Poo-Poo Sacks And The Fate Of Shoes At The Beach

Living here at the beach we try, rarely successfully but, we do try to leave our sandy shoes at the door before we come into the house.  Usually, my kids, their friends, the neighbors and their friends, our friends, friends, relatives and people who inadvertently just wander in to our house, are barefoot to begin with.  It's the beach after all and the best part of living here is wiggling your tootsies in the warm, soft, sand or cooling them off in the cool of the sea.  I don't have a problem with that except that on the walk back from the beach they are walking on dirty, filthy, tar ridden, blacktop street.  Or, they are walking on the sidewalk, which has been walked on by all the people who decided to step up from the  dirty, filthy, tar ridden, blacktop street onto it.  (Insert whiny voice here) - But, Mom, I didn't even walk on the dirty, filthy, tar ridden, blacktop street.  I walked on the sidewalk."

The sidewalk, which is strolled upon by hundreds and thousands of people, (well maybe not hundreds of thousands) but, a LOT of people every day is a tiny bit nasty.  Approximately 1/2, well possibly way more than 1/2 of those people, including me, are walking their dogs on any given day.  Besides exercise, camaraderie, and just checking out what the other dogs have been up to, in the city dogs relieve themselves on the sidewalk. Gross I know, but a fact of city life.  Sometimes said dogs accidentally step onto someone's grass who is remiss enough to have a lawn without a border hedge, a fence or a wall, to relieve themselves.  This is frowned upon by the neighbors, especially if they're looking.  The city is very kind however, to provide little bags on almost every block, for free people, that you may use, for picking up and disposing of pet waste.   All in all, there is only one version of pet waste that you can actually pick up and dispose of, and you know what I mean.

Soooo for the rest, lets just say it's a toss up as to whether you want to walk on the dirty, filthy, tar ridden, blacktop street, or the sidewalk.  Just to be safe, I never leave my house without my flip-flops on.  I'm just tidy germaphobic like that. My kids, their friends, the neighbors and their friends, our friends, friends, relatives and people who inadvertently just wander in to our house aren't always as neurotic particular about fastidiousness as I.  Therefore, what I am trying to say, and I promise I will wrap it up here because I'm even grossing myself out, is that, if I could make everyone remove their feet before entering the house, I would.  But, (so far) I haven't been able to figure out a way to accomplish that.  Just give me time.  So here's the old basket we used to have, for those who actually do wear shoes,  to encourage their removal before entering the house.

We also tend to throw the dogs leashes, a sand bucket and a tennis ball or two in there. 

Um, Kate, if you're reading this, Mommy is sorry we are using your sand bucket as a doggy poo- poo-sack holder but, you gotta do what you gotta do.  We'll straighten it out when you get home.  I promise.

As you can see, we need a basket for shoes, because there are a- 

lot of them around here on any given day.  These, disregarding the flip-flops on the

top, are shoes which once in a while have to be put int the closet.  

"Put your shoes away, this dang basket is not a closet after all!"

I recently stumbled across this treasure.  Now all my problems are over.  Well,  not actually all my problems but, I'll spare you that for another day. When I found this treasure I thought that it looked like it had just been dragged in by the sea.  It didn't.  I had to pay cash for it.  I just loved the patina and the rust and the feel of this old basket,so she became mine.

Would she become a home for some sweet lavender I picked up on my shopping excursion as well?  Nope.

Would she find a home on my son's beach cruiser?  

Not!

She now lives on our front porch where she replaced the tatty old basket which had grown too tatty and too dilapidated to hold all the shoes of all my kids, their friends, the neighbors and their friends, our friends, friends, relatives and people who inadvertently just wander in to our house.

Tidy, waterproof, kid proof, old, yet still a beauty.  Kind of how I like to think of myself.  I've found a way to reuse her and I've given her a new lease on life.  Kind of what I need to do for myself.  I think she is very happy here on the front porch of our cottage.  She's just perfect and I love her.  How about you?

