Reconciliation Shoes

    To reconcile means to bring something into agreement
or harmony or to make it compatible or consistent
with something eIse. stylish plus shoes In the theological sense, it refers
to the end of the estrangement between God and humanity
that was caused by sin. Satan got right on that with Eve in
the Garden of Eden, and from that time until now, the issue
of reconciliation has faced us all. First and foremost, we
need reconciliation with God, but we also need reconciliation
in our relationships with other people. If we are putting
on Christ, as is stated in Galatians 3 :27, our character will
reflect His, and we will refrain from holding grudges, hating
one another, and harboring unforgiveness.
    The story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15 highlights
a struggle that all of us face sooner or later. That struggle
deals with reconciliation in a relationship. Whether that
struggle comes with a spouse, chi1d, sibling, friend, ourselves,
or even God, the time comes when we must take the
reconciliation shoes out of the closet and wear them ourselves
or offer them to someone else.
    In the story of the prodigal son , the son decided to take
his inheritance and go his separate way to live hls own life. 1
am reminded of the little poster that says, "Teenagers, leave
now while you still know everything." Of course, 1 am only
kidding, but the reality is that young people often overlook
the wisdom of their parents and choose to run away. The
National Runaway Switchboard (2011) reports that between
1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away each year, and 47 percent
of them indicate confiict with their parents or guardians as a
major problem.
    Fortunately, the Prodigal Son eventually realized the
error of his ways. Not long after his departure from home,
things started to fall apart， and he ended up in a pigpen-
hungry, broke, dirty, tired, and emotionally drained. He then
made the decision to go back to his father's house. The father
welcomed him warmly, and they had a joyous reunion.
And he arose, and came to his fatber. But when he was yet a
great way， his father saw him, and had compassion, and
rao, and fel1 on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said
unto him, Father, 1 have sinned against heaven, and in thy
sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the
father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put
it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and
be merry.

 

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Earthquakes Aren't All That Shake Up San Francisco.

      The next time i would meet someone from the internet would be in April of 2005. Jim and Mary,a couple from England, couldn't get a vacation time that would coordinate with the barbeque but wanted to meet both Bob and I. So they first flew into Los Angeles and spent a few days with Bob while they toured and saw the sights of Southern California. Then they hopped on a Greyhound bus and rode up to visit with me for a few days. On the afternoon of Wednesday Apri1 27th,i picked them up and we spent the afternoon visiting and went to dinner.
      Then on Thursday we drove to Rob and Des'to meet up with Rion. Rion knew
San Francisco like he knew the back of his hand and agreed to be our tour guide. At first i wasn't sure how this meeting was going to turn out. Although i wouldn't allow it in the room, Rion and Jim had a long standing feud with each other. The feud began when we were in the music room one night. AOL in it's usual stellar service had booted me oflline. (Do i detect a bit of sarcasm in that statement?) Yes, that was intended sarcasm. Since AOL is my primary ISp， when they boot me offline it also boots me out of Paltalk. While i was rebooting Jim went and put on his "hat" . While Jim was gone, Rion took the mic. Jim came back and asked Rion to give the mic up, but Rion refùsed so Jim had to boot him from the room. i came back and everyone related what had taken place. i took the boot off Rion and he came back, but didn't like the fact that Jim booted him and started going off on him. i gave Rion the obligatory warning to stop,but he wouldn't relent so i had to boot him.

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The Four As Of Living Small

    SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, in the middle of everything
else we've been doing around the house, 1 ended up with
these four words rattling around in my head: reduce, reuse,
recycle, refuse. Over and over. It was maddening. Worse than
that song 1 promised to not sing for you. Still, when you think
about it, those four words do accurately describe the whole philosophy
of living small. It is all about reducing your use, reusing
what you can, recycling as much as possible, and even refusing
to accept (to buy or whatever) things that you honestly do not
need in the arst place. Reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse. Sing it with
me - you know the words!
    Reduce? Yes, that is, despite the irony, a very big part of 让.
This is where most people can make the greatest change, and
the easiest. Simply use a little bit less. Not a lot, mind you, just
a little. Say, ten percent. A little bit less electricity, a little bit less
water, a little bit less of everything. Could you get by with a little
less food? Ten percent? Maybe so. Not a lot, just a little. One
tenth. JoAnn and 1 started with trying to generate a little less
trash (those newspapers, remember?). From there, we worked
on using a little less electricity for a little lower power bill. After
that, it became a game we're still playing: How much less can
we use and stilllive our lives the way we want to? How much
before we say, no, that's too much. That's too big of a cut. I'lllet
you know when we get to that point. I'm still snifing around
the house, looking for places to save energy and money. It's a
challenge, like limbo. How low can we go? Ten percent is a good
start. A reasonable goal.
    We have, over time, reduced our overall electrical use to one
 of the regional average. Our water use is minimal.shoe store, 1 went
looking for a plastic bag in the house the other day and couldn't
find one. (We usually do have at least a few, but fewer all the
time.) We are steadily reducing the miles we put on our truck,
and find our lives to be more enjoyable the less we drive (traffic
here is really bad). Living small is funny that way. 1 keep waiting
for this living-small thing to be annoying, and it never is. Well,
not for us, an沪.vay. Maybe it would be if we had to have done it
all at once, or if we had been doing more to begin with, but because
we chose to do it as we did and started where we did, it's
an intriguing, fascinating game.
    Now, do keep in mind that we do not live our lives in a bare,
empty home with hollow rooms that echo. We do not sit quietly
in the dark and do nothing. Quite the opposite. Quite. Our home
is overwhelmingly full, making it easier, 1 suppose, to say no to
even more and still have plenty to do. Yes, we still do buy and
add things to our home, but we have (1 hope) become somewhat
more selective in our acquisitions. We're kind of out of room.
That makes it easier, 1 guess. Still, we do look at every potential
purchase in terms of how badly we really need or want 让. There
is a difference between the two, and just because we don't actually
need something doesn't mean we don't really want it - and
that doesn't mean we're going to say no. If we have a place for it,
it usually comes home.
    The moral here is to reduce what you can willingly, but don't
get all hinky about iιSmall reductions do add up, and it's better
to increasingly reduce what you use over time, rather than try to
reduce too much too fast and find yourself reverting back later
and regretting what you threw away just last week. Baby steps.
A little bit at a time. You can do this.
    Reuse? Oh, I'm big on that despite my height. You've probably
heard the old line, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"?
We11, this takes that a step further. After I've used something
for its original, intended purpose and it no longer works
for that, 1 wonder what 1 can use it for next? Yes, this is a form of
recycling. Maybe its purest form, as it takes the least amount of
energy and effort to transition an item from one use to the next.
You want examples? Examples l've got aplenty.
    Let's sort with a quick, easy one. We get fake plastic credit
cards in themail with applications that we shred and recycle.
The fake cards are of the "Your name here" variety, and maybe
we could throw them in the plastics recycling bin, but they do
make great bookmarks, so we save them for that. joAnn and 1 always
have a stack of books to read, and it's always nice to have
a few extra bookmarks at the ready. These fake plastic credit
cards work great for that. And they're free!
    1 do a lot of fussing around with bicycles (big shock there,
1 know) , and it always grated on me to have to throw away old
bicycle tubes when they could no longer be repaired. Yes, I'd remove
the valve core and add 让to my now endless supply thereof
(and geez, Louise, how many do 1 rea11y need?) , but the tube
itself? There must be something 1 could do with that. One day
1 was rebuilding a bicycle with drop (racing style) handlebars,
and 1 didn't have any handlebar tape for the bike. And, since 1
planned to simply give the bike away, 1 was somewhat reluctant
to go out and buy a brand-new ro11 of handlebar tape for a bike
1 was just going to offer out for free in the driveway. 1 did, however,
have an old tube off the bike that was blown out. No way
to repair that. l'd have to pitch it. It wasn't even recyclable. Then
it dawned on me: 1 cut the valve stem section out of the tube,
split the rest of it long ways, and then cut that in half long ways
again. 1 now had two perfectly good long lengths of black rubber
handlebar tape, and they worked like a charm. Strips of bicycle
inner tube are stretchy, making them easy to apply, and very
cushy and grippy for your hands. It was perfect! All 1 threw away
was about two inches of the old tube where the valve stem was.
Much better. Now, these days, that's all 1 ever use for handlebar
tape. 1 have a nice, steady supply of the stuff from all the old
tubes that can't be repaired. Reuse is good!
    Broken spokes get reused as wire hangers (when 1 paint
bike parts) , the twist ties from bread wrappers hold bundles of
spokes for later use and even those wide-mouth plastic peanut
butter jars (low 臼t， of course) are perfect for storing small bike
parts. Everything we recycle gets scrutinized before it goes into
any recycle bin, and certainly before it's thrown away. Can we
use this again for something else before it goes wherever it's
going next? What else could this be? Once you start looking at
everything you use in your life, reusing things from one activity
in another becomes second nature and a great challenge as well.
Pick it up, turn it around, and look at it again. What else could
this be? Maybe I'd better save it. You never know.
    And of course 1 reuse (or do 1 recycle?) entire bicycles. I'm a
nut about this. Just ask my wife. We have several bicycles in our
collection that came off of trash piles and at least one that was
pulled out of a ditch. (For a while there, we had a nice one we
pulled out of a lake!) More often than not, whatever bike 1and
in my travels gets pxed up and given away. I've probably given
away hundreds over the years. 1 get them to work, then simply
wheel them out to the end of the driveway with a "FREE!" sign
on them. They are usually gone within minutes. 1 really do like
looking up from whatever I'm working on in the garage and seeing
one of my former free bikes go by with its happy new owner.
One less car, one bike at a time. Found bicycles that honestly
can't be fixed are salvaged for their usable parts to help other
bikes, and their unusable components really are recycled. 1 currently
have an old Schwinn 1Yphoon frame hanging from the
rafters, in need of wheels before 1 give it away. Interested? 1 just
found a set of wheels on my morning walk. We can make this
work!

