I had another serendipity day. I spent the morning push ahead with GONE WITH THE WOOL. And then I switched over to my other work in the family business. I was planning to move to some other chores, but then my son mentioned that he was meeting a friend in Burbank right near the Barnes & Noble and IKEA.
I use to go to Barnes & Noble all the time until they closed the two stories near me. Now, most of the middle and western parts of the San Fernando Valley is without a Barnes & Noble. So, when he offered to drop me off, I jumped at the chance.
I walked into that Barnes & Noble and felt such a happy feeling with all those books and magazines to look at. I admit my first stop was the mystery department to see if they had my books. What a surprise. They actually have a section of the Mystery department that is marked Cozy Mysteries. And they had all of my books. When I checked the New in Mystery bookcase, there was WOUND UP IN MURDER even though it’s been out for a couple of months. Okay by me. The staff was very friendly about me signing their stock and one of the clerks decided to buy HOOKED ON MURDER.
They were arranging things for a booksigning for Anson Williams. He was on Happy Days (Potsie), then became a director and now has written his memoir. Watching them set up seemed like a scene out of the Crochet Mysteries. Though I don’t think there was going to be the kind of drama that always seems to happen at Molly’s booksignings.
After that I wandered the store for probably an hour. How I miss having a B & N near me.
The IKEA store was just down the block. Going there is always a treat. I started off in the café and was happily surprised to see they have vegetarian and vegan options. The food is incredibly reasonable and the coffee delicious. Energized I headed into the store, starting with the kids department. I don’t know what it is, but I love kids stuff. And maybe I bought a doll. It was hard to leave the other toys behind. They had a wall lamp that looked like a crescent moon and one shaped like a star. There were finger puppets and a frog that turned into a prince.
I skipped all the furniture and went right down to the Marketplace. There were so many wonderful things to look at and the prices are amazing. But there is a catch. There is no service. You haul all your purchases in a shopping cart.You put everything on a conveyer belt at the check out and then after the cashier scans it, he just leaves it for you to package. I bought dishes and glasses, so I had to hustle and pull out paper and wrap each of them as the next customer’s stuff was headed to the same spot.
You have to be tough these days. I got all the breakable things wrapped and in the giant bags they sell. Then it was get outside to the loading area. My son pulled up and it was rush, rush to get everything in the back of the SUV, situated so that the dishes wouldn’t end up broken by the time we got home.
All arrived without a scratch. I love days that are filled with surprises.
6 comments:
It sounds like a most delightful day! What sort of doll did you maybe, perhaps buy? I would have found it hard to resist the frog that turned into a prince (or the prince that turned into a frog--the witch's perspective).
Planner, I did buy the doll. She's either a princess or a queen and she cost all of $5. Worry Doll can't wait to meet her.
That is a good B&N, Betty, with a good supply of books and friendly employees. I always enjoy visiting it, too. Don't get over to IKEA that often, though.
Ooo, a doll who is royalty. Royalty have lots of worries, so she and Worry Doll will get on splendidly!
Linda, I never thought that going to a Barnes & Noble would be a treat. But with the Encino and Woodland Hills stores gone, it's a real trek to get to one.
Planner, now that I look at the doll, I'm sure she's princess. Her skirt is too short for a queen.
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