Walk a Mile in My Shoes

First Monday Trade Days in Canton,TX has been a part of my life for what seems like forever. As a child, I remember walking up and down the hills looking at all of the unusual items that others had for sale....antiques, quilts, tools, and wooden crafts. Mouth-watering food was available for the hungry and for those who weren't, but couldn't resist the wonderful aromas that filled the air.....smoked turkey legs, sausage on a stick, and corn dogs slathered with mustard....soft serve ice cream, snow cones, and funnel cakes....tart lemonade and soft drinks.


Upon passing through the gates of First Monday, my eyes were filled with the sight of bright blue bottles placed so carefully on tables. I'm not sure what anyone would want with these bottles, but to this young child they were beautiful....like the waves of the sea, although at that time I had only seen the sea pictured in books or magazines. I never would have compared it to what I had seen on television or those bottles would have been a shade of gray like the sea looked on our black and white Philco televison set with a piece of foil wrapped around the rabbit ears that sat atop the set. I still search the grounds of Canton for those bright blue bottles. Like these....


Each and every trip is memory making!...like the time my sister cut the toe out of her Keds (or Keds look-a-likes) with a pocket knife (that's one way to change from sneakers to sandles)...like the day my 90 year old mother decided that she wanted to go (she had no idea how big Canton had become) and she walked every step we did for seven hours without stopping except for lunch....like the day when my husband loaded up his truck with items from our storage just before we were to leave for Canton. He was taking "Trade Days" literally. Low and behold, we traded that junk for some more junk as my kids would call it. But I call it a chair........at least after I transformed this 1950's platform rocker.


Now, there are miles and miles to walk. My favorite place to visit on the first Saturday before the first Monday of any given month keeps growing. You can find just about anything there.....the latest As Seen on TV merchandise, old objects refashioned, quilts, socks, objects d'art, outdoor furniture (new and old), wonderful home decor, jewelry, and boots......


just in case you need some new ones after you cut the toes out of yours with a pocket knife.

If the shoe fits, wear it well!