   

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Black Catholics and Their Church

    THE BLACK CATHOLlC BISHOPS I of the United States issued their fìrst and, to
date, only pastoralletter, What We Have Seen and l-leard,2 in 1984. They did
so in recognition of their belief that "the Black Catholic community in the
American Church has now come of age." This coming of age, they noted,
brings with it the duty, the privilege, and the joy to share with others the
rich experience of the "Word of Life. " stylishplus, Today, we are witnesses to further signs of that coming of age. African American Catholics4 are today asserting their rightful place in the Roman Catholic Church, nationally and global Basing our claÍ1n for recognition and inclusion on our history in the Alnerican church, which predates the Mayflower, our persistent faith gives living
expression to the "Word of Life," which we have received and which we fu l1y
embrace:
    you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citi zens with
the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Christ J esus himself being the cornerstone, in
whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple
in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God
in the Spirit. (Eph 2: 19-22)
    Strangers and sojourners no longer, African American Catholics can no
longer be required, in the words of the Psalmist, to ". . . sing the Lord's
song in a strange land" (Ps 137). Instead, we are taking down our harps and
converting that "strange land" into a honleland, one rich with the woven
tapestries of our voices lifted in praise and song; of our spirituality expressed
in deep and heartfelt prayer and preaching; and of our cultural heritage a
colorful nlixture of peoples of Africa, the Caribbean, the West 1ndies, South
America, and North Ameri ca.

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ÄLEX WORTH STRODE

    ÄLEX WORTH STRODE down the fancy marbled hallway, looking for his roorr•his
"suite.'J He never thought a guy like him would be staying in a place like
the Cayo Sueño Resort. :Finally I an undercover assignment with perks.
    His conscience spoke loudly in his head. Remember how you got here.
DonJt forget whafs at stake.
    He ignored the stab of guilt and kept walking. There. on the left. Room
-Suite 809. He disengaged the lock and swung the door open. The fìrst
thing he noticed was a pair of sandals in front of the couch. The, cherry-red
high heels had "seduce me" written all over them.
    Alex glanced at his magnetic hotel card key and then checked it against
the door number. He was in the right place. He looked back over at the
sexy sandals. Talk about service. The hotel room came with a woman.
    "Hello?"
    He listened intently for any sound of movement. Nothing.
    After setting his carry-all in the foyer, he slammed the door shut as a
warnlng.
    Still no answer. The thick carpet muffled his steps as he moved farther
into theωe. He called out 刷n . hìs voice echoing off the pale 仰ered 号
walls.
    "Hello? Anyone here?
    He poked his head into the bathroom . No woman ,just a makeup bag
on the vanity and a used towel hanging on the shower rod. The living room
was empty, too, except for the lingering scent of perdume. Something floral,
but somehow smoky...
    A lace--edged bra and matching panties were carefully arranged on the
couch cushion. Alex smirked. Who was this woman? The bright red lingerie
had been laid out precisely, like she'd wanted to see how they'd look on
her body. He picked up the' bra, trying to imagine the breasts that fit into ìt.
The satjn fabric feU slippery between his fingers and it wasn't hard to
picture a hot babe who was equally stick.
   He dropped the bra back on the couch I scooped the sandals off the
floor and headed for the other room. Maybe the woman was lounging on
the bed silently waiting for him.
   Nope. No such luck. What the hell was going on? How did she get into
his suite, and more importantly, where was she now?
   Two small suitcases sat against the wall beside the closet. He set the
shoes down and f1ipped one of the luggage tags around. Apparently
Meghan Elise Foster was visiting Florida from Baltimore, Maryland. He had
a name now, but her reason for being here was stìll a mystery.
   He'd been invited to Cayo Sueño by Rogelio Braga, his connection in
the Miami cartel. Braga was 'Supposed to introduce him to the infamous
Frankie Ramos. So Alex couldn't trust an叭hing about this trip, not even
bright red panties that begged, "touch me." Too many good agents had
been compromised in situations just like this.
   A third suitcase lay open on the. bed. It was half full , as if she'd been
interrupted. He didn't hesitate over rummaging through the contents. He'd
worked undercover too long to let a Httle issue Iike privacy stop him. He
had to know who this woman was.
   The ''touch me" panties and "seduce me" sandals didn't go with the.
clothes laid out on the bed. Qual1ity t with recognizable labels, but kind of
plain. The skirts were long, the necklines high and everything was a solid
color, not a stripe or pattern in sight.
 

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FOR PASTORS ONLY: CAN WE TALK?

    Luke and 1 are friends with a couple from church named Clay and
Tammy, who have become very dear to us. We sometimes eat Sunday
lunch together at a local buffet. 卫1Îs restaurant has a carved-meat
counter where the same man has worked as long as we can remember.
He greets every single woman with, "Hello there, pretty thang!
How are you doing today, foxy mama?" and if he weren't so portly
and innocent (and if he didn't cook such a great steak), 1 might be
offended. As it is, we laugh it off and go our way.
    Our children and husbands didn't know this man always made
such comments, and one particular Sunday, Clay and Tammy's
daughter ran back to tell her dad that the man at the meat counter
had been flirting with her mother. Tammy wasn't back to the table
yet, and Clay just laughed like it didn't affect him in the least.
    there have been many women who have approached me
privately by email for wise counsel in the midst of trying times both
personally and within the church. Because 1 don't know them or the
church situation, they feel free to divulge the details they've been
forced to hold back. It's a release for them and a ministry opportunity
for me. On the ßip side, I've also dumped on a long-distance
friend who just happens to work in the pastoral care office of a large
church. It's such a relief to be able to teIl it all to someone without
repercusslons.
    1 do feel the need to caution you against overdivulging sensitive
details on your public postings. 1 have cringed while reading the blogs
of some ministry wives, knowing there would likely be repercussions
within the church body when the content was shared on Sister Susie's
Hotline. If you think your church members don't know you have a
Web site, think again! Be wise when writing and always consider
whether your take on a situation could be hurtful, misconstrued, or
just ßat-out inappropriate to share in the blog format. Bottom line,
if you wouldn't want your husband reading it from the pulpit, then
don't publish!
    The danger in blogging is the temptation to withdraw from faceto-
face relationships and immerse oneself in a virtual reality with no
real personal obligation. In a busy world that is already disconnected,
the convenience-store mentality of friendship only serves to heighten
isolation. Blogging should never be used as a replacement for ßeshand-
blood relationships but rather as a wonderful addition to them.
If you are as blessed as I've been, it can also be a tool for meeting new
friends whose paths may never have crossed your own otherwise.
   

