Slipshod

Ey up, chucklings...how are you today? Ey up is a Northern English greeting for those who do not know...and Eyup with two little dots over the 'u' is also a district of Istanbul where there's a rather fine 15th century mosque. You get an education here, ha ha!

I'm pondering a footwear dilemma. Not which dainty shoes to wear for the party tonight...there is no party so no dainty shoes is not a problem! No it's just that my undainty shoes and boots are wearing out. If you don't have a car and you're over twenty two it's best to have sensible things to put on your feet. I've had a stirling selection of indoor/outdoor clodhoppers over the years...desert boots and Converse All Stars and the like as well as proper walking boots for proper walking. But the grip is gone on most of the soles now and I'm close to the time when they actually leak. I bought some cheapy boys' work boot style things a couple of years back knowing they wouldn't last but not thinking it would matter in the long run as I wouldn't either. But the treads are gone on the heels and I was slipping on the rocks and sea steps yesterday and while it's good that I'm still getting to slippy places now and then, slipping itself is not good...There are a few ways in which I might break if I fell! So do I get another cheapy pair or do I treat myself to some Kickers in a sale? I always used to wear leather shoes as my feet didn't like plastic but though my heart says yes...buy the colourful leather ones my puritanical head shakes at the potential waste. On the other hand they would sell better in a charity shop 'afterwards'...so even if not an investment for me someone could benefit. Hmm...

Anyway, I give thanks today for my expanded wintertime views. Bright sea beneath dark clouds through bare waving branches, the changing bunting of various coloured and shaped vehicles parked on a curving slope of road, the odd flash of the postmen...the flash of their vans or high visibility vests I should say...or maybe their white knees! Nothing to upset your granny or grandkids anyway! There was a man out walking in shorts yesterday. Not full walking gear...just ordinary coat and shoes etc and knee length rather crumpled blue shorts in between. He was quite a mature man with a mature woman on his arm wearing waxed coat, long trousers, boots, hat and scarf. She and I exchanged wry smiles. Well at least I think we did...she could have been smiling in pity because I didn't have a bare kneed ex postman to walk along with!

I'm grateful that her upstairs has been quite quiet, tho somewhat concerned about what this evening might bring. Last year she was out all night (hooray!) but forgot to turn off the bath she was running first (booh!). And I'm grateful that despite a variety of health problems I've managed to do the jobs I wanted to get done....some cleaning and tidying and sewing of something that didn't fit and making soup out of tired looking veg in the fridge. I did these things in short instalments and in between watched TV. I thought there was another of those Cirque du Soleil docs but it turned out it was a whole show. An old one no doubt but the first one I have ever seen in its entirety and less than twenty four hours after saying I wanted to! Now that's what I call a user friendly universe.