For the past four years my French friend Janou and I spend one August day cruising the thrift shops.  Today was it.

We went to breakfast on the golf course.  And agreed that we would never have the urge to play golf, but the view was pretty.

And before we hunted bargains, we had to go to Home Depot to return a chain saw.

Just your typical north Idaho errand.

The two of us stood in the chainsaw-hedge clipper-blower aisle and discussed the pros and cons of each one of them until we came to our senses and headed to Goodwill.

Janou finds it difficult to clean her closet. In other words, she cannot get rid of clothes. She is petrified that I will “help” her one of these summers, so I like to pretend I am going to drop in with a box of garbage bags.  I guess I shouldn’t do that, because one of these days she is going to be mad at me.  And not invite me over to watch television on Monday nights.

Here she is donating a dress from the 1980’s.
Yes, the 1980’s.

Next stop: animal shelter thrift store.  I bought votive candles for my daughter’s wedding (salmon pink is her color), 2 glass pie plates, a novel by Tess Gerritsen and a cowgirl outfit (size 12 months).  I don’t know why I bought the cowgirl outfit, except that it was so cute and I figure I will meet someone someday who will love it and its matching pink plaid fleece vest.

On to..

… where I found a guitar-shaped wooden cutting board.  A treasure, I tell you, a treasure.

A trip to town always includes a grocery store, and we loaded up with necessary items, like canned chilies, pork ribs, oatmeal and paper plates.

And then to a used clothing store…

…where I saw a red-fringed top (Neiman Marcus!!) exactly like the one Wanda Jackson wore  in the photo I put up in a previous post.  In case you don’t remember, Wanda is a rockabilly legend whose fashion style tends towards red sequins, red fringe, red skirts, red boots, diamonds and big hair.

I tried on the top.  Janou said I had to buy it.  Even though it made me look a little insane and there is one chance in a thousand I would ever wear it.  But it might have been Wanda’s, right?  It could have some rockabilly magic in its fringe.  And maybe one of these years we’ll be invited to a Halloween party.

After all that excitement we had to take a break for gelato.  That is also a tradition on this annual shopping trip.  I bought a leaf-shaped cookie cutter for my pie crust in the store next to the gelato freezer.

My watch had stopped, which meant I thought we were doing well with our time, but I was running 30 minutes late and needed to be home in time to heat up the ribs and make the chili rellenos casserole and appetizers, etc. for the Nebraskans who would be arriving (or may have already arrived).

But first, there was one more store.
It won’t take long, Janou said.  Just a quick peek.
And there inside, near the front of the store, lay a pair of red leather boots.

And next to them were a pair of blue and black cowboy boots.

Love at first sight.  I almost didn’t try them on because the size was too small.  And with cowboy boots you usually need a larger size than normal.  But they were beautiful, so I pulled a sock out of my purse (don’t ask me why I carry one sock in my purse, because I don’t know–it’s there and that’s where it lives) and I put one of those boots on and it fit.

Cinderella time, baby.

We stopped on the way home to take a picture for the blog (Janou insisted–isn’t she funny?).

I’m having a “Wanda Moment” by the lake (please ignore the white shorts and black tank top and the old wrinkly knees).

I wore these boots for two more hours while I made dinner and partied with the Nebraskans.  I simply couldn’t take them off because they were the most perfect boots ever.

I don’t like shoe stores.  I don’t like buying shoes or trying on shoes or watching anyone else buy shoes.  Rarely do any shoes fit or feel good, except for my Merrell sandals that I bought half-price 2 years ago on a 3-minute trip to Macy’s and wear all year round.

But now I know the thrill of finding the perfect shoe.  I now understand you shoe-shoppers out there.

I get it.

And so I bought the red boots, too.