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We are called to trust.

    First Peter 3:6 says, "Just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him
lord, ... you have become her children if you do what is right without
being frightened by any fear" (NASB).
    This verse is found in a passage describing how a woman's
beauty is to be found internally instead of externally (verses 1-5).
Among other things, Peter describes how a woman should be in
willing subjection to her husband, even if he is not a believer. Dread
shouldn't motivate her in yielding to him, but rather a healthy fear
of God's mandate to honor her husband. Sarah's singular obedience
was dually blessed. She wanted to obey God by following
Abraham. God's laws are not arbitrary and are not given without
benefit attached. Sarah's reward was the gift of inclusion into the
blessing of the nations that God had intended through Abraham.
If we seek to surrender our lives to God's will through His call on
our husbands, we will be given the blessed distinction of being a
daughter of Sarah.
    So what does this type of obedience look like in a minister's wife?
Certainly the amount of reluctance you are feeling toward this role
will dictate the type of faith it will take to accompany your husband
into the unknown. Hear me well when I say that no matter how
much initial trepidation I feel when God asks something of our family,
He has yet to call Luke to a task without also piercing my own
heart.
    D o you work outside the home but do your b est to participate in
the body when possible? The church knows this and for the most
part will understand. (Oh, there will always be exceptions!)
    However, what they will n ot easily forgive is when yo u take
a seat in the back and refuse to play a part able or n ot. There
are many women who are embittered by the demands the church
has placed on their family's life and time; therefore they refuse to
support their husband's ministry or the church b ody in any way,
shape, or form. We'll discuss in a later chapter the delicate balance
between home and church life, but let's just say for now that
this attitude is extremely unhealthy and can be a huge detriment
to your husband's relationship with the church. The support the
congregation perceives your husband receiving from you and your
willingness to care for them even if you aren't able to do all that
you'd like is a bridge between their h earts and your man's. Just like
Sarah and Abraham's situation , your participation in his call is not
only nice but necessary for him to effectively live out what God
will do through him, whether you realize it now or not.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    Dear reader, you hold in your hand the product of the hardest thing
I've ever done short ofbirthing children. This book was written 
poolside,playground-side, and in various rooms in my home to a steady
soundtrack of SpongeBob SquarePants and Hannah Montana. There
were many days I didn't think I could finish, but I've learned afresh
that God is not keen on abandoning a good work He's begun.
    In giving thanks, I have to bow first to my Savior and King, Jesus
Christ. You know I never asked to be a preacher's wife and certainly
never considered myself worthy to presume advising others. Only
You know the reason You orchestrated every perfectly timed detail
that produced this book. Only You know why You chose me to give
courage to the women who faithfully serve You by upholding their
minister husbands. Your body is precious to me, and I love You for
allowing me to be a pinkie toe in it.
    Luke, Sawyer, Elijah, Sam, and Sydney I wish we had a nickel
for every time during this pro cess that I said, "Does this sound
goofy?" or ''Guys, can you please just give me a few more minutes
of quiet?" I also wish I had one for every time you said, "You can do
this, honey!" or "It's kinda cool to have a mom who's writing a book."

Though it goes without saying, you guys are pretty cool too.
    To all my parents it seems I got most of the words in our family.
Thank you for teaching me to use them and being patient while
I did.
    Pop you taught me to laugh from the deeps. You truly were my
Barnabas, and I still miss you every day.
    Grandmommy your love for the written word and skill for
storytelling always bound me to you. I think you would be proud to
have another bona fide author in the family.
    To John Blase I'm so happy you read girl blogs and that somehow
God led you to mine. Thank you for seeing something I didn't
and for refusing to settle on a title that was less than perfection.
    To Don Pape blessings on you for taking a chance on a smalltown
preacher's wife. I will always keep the email in which you used
the phrase "Da Bomb." It sealed you in my heart forever.
    Susan Tjaden I never dreamed a day would come when I could
use the words my and editor in the same sentence. What is even more
unimaginable is that I can also add friend to the mix.] esus knows my
insecurities and sent me someone who has been a gigantic serving of
encouragement with a side order of belly laughs. I can never thank
you enough for using your enormous skill to make my work look
better. Much love to you, my editor friend.
    Bonnie Bruno when we met, ours were two out of eight million
blogs on WordPress. That the Lord crossed our paths seems a
statistical impossibility, and yet you appeared and began nudging
and coaching and loving me into writing with purpose. You are a
mentor like no other. And since we've never spoken on the phone,
I'm not altogether sure you aren't an angel. What a silly thing to

wonder of course you are.
    Linda Attaway you complete me with your affinity for details.
Thank you for volunteering to clean up my messes.
    And finally, my darling fellow ministry wives your insight
through my many blog surveys was invaluable in creating the content
for this book. I've done my best to give you God's Word in
answer to many issues we face. Each of you is precious to me, and
it is my desire above all things that you will walk away from this
volume assured that God wasn't mad at you when he made your
husband a pastor. He has entrusted you with tending to His body,
which means you, girls, are special. Remembering that will help you
love His people well.

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Beauty is as beauty does

    I once had a young lady ask me, "why is it that the guys I like don't like
me, and the guys who like me, I don't like". Some cultures still match up
couples through matchmakers or by arranged marriages between families.
I remember thinking in college that I was not having much luck on my
own and n1aybe these cultures had it right. Today we are going to address
the art of flirting, letting the guy you like know in an "appropriate way"
that you are interested. What do we do? What do we say? We often become
so unsure of ourselves that we resort to dressing and acting in ways that
don't really represent who we are, in order to get a guys attention. Or, in
sharp contrast, we clam up and become a wallflower that doesn't know how
to talk to a guy and even runs from a room if one approaches.

    God has given you gifts and talents. One n1ay be a talented athlete who
has the gift of humor, while another may be talented in music and have the
gift of grace. Being comfortable with who you are, is the key to flirting.
I will talk a lot about not buying into the world's view of relationships,
except in this one case. If you watch a television show and just focus on the
characteristics of women who are flirting, though usually inappropriately,
they all appear very "sure of themselves".

    Here are some questions to think about:
    Do you look your friends in the eye when they talk to you, but look away
from a guy you like?
    Do you actually talk to the guy you like or tell a friend to talk to him?

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It's Good For You

           
         A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go
         down, in a most delightful way.

                     Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman





    Cod liver oil.
   
    The words make me cringe as they did in childhood. Those
who are familiar with this elixir know what I mean. For those
lucky enough to have escaped cod liver oil, get down on your
knees and give thanks.

    The product is what the name implies; it's oil extracted from
the liver of codfish, rich in vitamins A and D. Mothers believed
that a daily dose warded off, cured, or lessened the severity of flu,
colds, colic, coughs, croup, headaches, warts, boils, piles, mumps,
styes, scarlet fever, measles, chicken pox, whooping cough,
dandruff, head lice, bedwetting, heartburn, growing pains, polio,
constipation (or the reverse), or anything else that ailed you.

    "It's good for you," Ma claimed as she poured the liquefied
fish into a spoon. We kids scattered in all directions.

    "You can take sugar with it," Ma promised, trying to
persuade us to come out of the locked bathroom.

    "It's the smell that's so bad, not the taste," she tried as Poppy
pulled one of us feet first from under the bed. "You won't taste
it if you hold your nose."

    Lies, lies, lies. Nothing disguised the taste. Think of the
vilest thing you have ever tasted. Cod liver oil is a zillion times
worse.

    We tried this ploy: "There's no use making me take it; I'll
throw it up."

