Walking and shoes and loving summer!

So far this week we are really having summer weather.  I love it!  But they say it will change tomorrow and our daytime temps will dip into the 50's and 60's.  But even that is okay compared to winter. I've been conscientiously getting back to a daily walking routine.  A few months ago I felt unable to go around the block, but I'm now back to my two-mile route.  

One thing I've been dealing with is finding shoes again.  Three years ago, just when I was ready to really get into longs walks with Austin in the stroller,  I had a second plantar fasciitis injury.  That was when I found the amazing Saucony Omni 9's that felt like miracle shoes.  I've been wearing them ever since!  I realized they didn't feel quite as great as they used to, so I assumed I could just go back to the amazing Rapid Transit Sports in State College and get me another pair.  Wrong!  Silly me!  Didn't I realize that these shoe companies keep making new and improved versions of each shoe every year?  Except that the reviews for the Omni 11's were really, really bad.  People were begging for the Omni 9's to come back.  Oh dear!!  I thoroughly browsed Amazon and Ebay and every website that even mentioned Saucony ProGrid Omni 9's to see if anyone, ANYONE, had my size.  One did, and I was so excited as I started to fill out my information to order them.  But alas!!  It was a sports store in Australia, and they do not ship internationally.  Rats!

So to Rapid Transit I went.... and went and went. Bless their hearts, they took so much time with me, trying to find shoes that felt good.  I bought a pair of Brooks, took them back a few days later for a half size larger, and took them back also a few days later. Walking in them made my plantar fasciitis kick up worse than it had in three years!  GRRR.  That time they let me take two pairs home to try.  I gave each of them an honest try, but after a week took them both back.  I was starting to be afraid the guys  thought I was a pathetic old woman who just needed to feel doted over, hahaha!!  That time I tried a lot more Sauconys, and eventually settled on the Saucony Hurricane 15's.  He put gel insoles into them.  I'm definitely keeping these.  But, I confess, my old ones still feel better.  

This week at Houserville there was MORE activity.  The church is a voting location, and Tuesday was election day.  The church has a Vote and Go Cafe.  Free coffee all day.  Lots of goodies.  Fresh-off-the-grill sausages and hot dogs.  And the BEST homemade mac and cheese ever!  My contribution was my peanut butter chocolate chip rice krispie treats.  

This is what the sanctuary looks like, set up for voting.  

The goodies.

Hanging out, shooting the breeze, having fun, working on cutting tags for the Mommy Shoppe. 

This morning was warm right at the start, and I enjoyed my coffee on the porch looking at my GREEN mountains.  Oh, Summer, can you please stay a long, long time?????