Happy Day!

On weekends, I feel the need to spend as much time as I can with Gracie, to "make up" for the hours I'm at work. Sometimes I chuckle to myself and say, "She's a DOG!" Today would be different. After a gentle, lazy start to the day, I put on my white capris and azure blue tank top, using the hair clip I bought last july in Butchart Gardens (with blue pressed flowers against a white porcelain clip), and wearing the silver and blue chandelier earrings that Sarah brought back for me from Costa Rica. My feet slipped into white flip flops. I picked up the handmade straw bag I bought at the Shrimp Festival last March. Michelle's going shopping.

My premier destination was Beach Seafood for some large pink Gulf shrimp(yummy!). I put a small cooler in the back of my CR-V (weekends, with high traffic coming to the beach, it's near suicide to try and turn left out of Shrimp Boat Lane - I would buy the shrimp first, then head into Town. Beach Seafood always packs with ice, so the delicious pink shrimp will do well in the cooler). I bought 2 lbs. Will there be anything else? I hesitated, as I nearly drooled over the tuna, mahi, grouper, snow crab, king crab. I LOVE seafood... I was like a kid in a candy store. "NO, That'll do it, thanks."
Next stop was Petco. A few days ago, I met a nice young couple on the beach. They were from St. Louis, MO and were here on vacation. I had Gracie with me that evening, and she was the reason that we met. They have a Weimaraner, and "missed her" as she is kenneled while they vacation. Linda and Jason are their names, and they played with Gracie as we chatted. Their Weim is 6 yrs old, so I had a lot to glean from them. One recommendation was a toy called a "kong." This toy has been recommended to me for Gracie, before, but this time, Jason's recommendation came with the reason that Weim's need "work" - they need to be stimulated, and this toy can do that. So... off to Petco to get Gracie a "Kong". Of course, there's not just "A" KONG... there's small, medium , large, extra large, bone shaped, shoe shaped...ad nauseum. I bought one that a figured appropriate for Gracie, and bought several custom sacks of healthy dog treats. What a lucky dog.
Well! Looky here! Petco "just happens to be" in the same shopping plaza as DSW...the mecca of shoe shopping. Gracie has chewed several pairs of shoes...she loves the leather.... and , well... shoe shopping is medicinal. I bought two great pairs of shoes: one pair, a casual "Merrell" sandal, the other a real smart black wedge by Liz Clairborne. I'm so excited!
On to Total Wine, which "just so happens" to be next door to DSW. I bought 2 bottles of red and 2 bottles of white. It's great fun reading all the descriptions, the "choices" the samplings. Again, somewhat like a kid in a candy store.
I decided to stop at Publix on the way home. "never grocery shop on an empty stomach". I know that very well, yet today I disobeyed. Everything looked really, really good. I bought a car load. The majority of my purchases were fresh produce, so that's a good thing. Let's just hope that all this fresh stuff gets eaten, and not spoiled and tossed.
I pulled in to the driveway a few minutes before 5:00. Lauren's car was home, and her boyfriend's truck was here. La was just about to leave for work. The girls gave me a beautiful card, and a CD of Edith Piaf! Happy Mothers' Day!! to me!!
It's been a great day!