Boogie Shoes

Baby Granddaughter and I set out this late this morning to do some Mother's Day Shopping.  With a baby in tow, I hoped to make three stops, no more.  Extricating a baby from a car seat and returning a baby to the same car seat can be a trying ordeal, especially when said 9 month old baby prefers standing to sitting, and vocally expresses her displeasure at being coaxed into a sitting position.

 

Stop number one went very smoothly, that is, until I attempted to return Baby Granddaughter to the car seat, where she planted her chubby little feet on the seat, and stood, to happily survey the world around her.   Oh, what the heck!  I, too, decided the survey the world around her.  After 20 seconds or so of surveying the world and baby granddaughter,  I discovered baby granddaughter was more than happy to return to a seated position in the car seat.  A major meltdown had been successfully averted. 

 

Stop number two - Portsmouth Feed and Supply - a feed store housed in a former gas station owned by John and Phyllis Rice, and a host of other nice people, whose names I do not know.  Each spring the feed store is transformed into a garden - full of bedding plants, onion sets, sweet potatoes, perennial flowers, annual flowers, ferns, mulch, seeds, and just about anything else you might need for a garden.   Mayor and I buy our plants for the community garden at Portsmouth Feed and Supply.   

 

This day, I sought out ferns, Gerber daisies, and Beauregard sweet potato plants.  Ferns, check.  Beauregard sweet potato plants, check.  The Beauregard plants produced enormous 10 pound creamy sweet potatoes last summer.  Just had to have them again this year.  Unable to locate the Gerber daisies, I thought a third stop had become necessary, and hence, a third car seat experience.

 

As I waited in line with my squirming, darling, Baby Granddaughter,  her attention was drawn to a large plastic owl, with hideous shiny yellow eyes, perched on the counter, whose head slowly moved back and forth.  Baby Granddaughter reached for the owl. I discouraged her.  Baby Granddaughter reached again.  I discouraged her again. Phyllis, good naturedly, told me not to worry about her touching the owl, as it had already suffered more abuse than Baby Granddaughter could possibly reap upon it.  I relaxed a little bit. When I wondered out loud what Baby Granddaughter's mother might say if I bought the owl for her, the other customers in the store snickered.  So much for an owl for Baby Granddaughter.  It really was an ugly thing.

 

Just as I started to pay for my purchases, I remarked that I was looking for Gerber daisies, and hadn't seen any.  Phyllis was out from behind the counter in no time, assuring me there were Gerber daisies.  She took me outside, located the daisies for me, removed them from the shelves and set them where I could pick the ones I wanted.  As I chose, she removed them, one by one, and put them in a separate container.  Then, she carried the daisies to my vehicle.  Now, mind you, this is Mother's Day weekend, the place was full of customers, and I wasn't making a huge purchase, by any means.  

 

As I sauntered through the flower aisles, on a perfect Friday morning, following Phyllis, with Baby Granddaughter wiggling on my hip, there came, through the loudspeaker positioned outside the shop, KC and the Sunshine Band singing "I want to put on my my my my my boogie shoes, just to boogie with you, yeah, I want to put on my my my my my boogie shoes, just to boogie with you."  Baby Granddaughter began rhythmically bobbing her head and swaying her little body sort of in time to the music.  She looked up at me and grinned.  I, too, caught in the magic of the morning and the moment, sang a couple "my my my my my boogie shoes" and did a couple of head bobs and body sways with her. 

 

My hat's off to you Phyllis for going above and beyond the call of duty.  Thanks to you and your husband for your friendliness, your expertise, and your willingness to take the time to help the customer.  Thank you for loving the work you do.  Your business is one of the really good things about living in this small town. 

 

As I put Baby Granddaughter back into the car seat, she planted those little feet again.  This time, I smiled, and let her survey the world from a standing position.  After a very short time, she willingly and happily sat down in the car seat.  I put the rest of the purchases into the trusty Old Suburban, and set off, singing "I want to put on my my my my my boogie shoes, just to boogie with you." 

 

On the subject of shoes, my fascination with all things felt continues.  I just completed a second pair of felt baby shoes for the soon-to-be granddaughter of a teacher with whom "The One" works. 

 

The first and only other pair of felt shoes I made were for Baby Granddaughter to wear to basketball games where she showed her support for her uncle, Number 25, a member of the Valley High School team who had an enviable season. 

 

 

This pair of shoes is decidedly more feminine, all flowery. . . 

 



and polka dotty.

 



 

 

Just the cat's meow for a darling baby girl.