Hello March

 [continuing on from Webs of Thread] {and still no Toaster Oven Tuesday item}

If you came over from WoT, you'll know I left off with having headed to the mall with Panda.  I don't get out much, so going to the mall was a big deal for me, not in a YIPPEE!! way, but it was interesting to see what stores were there and what was in them.  It had been at least two years since I'd been there.  We did quite a bit of walking around...oh my poor back and feet...I DO need to get out more!

To set the back story: last Monday while at Panda's we spent some time in the early evening watching a cooking show, Kid's Challenge or something, and I marveled at how much those 10-13 year old kids knew about working in the kitchen.  One of the items they made were French Macarons which I have never had (not to be confused with macaroons made with coconut). I know Judy @ Patchwork Times has blogged about them in the past but I don't recall if she gave what the ingredients were, so I watched these kids with rapt attention, and Panda was surprised I'd never had macarons and explained there was a kiosk that sells them at the mall.  We made plans to go to the mall at our next meeting, which was yesterday.

A few days after the show, I'd been to a local Trader Joe's and found some in the freezer department, a dozen for $4.99.  Not cheap, but overall less than the $2 apiece that Panda said they were at the mall.  There were six flavors in the frozen ones of which I preferred the coconut, the fig, and the apricot; the other three flavors didn't really stand out.  Now, the ones at the mall, she bought six of (actually $1.79 apiece or $11.xx for a box of 6). Hmmm, the '6' price is more than 6 x individual price...anyway, she got them and we found a table to sit at in the food court after also finding a Vietnamese food kiosk where she bought a Boba beverage - mango - also something I'd never had (remember, I don't get out much) which is juice that has tapioca and 'juice balls' in it.  Bizarre right?  But oh my, was it tasty, and of the macarons she bought, we split a coconut one - better than the frozen brand, and a strawberry cream cheese, which was very tasty.  

Then we wandered parts of the mall so she could go to a specific store for some facial products, we checked out the Disney store, a clothing store and Williams-Sonoma.  There were no crowds, and I wondered how these stores stay in business.  Shops in the mall can't be cheap to operate!  Maybe that accounts for their sky-high prices.  A LeCreuset oval pot at W-S was $345.00!  For ONE stinking pot with a lid!  Add sales tax to that and you're paying $380.00...for ONE pot! and a name brand! at an expensive 'name brand' store.  Growing up poor in the country in the 1950's I guess I just learned to be more frugal and I don't think I've ever bought anything because of the 'name' brand.  Stuff like that just isn't important to me.  Think of how much more fabric I could buy for $380!  Right?

Other activities of the past couple of weeks that have kept me busy have been getting back to a weekly meeting with my Padawan quilting student, and catching up with each other.  At home, I'm adjusting to Marty being a 'remote' employee (and the first paycheck hit the bank yesterday - always worth a smile).  We rearranged his desk into the master bedroom, but I have yet (with his help) to clean up and sort through the stuff that piled up on the floor downstairs where his desk had been.  Neither one of us have been diligent to get rid of things over the nearly two decades we've been married, and, add one teenager and all his accumulation too, and we seem to be overflowing.  I am INTENT (haven't forgotten about that word) to get a lot of this stuff out of here, but there are also things that could go back where they should be...if I had the cabinets.  

When we remodeled the two bathrooms, we had a cabinet above the toilet that has yet to be replaced, for my hair, make-up products, etc. .  Also, in my Creation Station, I still would like cabinetry along the one wall which will hold the stuff that now still sits out, as well as my genealogy files. 

An old friend, Shelby, spent the night back the end of January & will be spending tomorrow night here again.  With that in mind, I've been attempting to work through some of the overflow in the guest room.  And speaking of that, I need to get back at it.  When she was here before, I'd passed along a bunch of stuff that she could either use, sell or pass on to a women's shelter.  I have old clothes that are way too small for me now so will pass those on, and if I ever should lose weight, well, the mall is always there!