These Sandals Are Made for...

Well, for Christmas presents they'll do just fine! The evening pair I found on sale at a store owned by a young woman with whom I share an old-fashioned name (my middle, her first). Aren't they lovely? I wore them to dinner last night. When I got home, I exchanged them for the second pair, which was a gift from one of my best carioca friends. They're woven with the fibers from the trunk of banana trees; one of hundreds of projects around the country that generate employment and income for women in rural areas (see my post dated December 1). I've been schlepping around the apartment with them this morning; they feel so good! I suppose we all can't wait to try on our Christmas presents, can we?


And, yes, I got a glimpse of Rio's iconic Christmas Tree as my taxi drove around the lagoon; the skies are still heavy with grey clouds that promise yet more rain in the coming days. I wonder if this weather is going to spoil the city's spectacular New Year's Eve party? I'm planning on walking down the street to find a spot near the water among the thousands of revelers in this neighborhood; I don't have the stamina to face the millions on Copacabana Beach anymore. All I can do now is keep my fingers crossed!