    Ma replied, "I'll give you another dose until you keep it
down."

    It was better to take it once and be done with it. It didn't
help to gulp the oil down fast -well, you really couldn't. The
goop coated your tongue, teeth and throat like a layer of glue
and the taste and odor lingered all day.

    I have a hazy memory of standing in line in grade school to
take a spoonful of cod liver oil. I must have dreamed it; I can't
believe they could have made children do that-lambs to the
slaughter, so to speak. I need verification from someone who
remembers that this actually happened.

    Imagine teachers saying, "Boys and girls, right after the
Pledge of Allegiance the school nurse will give us our cod liver
oil so we'll stay healthy."

    They would have had a mutiny on their hands, even in those
days when children were seen more often than heard.

    I recently checked the shelves at the pharmacy. Cod liver
oil now comes in mint flavor. Mint flavor? Who do they think
they're kidding?

    The bottle has a warning: Keep this preparation away from
children.

    Sure-now when it's too late for me.

    Time marches on; I now take daily fish oil capsules. They're
tasteless. Really, they are. They're good for you.

    Every fifteen minutes, MeN eill interrupted with "Let's all
march around the breakfast table." He, the cast, the audience, the
guests, and folks across the country did just that. The program
ended with a hymn and a silent prayer, led by McNeill. "Let's bow
our heads in prayer. Each in his own words, each in his own way."

    McNeill signed off with, "Don't forget Don McNeill and his
gang saying so long and be good to your neighbor."

    He died in 1996 at age 88. I still recall the booming voice
that woke me five days a week when I was a child.

    Another voice that stressed being a good neighbor was that
of Wynn Speece. Several years ago, while listening to National
Public Radio's All Things Considered, I heard a woman reading
a recipe and knew at once it was Your Neighbor Lady. The
occasion was her 6oth anniversary of broadcasting from
Yankton, South Dakota's WNAX 570, The Great Station of the
Great Plains.

    Although the show was called Your Neighbor Lady, Speece
was usually referred to as The Neighbor Lady. She began
dispensing household hints and recipes in 1941, before the term
"stay-at-home mother" was coined. That's where most mothers
were, at home, tuned into their radios while working. On July
14, scores of women across America's north-central prairie
found a new companion, a confidante, and a neighbor in Wynn
Hubler (later Speece). Her greeting, "Hello there, good friends,"
reached ten states and Saskatchewan.

    For women isolated in the country or in small towns, The
Neighbor Lady offered a connection to the world. Proof came
in truckloads of letters.

    Mrs. H. J. Larson, Sturgis, South Dakota, wrote, "You're
the only neighbor I can visit with each day, for out here on the

western prairie, people live much farther apart. Sunday is the only
visiting day. Now, since gas rationing, there's little visiting. You can
understand how glad I am when your visit comes each day."

    Those in households without electricity often saved
their radio batteries for favorite programs. Women chose
The Neighbor Lady over the polka music of a young WNAX
accordionist, Lawrence Welk. Alma Davis, Wessington Springs,
South Dakota, wrote, "I never realized how much I would miss
your program until the radio battery ran down." One woman
wrote that her husband conveniently managed to take his coffee
break when the program was on. Future homemakers heeded
TheN eighbor Lady's advice, too. Esther Enders, Winner, South
Dakota, wrote that her young daughter explained to her brother
how to set the table, "The way The Neighbor Lady told us."

    Winifred Hubler was born in 1917 in Marshalltown, Iowa. At
Drake University, she wanted to major in Home Economics but
Drake did not offer that program, nor her second choice, a radio
major (wary of this passing fancy they didn't want students
pursuing hopeless futures). Hubler opted for drama and minored
in broadcasting. After several disappointing auditions for soap
operas in Chicago, she returned to Des Moines and landed a
role on a WHO Radio soap. Also beginning a career there was
a young sport's announcer: Ronald "Dutch" Reagan.

    In 1939, Hubler accepted a job at Yankton's WNAX as a $20
a week continuity writer. Later, she had a fifteen minute Sunday
morning program called Ways To Win With Wynn Hubler,
offering premiums from advertisers. That did so well that she
was given another fifteen minute, six days a week program
directed at housewives. The title, Your Neighbor Lady, came
because of Hubler's bit role on the station's western soap opera,
where she was referred to as the main character's neighbor lady.
Although single and only twenty-three, housewives accepted
her because she made them feel their work had value.
 
    When Hubler became engaged to Naval aviator Harry
Speece she kept it a secret. Returning from her honeymoon
in 1945, she revealed the news on air by calling herself Mrs.
Neighbor Lady. Beatrice Lovick, Wallace, South Dakota, wrote,
"My Dear Mrs. Neighbor Lady: I want to congratulate you on
your marriage. You seem a little more like one of us."

    Now a war bride, Mrs. Neighbor Lady identified with
women whose husbands were away. Harry Speece became
known as HH (husband Harry). With Speece's first pregnancy
in 1947, she began broadcasting from home. Over the years,
fans celebrated the births of three Speece children and the
addition of a teenaged foster daughter. Now their radio friend
was a housewife and mother, practicing what she preached.
Listeners were amused when one of the children disrupted the
broadcast.

    The program was a vehicle through which women shared
love and concern for family, friends, and strangers. Speece
read notes from listeners in which they asked for prayers or
cards for someone who was ill or in need. Women responded
by forming prayer circles and sending cards and gifts to those
mentioned.

    By the late 1960s, clutter of other stations meant that
WNAX reached only parts of South and North Dakota, Iowa,
Nebraska, and Minnesota. In 1973, with radio having lost
much of its audience to television, and the women's movement
convincing housewives that they would find more satisfaction
outside the home, Speece decided to end her thirty-two year old
program. She was barely off radio before she was on again. As
Marketing Officer for First Dakota National Bank, one of her
public relations ideas was an interview program called Market
Basket. In 1984, WNAX officials asked Speece to reprise Your
Neighbor Lady. She said, "I never ceased being Your Neighbor
Lady, in spirit at least."

    The annual Your Neighbor Lady booklet gave women a
chance to contribute recipes, quotations, household hints, and
pictures of themselves and their families. Letter excerpts were
included: "We are three generations listening to Your Neighbor
Lady. I have memories of listening to you over a cup of coffee
with my mother, as my little girl and I are doing now."

    Each issue of the book opened with pictures of the Speece
family, but recipes were its heart and soul. Those vintage books,
which originally sold for thirty-five cents to a dollar, now bring
as much as a hundred dollars at auctions.

    Speece said, "The recipe books are an important record of
those special years. We printed a thousand the first and second
years, then five thousand and finally twenty thousand."

    The content and pictures within the books are a nostalgic
and historical portrait of the past, with wartime recipes for
meatless meals, tips on raising children, conservation ideas,
and a fashion parade of clothing from feed sack dresses to
miniskirts and hair styles from tightly-permed to elaborately
constructed beehives.

    In 1999, CNN featured Speece on its Sunday morning show:
Across America With Larry Woods. Woods learned while
researching his subject that she was America's longest-running
radio personality. He and his crew spent two weeks filming
her routine. Speece commented, "We started at eight in the
morning and went to eight at night. I wore 'em out."

    While recovering from a heart attack, Speece taped another
week of shows from her dining room table. "I'll retire only
when I have to," the great -grandmother said. "I'm grateful for
all these good years, knowing I was in the right place at the
right time."
   

