If the Shoe Fits...



All dressed up for a day at the park

I had to chuckle when I read Cathy's post yesterday where she was trying to pick out what she was wearing for the day while looking in her closet. Merely Day by Day  My comment to her was that my mother, Maxine, would not approve.  Before bedtime, Maxine would select her clothing for the next day.  Polished shoes, nylons, everything neatly pressed and lint free would be ready for her the next morning.  Everything matched and everything looked crisp.  That was essential and a must in Maxine's eyes.  She would even have my father's suit, tie, shirt and shoes hanging on his valet stand.


So...morning expectations were high in our household....there was no need to rush around frantically searching for something to wear...it was already determined.  I fear that I did not continue that evening ritual....there might have been enough "Maxine preparedness" in me that I used to think as I crawled into bed about what clothes I might wear the next day.  Of course, I would assure myself that there would be something...close my eyes...and go to sleep.

 

My parents, Mort and Maxine

I can remember only a few Maxine wardrobe malfunctions.  One was when we lived in Indiana.  My parents drove together to work in Indianapolis, which was quite a distance from where we lived.   Mother did not drive...well, did not like to drive...and it was really safer for all if my father would drop her off at her office and then go to his.  On one wintery day, mother realized only after taking off her boots that she had two different shoes!  How horrible!  What made it worse was that the shoes looked alike, but the heels were different heights. 

 

Maxine

She called my father.  This was an emergency.  She could not spend the day tottering around on these shoes...she looked drunk...what would people think!  Finally, my father said he would drive the 45 minutes back to the house and get her the matching shoe.
  (He was a saint) 



Taken on a Trip out West

After an hour Maxine was wondering what was taking him so long.  She had not been able to concentrate because of her shoe problem.  Someone had suggested taking them off!  Can you imagine that!  That was not proper office etiquette.  The phone rang, my father had arrived, but needed mother to come down to get her shoe because he was parked in a loading zone. (She worked in a tall office building...so took the elevator.)   She hobbled outside and saw my dad leaning against the car with a silly grin on his face.

 

"You told me that the shoe was a black  with a heel.  I was not sure which one so thought I'd let you pick out the right shoe." With that, he opened the trunk...full of black shoes...all of different heights.  They all looked alike to him...but she easily picked out the matching shoe...and all was right with Maxine's world.