mlroseplant

I have a minute or two to ruminate some more on my life in heels at church. I normally wear sandals somewhat like that in the summertime to church. Yes, @SF, I know they are kind of high (5"), but it has taken over 4 years of fairly intensive practice to get to the point where I sometimes forget I'm wearing them. Plus, I don't have your height "problem." In fact, sometime during the last 5 years, I've lost 3/8" in height, so I now have to round down to 5'5", rather than rounding up to 5'6". Getting old! @MackyHeels, I used to be uncomfortable talking to women about my shoes, I suppose in some part because I felt like I had to justify or explain myself. I've gotten over that some time ago, so if they want to know why, they are just going to have to ask, otherwise we'll just compare and contrast on equal footing (pun intended). @Shyheels, you are not too wrong in your assessment of Iowa, though I guess your reply was at least partly in jest. One of the things about heeling in Iowa is that if people like your style, they will say so. If they don't, they are generally too polite to say anything, even if they notice. After all, whose parents raise them to yell at strangers? Well, unless somebody is about to lose the cargo out of the back of thier pickup truck, and they don't realize it--then it's ok to yell at strangers. I really don't usually receive this much attention. I would say I get complimented half a dozen times per year at the most. It's just been coincidence that I've had two compliments in less than a month.

Wow, so many replies in my absence! Thank you for all the compliments and votes of confidence. I see some of you have some questions, which I will try to answer when I get time. The new job has gone into overtime already, and it's made me less available.

I received another unsolicited compliment today about my Micheal Kors sandals. There is a lady about my age who comes to church every other Sunday (I think she works every other Sunday), and she is always in heels herself, usually sustantial wedges. Today, she asked me if I liked her shoes. They were 5" wedge heeled sandals with marabou type feathers on them. I cooed over them a bit, then she asked me about my shoes, what brand they were and what size I wear. I suppose our conversation might have continued a little longer had my duties not obligated me to go right then. Included is a picture of my shoes.

You know, on this forum, we tend to write in a more informal manner. I rather appreciate that most everyone writes intelligibly. No worries, @nzfreestyler. Sometimes, I purposefully substitute an adjective for an adverb, just for a colloquial style, which may be an American thing, I don't know.

I was idly searching the internet the other day for a pair of Nine West Bellafina pumps, which they don't make any more, but hey, you never know when a pair might pop up somewhere. Anyway, I checked Nordstrom's website, and of course they were out of stock (don't even know why I bother anymore, I should stick to ebay and the like). However, I noted that they claimed this model had a 4 1/4 inch heel. Hmmmm? The shoes I have in Size 9 USW are over 5 1/2 inches, nearly 5 3/4 inches! Then I got to looking around the window, and found a button labeled "Heel Height Measurement." Of course, I had to click on it, and I have included a screenshot of what came up next. Oh, I see, Nordstrom measures the heels from the side. I have always measured my heels from the back, with the ruler being perfectly plumb, that is, perpendicular to the ground, assuming the shoe is resting on a perfectly level surface. So I questioned my method of measurement. Why DO I measure heels from the back? Obviously, I will get a bigger number doing it that way, and my number has little to do with how much standing height increase I will get. Maybe I should change? Then I realized that Nordstrom's way has a very big flaw, and that is, their method will be highly inconsistent depending on the shape of the heel of any given shoe, giving one little clue as to the true steepness of the shoe. In the Bellafina model, the heel curves from top to bottom substantially forward toward the ball of the foot. See an example here: https://www.overstock.com/Clothing-Shoes/Womens-Nine-West-Bellafina-Black-Leather/8362771/product.html Using Nordstrom's measuring method, this gives a substantially shorter measurement compared to a shoe of the same steepness with a heel that comes almost straight down from the back (think about almost anything made by Christian Louboutin). So I am standing by my measuring method after all. Your thoughts, please!

Kein Versand nach Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika. Quatsch! Seriously, I think they look great, and look quite wearable. And in size 45, too! Luckily, you live in Sweden.

I kind of idly wondered. They look an awful lot like some Nine West pumps I've got, which they no longer make (Bellafina). I thought at first you had found a fresh supply somewhere, but alas, no. They are very nice looking, though!

For some reason, I find it mentally easier to wear wedges with shorts than I do shoes with a separate heel. Somehow, it doesn't seem quite so "over the top." Mind games, I suppose, since the whole getup is rather "over the top" for around here.

It's been a while since I received a compliment from a stranger, but I got one yesterday. I was at the grocery store to pick up a couple of things real quick. I was wearing my Michael Kors Sommerly wedges with shorts and a t-shirt, nothing special. As I was walking in the parking lot to go back to my car, a young woman who was maybe about 25-30 years old caught my attention and said, "Cute shoes!" My first reaction was to giggle, which in the grand scheme of things wasn't a horrible reaction. I thanked her and looked down at her shoes. She was wearing white, strappy wedges which were attractive with her office casual outfit. I quickly said, "Yours, too!" We smiled at each other and walked away. A very brief encounter, but I thought it was worth noting.

I was rather hoping that comment would slip by unnoticed, but I see it didn't. So I have to point out that just a few short verses before the one you quote here, it says that if you've got an obstinate son, and you can prove to the town elders that he is stubborn and disobedient (I never heard of a teenage boy like that :p), you get to stone him to death. Let's face it, most of the stuff in the Pentateuch after about halfway through Exodus we ignore completely, and by "we" I am including modern day Jews and Muslims as well as Christians. The no-pork-eating thing is one of the few rules that still seems to hold some sway, for some odd reason. At least we gave up animal sacrifice long ago. Can you imagine going to church every Sunday and dealing with the mess and the stench of burning flesh? Not to mention the ethical concerns it might raise. I'm probably going to make somebody upset, but I can sleep very well at night as a Christian and at the same time completely ignore all the superstitious practices of our forefathers in religion.

The 30 pounds has made a noticeable and positive difference! Do the clothes that you have bought recently still fit?

Jeff is, despite his trailblazing attire, the Master of blending in. There are not many women in Jeff's age bracket with long hair, at least not in this country. It would truly shock me if Jeff suddenly wanted long hair!

I have recently recounted my church story elsewhere on this forum, so I will not repeat it in full here. I am well accepted at my church, and I never feel it's like, "Oh, we mustn't upset him." However, I do agree with @Cali that not all background talk about your heels is negative. I have found that in many cases, people talk amongst themselves, but are nervous to ask me directly. That's really a pretty normal reaction. Fairly recently, I had to occasion to have a private meeting about some staffing issues with our Associate Pastor. He's been with us for about a year. He had never mentioned anything or reacted in any way about my heels up to that time. Toward the end of our meeting, he finally asked about my heels, almost apologetically. As it turns out, he has enthusiastically admired my courage to wear what I like from the first time he met me, but it took a year of wondering until there was finally an appropriate time to ask me. I think in our minds we often think that people are way more negative than they actually are.

I know the feeling, which is why I entitled my own thread "The Ruminations of. . ." instead of the "The Adventures of . . . " or something like this. But I am glad to see your post, even if there is not much to tell. Nice looking shorts and wedges, by the way. Not everyone is the super-smooth guy you are, Steve!

You obviously care a great deal about your hair. If I were you, I would FIND OUT what she used, so that you know what to use next time, or what NOT to use. My wife completely screwed up her long, beautiful hair trying to chintz out and use cheap hair dye. She has since found a product that works well for her, but it took about a year for the damaged part to grow out. Have you got any before and after pics?