As a writer, I look at every experience as an opportunity to learn human behavior, to observe from the sidelines as the world goes on around me.  I mean, sure I get frustrated and even angry with things, but even then a part of my brain is taking in the color and cataloging characters in the never-ending expanse that is my “things to write” filing system.

This weekend, as my mother and I engaged in a little retail therapy at the local mall, I had ample eye candy to keep my brain chugging…from the flamboyant and awesome folks at Hot Topic, to the mother who would not keep her kids from screaming at deafening decibels while we were trying to have lunch, to the bored elves with a Santa with no one coming to see him (I tried to convince my mother she should go have turn, but she refused).

We shopped stores I haven’t been into in years.  To be fair, I do most of my shopping online these days, so going to a store is rare.  And going to a mall is rarer still.  We hit up Barnes & Noble, the afore mentioned Hot Topic, Bed Bath & Beyond and Dillards.

I haven’t been into a Dillards since I lived in El Paso, and they had closed all of them before we left there.

For being a Sunday in December, it was not very busy, and it gave us both a chance to forget the holiday frustrations for a while and just shop.  I spent far too much money for someone who said she was done Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving!  Especially in BB&B…I LOVE their candles, and they were having their sale…got a few favorite scents and a couple of new ones…because CANDLES.  Have I mentioned my love of tiny flames?  Especially this time of year.  I have candles burning pretty much every night in December, reminding the sun that we need him here, and enticing him to return.

I did manage not to buy ALL of Barnes & Noble, which, considering I was shopping with my number one enabler, is a small miracle.  But, now it’s back to the daily grind and my cup of coffee.

Hope your week is fabulous, Readers!!

Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash