Magical moment 265, "Wedding Shoes"

Today I unwrapped a cardboard box filled with packing peanuts and tissue paper. I dumped it all over my carpet, fishing for the one thing I knew would be in there...my wedding shoes. When I got married 3 1/2 years ago in Lincoln, NE, I left my dress and shoes with my parents while I continued to travel all over the country with the Soldier Show after the wedding. Only recently, my mother has finally gotten around to digging them out of her closet and shipping them to me.

While most women who get married are stoked about their dress, my favorite thing about my wardrobe that day was my shoes. Because I was touring with the Soldier Show while planning my wedding, I had little to no free time to shop around for a dress. One day, the director of the show announced that he was making a run to a near by mall in Virginia, so I hopped on board. Amazingly enough, I found a formal wear store and tried on 2 or 3 dresses until I found one that fit. It wasn't even a wedding dress, more of a prom or bridesmaid dress, and it was under $100. But I was completely happy with it.

Then in the weeks before my wedding, I found myself by chance, in a Macy's department store wandering around in the shoe department. That's when I saw the shoes. My wedding shoes. I decided before I tried them on, or even looked at the price tag, that I would have them for my wedding. Let's just say they cost....more than the dress. But it was the final touch that I needed to really feel like a bride that day.

I remember slipping them on my bare feet just before my dad picked me up to take me to Pioneers Park, the site of the ceremony. I remember the sound the heels made as they clacked on the concrete sidewalk, and how I was terrified of getting them dirty when I had to take a few steps on the grass. I remember how the slender, lacy heels peeked out ever so slightly beneath the hem of my simple, straight dress. I remember telling my photographer, "Snap a shot of the shoes!"

Today I put them on again for a little while and smiled before I boxed them up and placed them safely in my own closet. And it was good to remember how I felt that day I wore my wedding shoes.

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le...

Magical Moment 584, "Conversation with Willie"

I opened the glass door of the retail store and walked inside, eyes immediately drawn to the mannequins donning outfits I could never pull off. Yet I couldn't keep my fingers from running over the fabrics displayed on racks that were laid out, row after row around me. Months of penny pinching and shopping-deprivation made me like a hungry child in a bakery. My arms were full of clothes in mere moments. A sales clerk politely offered her assistance and asked my name. "Elizabeth," I told her. "I'm Willie," She replied with a slight southern accent, cheerfully as if we were about to become best friends. She was an older black woman who I noticed was just as attentive to all the customers in her section. Animated and friendly, Willie drew my complete attention as she continued, "Elizabeth, I can remember that. That's my sister's middle name. Her first name is Mary," she explained. Before I could help it, I told her that my first name was actu...

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