Saturday, October 27, 2007

My Trip to Hobby Lobby

I've been sick with a cold the last several days. So Friday night I took Zicam Nighttime and went to bed. I remember getting in bed but not much else until Saturday morning's sun began gently drifting through the blinds.

We headed over to dad's house to get a few winter things out of the closet for Judy. We stopped by the cemetery and I visited mom and dad for a bit. We visited some of Judy's family, too. It was such a beautiful day here. It has been 5 weeks and one day since dad died. His marker has the date of death on it now.

I miss dad. I don't miss the Alzheimer's but I miss dad.

Then later we were driving down Western and Judy said "Can we go to Hobby Lobby?" Well, of course we could and we did.

The fellow that started Hobby Lobby lives out in Judy's general area somewhere. His name is David Green. I think he is about 5 or 6 years my senior. I read his biography not too long ago. It is titled More Than a Hobby: How a $600 Startup Became America's Home and Craft Superstore. He started out working in a local T G & Y Store. T G & Y was kind of the Wal-Mart of stores of my youth for those who may not know. At any rate Green and his wife, Barbara, started out with a little miniature frame business in about 1972 or so. And that eventually grew into Hobby Lobby Creative Centers which number some 386 stores at last count.

Our store was in a large strip shopping center and we had to park quite a little ways from the main entrance. When we entered I got one of the remaining few carts. Judy likes to have a cart to hold her purse. I like to have a cart to give me something to lean on and push and make me feel like I am of some use during the excursion.

There were a lot of people in this store. But the people were vastly outnumbered by the stuff. This store is really large. I think it might approach the size of a Wal-Mart - maybe 80% or 85% as big. And everywhere you look there are rows and rows of shelves. And on the shelves is all this stuff.

I think a lot of the stuff is from China. And a lot of it is painted. I wondered if any of it had been tested for lead. Wondered if I should get a mask or something. But then I had this fleeting vision of me putting on a mask and people panicking inside the store and the shelves all starting to fall against each other and things falling and breaking here and there. Hobby Lobby is not a good place for a panicked crowd.

I had no idea why we were in the Hobby Lobby. It is not the kind of store I would ever enter by myself, willingly at least. I had been in this one another time, also with Judy. I will pretty much go anywhere she asks me.

I dutifully pushed my cart in front of me as Judy led us up and down the aisles. She stopped a woman who was wearing an apron and had some kind of tag. I learned we were hunting some kind of figurine for a grave ornament. The saleslady knew where some were and took us to them. But they decided that a laughing horse wasn't really the right kind of figurine.

There were so many things inside the Hobby Lobby that it kind of made me feel a little out of balance - like losing your balance in the shower sometimes - or maybe it was my illness. And then it started feeling kind of tight and closed in - a little claustrophobic. I felt light headed.

I watched others in the store while I was following. There was a group of women that had found a large metal cross of some kind. They were very happy and one lady was clutching it tightly to her body. I cannot imagine feeling such happiness over such an object. I wondered what in the world was so special about that cross.

Then there were others here and there - mostly ladies - but a few men. All of them seemed intent on hunting something. I could not tell if they were having any success or not. Frequently they would pick up something and examine it in close detail and then return it among the others of its kind. I don't know if that's good or bad.

I could not help but think of the Chinese workers who had made these things. I wondered if they were made one at a time in a cottage type industry or if they were made on some kind of line with division of labor by task. I wondered if they knew about the Santa Claus figures they made or the religious images or even the laughing horses. They were pretty good craftspeople.

I asked Judy what was down at the other end of the building. She said it was fabrics and craft items and so on. She asked if I wanted to go down there. I didn't.

We left empty handed after about an hour.

9 comments:

Annie said...

You didn't want to go to the fabric and crafts section? But there was fabric there. And yarn, I bet. You passed up yarn? What kind of a person are you? ;)

~Betsy said...

This reminds me of how my husband follows along behind me when we go to Walmart. Since mom started her Angel constructing, I hunt for the foam craft kits relentlessly. Today he followed me up and down the aisles of the craft section at Walmart as I searched. I wonder if he got light headed, too.

I hope your cold feels better soon.

cornbread hell said...

first it was the chasing off of the possum test. now you've passed the even more daunting, store full of stuff test.

congratulations, man!

Lori1955 said...

Oh, this is too funny. Only you, Terry would be thinking about the Chinese workers and wondering if there was lead in the paint. I'm still laughing about that. By the way, the craft section really is the best section of any store. I would have loved to hear your take on the various crafts.

SKYGIRL said...

Still Laughing!;-)

You are making "HUGE" good Husband points! And you caught yourself smack-dab & center of a Costco Size Crafts Store, full of rabid crafters? I would be light headed too? LOL!

We don't have that size of craft store here yet, but I bet they are soon to come!

I like "I will pretty much go anywhere she asks me" Wow! how refreshing. Now if you really want to make big points, try this one. Every woman wants to hear this one!

"Your Wish, Is My Command!" HA!

nancy said...

i am still laughing imagining you walking around hobby lobby with a mask on. you are too funny!!!!

Joanne said...

I always thought every man in this world hangs onto the shopping cart to feel some kind of useful during our shopping excursions. Now, I know they do. LOL Great post, Terry. Hope the cold goes away soon.

Anonymous said...

Struggling not to laugh out loud while reading this! My husband and I fight over "who gets to push the cart" at every store! I never knew that he was trying to feel useful...Thanks for letting me in on that! He will go find the car/plane/boat models when I am wandering around in Michael's Crafts Store. I usually have to go in search of him when it's time to go. Wow, all this time I always thought that lightheaded feeling was from the excitement of shopping!!

*sigh* Yet another reason why I miss my Dad so very much - He was a great shopper - He loved to go to the mall and would even sit on those uncomfortable "waiting chairs" outside of the dressing room without complaint, even seemed to be enjoying himself if I took him clothes shopping with me!

I hope you are feeling better soon!

cornbread hell said...

terry, i guess you realize from these comments what a great service you've done for all women and men by revealing the real truth behind "the pushing of the shopping cart" phenomenon.
i think a nobel peace prize is in order.