I bought a purple kettle...it has a whistle. It's bright shiny purple actually and ever so nice...stainless steel...none of that nasty aluminium that gives you dementia...
We had to get some parrot food you see...not that we actually have a parrot...it's a bright yellow bird that must be the most boring bird in the history of birds...but it eats parrot food and the only place that it can be bought is the pet shop underneath the craft shop...and the purple kettle was in the other section...where they sell outlandishly expensive wicker baskets and dinky little gardening gloves sprinkled with flowers that briars and thorns go straight through...the staff are quite gormless...they stand in a neat row behind the counter and try their very best to avoid any customers brave enough to venture close, clutching their goods and a handful of euros...
I went upstairs to the slightly mad ladies who run the craft shop...they dart about with bales of yummy fabric and pore over customers patterns before suddenly dashing over to grab exactly the right material and then they produce sewing cotton and zips and tot up the total on a brown paper bag...
The counter groans under the weight of gorgeous ribbons and pretty buttons...fat quarters and jelly rolls...there is wool that comes from Yaks and wool from Bamboo...softest balls at horrible prices from Alpaca, in all the colours of the rainbow...plain down to earth acrylics and wool from Black faced sheep...
I wander about bedazzled by choices while Paula leans her bosoms on the counter to give them a bit of a rest and directs me to the remnants basket...stuffed to over-flowing with silks and scraps of slithery satins...little bits of velvet and lengths of airy organza...I pick up the packages and wonder whatever would I use palest pink netting and soft baby pink satin for...
She whispers the latest gossip and the sombre Polish girl who works with her pulls her fur gilet tighter and pretends she isn't listening...and stuffs my meagre purchases into a brown paper bag...she does the most exquisite embroidery with beads and narrow ribbons when the shop is quiet...which is rarely.
I tore myself away from the displays and tottered down the stairs to look at the budgies chattering in their cages and the baby rabbits snuggled up with fat guinea pigs...beautiful tropical fish and seriously silly dog toys that Eilis and Millie would eat in five seconds and then look for more of the same...
Hey I bet you bought the kettle to match your slippers.
I'd love to have a craft shop like that near here! It would be seriously tempting to add to my stash of fabrics and threads. Purple is a fun colour, we should have more of it in our lives!
in reply to
Oh...it's a dreadful place ! I go for a reel of white sewing thread and come out with an armful of stuff!!
What a good time you had then vashti. I love the sound of the purple kettle, I can hear it whistling from here and the bird that eats parrot food although he isn't a parrot. What a bright and sunny life you lead - on some days anyway.
Morning Vashti, So there you are,not sitting at home vegetating.doing things that give you pleasure,The shop sounds fantastic, a bit like the shops we had many years ago,good to hear they are usually busy. Really pleased you and himself have cleared the air. What a terrible time you had,no wonder he worries.Best wishes Bulpit
We have a shop like that near me in Hemel Hempstead - lovely with corners stuffed with surprising
things, ribbons and silks and fabrics which excite me and make me want to make something (I always
spend more than I should!) We used to have a local young lady who used a kettle as a handbag so that's an idea if you want to get max. use from it! A purple kettle handbag sounds really good.
Mad as a box of frogs Vashti - and what is this un-named boring bird which is not a parrot? And is it wild and free or caged? Your life is hilarious - I'm glad you let us have glimpses into it!
Silly bird lives in a big aviary...he's a Kaka something or other that I've forgotten how to spell...he did have a couple of budgies in with him but they used to beat him up...lol
Yet another wonderful picture you've painted vashti. I do hope the "staff" from that shop never have occasion to come on this site - I don't think you'd be their favourite customer, but a fabulous description. I've been in shops like that with the same kind of assistants, I think the two go together? Not enough of these "curiosity" shops left now, more's the pity.
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Nexthaler running out of puff
Afraid to go back to work.
Going home hopefully Thursday
Just waiting to go to theatre
All seems to be going well
