Rhine--Stoning

"Rhine-stoning..." In my head, I'm singing that along to "Sledgehammer" or "Brass Monkey," take your pick. I'm leaving this week for Lake Placid where I will compete in the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships. As one of my friends says, we're "America's Finest." Or something like that. Possibly America's most humble people because we're doing something many consider us too old to do, and it just so happens to be very easy to fall not-so-gracefully while doing it. But it's oh, so fun, and I can't wait to attend my first Nationals.

In order to get ready, I'm adding the finishing touches to my costumes. For my free skate, I'm wearing the long-sleeved dress, I believe. I'm skating to a string quartet version of Coldplay's "Yellow." My big goals are to land my axel and to work with my nerves. My other program is an artistic program to "Then He Kissed Me." It's a very fun program; I just have to get in character, which is a challenge for me since I don't like to ham it up on the ice.

So I'm going for the gold (and the silver engraved plate they give you if you win--I'd totally eat off of it). And then in under 50 days, I'm getting married!

FYI

Thought you'd like to know that the shoes arrived. They are a tad big, but not too much that I can't make them work. And they are slightly more gold than I thought they'd be, depending on the light. So here they are!

I'm also posting a picture of another pair of shoes I found. Silver strappy heels, perfect for our rehearsal dinner! After splurging on the first pair, I of course promised myself I wouldn't buy anything so much as resembling a luxury item for a very long time. But then I found these shoes. And they fit. And they were on clearance. And they were way comfy and a nice brand. And then I found out they weren't really on clearance but were marked incorrectly, but they gave them to me for the clearance price anyway. So worth it.

Okay, now. Seriously, no more shoes for me.

P.S. Sorry for those of you who hate feet. Mine aren't the most lovely ones. And yes, only one foot has painted toenails.

Sweet Girl

Today, Matt's parents had to put Molly, their golden retriever, to sleep. She was almost 14 years old and still wagging her tail. They think she had cancer of the spleen, and her failing health was beginning to show more and more. I'm glad she's not in pain, but we will all miss her greeting us at the door and begging to be pet. I last saw her Easter Sunday and she was licking food off the plates in the dishwasher. :)

Molly taught me a lot. When I was having a hard day, I looked forward to being able to see her if it was a day I went to Matt's parents' house for dinner. She always reminded me what's really important--to love others. I don't know if Molly could have loved God (pretty sure dogs don't have that capability), but I know God loved her and realized the joy she brought to us. I knew that whatever problem I had in my life faded in light of Molly's simple need to be pet, talked to, and to love her family and her two kitties.

We will miss you, girl ...

Becky's Got Brand New Shoes!

I decided to take the plunge and splurge on these fabulous shoes from BCBG. I have a pair of black peep toes that I bought at their outlet last fall, and they are my favorite shoes in the world. Not only are they the cutest things, but they are so comfortable too. I bought this pair in silver, but I could only get a picture of the brown.

Since I'm fast approaching my official mid-twenties, I thought I could invest in another pair of nice shoes that will last me a long time. Or they could be an early b-day present (see how I'm justifying myself here?)

So happy Tuesday. I wish you all comfy and cute shoes every day of your life. :)