It's a beautiful day in Salisbury today - made even more beautiful by the fact that it rained, nonstop, yesterday. After a little housework, I packed up my knitting bag and headed out to spend the afternoon wandering around town. The key word there is "wander." Thankfully I discovered today that if I wander around long enough I'll eventually find what I was looking for which, in this instance, was Paperchase.
The girl in me that still loves when stores start putting out school supplies, who would love to dive in to a swimming pool full of crayons, loves Paperchase. It's full of cute notebooks, stickers, cards and fun little things that you really don't need but have to have. After picking out a handful of cards and a couple of packs of stickers, I wandered around a little more until I found Starbucks, bought a cafe mocha (which, unlike Starbucks in the US, they give to you in a real mug if you're "staying in") and headed upstairs.
Despite all of the wandering, I really am feeling a little more confident. Being out and about by myself felt really good today. I even found myself paying for things with more than just notes and one pound coins. I know that sounds absolutely silly but I'm still learning what each coin is worth and if you're behind be in line you might be waiting for awhile as I look for 2p. I'll figure it out eventually, though.
After writing a few cards and finishing my coffee, I picked up a soda and a chocolate bar and headed home via the cathedral (even though that means crossing a busy street to get home - I had to walk past our flat by a block to get to a crosswalk because I don't feel confident enough to cross on my own yet).
This was the view from my bench where I wrote a few more cards and wished I had either finished the pair of fingerless mitts I started knitting back in August or that I had unpacked my outer wear box and found the ones Kim made for me back in the days of the first Knitters Hunk. It's sunny and warm here but a bit chilly on the extremities.
In the past I've lived across the street from a shopping center at best so it's utterly amazing that I live across from something like the cathedral.
Just gorgeous.
I also took a photo of what Matt has always called The Giant Button. I don't know what it really is and refuse to find out until I have to (i.e. when Mom and Dad come to visit in March or April).
As always, time has gotten away from me and my stomach, which is more used to the time change than the part of my brain that tells me when to go to sleep and when to wake up, knows it's way past lunch time....