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HEAD OVER HEELS

    IT HAPPENED in Milan at a 2008 Prada fashion show. 111 was having
a panic attack, my hands were shaking, " a runway model recalls.
Some of the girls were crying backstage, they were so scared." Why
the dramatics-An act of terrorism? An explosion? Had the prime
minister been assassinated? No. These women were fearful of walking
down the runway in the season's extremely high heels. Two models
tripped and fell; they were helped to their feet by members of the
audience. One was so badly shaken she went backstage and never
reemerged. The other finished her walk carrying her shoes and
received a standing ovation.
    Since that day, models in strappy five-inch heels have stumbled at
fashion shows presented by the designers Gucci, Miu Miu, Herve
Leger by Max Azria, Emilio Pucci, Dsquared, and Rodarte. At a
2009 Brian Reyes show in New York, the pointy Manalo Blahnik

pumps the models wore caused so many topples and were so uncomfortable
that by the finale, every model was walking barefoot. 2 According
to Harper's Bazaar, ~~the runways looked like an episode of ER. "3 In
1994, Naomi Campbell fell wearing nine-inch-heeled shoes during
a fashion show of punk British designer Vivienne Westwood. But that
had been a onetime event. Fifteen years later, models were dropping
like flies. Meanwhile, models who rationally renounce menacing
footwear pay a professional price. In 2009, several world-famous
models refused to wear stilettos with ten-inch heels down an Alexander
McQueen runway and were cut from the show.
    If fashion models, who are paid to wear the creations of designers,
cannot wear extreme heels, who can? Well, many ordinary women
have been making a go at it over the last decade. Shoes with heels of
five, six, even seven inches and bondage-themed straps are marketed
to us as of-the-moment, edgy, and fashionable. These "bad" shoes are
in the stores, and women are actually wearing them, not only in the
evening when they go out to dinner, a party, or a show-but all day
long. "Over the last several years," observes Jessica Morgan, who
chronicles celebrity fashion faux pas on the Go Fug Yourself website,
11we've seen designers creating increasingly crazy heels-shoes that
runway models can barely walk in, and that we're scared to even wear
out of the house for fear of taking a tumble at an inopportune time
(like, say, in front of a bus). Regardless of the insanity of some of these
shoes, we've still seen women whipped into a frenzy for them."
    InJune 2009, Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley, a regular frontrow
guest at designer fashion shows, demanded an end to the madness.
After considering the ubiquitous 'owering torture chambers,
often poorly designed for the well-being of the foot," he declared,
1'1, for one, am over the mania for the high, high heel. Too many
career women look like a herd of fashion beasts, aping one another
in impractical shoes." Talley pointed out that women in previous
generations knew how to look elegant without martyring their feet,
and said that women today should reject designers' creations. ~~I do
like to see women who know how to glide gracefully along on a sensible
low heel. "
    There is no denying the fact that when a woman is wearing 11bad"
shoes she gains sex appeal. Heels change your posture, making the
body look more curvaceous because the pelvis and bust are forced to
tilt forward to compensate for the shift in balance. Your legs seem
longer, and your gait, sexier. There's a reason that sex symbols always
wear heels.
    Many women, at least some of the time, want to be sexually
appraised. They want to feel sexy and they want others to judge them
as sexy. Sometimes when they walk twenty city blocks to work, or push
a stroller, or dash to the market for groceries, or enter a conference
room, they imagine they are strutting down a runway. Life may be
messy and hectic, but a little bit of appreciative physical attention can
go a long way in boosting a battered self-image. High-heeled shoes
are not comfortable. They are not practicaL Often, they are not
affordable. But a good pair of high heels can make a girl feel like a
rock star.
    And they had better. Any woman who has soaked her feet after a
day's work, or bandaged up her bloodied heel, knows: stumbling is
just one of the consequences of high-heeled shoes. They hurt.
Sometimes, they hurt bad. What every woman doesn't know, however,
is what I'm concerned about, and the reason I wrote this book. It's a
fact: When worn on a regular basis, any shoe with a pointed toe and
a heel over one and a half inches-let alone five-can cause foot
deformity. In this type of shoe, the wearer is forced to walk on the
balls of her feet, which leads to misalignment of the structure of the
foot. In time, gorgeous shoes will create ugly feet, not to mention
pain that shoots from the foot to the knee to the hip to the back.
    In this book I explore the phenomenon of women choosing to
wear 11bad" shoes. Women love them despite the fact that medical evidence
is unequivocal: they are physically damaging. And this is nothing
new. Women in the West have been wearing 11bad" shoes on and
off for over five hundred years, while women in the East have been
seduced by 1'bad" shoes for even longer. Trying to have a rational discussion
with shoe-loving women, that they really ought to make more
sensible footwear choices, is nearly always futile. But I'm here to make
a plea. Feet are important. They will carry you around for the rest of
your life. You need to take care of them.
    To the reader who loves her high heels: My fervent hope is that
when you finish reading this book, you will choose to reduce the
amount of time you spend standing and walking in them. I'm not
telling you to stop wearing them. I wear Hbad" shoes too-but in
moderation. Be smart about how often you wear them and for how
long. If you wear them too much, you will end up with disfigured
feet. And no one will give you a standing ovation for that.

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wake up, step up, pray up

    I wish I could say I find great joy in pushing aside my cutest high heels
and tying on my workout shoes. I also wish I didn't have to admit to a bad
aerobic attitude; I roll my eyes every time I tie on my tennies. If eye
rolls were aerobic, I would be one fit chick. I could just take the tennies
right back off, curl up in my warm bed, and snooze for another
forty minutes.
    No sleep after a wake-up call, though. The wake-up call came
the day before starting the new exercise program. I was trying to
squeeze into my new skirt (not too distantly related to that rebelliously
mocking little black dress). There was more hip action
trying to writhe into the skirt than I would even have dared put
into an exercise routine. Aerobic? Maybe. Pretty? I can't begin to
tell you how NOT pretty it was. Not pretty getting the skirt on.
Not pretty once it was on.
    I use the term ''on" loosely, because when I finally managed to
squirm into the skirt, I realized if I wanted to zip the thing, I could
only keep one of my buns. Who attached all the extra chub to my
backside? That's when I heard the alarm. Definite wake-up call.
Unless I was going in for at least a partial bun -ectomy, I would
have to be make lifestyle changes. Argh. Exercise.
So there it was, the first day of yet another new exercise routine.
One more of those ((first day of the rest of your life" things-only
not necessarily the pleasant kind.
     I thought about trying an outdoor regimen until I remembered
that not only does nature cause me to do a ''too hot" or ((too cold"
or ((too many bugs" whine, but putting on those last ten bun-pounds
had added a lot more wind resistance than I had before.

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WHY DO IT?

    As it was, I played rough parts, mad parts, old and young
parts, which was just how I wanted it. It was not until our
final year that one or two members of staff tried to box me
into a 'classy' mould. One of them,an actor playwrigbt with
working-class origins, had written an autobiographical play
about his marriage to a posh Kensitngton girL He cast me as
his wife, and this was the first posh girl I had had to play. 1
could not get a handle On her, and had little interest in doing
so. I remember the writer cornering me one day in order to
tackle my resistance.'But she's a Kensington girl,you can do
that standing on your head: Now, standing on my head
I wouldn't have minded!
    It is not that there is anything intrinsicallly wrong with
posh parts, just that in this case the characters poshness was
her only function. Besides, like my fellow students, I was
interested in the exotic. We were all trying to transcend our
autobiographical data, and in a sense LAMDA was the inter-
section of our respective journeys.
    Not for All Markets
    If I had conformed to the posh-girl type, I might have had a
speedier start in the mainstream of the profession.As it is, I
do not regret one inch of the circuitous route I actually took.
When I came out of LAMDA, my light was still quite well
hidden under the bushel, and although this was not a
conscious tactic, it helped narrow down any job offers to
those that would suit me best. On the whole, if your message
is hard to read, you can trust that those 'get'  you will be
good for you,,and that those who do not will not.
    Plunging In
    One of the few people to read my mesaaae when I auditioned
for various drama schools was Frank Whitten. He was VicePrincipal
of LAMDA, and the teacher who has had the most
lasting influence on me. He took us for improvisation classes
and would never explain the purpo&e of an improvisation or
acting game before we g'ot up to do it. He was confident that
the 'meaning' would reveal itself retrospectively.We were to
leave behind reason and intellect, like socks and shoes at the
edge of the swimming pool, plunge in and play. The more
uncritically we took part, the more certainly the point of the
lesson would get through, and because it was experienced
first-hand, it would stay in the memory far longer than any
lecture or verbal exposition Through Frank's skillfully devised
improviiations I experienced a sample of every acting
principle or problem that would come up in my professional
life and I constantly refer back to him.

