On Monday, my friend Ann and I went to the valley (see my earlier post on the way we Estes people talk) to shop.  Boulder and Longmont, actually.  I had been wondering why, if I had lost (as I have lost), over 55 pounds (at last count) I still looked so, well, bulky?  So, I turned sideways to a mirror after dressing in my best uniform of black knit pants and tunic-length T-shirt and noticed that everything was so loose that I kind of swam inside it.  I looked not only not much thinner but really sloppy.  Hmmmnh.  Although it has been years since I’ve enjoyed shopping (unlike the Wicked Queen‘s, my mirrors have seldom said to me that I’m the fairest of them all), it seemed indicated.  So, off Ann and I trekked, talking all the way about everything and anything from Estes Park politics (always a source of wonderment) to my new more minimal living room (Ann is not yet a fan, and I’m still not sure–see my last post).

Lots of Daffodils--Image via Wikipedia

We had lunch first, and then went to a big and old-fashioned hardware store called, I think, McGuckin’s.  This is a great store, the kind of store where you can find, say, funnels or kitchen tongs just a few aisles away from pretty pots in which to put plants.  It’s not a lumber yard hardware combination, just a real hardware store.  Great fun!

Then, we found that the Macy’s in Boulder is perhaps the only one in the country that doesn’t have a plus-size department.  (I may have lost a lot of weight, but there’s still a lot to go.  Sigh.)  Colorado has the distinction of being statistically the healthiest state in the union, which is probably accounted for by all those residents and visitors in inadequate snow gear hiking up very pointed and steep bits of scenery.  Although I don’t know this for sure (my idea of a hike is from the sofa to the refrigerator), this state apparently has bike races in which the idea is to point the bicycle up the steepest road and/or trail possible and have at it.  In the winter.  Shudder.  Anyway, after that, we went to the upscale mall and a shop called Coldwater Creek.  Which has plus size clothing (at least some).  Of course, this mall in Boulder is not just upscale, but UPSCALE, and has an Anthropologie, a Moosejaw, whatever that is, a Chico’s , a Black/White and, be still my heart, an Apple store.  Ann had to practically physically restrain me from going to the Apple store, because I want an iPad so bad, I’m like a kid at Christmas wanting a Flexible Flyer.  I have no need for an iPad; in fact, I haven’t figured out all the bells and whistles on my iPhone yet; but Steve Jobs got it right, and I simply want it.

But Coldwater Creek distracted me, because I was getting into pants and jeans (jeans!) four sizes below what I had come to think of, with resignation, as “my” size.  FOUR sizes down.  Woo Hoo!  I have to admit, I haven’t felt that kind of joy shopping for clothes for a lot of years.  And the pants I tried on weren’t even “plus” sized, but a regular women’s size.  Quite a rush!  Ann was terrific, finding smaller sizes of everything, and searching for what I wanted.  I finally settled on a pair of red jeans (jeans! me!), a pair of black jeans (ditto!) and a pair of more dressy black knit trousers.  All of which have to be altered because while they fit beautifully, they were all four inches too long.  A very small caveat, and I’ll find someone to hem the trouser legs very quickly.  What a success!

So was our next stop, Whole Foods, which is a store I love.  Blood oranges, Meyer lemons, balsamic roasted beets, quinoa salad, all sorts of yummy, healthy foods, and we were done.  The store was filled with big bouquets of daffodils, such cheerful flowers, and they make me feel happy.  So that’s where I’m going to end today.  The very strange moment we endured later at a Sears store that was closing forever will be for another day’s blog.

I hope all your shopping trips are wonderful ones, filled with funnels and daffodils and the next smaller size!

Daffodils--Image via Wikipedia