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i learned a lot of stuff today. i learned how to get to work using 724 east thanks to a massive accident that caused 422 east to get shut down. i learned that there is a goddard school in the annie sez shopping center across from the mcdonalds in collegeville. i learned that there are these purses that you buy the purse and then you buy interchangeable 'shells' so that you can change the look of your purse without changing your purse. i learned that the reason little liliana hates going outside so much is that we go right before lunch and she gets very cranky when hungry.

most importantly though, i learned that the library is a great place to go when you have the itch to go shopping but you know it would be irresponsible to spend any money.

my entire drive home from work this afternoon, i kept trying to think of a good reason to go shopping- what did we really need that i just HAD to stop and buy? of course, nothing worthwhile actually crossed my mind, but i tried to convince myself that i couldn't live without that lightbulb for the basement or packets of seeds for my class to plant. if i had in fact stopped for either of those things, i'm sure i would have spent upwards of $50 on lord-knows-what kind of stuff. but instead, i remembered that i semi joined my mom's book club last weekend and was supposed to be reading 'my sister's keeper', so i stopped by the library instead. first, i applied for my card (i filled out the application and when i handed it in, the lady said "nice job". what?) and then i browsed the shelves looking for the book. by about halfway down the second row, i remembered that books are arranged alphabetically by AUTHOR at the library (it's been awhile), not title, at which point i realized that i didn't know the author's name. (that reminds me, i also learned that jodi picoult wrote 'my sister's keeper', although i learned that after i left the library). abandoning any attempt at finding the book, i started looking for my favorite go-to authors. the selection is shockingly thin at this library considering its size (either that or lots of people love steinbeck and bradbury as much as me) but i still ended up with this little stack to take home:





i like the second photo better. more interesting. anyway.

after i found these three, i was getting ready to check out when a short little book entitled "life on the refrigerator door" caught my eye. juggling my giant purse, my keys, and my 3 already selected books, i reached down and pulled it off the shelf to check it out. the concept intrigued me- it was entirely written in the format of little notes a single mother and her 15 year old daughter wrote to each other and left on the fridge because their busy lives so rarely crossed paths. tired of trying to hold all my other junk while looking at this one, i plopped myself down at one of the many tables and began to read. one hour, and many held-back tears, later, the story came to a close and i realized that i was still sitting in the library and hadn't been home to walk or feed my poor, hungry, full-bladdered dog. i returned the little book to its shelf and left with my books and not one trace of shopping desire left in me.

it was an hour well spent.