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Women Shoe Market Trends

Different occasions requires different shoes; and different moods needs various kinds of shoes to go with it. sports shoes suits you in any season and flip-flop slippers are especially popular in hot summer. Let's take a detailed look into the shoes that women commenly wear.

Footwear Must Have: Casual or Formal; High Heel or Low Heel

Boots in a medium or dark neutral

These leather alternative boots are classic enough for work-wear yet sexy enough to add an edge to jeans and an everyday tee. Top-of-the-calf boots Shoes with a flat heel are one of the cold weather season's hottest looks, but are surprisingly in-demand even as the weather grows warmer.

One pair of neutral-colored casual boots for the weekend

A woman can never go wrong with classics such as the Amy boot. Your weekend casual cruelty-free boot should have an extremely soft and flexible sole making it extremely comfortable for all day wear. Make sure your casual eco-friendly boots exteriors are made of "leather" like synthetic micro-fibers giving you that stylish look, while the interior is made of a soft cotton lining and a generous foot bed that will accommodate your feet.

One pair of attractive non-leather sneakers.

The fall time is the perfect time to run around the track at your nearby park, and enjoy your surroundings. Whether your eco-friendly non-leather sneakers are made from hemp or synthetic micro-fibers, they are go well with your tracksuit, yet hard-working enough to perform at the gym. The best athletic/sporty shoes are the pairs that have an extremely supportive EVA sole, and a thick padded tongue.

Women also love Sports Shoes

New Opportunity in Sports Shoes Market: Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

With the approaching of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, more and more Chinese customers attend in various of sports, athletic sports gradually become one of the parts which can't lack of in common people's life, sport shoes market will be more and more larger. Besides townsman's professional demand to sport shoes is advancing.

The influence of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games to science and technology content of Sports Shoes: product. Nowadays the current of product with the same quality is more and more serious, who can keep ahead of technology and make out larruping and suitable product for customers, who will be favorite. Besides, sport shoes manufactures need improve professional capability, at the same time enclose with athletic sports requirement, via reduce cost to supply bargain gym shoes product for person.

Flip-flop Slippers: Summer Shoe Star

This kind of slipper originates fom Korean, and quickly gain popularity around the world. It's casual enough, totally informal, but you still can see holiwood star worn it working in the street or even attending some formal party. Flip-flop slipper is simple to were and free your shoe. People like the comfort it brings and the cool touch of it in the hot summer.

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Different Types of Famous Footwear for Women

Shoes are not only accessories for women. Famous footwear are basically necessities and they are considered to be an integral, essential part of a woman's personality. You could find the widest array of shoes to wear which provides comfort while being stylish. The right kind of footwear would definitely make a lasting and positive impression on people. Hence, shoes could spruce up your looks and personality to boost your confidence for commendable social relations and personality at work.

In the world of women footwear, shoes are considered fashion necessities. It is imperative that you choose the right type of shoes to match your outfit and attire ideal for a specific occasion. Your shoes are vital in completing your dress requirements. Nevertheless, you have to take note that footwear ought not just to make your looks pleasing to the eye. Go not only for aesthetics when choosing your footwear. Remember not to sacrifice comfort as well.Most importantly, make sure your shoes are comfortable to wear and healthy to your feet at all times. There is no use wearing killer shoes if they literally could kill your feet.

Types of Shoes

There are generally two main types of famous footwear which you could choose from for women's wear:

1. Heels

This type of footwear for women is characterized by an elevated part at the back of the heel which allows the ball of the foot to be lifted from above the ground. You can find different heels with varied heights and types. There are different designs and style of shoes under this category with diversity of materials, colours, inches of heels and so much more.

2. Flats

This type of footwear for women is seen as the total opposite of the first category. The footwear does not have heels and is not elevated from the ground. There are also other types of flats which come with varied shapes, design, colour, materials used for construction and so much more.

Other Popular Shoe Types

From the above two categories comes other types of footwear which have invaded the fashion scene through the years.

· Boots

This is the footwear you would wear if you are into the fashion-forward genre. It is, however, not just a stylish and aesthetically attractive choice. Boots are for necessary use and wear especially during the cold season. It completely covers the entire foot, usually up to the knees. You can find boots which are flat, wedged or heeled. Common materials used for boots include suede, leather and fabric.

· Wedge

For those who are highly stylish and trendy, this type of footwear is the ideal choice. You can find really nice and fashionably trendsetting types of wedges. This shoe type is characterized by a heeled feature with no space or gap separating the front of the shoe and the sole. Thus, the look of the shoes is compact with the entire foot elevated from front to back. This footwear is usually shown with a wooden sole of different styles and shapes.

· Sandals

This is a not so stylish and trendy type of footwear and are often used for casual wear - such as going to the mall or the beach. However you can now find a wide variety of chic and sophisticated sandals for that eye-catching effect. It is usually characterized by a flat or slight elevated construction with open-toed or covered features for the upper part of the foot.

Famous footwear for women has been a part of fashion history since time immemorial. You can now get other types of shoes to match and mix with your outfit. Shoes are made for different occasions with exciting features which would certainly enhance your look in no time.

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Women's Shoes in Fashion

Fashion dictates what clothing and accessories that a lot of women buy and wear. Women's shoes are a large part of the changing styles of fashion, but like most articles of clothing if you hang onto the women's shoes for long enough they will come back into style.

Women's shoes are generally fashionably coordinated to the outfit that the lady is wearing. This has always been true and will always be true. The height of the heel, the shape of the toes, and the thickness of the heels are the main characteristics that change with the whims of the fashion world.

Women's shoes were once made more like a pair of boots. These items buttoned up the sides and in order to fasten those buttons you needed to have a specialized tool. It was all the rage among the fashion industry for ladies to wear these items, and luckily these items have never returned to style after they were no longer fashionable to wear.

Heels are a fashion statement at times and they are the perfect shoe choice for most outfits. When you are in doubt of what footwear to choose you can always fall back on a selection f heels. Heels look great with jeans and they are amazing with dresses. There is something unique about a woman wearing shorts and heels and most people agree that these types of footwear make the woman walk in what is considered a more feminine manner.

Athletic footwear like sneakers have their place in the gym, when the female is out hiking, or participating in outdoor sporting activities, but when she want to make a fashion statement sneakers are not to be put on her feet. You can wear these items with jeans and shorts, but fashion dictates that you get colors and styles that match the clothing you are wearing and the activity the lady will be participating in.

Flip flops are a southern girls favorite footwear, and they are fine for the beach, a picnic, or wearing in the back yard, but you need to consider another alternative if you are going out in public. These are not fashion sandals and even if they are decorated they are still a casual item meant for casual clothing and activities.

Most women wear a lot of flats with things like jeans, shorts, and even sundresses. Fashion tells us that the ballet flats are appropriate attire with these ensembles and the age of the woman does not change the fact that they are stylish.

Women's shoes are dictated by fashion, the outfit, and the weather. Women's shoes may go out of style, but likely will return to the height of fashion in the future. You can get more information at men's clothing.

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Saving Money on Women's Shoes

There are several different ways you can save money on women's shoes. This is a good thing since women typically need more pairs of footwear than their male counterparts. The females of the species have to have footwear for summer, for fall, for spring, and for winter. They also need different colors of footwear to match their outfits. Add in the fact that they need footwear for running and walking, footwear for the office, footwear for their nights out on the town, and even footwear for the house. Now you see why saving some money on these items is so important.

One of the best methods for saving money on women's shoes is for you to shop clearance sales. At the end of a season the shoe stores will need to get the stock they have on the shelves gone so they have room to put the newer styles on display. Go shopping for footwear when these sales are in full swing. Buy your winter shoes in the early spring and your summer shoes in the fall of the year. You can save a lot of money.

