When I worked in Corporate America, I dressed.  And by “dressed,” I mean that my attire consisted of a more professional vibe.  Blazer, pencil skirt, shirt, or sweater. And heels. Always heels.

Might I also add my admiration for a good showing of toe cleavage?  And I still have these shoes. Don’t wear them, but I still have them.

There was a particular type of heel that I wore.  For my feet, it was always the pointy-toed beauty that showcased a bit of toe cleavage.  My thinking was if I did not have ample cleavage from my breasts, then that of my toes would have to suffice.

Whether that heel be a higher one.  Or a middle-range one.  Or a purr-fect kitten heel.

And how adorable are these heels with tights and a shorter kilt? Be still my heartless heart!

And suffice it did.  My heels always made me feel wonderfully feminine. (My apologies to my feminist friends, but true feminism means being able to have choices in all aspects of life—down to the shoes you wear) Heels made my rather athletic calves always, okay almost always appear slenderer and longer.

Such beautiful memories of beautiful footwear!

I wore leather heels, suede heels, Orsay heels, Made-in-Italy heels, horsehair heels, faux leopard print heels, open-toed heels, slingback heels.  A heel storm from above.

I still have all of these heels. Exception being the floral ones in the front. They hurt me feet too much!

Could I run in any of those heels?  Oh yes. I could.  I was adept at running after yellow taxi cabs.  I showed finesse in speeding down as well as up the stairs leading to and out of the subway.  I could run to catch a bus.  Heel—I could even dance in them!

Put me up against any of Ru Paul’s competitors and I could outrun them.  Back in the day!

During my “mom” days, the heels were kept at bay. In a closet in my bedroom.  But I still wore them to PTO meetings.  School events.  Out for an evening or to a wedding or funeral.

The PTO meetings knew when PTO Queen me entered the school auditorium.  My heels meant business.

When I returned to work after my divorce, the heels were used again and I felt as though an old friend had returned into my life.

Then something very unusual happened.  When I started my job with the State, it was suggested to not wear heels.  This has everything to do with being in the units with patients.  It isn’t pragmatic to walk around civil or forensic patients clapping your high heels against the floors.  And even though I am not on the units, I do have to foray into the basement at times and, trust me, the only thing heels could do is make the “crunch” sound while walking on dead bugs louder.   (Don’t be alarmed. I love my job—that is the only downside).

And yes. I have worn heels a few times because I am at a desk all day but by the end of the day, my dawgs are barking!

Honestly, I don’t know if it’s age or what.  Heels are no longer my shoe of choice.  Maybe it’s the small bunions that have appeared after decades of wearing various heels.  Maybe my feet have just had it and need a break.  Maybe it’s just part of the aging process.

Don’t get me wrong.  I still have my heels. I can’t get rid of them.  Hmmm. Now I’m thinking.  Could I possibly be a “heel hoarder”?   If I am, they are placed neatly in a plastic shoe holder hanging over my closet door.

Now, I am in the “flat” days of my existence.   And speaking of the flat days, I did a thing. Bought two pairs of boots off Amazon.  A tall pair and a pair of those trendy “Chelsea” Boots.  Both are flat!

Well, they aren’t completely flat, they have small heels for support!

Last November, I spotted a ton of clunky short boots while we were in Paris.  Women of all ages were wearing them.  It was not a “love them” moment from me.  However, it was one of those trends that I figured, could turn into something more.  Still being on the fence, our upcoming visit to Paris got me thinking about our walking all day whether in Paris Centre or when we are out to discover new castles and sites.  I bit the bullet and made the purchase.  And since I didn’t want to spend a fortune, this inexpensive pair was found. It occurred to me that if I was not crazy about them, they could always be returned.

This ensemble is a bit too trendy for my personal taste but I have been intrigued by the Chelsea boots since seeing them in Paris last year.

Something odd happened the second my feet slid into them.  I loved them. They look great with black leggings and J. Crew pixie pants. They are comfortable as all get out. They slide onto the feet effortlessly. It was a shock to my system but wearing them around the house made me wish for actual Autumn weather (more about that later).

I LOVE these boots!  Here’s the link on Amazon and don’t forget, I make a very small commission:  Amazon Chelsea boots

The aesthetic of these short boots is simple yet, pragmatic. These will get a lot of wear!

