Hunting in Foreign Parts

I hate to shop - I love to hunt. This week, I did both. But I found that there's a certain cache to doing even things I dislike, as long as I'm not at home. For, you see, within days of the Extravaganza, I headed out to visit my sister in Texas.

Texas - what a beautiful country! Good food, great people, unique architecture, and they even speak English! What more could a girl ask for? The cost of living is a miracle,too! I could actually live on my salary in Texas – their nighttime movie tickets are the same price our matinee, for heaven’s sake! Sigh. It must be nice, living in a foreign place.

Okay, so I’m exaggerating, but sometimes I forget what the rest of the country is like. I was born in California, spent high school in the Midwest, and I’ve lived all over this country and in two others. Every place is different, even within the U.S. - especially in the U.S. Mostly it's regional, but some cities are micro-countries in and of themselves. There’s nothing micro about Texas, however.

I didn’t go hunting right away. For one thing, I needed clothes (outlet mall - also huge!). I also wanted to spend time with my sister (and her girls) and my mom, relax, veg out a bit – okay, I didn't want to be rude. That lasted less than twenty-four hours. The day after I arrived, I opened the Yellow Pages and started looking for targets. Since few towns in Texas are consolidated in one place I tried to narrow my hunt to places that someone had a map for. If you get lost anywhere in Texas, you could drive for hours without seeing a single person. UFOs have trouble finding abductees. Miles pass with nothing more than scrub and cattle and really big flies visible on the horizon.

But by Thursday night I was itching. The papers told me that Fridays were yard sale days, but Friday was the day we went clothes shopping. (I hate good manners.) My sister saw where my eyes went as we drove, so she laughingly gave me keys to one of the cars. (I love good manners.) I got up at dawn on Saturday, and didn't plan to be back until I ran out of either gas or stamina.

Only one garage sale in the paper used the word “jewelry” so I went there first. Nice house, big sale, lots of stuff, but I restrained myself (I would have to take this home, remember) and bought only a bottle opener for the Big Lug, a sterling and CZ pendant (gilded, so I guess they missed the 925 mark), an American Eagle Outfitter watch (for me, just needs a battery), a really cool toucan pin (pot metal, but adorable), and a cool little necklace for Head Trip (to match a bracelet I gave her months ago). All in all I spent $3 there. I accidentally put back a rhinestone tennis bracelet, but only regretted it for a couple of hours.

After six more sales but only one more buy (a carved bat of some kind, one that sort of matches one that we bought years ago), I headed north.

Three of my shop addresses were in the Old Town area of one place. They were setting up for some kind of festival, and in Texas that means one of two things, chili or steak. Let’s just say I nearly fainted from the heady perfume that wafted to me on the breeze – there is nothing I love more than the aroma of mesquite and grilled beef - but it was only 10 am, so that meant even the ticket booths weren’t open yet (damn). I went to the thrift shop on the main drag (in the Midwest it would be a town square, but in Texas it’s straight and wide and goes forever). The outside was unprepossessing (as befits a charity shop) but someone was already hauling in donations. That’s always a good sign. I went in … and fell in love.

Two older women were in charge, and nicer ladies I have never met. The jewelry was right up front (are they smart, or are they smart?) in three shiny cases. I spent over an hour there, spent $17, and came out with a pair of Mexican silver earrings, a sterling and onyx bracelet (that I later gave to my sister – so it’s not in the photo), a some-kind-of-blue-stone rough-cut pendant, and the sterling cross set with (I think) fire opals (fluoresced brown). The three of us (plus various wandering women) talked the whole time, about our kids, our husbands, Texas ... and jewelry, all the while trying things on and admiring ourselves in the beveled mirror. I was enchanted by them (and giddy from the BBQ). Another minute and I would have exchanged pot roast recipes and addresses for Christmas cards. Why can’t the whole world be that friendly – and that interesting?

I hit two antique stores after that, and though it was fun, it was pretty much same-old, same-old. By this time, too, the heat was on – and the ticket lines were already around the block! – so when I was finished (coming out with a pair of fake - good fakes - square-cut ruby earrings, five Nursery Rhyme Wade figurines, and two pipes for the Big Lug) I drove off to lunch somewhere else, late. Then I headed back, to go out to a movie and dinner (and another movie) with my sister and her best friend.

Sunday we headed to yet another town with another friend, but most of the places were closed. We spoke with some shop keepers, who said the landlords keep raising the rent, yet sales are way down – eBay, the economy, speculators, or all three are killing many of these places, especially the smaller ones. Of course, the prices are not low, which doesn't help (rent is rising, remember?) but I found a beautiful pair of vintage sterling lotus-blossom (with red stone) screw-backs, and the day was done. I flew home yesterday.

It was a wonderful trip, a great vacation. Of course I loved (LOVED) spending time with my family, but more than that – this is the first time I really stepped out of the box to hunt. I visit places all the time, and stick only to the “safe” things – established malls, etc. Not this time, and never again. All I really need for hunting in foreign parts is a newspaper, a good street map, a positive attitude, and a pocketful of small bills. The rest usually follows.

I’m going to Indianapolis in July. I think I’ll order the map now.