Another way to save money on women's shoes is to pair a buy one get one free sale with a friend. If each of you only wants to buy one pair of shoes then the buy one get one free sales can be utilized to get each of you half off the price of your selection. These sales usually limit you to getting a free pair that is of equal or lesser price. Pay attention to the tags and shop happily.

Women's shoes can be purchased from many online merchants. The trouble with buying footwear online is that when you get the item you may have something that does not fit very well. This can be disappointing, but if you make certain that the merchant allows for returns then you will be fine. When you get the items in try them on and decide if you need to order a larger size or a wider size to make them more comfortable.

A lot of times girls buy these items to wear with one outfit specifically and the footwear do not get worn more than once or twice in several years' time. Many girls sell these slightly worn items at yard sales and consignment shops. You can get some really great deals on things like heels to wear to the prom this way.

Women's shoes come in many styles and colors. The best part of women's shoes is that you can buy them at so many different locations. You can get more information at men's shoes and women's shoes.

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5 Tips When Dealing With Women's Shoes

Shoes are an important part of a girl's wardrobe, so they should be carefully selected. There are different types of women's shoes, so it can be hard to pick the right one. But, by taking the following four things into consideration, the choice will become easier:

• The wet test- the first thing that you need to do before going out to buy shoes is a simple technique in which you just have to properly wet the lower side of your feet, and to put it on a paper or a plastic mat so that it leaves a mark on it. This will provide guidance on two matters; the first one is how much stability your foot needs from the shoes, and the shoe size, as the size of your paw matters for the shoe to properly fit your feet.

Once you make an imprint, it might be of any one of the three types. There is normal foot which has a normal sized arch between the forefoot and the heel; in such case the shoes do not have to give extraordinary support, and you can wear high heel or stilettos. Similarly, you can have a small arch which is called flat foot or high arched foot. In this case the foot would require an additional support, and flats and pumps are the best women's shoe choices for high arched feet.

• The balance- the balance of the shoes is really important, especially of high heel women's shoes. Nothing should be more important than the balance of the shoe. What you should do is try both the shoes on, and walk in them for a few minutes. After doing so, stand straight and shift your weight forward and backward. If you hear a "tick" sound, even the slightest of it, then the balance of the shoes is not good, and will not be suitable for wearing for a long time, or when a lot of walking is involved.

• The occasion-there are different types of shoes that are right for different occasions. Flats are better when you are going for a walk, while stilettos are a better option for a formal event. Platforms or court shoes are perfect if you are an office going woman; similarly a certain type of shoe is fit for every occasion. You need to decide which shoes will be perfect for the day. The best way to decide is to imagine somebody else wearing them, and think about your perception of them.

• Comfort- women's shoes should be comfortable, and make it a rule of thumb that the higher is the heel, the higher should be the level of comfort. There is no exception or alternative to this rule.

• The dress- the shoes should look good with the outfit you are wearing. If you are wearing a gown, then you cannot wear pumps or flats; stilettos will be the perfect shoes for it.

So, all these tips will help you choose some good shoes.

You can get wholesale shoes china from everbuying.com, which is a reliable company. It also has women's shoes of different styles and colors, besides they are very cheap having a good quality.

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Large Size Womens Shoes - Look Who's Spending $11 Billion a Year

I always hear, "You're feet don't look that big." I suppose it's because I'm 5'8 ½ and blessed with long legs. Since I wear size 11 shoes, I know first hand how frustrating it is to go shopping for shoes. You spot a pair of "must haves." Mustering up as much of hope as you can, you approach the sales clerk and quietly ask "Do you have this in a size 11?" The clerk heads to the back only to come out empty handed. Disappointment, anger, envy and general disdain for women with smaller feet sweeps over you like a flood. Just as you're about to walk out the door, you overhear a lady ask the clerk for the exact same pair of shoes in a size 8. The next thing you know the size 8 lady glides by you with her new shoes. Yes, that's how the "other half" live. You wonder if designers and retailers even know we exist.

Finally, shoe designers are taking note that women with big feet want gorgeous shoes just like their tiny footed sisters. Since I wear size 11, I can tell you that we don't mind spending money when it comes to buying a pair of shoes that are the perfect fit and style. While some manufacturers and retailers are still reluctant to cater to the oversize women's shoe market, others realize there is a real need to provide quality, stylish shoes for full-footed women. Retailers and manufacturers who service the $11 billion a year oversize women's shoe market realize there is a great opportunity to increase their visibility and profitability.

In the last 15 years there has been a dramatic increase in the size of women's feet. The women's plus-size shoe segment of the market has been growing at over 10% a year in the last 15 years, while the women's shoe industry has been experiencing a rate of 1-2% a year. Statistics show that 12.3 million women in the US can't find shoes that fit correctly. They're either too small or too tight which forces many women to look for shoes in the men's shoe department.

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Top10 Women's Shoes

  This list contains the top ten essential women's shoes. While footwear comes in all styles, shapes, and colors, it never fails, something comes up, and the perfect shoes are nowhere to be found. This list will help solve that problem. Here are the essentials, complete with shopping links.   1. The "Little Black Dress" of Shoes - A Low Heeled Black Pump   A low-heeled, comfortable black pump is essential to every woman's shoe collection for all those times when a strappy sandal or overly-glamorous shoe is inappropriate or too dressy, like an early dinner; an impromptu business meeting; or even a funeral.   These basic pumps from Fitzwell are versatile enough to pair with anything, and feature heels that are only 2 inches high. As an added bonus, these classically-styled shoes are also available in wide widths.
  2. The "New Black" - Neutral Pumps   Even with as versatile as black pumps are, they simply will not go with everything. Add a neutral colored (not white) pump to your collection, and you'll have the the "basic pump" category of women's shoes covered. Shoes like these pretty pumps from Stuart Weitzman offer a classic look that will work season after season, and year after year.  
  3. The "Bread and Butter" of Women's Shoes - A Semi-Casual Flat    You'll want a shoe that can look cute with jeans, but not so casual that you couldn't wear nicer slacks with it too. This pretty skimmer from Gabriella Rocha is a great example the kind of shoe I'm talking about, and it's available in loads of great colors and materials.

  4. The "Must-Have" - A Black High Heeled Dress Shoe    Nothing too strappy, nothing too trendy -- remember these are the basics -- but a black, dressy high heel is definitely an essential. This sexy "Pompadour" pump from Charles by Charles David is a prime example of a stunning classic. For wardrobe staples, I like fabric, matte leather, or suede uppers as they're a bit more versatile than patent.  
  5. The "Show Stopper" - A Metallic High Heeled Dress Shoe    There are some special occasion outfits that won't work well with black shoes. For those, try a metallic killer evening shoe, such as this "Coystal" silver evening sandal from Liliana. Shoes like these are ideal with pastels, silver, grays and whites, but will still work great with black dresses too.    
  6. The "Comfort Food" of Shoes - Your Everyday Shoe   Only you can be the judge of what will work best as your "every day" shoe, but whether it's a sneaker, a loafer or a flip-flop; comfort, fit and style should be key in choosing the right shoes for your everyday wear. I wear a lot of jeans, so I'm a sucker for cute and casual flats, like the 'Sloop' from French Sole. I often opt for bright and unique colors, because they add a bit of personality to even the most basic of outfits.  
  7. The "Walk in the Park" of Footwear - A Sneaker
  Again, the choice is yours, but whether it's a little white pointy sneaker, or an edgy, retro high top, every wardrobe needs a pair of comfortable sneakers. This simple sneaker from Puma is one of my favorite styles -- it's perfect for walks in the park, or trips to the grocery store.  
  8. The "Instant Make-Over" - Heeled Casual Shoes and Booties    Nothing can dress up a casual outfit and make you feel better about yourself, like adding a bit of height. It doesn't matter how high or low the heel is, it's just about getting out of flats for a bit. Look for casual booties or shoes with a bit of a heel for times when you want to be chic, even in jeans.
  9. The Alternative to Women's Shoes - A Tall Boot    Whether it's a high-heeled fashion boot or a warm and comfy casual style, colder weather screams for boots. Plus, depending on the boots you choose, everything from skirts to jeans can look fantastic with them. Every woman's wardrobe should have at least one pair in brown or black. I like boots with a low heel that can go casual or dressy.  
  10. The "Warm Cup of Cocoa" - Slippers
I'm not talking about "glamourous" slippers here. I'm talking about, after a shower, sitting around in your bathrobe, talking on the phone kind of slippers. These "New Spa" slippers from Acorn are exactly the kind of slippers I'm talking about. After all, whatever shoes you wear during the day, you're feet will appreciate being pampered at night.

