So, my cousin and I had made tentative plans to go to the museum today. Yes, we went out yesterday. But with the job starting tomorrow, we know our time together will be more limited for the foreseeable future. She sent me a message early this morning saying she wanted to change our plans. She’d woken up with the strong impression we ought to go to the thrift stores today instead. So we did.

She’s already shared her score, but let me tell you about mine. Three skirts for work(one of which I am wearing tomorrow), one shirt for work, FIVE pairs of shoes, three of which are for work (one of which I am wearing tomorrow), and this organizer that I thought would be perfect on my desk, and behold, it it is! Her fu was strong today, and she shared!

How strong was the fu? Let me tell you a story about shoes. Many years ago, my then step-dad bought me a pair of Bass Weejun Katherine II penny loafers. I wore them a few times, and one of the shoes just disappeared. I looked and looked for that shoe. And I held on to the mate. Because I really loved those shoes. After a couple of years, I was rearranging the closet, and found the shoe behind the shoe/book-case. I was happy.

Fast forward to the move to Maryland, and the third time I wore the shoes here, the sole separated from the shoe. I repaired it twice. And then I gave up, because having my shoe break at work more than once is unacceptable. I’ve had those shoes in my room where I tripped over them, then in the hallway where I tripped over them, and then back in my room where I tripped over them, for months. I kept forgetting to take them to be professionally repaired.

Today, I remembered. We went to the first repair shop on the way to the first Goodwill. It was deserted, like closed never to be reopened. We went on the Goodwill, where I hit a four shoe/two skirt/one shirt bonanza. I mean, a pair of Hushpuppies, mistakenly placed in the men’s section. And some Skechers, in the kids section. And Naturalizer booties. Plus one cute pair of flats with a name I don’t even know, also in the kids section. The Shoe Gods were smiling, and so was I. We went to lunch and then to the second shoe repair shop, where the man told me my beloved Katherine IIs were….irreparable. I told him to just dispose of them. I had a sad. A big sad. I loved those shoes.

And then. Then, we went to the second Goodwill. And in that Goodwill, also in the men’s section, was a pair of Bass Weejun Katherine II penny loafers in my size. The soles were less worn than the pair that ended up in the trash 20 minutes earlier. They just needed a slap of leather conditioner. Have I mentioned that Sarah is a bootblack? I’ve left those with her for a little TLC and will pick them up over the weekend, and I have penny loafers again!

Here are the morals of the shoe story. Let irreparable shoes go to shoe heaven; and always, always go thrift store shopping with Sarah. She has the fu. And she shares.