Friday Fun ~ Shopping, Not!

I am a strange female. I hate shopping. I hate it with a passion. When all my teenage friends went malling, as it is known now, I preferred to stay home with a book. When my new in laws made their yearly shopping trip...I only did it once, to my peril. I made excuses of why I couldn't go later so as not to hurt their feelings.

When I go shopping I have a plan and a list. It entails at most three shops per day. Don't get me wrong, I may stop and browse a thing or two in between what I'm looking for. That's it. Otherwise, I'm just wasting time and energy. My only exception is the grocery store.

I hate clothes shopping. Since my stroke, I hate it even more!  I know hate is a strong word, but I can't think of another word to describe my feelings on the subject. Shopping is never fun when shopping for clothes. Either I like it and can't find my size, or can't find what I'm looking for in the color I want.

So this Friday I'm doing what I most dread...clothes shopping and finding a purse to carry what I need. Last summer I wore t-shirts and boxer short, mens. I was spending most of my time in therapy or at home. This year I'm looking for some feminine shorts that pull on and are fairly loose fitting like the boxers without the slit in the front.

It's harder to find than you think. I'm short and kind of rounded in body shape. Yeah, yeah I need to loose some weight but until that time I have to have something to wear. It gets 100+ degrees here in the summer and it lasts until October or November. I have a short inseam with my short legs so standard mid calf shorts end under my knees. Now for all of my added weight, I have nice legs barring the AFO. They are one of my better features and I don't have thunder thighs just big hips. Maybe some running shorts that come to mid-thigh on me, but it has to have pockets. I don't want to fool with zippers and buttons one-handed.

I'm also looking for one of those sling purses that drape across the body so I can carry things like my Kindle with me. It won't fit in my pockets. I don't want things to get lost in the bottom like keys or my wallet. There again my body proves the snag. I have some rather well endowed twins but am short waisted. What hangs around the hip for most women hits about my knees. It can't hang lower than my hips because I walk with a cane. It will trip me up and throw off my balance.

Believe it or not I had a shoe and purse fetish at on time. Not as bad as Emelda Marcos but a lot. I have 25 pairs of high heels with about half that number in purses. Add to that my flats I bought after I tore my Achilles tendon so the number rises to 50. None of the purses suit my needs because they are small and at most shoulder length straps. A lot of clutch bags all from the days when I wore suits for business and formal wear. I really need to clean out my closet, but who wears a size 4 1/2 to 5 1/2, narrow width shoe these days?

The clincher is no matter what I buy it has to be cheap and by cheap I mean under $10 each. I'm on a very limited income these days. While these things are a necessity, I hate to spend the money on me when my husband, grandchildren, or children need it more.

So that's what I'm after on this fun Friday. Wish me luck. May I find all in the first store I hit.