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Women's Boat Shoes - A Fashion Trend

Boat shoes is a term that describes a wide variety of casual footwear. Also known as deck shoes or topsiders, these shoes have been designed as rugged and tough footwear with very good traction to provide good grip for boaters on slippery decks and during wet weather. It is thought that the modern boat shoe probably evolved from the Native American moccasin and today it still bears a resemblance to this familiar and comfortable shoe.

In recent years, with so many men and women wearing this style of shoe, the boat shoe has became a fashion accessory as well as a functional boating accessory. The style has become popular with many people, including those that have never set foot on the deck of a boat. As a result of this popularity, boat shoes have become a footwear style in their own right.

The quality of boat shoes varies, however, and there can be quite a difference between shoes that have been truly designed for sailors and those that have been designed simply as fashion accessories but based on the same style as the boat or deck shoe.

A good pair of quality boat shoes will be flexible and comfortable and fit snugly. Your foot should not slide side to side or forward and back, and your toes should never feel cramped in the toe. The feature that sets topsiders apart from a regular shoe is the sole. Deck shoe soles display a very tight ripple designed to squeeze out the water from the sole and provide strong grip on a wet deck. Many women's boat shoes and some men's shoes have laces but they are low cut at the front and sides so that they can be slipped off and on easily.

Most quality boat or deck shoes are manufactured from leather, and they can be treated with waterproofing compounds and protected with leather conditoner Shoes with removable liners should have the liner removed regularly and aired and sprayed to help keep them fresh.

From a fashion standpoint, this type of footwear may not be ideal for the office but they'll be right at home on the patio, at a barbecue, strolling along a beach or at a picnic... as well as the deck of a yacht!

When buying any shoe, it is always preferable to try them on for size and comfort before purchase, however, many online stores provide reliable measuring tools so that you can purchase your topsiders at a discount and still be sure of a good fit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3851344

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Women's Fashion Shoes

Money spent on bright colored shoes is safely invested in bright sandals and fun shoes. Think investment. Fashion shoes, if properly cared for,

last a nice long time.

Sandals, evening shoes and fun shoes can all be chosen for their immediate use. Think trendy and unique when looking for a pair of shoes.

Evening shoe tipsEvening shoe tips

Even if your dress is down to the floor, don't think you can get away with just any old shoe when wearing a gorgeous gown. Those old black pumps

just won't do. Even if you do not get out much, a great pair of fashion shoes for evening are a necessary investment.

Putting on a great pair of fashion shoes is enough to signal the shift that is necessary when going out for the evening. Attitude is everything

and evening fashion shoes can take you there.

*Low cut shoes and open strappy styles are more slimming than closed toed shoes. One of the best evening looks is a sling back style or any shoe

with a angled strap.slimming than closed toed shoes. One of the best evening looks is a sling back style or any shoe with a angled strap.

*Flats or a low heel can give an evening trousers or suit, kicked back chic. Tall women can also wear flats with full, ankle length ballerina

style skirts.

*Elegant closed style shoes can be cut in a dressy fabric for an evening impact. Patent leather, silk, satin or beaded fabrics look better than

matte leather in an evening fashion shoe.style shoes can be cut in a dressy fabric for an evening impact. Patent leather, silk, satin or beaded

fabrics look better than matte leather in an evening fashion shoe.

*Evening shoes don't have to be black, in fact, silver or gold is just as classic. Go ahead and make your outfit really pop with a shiny boldly

colored shoe.silver or gold is just as classic. Go ahead and make your outfit really pop with a shiny boldly colored shoe.

Sandals

Sandals are another form of fashion shoe that can be chosen for the fun of it all. Shoes do not have to be all serious. Update your summer

wardrobe simply be changing up your shoes. Neutral outfits look brand new when pairing them with bright sandals.

* If only neutral will do for you, a beige, khaki or nude sandal can be made more exciting by choosing neutral reptile. Fake snake and mock croc

make a nice fashion shoe.

*White is not a neutral color in shoes. A bright white sandal is a fashion shoe statement.white sandal is a fashion shoe statement.

Fun Shoes

Fun shoes like ballet flats, or wedges are nice options when getting ready for the day.

*Ballet Flats are great with cropped slim trousers and miniskirts.

*Wedges make chunky calves look slim, they even make the foot itself look smaller.

*Roman sandals and leather thongs with their free spirit look, go well with loose looks like caftans, summer linens and tunic dresses.

Comfort Tip

There most likely isn't a woman alive who hasn't suffered for beautiful shoes. Even if the fashion shoe you are considering purchasing is only

for a special occasion, there are ways around pain.

*Getting the right size is most important. Feet actually grow as you age. Just because you were an 8 when you were twenty, does not mean you will

still wear that size at forty.

For more shoes reviews, tips and advice on choosing the right shoe for you, please visit [http://www.sexysandalshoes.com] now

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High Heel Shoes - The Feel Good Factor For a Woman

Let's face it! High heel shoes for women are hot, sexy and downright glamorous.
Ok, ok. We all know how high heels are bad for the posture, how we can twist our ankles miserably while tottering on them or how badly it can affect our spines; but, when it comes to the crunch, wearing a pair of high heels for a special occasion, do we really care about what the doomsayers keep harping on about the bad effects on our body?! Most of us don`t, for that occasional foray of madness of teetering on 5-inch heels when it makes us feel oh, so special. Wearing them can make even average people like us feel like a diva! And to the Carping Cassandras, the advice would be to try on high heel shoes just once and experience the transformation!
High heel shoes are mood uplifters. Which women amongst us will not appreciate the way it elongates our body, stretches our legs to infinity and gives us that supremely confident walk (practice, practice, practice!)? Not all of us are blessed with shapely legs and if high heel shoes give us the chance to resort to trickery of creating an illusion of slimmer and shapelier legs, why give it a miss? After all, even supermodels require help!
Short calves suddenly look longer, leaner and meaner when wearing high heels. The position of the derriere and the chest change giving a more sensuous posture and a more graceful walk. Petite women need not be looked down upon by tall, statuesque women; wearing a pair of high heel stilettos will do the trick of bringing them to the same level. They also need not look like midgets besides their tall (if) partners.
Can you imagine a sunshiny summer day without a flirty, summer dress? And what better to complement the dress than a pair of high heel strappy sandals? Whether you are lounging on a yacht (sigh!) or attending a smart luncheon, your high heel shoes are indispensable accessories. Even if you are just grabbing a sandwich in the office break, wearing high-heeled shoes to work occasionally will be a sure-shot antidote to all the office drudgery, unless of course, you are straight out of 'The Devil Wears Prada' movie! Your office uniform, perhaps, consists of pencil skirts or trousers and teaming those with high heels will give you an air of authority, even if you are not the boss! And if you are the boss, so much the better; the power of feminine authority is never more evident than when clacking around in power suits and high heels and feminists can just glower!
Going to a party straight from office and no time to change; don't worry, stash your high heels in your bag in the morning, put them on in the evening and whoa, you are ready to rock! High heel shoes can transform the drabbest of outfits into something personable. There is an aura about high heels and no amount of gloomy prophesies of a doomed health will take that away from them.
Have you ever wondered how those Latino sirens manage to move so gracefully when executing those sensuous dance steps? Besides being fleet-footed and naturally graceful dancers, their high heel shoes definitely contribute to the voluptuousness of their dance movements. But, if you are thinking on those lines, first put in some real practice with the shoes on before hitting the dance floor.
These killer high heel shoes were invented not for concealment but for flaunting as their only purpose are to make women feel good about themselves!

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