mad4books: A sweet day...

Here's something weird and wonderful that happened to me yesterday. I stopped by Karen's teen consignment store to drop off some homemade cookies that I know she likes. (In fact, we're the *only* two people in the world who like these cookies; they're made with Splenda, stone-ground whole wheat flour, and natural peanut butter. Very healthy...except for the brown sugar and CUP of butter.)

So, anyway, I kept my distance from the counter because Karen had a customer. A sweet, older lady was trying to sell Karen some jewelry, but Karen was telling her that they didn't take jewelry consignments. The pieces were so pretty and interesting, though, that Karen called me over to see the lady's canary diamond ring, cluster pearls, and other unusual items. The lady was so nice and sweet, and Karen asked me who she reminded me of. I thought about it for a while and then said that I wasn't sure exactly who, but that she could totally pass for someone in our family. They both burst out laughing and admitted that, unbeknownst to me, Karen had said the *very same words* when the lady first came in the shop.

I suggested she try selling some of the nicer pieces to Weinkauf Jewelers because he not only MAKES jewelry, he sells it, too. She thought that was a good idea, and we hung out at the counter talking about teaching and other things. I asked if she liked cookies made with Splenda and offered her one from the Baggie in my hand. She said that she hadn't had much to eat that day, and could she please have TWO instead? Karen exclaimed, "Wow! You really are from our family!" and we all cracked up.

Karen got the lady a tissue in which to pack her "to go" snack since she said she needed to get to a manicure appointment. The next thing I knew, she pulled a ring I'd been looking at earlier from the jewelry box and gave it to me. (It had nine red stones arranged like a tic-tac-toe board, and she must have heard me ask Karen if garnets were Mom's birthstone.) I refused to take it and put it back in her jewelry box and closed the lid. She handed it to me again, but I gently pushed it back and said that I absolutely could NOT accept it because I'd accidentally overheard that she was going into the hospital next week.

She said, "I want you to have it. I don't need it, and I have a husband who works!" I weakly replied that it didn't seem like a fair trade for two peanut butter cookies. She finally handed it to me again, insisting that it was a Love Gift and that she WANTED to give it to me. She also said that I'm not allowed to tell anyone who gave it to me so last night, at Bronco Bonco, the ladies made up all kinds of funny stories about how this ring is hot.

It doesn't help that an armed fugitive who pulled jewelry heists in Odessa and the Metroplex escaped police this week by running into Abilene High School and blending in with the students. See http://reporter-news.com/abil/nw_local/article/0,1874,ABIL_7959_4629493,00.html .

So now all the ladies are teasing me about "aiding and abetting" armed fugitives by providing them diet peanut butter cookies.