Born to Shop (and read)

Ah, what a day yesterday was. I could give you the long version, but suffice it to say that it supported the old adage that a woman can never have too many kitchen knick-knacks* or Christmas decorations.

Okay, so it's not an old adage precisely, but it's my adage.

I topped off a visit to a sublime kitchen store with a pit stop at a huge garden centre to sneakily buy house plants for the bathroom. (Because a woman can never have too many plants in her bathroom, either. When asked what theme they're fitting out their bathroom to, most people say something like, "shells," "glass and chrome," or "roman bathhouse." I say, "jungle." I also refuse to have a smaller bathroom unit up against the wall because, "where would the kangaroo vine go?")

While weighing up the house-plant-to-guilt ratio, an announcement was made that customers could go to the Christmas department and fill a carrier bag for £2.

Witness the Anna-shaped blur.

When I got home, I counted the value of my purchases. I took home £150 worth of Christmas decorations, candles, candle holders and gifts... for £5. Do I know how to shop, or what?

AND I felt less guilty about the maidenhair fern.


In reading, I've moved on from TLTWaTW to an short story anthology from Brava, The Night Before Christmas. I bought this one because it's got one of Kathy Love's stories, and she's been an auto-buy for me since her first book. (Yes, Kathy, you have more pulling power than Lori Foster for me.... ;-) ) I'm not usually a big short story fan - I like depth but they suit my life at the moment - a chance to get to a resolution in a lunch break.

Or while on the toilet.

And yes, I do know it's January. Christmas comes but once a year, my arse.


Today:- Work in the morning, defying the laws of the space-time continuum by fitting seven hours' work in three hours. Then to Allendale, deep in the North Pennines (Mmmmm threatening isolation in bleak surroundings...) and from there to Durham. Life is sweet.

Busy, but sweet.


* Heart-shaped pastry presses. I mean, what life is complete without little heart-shaped pies for Valentine's Day? The way to Husband's heart is through his Beef Wellington.