December 14, 2019 – Reindeer slippers

         Last year for writer’s group we had to produce something with a Christmas theme.  I forgot to put it on my blog last year, and I do it now.

         I created a Haiku [Japanese Poetry] poem, which has the traditional 17 syllables with three phrases of typically 5, 7, and 5.

         Of course, this was new for me trying to write it, but then I had heard Haiku on a few occasions and found them interesting.

         Drum roll:

I am infused with

unchecked delight of a child

by reindeer slippers.

        Now for, the laugh - rather your laugh.  That tiny little bit of poetry took me an entire day to write. 

        Those silly little reindeer slippers I have had for about 20+ years and they delight me.  They actually do get me into the Christmas spirit, unlike baking cookies that don’t “make” for the Church bake sale.

        Years ago – between jobs – oh yes, I have been unemployed on many occasions – most have not been my choice, and I was on “scare money” and didn’t dare ask for anything for myself out of the household money.  Those that have lived on skinny money know what I am talking about, scared that you have an emergency and you don’t have any cash on hand at all.

        When I happened to see these silly reindeer slippers with the face of a reindeer as the front of the slipper including red nose, brown/black pupil eyes, ears, and gold lame antlers and they even have a sprig of holly leaves with red berries done in felt tacked to one ear, I turned to my husband in KMart or WalMart and begged him to buy them. He nodded and smiled, you see, Santa lives with me.

        They cover only my toes and the back is open, and they are toasty warm and absolutely silly.

        They bring out the inner child in me who really does like Christmas – or at least the Christmas of one’s wishes where everything is perfect, absolutely everything perfect, which is close to impossible, mind you.

        The bottoms of the slippers were getting holes in them and last winter when I tucked them away in my ornament box I said, “Self, you need to put new bottoms on them somehow.”

        So, a couple of days go, I fluffed the wreaths to put out at the front and back of the house, and checked the tree lights – all but one strand was dead and all had to be taken off and replaced.  When that was done, I turned my attention to the slippers and made a photo copy of the bottom of each worn out sole to use as patterns.

        I proceeded to cut some of that wonderful cream colored felted blanket from the patterns and I blanket stitched them to the slipper soles.  Darn, they look like new, just like they fell off Santa’s sleigh. They just might make it another 20 years if I don’t run out in the snow or something crazy.

        When I am not using them on my feet, I tuck them under the pillow shams on my bed for a bit of whimsy. Later in the day, when I enter the room, I look at them, yes, they are cute, cute, cute.

        Everyone needs a bit of whimsy and mine happens to be on my feet keeping my feet toasty warm.