Before my husband and I moved to rural Virginia, or “the sticks”, as some people called it, I wore high heels and tailored dresses to work. In fact, I enjoyed silk dresses for their climate-comfort versatility and timeless style. Yes, I admit I was rather a stylish and elegant working woman.
So, when I announced our impending move to the sticks, I heard a few guffaws from friends who didn’t want us to go and commented, “You’ll be back. You won’t like it there. You will miss wearing high heels and silk dresses in the country!” This made me dig in my heels (pun intended) even more of course, and I assured them I would always remain my usual elegant self, complete with silk dresses, high style and high heels.
Secretly I had also (romantically) decided to become “Mrs. Mike” – a character in a wonderful book and then film – the story of a girly girl who survived (for love of course) in the wilderness. I figured – “that’s me, a wilderness lady. I can be both elegant and tough at the same time.”
And so it went. Our house was finally built on the red clay dirt of Virginia, and our driveway was paved with chunky, sharp edged black stones. It was soon apparent that opportunities for elegantly appointed apparel were severely (if not entirely) limited. And walking in high heels upon a gravel driveway can mean dangerous wobbling. For even as I conquered balance, I noticed the finish was quickly disappearing from my heels. Oh yes, the height of the heel lent grace to my stature, but if anyone bothered to look down they would notice the deplorable condition of this poor woman’s shoes!
Then there was the red clay (that would make great bricks). Thick sticky dirt that becomes thick sticky mud is a deplorable obstacle to high heels. Think quickmud instead of quicksand and you will have an idea how easy it is for a sharp heel to sink into unsuspected quagmires. “Thwop” you are sucked in. And “Thwop” you drag your foot out (hopefully with the shoe still attached). Is this the same once lovely shoe? Yuk!
So, as my friends in the civilized world had suggested, I switched to sneakers and jeans. Sneakers do not go well with silk dresses, so the dresses dwindled away as well. I was consoled that at least my sneakers were brilliant white so I looked, neat, clean and put together in hardware stores. But, I soon learned that working in the garden for an hour left my sparkling sneakers caked with sticky muck. And if I didn’t wash my now not-so-brilliant sneakers right away (with a wire brush and in very hot water) they would stay looking forever nasty and smeared, and would not even be appropriate for forays to the hardware store.
Next, I bought a pair of Wellington boots. “Wellies” are rubberized boots that can be worn in the rain, maybe in the snow, and yes, in red clay. My Wellies are always waiting at the back door. Today I picked tomatoes from Bill’s somewhatextremely weedy garden. I have a fear of snakes and other critters attacking bare legs as I wade through jungles of weeds and the Wellies come to mid-calf for protection. An additional benefit is when I forget to take them off. Yes, they look grungy and they are caked with mud, but they make me feel like a local and that I really belong here as I browse the local hardware store.
There may be one dress left in my closet now and it is not silk, but a kind of drip-dry thing I drag out for special occasions like funerals or weddings. And there is at least one pair of my new version of high heels for special occasions. They are about an inch high but I wobble in them now since I have become attached to the Wellies.
My friends in civilization were correct of course. I had to give up style, elegance, silk dresses and high heels when we moved here. And sometimes I do yearn for the old elegant me – but mostly I am content being Mrs. Mike, that not-so-elegant lady thwopping around in the sticky red clay of Virginia.
Today’s high heels are REALLY high! Imagine these on my gravel drive. Oh my!
Country Tip for City Dudes:
If you are moving to the country, donate your high heels to charity and buy Wellies.
I got such a kick out of this post because I too moved from the city to the country and found that my wardrobe changed considerably. Now, I didn’t totally give up the dressy clothes because I do work in a law office, but the heels just had to go!! The parking lot at work is mud and gravel in the little hick town where I work, and I like to stop and take photos on the way to the office, but high heels and country roads and fields just don’t mix well together. I did a post a while back where I told the story about how I stopped one day on the way to work to take photos of a lamb in a farmer’s field, but I tripped in my high heels and rolled down in the ditch. Needless to say I was a wee bit dirty when I got to work that day :). Your posts seem to always show me how much we have in common.
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By the way, I remember the book Mrs. Mike. I loved it!!!
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Hi Dor! Being only five feet tall you’d think I wear a lot of heals…when I’d much rather wear flats! 🙂
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I can’t imagine why anyone would wear the super high ones. We are banning them next year from our graduation. Too many close calls. As for me, I get cramps in my hips if I try to wear anything over 2″. I’m a bare foor kind of gal. Or as my hubby says, Flintstone feet kind of gal.
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We have ditch-falling in common too Cindy! I fell trying to clean a bluebird house on a slope on the way to a ditch – and wound up with a broken ankle (even wearing sneakers)! I love it that both of our wardrobes have changed with the moves to the country. 🙂
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Some people say it was the first “long” book they ever read.
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I don’t know why but I imagined you were very tall. My Mom was five feet (and one inch) tall and one of my nieces is too. Perfect people and they didn’t/don’t wear high heels either.
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Ditto Lilly. I am also always barefoot whenever possible. It’s a throwback to my Florida days growing up.
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What a fun post!
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Great post and I can relate. I didn’t move but I retired. I don’t even get dressed up for dinners out (it’s very casual here) and I am ok with it. I love to look at the beautiful clothes in the catalogues but there are very few occasions to wear them. Even if I do training for a company, I wear business casual slacks and flats. Once in a while I go to Macy’s and stroke the high heels. Makes me feel better.
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Thanks coastalcrone! 🙂
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We are on the same path to happiness Kate – “casual slacks and flats” for most occasions, and stroking the high heels in the big stores. Thanks.
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I understand that! 🙂
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I love this post, Dor! When I moved from an urban to a rural environment I was very glad to finally feel at home. My ‘gladrag’ days were in my teens and early twenties but I’ve not been into that sort of style since and in London (England) I always felt out of place. Here I’m myself. I slop around in clothes that are comfortable and right for the season, it’s great!
That said, I’ve a problem with one of my feet (an injury from a few years ago that never healed properly) and can’t wear wellies. Wish I could.
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Hi Val – Thanks so much for your comment about switching to comfort clothing when you moved to the country. It truly is a feeling of freedom. Sorry about the injury to your feet though.
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Love it! I have my brown wellies right outside of my mud room and I don’t miss those high heels at all! 🙂
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Hurrah for Wellies! I love ’em too. 🙂
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loved this dor! picturing you galumphing through the mud in your wellies!
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“Galumping” – what a great word Kate! And yes, that’s exactly what I do in my Wellies, pretty much daily. 🙂
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Loved this post and while I am still in “mid-highs” at work, look forward to the wet grass of Rockbridge! Will be visiting in Sept. and as soon as I get the dates will let you and the gals know. So hoping to see y’all soon!!!
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Hurrah Laura! Us gals are looking forward to seeing you in September, always with high hopes you will be ready to move back to the “wet grass of Rockbridge.” What fun we will have!
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