Have a Nice Trip and Other Mall Thoughts

Buddy, the wonder cat, is not too happy with me this evening. I have not made it to my blue chair to read since returning home. I have been on the computer and doing other various and sundry things. So, periodically comes the most mournful cry from Buddy as she stands in the entrance of the hallway and beckons me to go to the blue chair in order for her to climb up in my lap. Here's the deal, she won't stay there. She will get into things and places that she knows better than to mess with. Buddy loves attention and she doesn't care how she gets it.


Roy has gone to Reckling Field to cheer on his play college, Rice University. We went to a game last night and were thrilled with the tickets that Roy has ordered for this weekend's regional playoff. His seats are about 10 rows back of home plate...in the shade. Of course my love language is t shirts and we bought two for the regional playoffs. Princess Hamburger's provides the concessions and they do a great job. We left after the 7th inning. On our way home we stopped at Central Market and got a few things for next week.


I met Dena at The Nord for a very early dinner, around 4:30. In fact, I went a little early to take back a few things that just weren't working for me. A trip to the shoe dept is always in order and I bought the cutest pair of Volitive shoes. Laurie M wrote about them on her blog. They are wonderfully cute with a little bit of bling and comfortable to wear. The road to old lady shoes has once again been thwarted. Dena and I had an awesome dinner and got caught up on all the happenings going on in our lives. We shared pizza and a crab stack and we both ordered cups of crab bisque. I left the peaceful surroundings of Nord and went out into the hectic and frantic mall. Made a stop at Eddie Bauer's to see if they had some shorts like I bought at the outlet mall. Then went on down to Border's with my 25% coupon that I used on a book about Cornelius Vanderbilt. I did have a chance to totally embarrass myself in the store. My flip flop hit the top of a stair wrong and I tripped hurling me and all my packages up a few of the stairs. I didn't get any stares as I came to my feet, everyone fortunately was engrossed in their books and magazines.


I've been reading outside of my usual Southern genre. I have read several travel essay books. One I am reading is the biography of Freya Stark. Once I finish it, I have two of her travel books to read. She was a traveler to the Middle East beginning in the 1920's. She traveled mainly by herself, only accompanied by guides and was the first woman to discover main ancient ruins that only the local people knew existed. Her travels and her books welcomed her into England's high and learned society. Although she appreciated and thrived on the attention, her thoughts were mainly concentrated on her lack of beauty. Those thoughts and actions made most decide to admire from afar, for she was much too high maintenance. She and two other women who were scientists, made a critical journey into Yemen and the three of them could not get along for the greater good of what they would soon discover. A book Without Reservations actually introduced me to the writings of Freya. All these travel books are not for me to travel, but I am noting how travels and spiritual travels have some of the same similarities and the decisions that are made in good and bad circumstances. I learned that the word travel is derived from a Latin word that translates travel to mean torture. Some journeys both physical and spiritual are torture. As I walk a very familiar, yet somewhat difficult pass way, I find myself with the same choices, am I going to chose joy or will I let a root of bitterness be planted. There are days when choosing joy is downright hard to do, but having several bitter people that I come in contact with on a regular basis scares me into choosing joy. Don't you know I thank God for reminding me to make the good decision because it seems on those days I struggle, I run into or see the bitter ones.


Well, travel books are calling out to me and I think Buddy put the books up to it. She is looking for a lap to crawl into. Aren't we all at some time.