Another me day

Yesterday, I had another me day.

I told you about my occasional me days in a post last October. A me day is when I declare a day all to myself to enjoy spending time with me.

October was my last me day, when I spent the day in Minnetonka, Minnesota, spending hours looking at fabrics and patterns at Stitchville USA; then to the Country Store gift shop, browsing through their two floors of selections and buying a few special treats for, who else? Me.

Yesterday's adventure didn't start out with that intention.  But basking in the glow of having a ladies' lunch and ginger-peach tea with my friend, Judy, at Mrs. Thomas' Tea Shoppe in Mesa, I just allowed a me day to commence all by itself.

The tea shoppe was so quaint, cozy, and charming. Linen tablecloths decorated Victorian tables, all set with china tea cups and plates. Elegant silverware and a teapot perched on top of a silver candle-warmed tray to keep the tea hot completed the table.

Well, not quite. There was a small porcelain stand with a welcome message bearing our names at the table.

We dined on scrumptious chicken soup, quiche, little tea sandwiches, fruit, and scones with lemon curd, honey and butter. A scoop of raspberry sorbet for dessert. All the makings of high tea.

Then we shopped in their little gift shop area for a bit, and hugged each other as we parted to resume our day.

Well, hmmm, thought I.  This is just a perfect entree into a me day.  And I decided to continue on.

My first stop was Attic Needlework. This shop is so artistically arranged, it's like being in an art gallery. Or a kind of museum, as the shop specializes in samplers, a colonial art of old.

They have many finished pieces hanging on the walls. I took my time looking through patterns and threads.

It's a me day, remember.

I bought a stitching tool. One end has a needle threader and the other a stitch remover. It also offers a way to even out and repair stitches.

My mother gave me one many years ago, but I forgot it in Minnesota. I've missed it. Now I have one to keep in Arizona.

My next stop was the very large Goodwill store on the corner, next to Attic Needlework. I am always searching for bargains, especially Southwest pottery and the like. A voice over the loud speaker announced it was half-price day.

I bought a bedroom lamp, priced at five dollars, much in need of a good, thorough scrubbing and a new felt bottom. Two dollars and fifty cents. Half-price.

My next stop was to be the Fiber Factory for yarn. I had not been there yet, and I want to make a lap-size afghan for our Arizona home. I drove around a bit to find it, and discovered it's in "Old Town" Mesa, a folksy, artsy part of town.

I parked the car, and as I walked to the middle of the block where the yarn shop was located, I passed a vintage shop with a great window display of retro tables, chairs and dinnerware. The door was open, and, of course, it called me in - insisted, actually - to take a look.

It was another museum-type shop with all kinds of used knick-knacks, vintage clothing, jewelry, furniture, you-name-it.  Kind of an upscale Goodwill.

I found these old pottery vases, the kind we had looked at for our Mesa living room but couldn't afford anywhere else.  For eight dollars, they were all mine.

Okay, on to the Fiber Factory. It might be a me day, but the afternoon was almost over.

No bargains here, exactly, but a good yarn shop is a real treasure. There is nothing like the feel of well-spun, soft yarn from a quality mill.

This shop has spinning wheels in the window, which they sell. They offer classes on how to use them, and one was in session.  So many beautiful, colorful and creative yarns to choose from, one could easily get carried away.

But I stuck to my mission of finding yarn for my afghan and found this beautiful yarn from Sweden, in perfect colors for a southwestern home.

Isn't it gorgeous?

 My watch tells me it's now almost five o'clock, and time to head for home.

Ahhh, another perfectly wonderful me day. I highly recommend it.

You are so worth it.