It had been a long time since dense fog welcomed me from my sleep. Not to be deterred, I got my walking gear on and settled in for additional coffee as I joined Dennis in the patio porch. It didn’t take long and I knew that my walk would happen. It has gotten to the degree that there is no second guessing. I am going to get and take my walk. I feel so much better. Oh yes, the extra junk in the trunk still wants to buck every once in awhile. Arthritis doesn’t take a holiday. I do know that while walking, good posture is the key. The shoes that I have for my daily walk are strictly for that walk. The platform is good and the cushion is good.

My kids will be happy to know and learn that since I have been walking, I can no longer do the flip flops that once served as my daily gear. I have gotten very accustomed to having “a shoe” on my foot. With having a good shoe on, comes with wearing stockings, aka: anklets. When I move, my body temperature rises and that includes my feet. Putting my bare foot into my shoes, knowing that there is no barrier between my sweaty foot and the inside of my shoes . . . so not going to happen. So, this old gal now has a pair of “shoes” for gardening, a pair for walking, and a pair to wear when we have road dates. They are shoes that actually hold the foot firmly while giving good support. Who knew! Having a spray can of Lysol handy for the end of the day also helps for the that fresh feel and smell the next day. Ya . . . that would be a “Lena thing” as Mom would take care of Dad’s shoes each evening.

Thus said, taking my shoes off and putting them back on as I go in and out of the house is no longer a top priority. It sounds like a no brainer to take them off and put them on repeatedly, but I need to use a shoehorn each time. Remember that comment about Arthritis? Yup. Oh how I have learned to use that handy dandy little gadget that used to be given away every time you bought shoes . . . well shoes that you bought in stores that were dedicated to selling shoes. My handy dandy gadgets have come from a fellow that used the shoehorns to have advertising printed on them for his insurance business. The cool part is the handles of the shoehorns are 24″ long. It allows me to stand while slipping my feet into my shoes. Gotta love gadgets and the common sense to not fight what happens to be a part of everyday life. A very good life, I might add.