New shoes, a little boy, and a kiss on a bald head!

When we were kids, although we were pretty poor, Mom always tried to get us new shoes and a few new clothes for the beginning of each school year.

One stop was our local shoe store, Calouri's Shoes, located on the "main drag" ~ Post Road ~ about a mile away from where I grew up. The type of shoe store where they sat you down, measured your foot, and went into the back room to bring out some shoes for you to try. They felt where your toes were, and if the shoe were wide enough for you. They had you stand up and then walk around in the shoes. They were kind of like shoe scientists!

My little brother, Skee, was always an unusual sort and charming all at the same time ~ the definition of a free spirit walking to his own drummer.

I will never forget the year that little Skee was getting his new pair of shoes...he was just a toddler and they may have been his first real pair. Mr. Calouri, who was as bald as a cue ball, was bent over in front of Skee, feeling where his toe was in the shoe. He asked Skee to stand up...Skee obliged, stood up, and planted a kiss squarely on the top of Mr. Calouri's head! What a look of surprise! Apparently he did not know about Skee's personality and the Dawley kid's appreciation of new shoes!

Calouri's Shoe Store was about good old fashioned local shopping & service. Thank goodness we have a lot of that same good old USA tradition going on here in Northeast CT.

Check out the Putnam Business Association's website to see what we have cooking around town.

Also check out Putnam! It is the place to be. People are friendly and helpful. What an idea!

I am a Putnamaniac because I love living in a local locale where you could kiss the bald head of a local businessman (well...I'm not sure about that, but they will take a handshake any day)!