Another pair, tall boots, also ordered from Amazon arrived. Again, if I did not like them, they could be returned.  As one with “athletic” (i.e. thick) calves, I was not expecting much in fit but the fit was excellent with bottoms such as leggings and J. Crew …. you guessed it—pixie pants! They will also look wonderful with skirts as they truly are a “tall” boot.  Shorter, below-the-knee boots make my legs appear both shorter and thicker.  These really are nice.

This is the tall pair.  They are really nice and will look great with skirts (the ones that still fit me)

Chippy may be disappointed these boots aren’t leather but I’m not.  Here’s another shameless plug on Amazon.  Tall boots.

Both pair are “vegan” leather.  In other words, fake leather.  Pleather. While I realize they will not breathe as well, if getting caught in heavy rain, they won’t be ruined.

That’s nice Jarod.  I’m not vegan but will wear non-leather items if they look good.

And both are flat!!!!!!!!!!!

Trying the boots on really made me wish for cooler weather.  And as this blog is being written on the first day of Autumn, let me tell you what I did yesterday.

Here’s a hint:  Before and After. Actually more “during” than “before”.

I changed out my summer clothing for the fall/winter clothing. What a stinking chore!  It’s up there with having an annual mammogram and a regularly-scheduled colonoscopy.  The sad thing was trying on wool skirts and not being able to zip them up.  Yup!  Weight was gained over the past year. Be that as it may, I’m struggling to lose the weight.  The only clothing that fits, are the ones with stretch.  Like J. Crew……………………. pixie pants! Luckily, I have 8 pairs!

My blazers are all colorized, the three skirts that actually fit. Thanks to elastic waistbands. Let’s throw some jeans on hangers too!

All my flats are organized by color! This should last about a week.

Don’t even get me started on my moronic choice to carry out this chore on summer’s last day.  Mother Nature must’ve fallen off a cloud laughing like a hyena over my choice to do so on an 80-degree day.

Yeah. Mother Nature is laughing at me while she’s chowing down on margarine! 

A day in which my husband decided that the air conditioner didn’t need to be turned on (until I complained like a Frenchman until he finally put me out of his misery and made it cooler in our chateau).  Summer clothing that fit was placed into tubs and brought down to the garage.  Clothing, both summer and winter that didn’t fit was placed into plastic garbage bags to be donated to the female patients at the hospital where I work.  I will tell you this much—they will be getting some nice clothes.  To be transparent with you, I thought of selling the clothes on Poshmark because, I could use the extra money.  However, I can’t be bothered with the process of someone wanting a refund because they decided they didn’t like the look or fit.  I can’t deal with that.  It’s easier and more useful to donate the clothing.

Bye bye summer clothing!

A portion of the donated clothing. Chippy is still sleuthing down leather.

And speaking of the weight gain, I took a deep breath. And did something.  At approximately 7:45 AM, I got dressed into leggings, a tee shirt, put sneakers on, placed Oona’s old Delta Gamma U of MD cap to cover my bald noggin and headed out, for the first time in years, to walk around our neighborhood.  My phone was in my pocket, ear buds were inserted and I listened to an “Earth, Wind, and Fire” playlist on Spotify!  It was delightful!

Oona’s baseball cap to cover my bald spots. No makeup. And walking around the neighborhood for my health!

Wild roses are still in bloom..

..but there are subtle hints that autumn has arrived.

Just me and the trees!

It was great to feel the burn on my thighs when arriving home and running up the stairs. And I realized that it is important to be mindful of my health even more these days. In addition, one is never too old to return to good habits!

That’s about it for today but I do have a question for you, my dear blog family.   I’ve been following a few blogs that women of our demographic write.  They are becoming less wordy and turning into ads.  Less words.  More photos of things you can buy.  Hey. I’m guilty in this post—I added links to my Amazon store if you are interested in the boots I wrote about.  I refuse to be a hypocrite but, I want to know if you think my posts are too “wordy.”

I hope you’re not saying “Make her STOP”. “She’s too wordy”. “I want less substance”!

Because I work all day, I do not write as often as I did when I wasn’t working.  But my point is, when I do write a blog post, I have a lot to say and don’t want to bore you.  And so, I beseech you—are you okay with my vents, pondering, long-winded posts?  I love writing. It’s fun.  It gives me a place to voice my opinion. What are your thoughts?  How can I improve?  It’s always great to ask.

Well, on this first day of Autumn 2024, let us hope for cooler weather.  Our hot flashes can keep us a tad warmer without sweating!

Oops. About the only thing I’m avoiding is smoking.  My fall/winter hot flashes will keep me warm!