How Do You Like Them Apples / Imelda Sorts Shoes

I learned a week or two ago that our local Boy Scouts are collecting shoes as part of a fundraiser. They can be new shoes or used, gently worn. I retired at the end of 2020, and I have to admit that the several hundred pairs of "work shoes" I owned for my previous life as a Penn State employee just aren't all necessary to me any more. This fundraiser, which runs through early April, provides a good opportunity for me to do some sorting of shoes, get rid of some, give some away.

I spent a few hours on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, going through clear plastic containers of shoes. High heels, some barely worn. Sneakers in all colors (see the extras, in which Imelda Marcos sorts her shoes!). What-not. A bit of this and that. I had good help, as Tiny Tiger, the Moose, and the Anteater provided their assistance. I kept my favorite shoes and ones that were comfy; ones I may have never worn, or think I may never will again, went into plastic bags and then into tote bags.

There is a shoe donation bin at nearby and locally owned Way Fruit Farm, and so when I was done sorting, we dropped off the first two large tote bags full of shoes there. I snapped a few photos of the apples in the display room and you may see a favorite shot above.

Speaking of Way Fruit Farm, I learned a bit of PA history lately. Did you know that the Ways were a Quaker family heavily involved in the Underground Railroad? I did not know that! I also read recently that Gray's Cemetery in Stormstown has some Underground Railroad ties. (Ties, get it? Oh, I crack myself up!)

I have two photos so here are two songs. Or maybe, two sets of songs. First, for my apples . . . I have to tell you that I have just discovered two mind-blowing collaborations between Johnny Cash and Fiona Apple. Yes, Fiona Apple. She sounds JUST LIKE a young June Carter Cash when she sings back-up to him. It's amazing. I can't give you just one because I've got two gorgeous songs. Here is Father and Son. And here is Bridge Over Troubled Water. Yeah, I know. Wow. You're welcome.

Second, for my shoes, I've got David Bowie, with Let's Dance. And I have to admit a shameful thing to you right now. I just learned two days ago that that is STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN playing guitar on this song. Yes, THAT Stevie Ray! The story is that Bowie saw Vaughan play at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1982, and months later, Bowie pursued and tracked him down to ask him to play guitar on this song. Stevie was a relative nobody at the time; his first album, Texas Flood, wouldn't be released until 1983. Stevie was scheduled to go on tour with Bowie, but he ended up doing some stuff on his own instead, to promote his first album. So now perhaps you have learned a thing! You don't ever SEE him in the video, but now that you know it, perhaps you can pick Stevie's guitar licks out of the rest; I can!

P.S. I make the donation of these shoes in honor of my nephew Joseph, who committed suicide a few years back. I remember him with great love. He was an Eagle Scout (as was his younger brother), he had a knack for wild dressing (that I sort of hope he got some of from ME, his amazing and fun Eighties Auntie), and I think he would find it both fabulous and hilarious that I donated red high heels (here's a song about that, thank you, Dolly) to the Boy Scouts in his name. Love you and miss you forever, Joseph. <3