Colored By Our Surroundings (and a little black dress)

Ahhh, Happy Friday, dear readers!  Friday is wonderful for most, as it ushers in the weekend, but for me it marks the end of my one real day off in the middle of the week (I do not count Sunday — my other day off — as a day I can do whatever I want) and Friday brings 8 hours of work, then 8 more hours on Saturday.  The past couple of days, though, I have been trying to be really thankful for my job.  No, I am thankful.  I just need to remember each day that I am thankful.

Now, I want to share a thought that has been on my mind for a few weeks.   It goes back to about a month ago when I saw a poor skunk by the road, obviously dead, not appearing to  be mangled in the least, but probably hit by a car.  You know skunks are black and white.  Yes.  But not this one.  Oh, the black was black, but the white was orange — colored orange by our Orange County red soil.  It cannot be hidden and it is the bane of many a woman’s existence ’round here as she struggles to keep carpets clean.

At any rate, I sat there at the stop light, just looking at that skunk.  As hard as he might have tried, there was no way that he could have kept that orange soil from coloring his coat.  And so it is that we are colored by our own surroundings.  Some things that make up our personal space and the days of our lives are not by choice.  Perhaps they come on in the form of illness.  Perhaps a family member who has lost his or her memory.  Perhaps the inheritance of a huge sum of money.  Perhaps devastating emotional changes in a person we love.

On the other hand, sometimes we put ourselves into situations that color us.  Choosing to surround ourselves with things that are less than virtuous.  Or doing something good.  Volunteer work.  Home versus travel.  Being a keeper at home.  Having an affair.  No matter, it will color our attitudes, our heart, our thinking; and, even though it might not be visible to everyone, it will be visible to those closest to us and to God.

Why am I sharing this?  For two reasons:  1)  I want to be careful what I allow into my life.  2)  It’s one of the reasons I made the move I did with my two youngest children.  Enough said; about that, anyway.  Another thought is that the white in this poor skunk clearly showed the orange color of the soil while the black still looked black.  The lesson?  Purity is so easily marred.  It is easily discolored.  It should be protected.

Getting off of my little soapbox now!

LET’S TALK ABOUT SHOES!

Yesterday I shopped for shoes!  Oh my oh my, I could have bought 20 pairs!  But I only splurged on two!

This shoe in particular was exactly what I went out to find, to replace the Bongo shoes that I have already put a good wearing on!

So I tried them on!  And I bought them!

Oh, dearie me, look at the white flowers!  You know I tried these on!!  Me.  Flowers.  Yeah.

They fit like a dream…

and are easy to walk in.

How about some bright wedge heels for summer?

A blossom on a tree in Moore County.  Perhaps something that will bloom in a new garden some day?  Here we are on the edge of spring.  This time last year, I was looking on my garden with hope, only to have to leave it 19 days later.  Yes, dear friends, this month marks a year since I have been in the new apartment.

Last evening brought a meal by a fire pit with a friend.

Today brings a work day, shuttling children around, cooking, straightening, and — let’s try with all our might — a JOYFUL spirit.

I’ll close with that, and by sharing a couple of pictures of today’s outfit.

Little black dress, Mlle Gabrielle, thrifted (still with tags on) 4.39$
Tights, new
Platform heels, Jelly Pop, new, 35$ (whew!)
Western style belt, thrifted, 1.39$

I knew this belt would come in handy for something.  The trim on it was just too sturdy, too beautifully worn, the belt too well made not to buy it when I saw it.

Maybe this western bag from Sears would have made the outfit perfect?

Brown Western Handbag at Sears!

ENJOY THIS DAY!