hyperventilating

All of this Christmas stuff already has me hyperventilating. Its in the stores, on TV, on the radio. Good Lord, how can it be time for that already??? I feel like I lost October somehow. It can't possibly be time for Thanksgiving this soon. I haven't bought gifts. I have NO idea if we can even have a tree (with the wild kitten we have). Oh well....I have decided not to stress over the details.

Last year we had Christmas with very few of the trims and trappings. We had a trip to Jamaica booked and then Bruce got really sick at the last minute so we had to cancel. We came home on the night before Christmas Eve with no goodies baked, and no gifts under the tree. I was just glad Bruce was ok. We managed to celebrate though. Erica shopped for food and made dinner with all the trimmings. We played games, and we went to see a movie on Christmas night. It was nice. Just like the Grinch, "Christmas came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. ..." And I sort of liked it.

We are staying home this year. I am decorating as the cats will allow, but I am not going to kill myself over it. I am thinking I want to keep it low-key. Is it possible to have a NO stress Christmas? That is my intention. Laid back, time to chill out, talk and play games, and just enjoy having the kids all home for the holiday. A plate of cookies. Glasses of wine sipped over the scrabble board. That is all I want for Christmas this year. Well, I would kind of enjoy a few lights and a couple of ornaments on the tree......if the kitties deem it appropriate. LOL.

Facing Facts

I spent most of yesterday going through my clothes and cleaning out closets. I came to the realization that not only would I probably never fit into a lot of those things again, but even if I did they would be out of style. So....the result is a whole pile of stuff to take to Good Will. Its not that I am being pessimistic. Its more like being realistic. I am 48 years old, I have hypothyroidism, and I take at least 3 medications every single day that cause weight gain ....and I probably will have to take them forever. So.....it is what it is. That's not to say that I won't EVER lose some weight, but if I do then I am buying all new clothes and not closet shopping for something that is 10 years old and the wrong cut, or color or fabric. It felt pretty liberating actually.

I had to do the same thing with my shoes a month ago when I had the achilles tendon problem. My podiatrist gave me guidelines for the shoes I should be wearing. I got rid of anything that didn't fit the bill. Like flats, for instance. I love flats...but they are not so good for healthy feet. I need a moderate heel with good arch support. And just because I now know how painful it can be to go through foot problems, I am taking the advice to heart. Its not as easy as you might think, finding good comfortable shoes that do NOT look like orthopedic Granny shoes. It takes a whole lot of looking and trying on. I am figuring out certain brands that seem to offer the best fit, and that narrows things down a little bit. The one that is the most comfortable shoe ever (for me), is Rieker. Its a German company, and they call their shoes "anti-stress". I can't find them here. I bought my first pair in NY, and then have ordered 1 other pair. Not all of their women's shoes are cute, so I have to really look through what they offer. But if you can find a cute pair I would be willing to bet large sums of money that it WILL be comfortable.

The Doc (a cute little blonde girl that I swear doesn't look old enough to be out of college yet. Seriously.) also gave me a few other tips. Like never wear the same shoes 2 days in a row. It not only is good for your feet to have different padding every day, but it also gives your shoes a chance to air out. I had no idea it takes at least 24 hours for a shoe to completely "dry out". It not only keeps feet healthy but it will make your shoes last much longer, too. I have yet to convince Bruce of this, though. He buys 1 pair of sneakers and wears them all the time (unless he has to dress up) until they have to be replaced. Maybe I just need to make him go shopping!!! He has plenty of room now that I have cleaned so much stuff out.