Vacation Shopping

We didn't do much shopping in Fort Myers but I made the most of the little we did.  Last Wednesday (my first day there) we stopped at Goodwill because I realized that I didn't want to spend the week with my big, carry-all of a purse hanging around my neck like a millstone.  I found this tan purse marked $3.99; it was just right.  Then yesterday every donated item in Goodwill was 50% off so Aunt B steered us back in there on our way home from the "real" shopping.  I went back to the purses because I was so happy with the little tan purse and found the black purse marked $2.99 which meant I paid $1.49 for it.  Score!  For some reason lately carrying even a medium size purse has annoyed me so I've shoved my wallet into my coat pocket.  These little purses will let me carry my wallet and a couple other things more easily.  Besides, I wanted them and I'm only out $5.48 plus tax for both of them.




On Thursday when it was too hot and humid to go on the history tour of downtown I saw a pair of earrings that made me grin.  They had a girl with a ponytail silhouette and a boy silhouette.  Well, Zambaldi Beer's logo has a boy profile and girl profile.  Coincidence?  I bought the earrings, of course.  They're like advertising!  That's my rationale anyway.



 
Yesterday we went to World Market to see if we could find something for LC and OJ.  I'd gotten a Thomas the Train book for OJ at the gift shop of the Murder Mystery Dinner Train and wanted a book for LC and something else small for them.  I found a wonderful book for LC called Everybody's Welcome and little boxes of scratch 'n sniff stickers for them.  



Then while perusing the clearance racks I found these linen placemats for $3.49 each.  I've been looking for placemats, thinking about them, but didn't want just plain old mats, these are just right.  They're made with interesting fabric. They're a natural color.  And they've got a tiny bit of decoration.  What's not to love?




Speaking of tiny, I knitted a preemie hat while I was in Florida.  Yes, just one.  I was busy, okay?



18 February--Barbara Malcolm, Three Cheers for Murder. 

Cecilia moved quickly around the store straightening displays and closed up for the night.  She and Marlene went into the backroom which was in stark contrast to the backroom of Kitty’s Korner.  This was a bright, well-lit space, clean, white, and well-organized.  The long counter on the back wall where Cecilia concocted her products held a microwave, stacks of 2- and 4-cup glass measuring cups that she mixed the recipes in, and four stick blenders for mixing.  In glass fronted cupboards above are the white tubs of ingredients in order of use and large glass bowls for mixing bath salts and bath fizzies.  There are smaller measuring cups and metal measuring spoons.  The essential oils and fragrance oils are in a series of small drawers grouped by type accompanied by individual pipettes for dispensing them.  On the wall under the cupboards the various recipes she used are taped in plastic protectors.  Heavier raw materials like beeswax and her mixture of salts are stored in bins under the counter.  All of the jars and containers for her lotions, lip balms and creams are in sealed bins too.  Each drawer, bin and cupboard is carefully labeled.  At one end of the counter is a double stainless-steel sink Cecilia uses to keep her equipment spotlessly clean.  Even though she’s scatterbrained about putting on an apron and most of her shirts have wax and lotion stains, Cecilia is very careful about washing and sterilizing her things to prevent bacteria contamination.  On the wall nearest the door to the retail area is Cecilia’s computer and a high-quality color printer she uses to generate the labels for her products.  This area is less tidy than the production area.  There are photos of her children and family, postcards from friends, jokes, articles from magazines, a real jumble on a corkboard on the wall behind the computer.  Books about aromatherapy and lotion crafting are piled together with mysteries, classics, gardening books, and catalogs for all sorts of things.  This is where Cecilia’s natural untidiness and broad range of interests shows itself.  As Cecilia moved to the sink to start cleaning up her dishes from the lotions she’d created that morning, Marlene plopped down on a stool and leaned on the end of the counter to continue their conversation.  Opening a refrigerator next to the sink Cecilia pulled out a pitcher of a pale orange-red liquid.

“Grab a couple of glasses.  Here’s the strawberry-mango juice I made the other day.  Tell me what you think.   I was thinking I’d crush some mint into it the next time.  Give it a little zip.”

“Mm.  Good.  Refreshing.  Next thing I know you’ll be serving your juice concoctions to your customers while they shop,” said Marlene.

Cecilia shook her head. “Deal with the government even more than I do now?  No thanks.  I’d have the Health Department breathing down my neck all the time, I’m sure,” she said ruefully.

“So, not to change the subject, but what exactly did Det. Archibald say about Tiffy’s murder?  Did you see anything yucky while you were at the floral boutique?”

           “Yucky, Marlene?  Where did you get that word?  And, no, I didn’t see anything at all yucky at Blossoms.  There wasn’t anything to see.  Remember what I told you Marge Williamson heard from her husband about Tiffy being decapitated with a machete?  Well it’s just not true.  Alan could see I was nervous about that and told me that Tiffy was killed with some sort of knife.  They haven’t found the murder weapon yet.  He said she looked like she was sleeping when Dirk got there.”

“Did he tell you anything else?”

“No, not really.  I get the impression there isn’t much to tell.  Whoever killed her didn’t leave them many clues.  So, did you meet that Lt. Graybow?  He’s Alan’s partner.  I think he’s kind of cute in a teddy bear way.”  Cecilia glanced at Marlene while her hands were busy washing cups and spoons.

“Yes, they came into the bookstore together Wednesday.  I guess he’s cute if you like teddy bears.  Don’t get started, Cecilia.  I’m happy the way I am.”

“I know you are.  Are you wearing makeup?  I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in makeup.”

“Yes, I’m wearing blush and a little eye shadow.”

“It looks nice.  You should wear it more often.  Does this signal interest in some man?  Perhaps some police lieutenant?  Hmm?”  Cecilia smiled at Marlene.

Marlene didn’t return the smile, “Cecilia, you sound just like my mother used to.  I got tired of always looking like a mouse.  I’d invest in some newer clothes but who’d notice?”

Cecilia insisted, “You’ll notice.  That’s most important.  How you feel about yourself.  Marlene, I’m sorry I sounded like your mother.  I care about you.   But you’re too hard on yourself.  You’ve got a lot to offer if you’ll just relax and let other people see the real you.”

“The real me.  It’d be a surprise to everyone, including me.  Got any more of that juice.  It’s really refreshing.”

The two friend’s conversation moves on to plans the business association has for the neighborhood, trying to attract more customers.  Wishing their customers had more money and spent more of it in their stores.  Cecilia washed up, Marlene kept her company as the sun went down, and the city settled in for another perfect summer evening. 

And a murderer contemplated the next victim.

It was hard to leave Aunt B and the sunshine of Fort Myers (and their pool!) but I'm glad to be home to sleep in my own bed tonight, even though it snowed a bunch yesterday (and my lovely renters cleared the driveway--hooray!) and it's fifty degrees colder here than it was where I was this morning.  Gah!
--Barbara