When I packed up my most important effects during the preparation process of making my first international move, a substantial component of the bulk that was my life at the time was made up of footwear.

Although I donated my tap shoes and golf shoes ... adorable pink and white oxfords with some mean cleats ... along with at least forty pairs of flats, pumps, heels, mules, boots, sandals, slippers, jellies, sneakers, loafers, espadrilles and moccasins to covetous friends and Goodwill, I still came to my new life in England with three pairs of cowboy boots, a lovely pair of soft leather slouchy boots, a couple of bright orange ankle-highs, and more shoes than Mark had ever seen in his life.

I'd even packed six pairs of my to-die-for dancing stilettos even though I knew my coming up to a full 6'1"-in-heels would have me towering over the love of my life ... not something that felt all that romantic at the time.

Yes, I had a thing for shoes.

Then we moved to Seychelles, and I jettisoned more of my beloved footwear before that move. I sent my beautiful soft black boots to my daughter in North Carolina, knowing she'd get use of them and I wouldn't. My pink suede cowboy boots with the silver toe tips, however, I couldn't part with.

More than eleven years on a tropical island has made an impression on my feet, however ... they've splayed ... and although I have an impressive flip-flop collection, my footwear wardrobe is tiny in comparison to its former glory. The pink boots no longer fit after only a year of regular barefootin', but the suede had grown mossy and the tips had rusted, so I wasn't too bothered.

No worries, however, because it appears my youngest daughter has inherited my adoration of the shoe.

Not any shoe will do for any occasion for Cj, you must understand, as she is VERY picky about what goes on her feet. As you can see in the photo above, sometimes her discriminating taste demands she wear her brother's spiffy Nikes, and there's been more than once that Dad's loafers went fetchingly with the outfit du jour.

She does, however, have quite the collection of shoes that are actually hers ... see photo ... although not nearly enough to keep her from grazing shoe displays wherever she happens to come across them.