Thanks Lynn. Glad you came by and enjoyed the story.
LOL for the creative shoe anecdote. The possibilities are endless :) I think that's why we actually kept it... because there is that mysterious side to the shoe which holds us back from considering it is completely trash and throwing it out.
I wish my mom's post were "translatable"... I tried, but the letters from my great-grandpa are soooo hard to translate. It would take a professional to transcribe them in a way that fully respects not just his style of writing, but also the whole atmosphere of the war. You would love them though, it is a captivating life he lived.