My Burning Question Of The Day: To Bare Or Not To Bare Soles...

{If you're wondering what this image has to do with anything,
read on..}

Well here we are -- at almost one week until the
BIG DAY...

We wait for and long for it all year it seems, but now that it is just
around the corner I almost wish I could go back at least one month -- just to have
THAT MUCH MORE time to savor the anticipation.

It has been a busy time with the store, but fun as always.

I love this time of year when I wonder who is getting the things people buy
as gifts -- knowing that the box we ship ultimately will be placed under someone's tree

and be
privvy to the warm, loving family times and gatherings up until the 25th, wondering what their expression will be like when they open it, and then thinking of how the person
will use or display their new gift.

Yes,  ALL those "deep ponderings" and more with each gift that is wrapped
and shipped from here.

And as we near Christmas, the shipping gears are finally going to
slow to a halt and rest a spell.

As my sweet friend, Maylene, said to me tonight:

"You need to take some time for yourself this season, Ruth.  You don't want
Christmas to come and go and just run off your back without any of it
settling in at all...."

Wise woman.  Great words!   :)

She also asked me if my tree was up yet.  Yes, it is but not as many as some years.
And as we were closing our conversation I concluded that perhaps instead of
putting anymore TREES up, maybe I'd concentrate on putting my FEET up.

You know, you can almost solve the problems of the world with a chat with a friend.   :)

So, in keeping with her sage advice, beginning at noon this coming
Saturday, the 18th, orders received in will likely not ship out
until after Christmas.

SO, if there is ANYTHING you still want to purchase, please try and do so
before noon on Saturday.
Much obliged.  ;)

Now.... A BURNING QUESTION FOR YOU....

I am a very avid Facebook user and one day last month a question was posed by
House Beautiful magazine, inviting the readers to weigh in on this:

"WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE 'NO-SHOES-IN-THE-HOUSE' RULE?"

Well... THAT question certainly incited quite a response!

I delivered my "two-cents' worth" on the subject a few times throughout the dialogue
and boy was it interesting to see the diverse opinions on what proved to be for some
a VERY hot-button issue!

And at this party-prevelent time of the year, when having guests in and out of our homes is
the norm, it was especially interesting to
read how many staunch shoes-must-come-off responses there were.

For what it's worth, these were my contributions to the discussion:

 "For the living-in-the-house, immediate family, fine, whatever they choose; but when they try to extend the house-rules to guests... no way, total faux pas and very presumptuous to assume that your guests are going to be okay with baring their "soles" to the world when visiting you. I say RELAX, people... it's not like we plan on marching through mud-flats before entering on your precious floors! ;) 

Hospitality first... over-the-top concern about your floors is not hospitable 
in my humble opinion."    ;)


A woman brought up a great point when she said she wears 
corrective shoes and it is just very difficult to get them off and on and rarely 
does someone have a bench at their front door to sit on, making her have to
resort to sitting on the floor to remove her shoes.
{Okay, I have to say, if someone is making her do that, then...
shame on them. My goodness...}

Then there was a gal from Canada who commented that up there it is the norm and 

no one would dare think of wearing shoes inside!  {Okay my Canadian friends,

is this accurate?}


So I wrote...

 "Okay... I have a serious question here... I live in Florida, so I guess I never considered the whole snow/slush thing, but... what about if you have a nice party? People are dressed up, etc... tell me you don't make them take their shoes off even then. Please. Tell me you wouldn't."


There were more than a few who voiced great concern over bacteria and germs
being brought in via footwear and even clothing.  One even commented that they
change out of their clothing and shoes immediately upon arrival back home, into
their "house clothes" in an effort to keep away contamination.


Now let me say here that I completely understand special situations in which there may be
a person in the home with life-threatening conditions that require the utmost care in
keeping contaminants and bacteria to a minimum.
Who on earth would argue that they of all people have every right to make
any special request they care to when a life is at stake.


But to ask visitors/guests to remove their shoes at the door (especially for some on just
their first or second visit) would honestly almost be a deal-breaker for me.

One person readily admitted holding to the no-shoes rule because they have

nice new white carpeting and didn't want it soiled.

{I have soooo much I would say here... but I will be good...}

Well, I actually think I did reply to that person's comment -- 
something to the affect that unsuspecting guests to their home should not
be penalized for their guest-unfriendly choice of flooring, and perhaps
they might like to have their guests simply hover over their precious
pristine carpets while visiting, if such an ability existed.


My thought was that mandating a no-shoes policy for anyone other than
those living at the home was akin to elevating the home, it's contents,
and it's furnishings above the importance of genuine hospitality.


My daughter used to occasionally visit a friend's home that had the 
no-shoes-inside policy and it was also awkward for us.

And there was ALWAYS a huge pile of shoes outside the
front door of their otherwise gorgeous home.


At the end of a visit, one was left clamoring through a pile of 
shoes not belonging to you and it was rather, well.. 
icky.


I have a feeling this subject may be divided even down
regional lines.  I suspect that in the South we may be a bit less
prone to require shoes off upon entering
I don't have this as scientific data, but as a girl from the 
South, it would just never fly to stop someone at the door
and ask them to remove a major article of clothing.


Don't get me wrong -- if you could secretly video me during any given week,
you'd find that my shoes are off 90% of the time.
UNTIL...
I find out someone is coming over.
Then, the mad rush to grab shoes, fix hair, makeup, etc.
begins... but there will ALWAYS be shoes found and
worn.


And when the person leaves, OFF go the shoes again.   :)


But it has nothing to do with anything other than it just feels good.


Unless.... and here is where it gets personal to the situation.
If you are family, or super-long-time friends, and you've been here
a "billion" times before, chances are we'll relax our rules a bit
and perhaps visit sans shoes.


But for the most part, I'm taking the side of wishing to 
keep my shoes on, please.  For me it just seems awfully 
personal to ask me to remove my shoes at your door.
I guess that's more of me than I care to share ---
and it sure ruins the otherwise great, pulled-together look
of an awesome outfit!  Hee - hee!!   :)


So do tell, friends ---
what's YOUR spin on the issue?


Are you shoe-less in Seattle?
Barefoot in Bakersfield?
Well-heeled in Williamsburg?


I'm dying to know!


:)