia). Pain can worsen with lack of proper arch and heel support. Ice massage, gentle stretching of the arches, and arch-support inserts can help relieve tension. Splinting or physical therapy could be recommended, too.

My feet have been a constant source of pain throughout my life. I have always struggled with dry skin and eczema. My feet peel and crack and throb. To add insult to injury my Bill Pullman look a like foot doctor says I have plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. The x-rays of my feet totally fascinated me... all except for the parts of bone that really should not be there. The inside of my feet look like a rooster claw. Doctor gives me advice for treatment of these problems and then suggests cortisone shots for immediate relief. OUCH!!! He sprayed some icy concoction on my feet to numb them (yeah right) and gave me a shot in each foot. I thought I was going to grind my teeth to stumps, I am no wimp, however, those shots hurt like heck!

Sooooo....some other suggestions for foot care namely the dry skin and cracking of my heels....use tons of this very expensive emollient and then wrap feet in plastic garbage bags...who pray tell could sleep in plastic garbage bags? My husband's snoring already wakes me up. I could just imagine the rattling of plastic bags as I roll over. Not to mention...How sexy is that???

Next up, what type of shoes shall I wear??? Browsing online first, because my feet hurt and I don't want to walk from store to store, I searched for shoes with arch support and shoes with heel support...let me tell you, I do not buy cheap shoes but some of the prices on these "support" shoes will make you cry in pain for sure. I love shoes, all kinds, you might say I have a shoe problem. The many, many shoes in my closet are lonely because I can't wear them right now. So I must buy new shoes, correct? Is is possible to find shoes that make my feet happy but are not just plain fugly?

Here my friends are a few options....

And these my friends are the cute ones....

I have my standbys of Birkenstocks and Danskos however they just don't look right with everything! My New Balance Fitness shoes will look kind of cheesy with a "Sunday" dress. I have heard it said that you must suffer for beauty...WHY???? I know the cutest, most comfortable shoes are out there somewhere! In the meantime, I bought some bright orangy polish for my toenails. I am off to do some physical therapy, self inflicted variety, on my feet and tell my feet that I do appreciate them for supporting me and I will take care of them and they can pay me back by being pretty and not hurting! Did I mention I am insanely envious of anyone with "good" feet.