Takin' the Blog for a Walk

a bird in the hand . . .

Posted by Brien Lee on May 17, 2009

8) my favorite things

I love shopping at Char's Hallmark. There's a fair selection of cards, though in a different economy it has been better. It's extremely rare if I'm not pleasantly greeted at the door. (On occasion, I'll try to sneak in without the greeting just to see if I can.)  

If I have time, I'll put a lot of thought into card shopping. I try to find the card that matches the gift or recipient's interests. Saturday I didn't have a lot of time, and didn't think my one year old niece would care which card I got her. I was on my way to Pick N Save for groceries, could have picked up a nice card there, but stopped at Hallmark anyway.

It may cost a little more to shop at Char's. They're next to a dollar store (one cashier at the dollar store with 7 in line. two cashier's at Char's and no waiting.) When I see all the empty slots at Char's I know they're affected by the economy. I'm happy to pay a little more if it will help them stay in business.

I found a nice, age appropriate card for my niece, furry to the touch. I was offered a special, one-of-a-kind bag to place my purchase in. I almost always pass on the gold seals, but will never pass on a special, one-of-a-kind bag. The bag was made by one of the salesgirls, and I thought it good enough to share.

On the way out I saw a tiny bird on the sidewalk had apparently died after flying into the store's glass. 

I could have bought a card at the grocery store, allowing the ice cream in the cart to melt while I looked, or I could have spent a little more time and money. . .