Caveat Emptor

Have you ever gone out to shop for basics, and come back with anything but?

Here is how our day went. We met my husband’s sister in law for coffee in a local seaside town. The intention was to go for a long walk first along the beach. This turned into a short and very slow walk; I collected a beautiful selection of green lipped muscle shells and four varieties of sea weed (smelly but beautiful).

Then we went to a “purveyor of unusual foods to the restaurant trade”. I had one item on the list – Israeli couscous. We left with two lots of cheese, sauerkraut, Russian beer, S. African gumdrops and dried fruit (for my dad) and camphor cream for my sore feet.

After recovering at the coffee shop, we went to buy the next item on the list, bread from the German bakery. Tick. Next door was a French designer shop. They had ornamental candles for sale. I got one for $2, a globe in the same green as our living room. It was a 10th of its original price. So, not too bad;-)

En route to buy a bunch of flowers for a friend, we acquired a 1940’s armchair and beautiful book of tulips in a second hand shop. I now have a reupholstering project on my hands, to use up all that spare time!

Next time I only have three items on my shopping list, I’ll send my husband. He isn’t as easily distracted.