My Right Foot

Feet are ugly. Can anyone have a different opinion? To my mind, there are no two ways around it. So sorry for the photographic assault to your senses. However, the pic illustrates my point (soon to be made) so hopefully you'll survive a quick glance at my unmanicured, swollen tootsie.

After engaging in two of my all-time favorite past-times, namely holiday cooking and celebrating, I was looking at another week and a half of glorious break with my family. Science Center, Zoo, trips to the beach and the snowy mountains, walks, play, play, play and maybe (just maybe) even a movie! Woo Hoo. Spending time doing family activities is truly my idea of the best of times. I am fully aware that my kids are growing bigger by the nanosecond and these days are becoming fewer and fewer. So, when I sprained my ankle dashing down the steps from our house to the street to check out my license plate number in order to print out a computerized sno-park permit for a sledding outing at Snoqualmie Pass the next day, I was initially disappointed. I hobbled back up the steps (dang, there are a lot of them!) until I was close enough to holler for help. Mark half carried me the rest of the way.

The next day was spent in bed with my foot elevated and a strict icing regimen in place. For company I had my laptop, a pile of DVDs, and the beloved cuddle toys my girls brought in at regular intervals.
Plus the many pictures drawn by my two wee resident artists to cheer me up. I even received a hama bead "Portrait of Mama" (Hama Mama:)) made especially by Julia.


Realizing this was how I would be required to spend the next 48-72 hours opened up a new world of bliss. A veritable mini vacation! Poor Mark prepared the meals, dressed the girls, entertained them all day long and kept the house in order (mostly) while I sat on my tuckus watching past seasons of the Gilmore Girls and resting my ankle. Ahhhhhhhhh!

After awhile though, I thought I might be able to be productive and decided to pay bills and tool around with making a new budget for our family for the new year. To tell the truth, the Gilmore Girls get a bit grating after 8 or so episodes in a row. One thing led to another and the next thing I knew I was analyzing our spending habits over the past year and screaming out over the horrors of excess and the thoughtless outpouring of cash I found. Let me never be forced to re-justify the purchase of two pairs of brown boots made in one week again. Honestly, it made soooo much sense at the time! Really!! Then there are all the piles of toys, puzzles, games, etc. that live in our playroom all but untouched. Here's a big discovery: hindsight shows no mercy toward impulse purchases.

So, in came the New Year's Resolutions. We will be thoughtful consumers! We will not fill our small home with junk (however cute, however much my sweet girls bat their big brown eyes, or however stylish and well coordinated with that one skirt that nothing else looks good with)!! We will save more money for retirement!!! WITH GOD AS MY WITNESS WE WILL NEVER BE STUPID CONSUMERS AGAIN!

Then, when I was still feeling both shameful and indignant, my friend Laurie showed me a little video. It lasts about 20 minutes or so. The information jives with what I have been thinking. Check it out if you want to be more thoughtful about all the crap junk stuff in your life. It is called, appropriately enough, The Story of Stuff. Click here to view.

Tonight is my last night before break. My ankle is mostly healed and we even managed to reschedule that sledding outing. But the biggest change? It has been three days since I've purchased anything aside from food and laundry detergent.

There is, however, a pair of black boots I've had my eye on...