I have a wonderful family, I really do. But one niece is insisting that since her son wants me to be an usher in his February wedding, that I must …
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Life…
I am back to my 2016 bah-humbug self. The shot of Christmas Spirit from visiting with my friends last Saturday night and going Christmas caroling for the 44th year in a row has withered.
Some readers are not aware that I live in the news market for Washington, DC. As such, national news is local news. I’m surrounded all the time with “news” about the incoming tragedy to be effective January 20, 2017.
This “news” is unavoidable in my area. It’s in the ozone and the air (which for now is breathable, but not for long once the destructionists and deniers become federal government agency heads). It evokes great sadness…
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44 Years of Tradition
While I still do not have much Christmas spirit this year, I enjoyed gathering with friends I have known since junior high school once again last night for our traditional Christmas caroling gathering. (Yep, I wore leather jeans, a red shirt, and instead of high-heeled cowboy boots (shown in this old photo), I wore Chippewa firefighter boots which are much more comfortable on my feet when I have to stand for a long time and walk a lot.)
Way back in Junior High…
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Who And What Influenced Me To Wear Boots?
One of my loyal blog readers wrote to me to ask,
1. What individuals inspired you to wear boots? 2. What was the defining moment that made you decide that you were going to wear boots everyday from here on out?
Those are great questions. Some of you may be surprised to read about my boot influencers…
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Skipping Christmas, Not
I have to be honest, with the disaster that occurred in the United States on November 8, I have been rather down and have not had any holiday spirit. But our plans for our “no senior is alone on Thanksgiving” Feastival for November 24 were already in full swing, so we continued with it. I enjoyed the warmth and love from my friends and family, but missed having my spouse with me. He sat alone in a neighbor’s house because he just could not muster the energy to deal with the noise and confusion.
Immediately after Thanksgiving, my spouse usually begins to decorate the house and we decide when we will put up the Christmas tree and decorate it. But as my spouse and I were snuggling this past Sunday morning before rising to start the day, we talked about Christmas and what we were going to do. We decided…
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Boot Influencing
This is another blog post inspired by my reader from Belgium who asked,
I was wondering If you have encountered more people who got motivated by you or your blog to wear their boots more open, maybe with the pants tucked inside? In addition to this, I was wondering if your wearing of boots has convinced people in your family or friends or neighbors to also start wearing boots? I remember an old blog text about a young family-menber of yours who was going to high school or college and came to you for advice on which boots to buy?
I have to say in response and full candor that…
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Who Can Wear Boots? Men or Women?
My next suggestion from my friend in Belgium for this blog is the age-old question, “did women take over wearing boots from men?” or related, “why don’t men wear boots any more?”
I answered the second question thoroughly in my March 2, 2016 blog post titled, Why Don’t Men Wear Boots Any More?
My friend said,
I sometimes read comments of guys complaining that women are more accepted to wearing boots. They seem jealous and even claim that women stole the wearing of boots from men.
I have a few additional thoughts, especially in these days where sexism in the United States has been empowered and emboldened by the buffoon who will become U.S. President…
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Thoughts of Going Into the Boot Business
My friend from Belgium sent me some more ideas for this blog, and I appreciate it. One of his recent suggestions was:
With such a vivid passion for boots: have you never thought of turning it into your profession? Like starting a business as a boot retailer or even starting a new brand of boots?
I appreciate the thought. My reply is after the jump…
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Breaking In Tall Boots
A reader wrote to me recently to ask for a link to a video that I produced a long time ago, but remains “evergreen” in its instructions. The video was titled, “Training the Ankles of New Dehner Patrol Boots,” and is applicable to breaking in any pair of boots that have a stiff backstay (a strip of leather that runs up and down the back of the inside of the boot lining to stiffen and support the boot and hold up the top).
The blog post about how to break in tall boots and “train the ankles” was last written in July, 2009. I appreciate my reader’s request for that information again and I will repeat it here, with a few updates.
So, just how should you break in a new pair of tall boots?
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Downer Encounter, Sign of the Times
Friday morning very early, the Spouse and I were on the road on our way to Pittsburgh to visit the mother-in-law.
It was cold, so I was wearing leather jeans over black harness boots and my Langlitz Crescent leather jacket. Typical cold-weather attire for me.
After a quick stop-off at the dump (aka “transfer station”) to get rid of garbage from the Feastival, an hour later, we found ourselves on the Pennsylvania Turnpike headed West. We were making great time–it was only 0800.
Along the way, we stopped at a rest stop in the dead-red middle of the state. I am always a bit apprehensive stopping at this particular location… Continue reading