It's only money

This time it was only $5 for flowers I bought for a flower arranging class. One thing I learned in the class was that those flowers were dyed, and dyed flowers are not permitted in arrangements that are to be judged. I didn't want to be judged wanting, so I brought the offending blooms home where they are still parked in the back hall.

The $34.99 shoes from an outlet store haunt me. I should know better. I even bought them in two colors but had the good sense to wear one pair and save the receipt and leave the tags on the other pair. First, one shoe gave me a whopper of a blister the first time I wore them. Then, I worked the heels a little bit with my thumb, and now they won't stay on. I can't even walk across the room without losing one.

I put those little pads in the heels. They cost an additional $2.99, and they didn't work. At least I was able to return the other pair. How do you tell if a shoe is going to feel good at the end of the day? Maybe I should have spent more.

My other half is reading over my shoulder sputtering at that comment. But he didn't get the blister.

I am very sad about the snowball viburnam. I paid full price for it … something I almost never do. And then I (this is the royal "I" - I don't really remember planting it, which means my other half did) didn't water it. I didn't water it many times. And it responded appropriately by turning crispy.

That was $24.99, and I still want a snowball viburnam. But apparently not enough to get out there on 90+ degree days to water it. So this year I will have to plant it earlier in the spring and closer to the faucet. If I take the tag off, maybe my other half won't notice that the $24.99 viburnam really cost $49.98.

Reading is part of me. I read everything including the back of cereal boxes. So I am not happy that the publishers are re-releasing novels with different covers. At least three times in the past year I have bought the same book twice. I can't remember titles - they are so similar. And I often don't remember plots until I am a third of the way through the book when it is too late to take it back.

Last year I had the wrong Christmas letter copied - two sides on colored paper! I couldn't believe it. I was in a hurry because it was only four days before Christmas. I always look at the previous letters to make sure I am not repeating myself. I can't always remember exactly when things happened. I grabbed up the letter, stuck it in a folder and took it to the office supply store. What do I do with an extra 50 copies of Christmas 2006?