I'm sorry I posted about doggy doo here.  It was necessary for the crux of the story.  Crux of the story?  For those of you with a weak stomach I apologize for not warning you first.  Living here at the beach isn't always so glamorous after all, and I just wanted to make y'all feel better about that.  Now I consider it is my duty to help you move on from here, and the psychological damage which my wording may have inflicted on your psyche.  To recover from what you have just read, so unsuspectingly, I am now going to engage your immune system in some heavy duty therapy so words like poo poo and doggy doo will never bother or irritate your sensitive self again.  Ready?

Doggy doo, poo poo, doggy doo, poo poo, doggy doo, poo poo, dog poo, dog doo, doggy poo doo,  poopy dog doo, dog doo poop.  Are you feeling better yet?  All in all, I'm feeling that this whole thing is a success.  How about you?

You're welcome.

And Katie Girl, if you're still with me here, did you notice anything different about our new basket besides the unbridled beauty of it?  Besides the fact that there are not 14 shoes that belong in the closet in it?  

Yup, it's true Sweet Pea.  I removed all the poo poo sacks!  And you know why?  Because your mommy loves you more than all the dog poo sacks used on the streets of Solana Beach every day.  And that's a whole lot! 

Now, let me ask you this my friends, and those of you crazy brave enough to still be reading this post.  How many parents do you think have used that awesome term of endearment on their baby girl?  I know, I know.  I have me some mad parenting skills.  

Bye bye 'till next time and,

Blessings,

Tia

Take It Off For Tom's

Hey- ya friends!  Did you all know that today is One Day Without Shoes Day?  Well, now ya do.  It' was started by a guy you can meet on this site right here  ONE DAY WITHOUT SHOES.  I wanted to bring your attention to it because, it's a cause that my kids and I support and we hope you will too. You will see there below, my very own TOMS on my very own feet.  I bought them because when you buy a pair of TOMS, they will give a pair to a child in the U.S. or somewhere else in the world, say Africa, where they actually are too poor to own a pair of shoes.  Today is a day they are asking everybody to go barefootin' in hopes it will bring awareness to the cause.

You can help just by going without your shoes even if it's only for a few minutes, while going about your normal day.  Just help spread the message.  It's that easy!

 Today, Thursday, 8th April 2010 - ONE DAY WITHOUT SHOES...JOIN US

 Everyone knows I dislike shoes to the extreme.  But, when I have to wear them, say it's only 60 degrees down here at the beach and I'm freezing cold {grins to all you people who actually know what cold is}, these and my flip flops are my shoes of choice.  TOMS are cute, comfy and slipper like, and they come in every size, mens, women's, color, and plain or pattern imaginable.  I know what it's like to go barefoot but, I just pad around in my comfy house on my comfy floor or in nice warm sand down at the beach where I can sift it between my toes.  I have no idea what it would be like to be turned away from going to school because I don't have shoes.  Or to walk around in the freezing cold, or the burning heat without shoes. I can imagine however the heartache I would feel as a parent if I couldn't put a pair of shoes on my own kid.

I'm doing it, my kids are doing it.  Here is my daughter and her friend Wylie doing it.  Just ONE DAY.  Come on!  You can do it too. 

 Tell everybody why you're barefoot today and spread awareness of what it's like to go a day without shoes.  It'll make you feel good about yourself and again,  it's so easy.   Then tomorrow go out and buy yourself a pair, and TOMS will give another pair to someone who really needs them.

By the by, I have absolutely no affiliation with this company other than I love their shoes, and even more, I LOVE THIS CAUSE.  Plus it will make my son happy.  You're welcome Cooper!

P.S.  Come check out my blog tomorrow.  I get to be the Blogger of Note on the new support website WOW.  Please come share my SPECIAL DAY  with me!  There, I've said it.  I don't want to do it alone.  I need you!

Love you more than all the bare feet in all the world today.

Blessings,

Tia