'vogs and holiday book acquisitions

Well, although I have not been to the LYS for about 3 1/2 weeks (some kind of record!), that does not mean I have not been spending. Quelle surprise.

In this regard, I went to John Fluevog on Queen Street yesterday to check out the Boxing Day sale!

Well, guess what - no deals left for me, given that it was 7 January (almost two weeks after the sale started!) and I do not have size 12 feet. Alas.

But don't feel too sorry for me. I did manage to acquire two sets of beauties (at the full price):

These are the Saint Michael loafers.

These - I forget the name. They're so new, apparently, that they are not yet on the website! Hee hee hee.

My rationalisation - I did not spend anywhere near all the money I had allocated myself for the trip. Of course, I did manage to spend some of it, mostly on books. I don't know what it is about travelling that makes me purchase books en masse. I needed one extra suitcase for books coming back (and one, of course, for British crisps and chocolates as you will remember if you've already read this post).

Here is one of my new purchases:

I thought the title was very appropriate. I'm hoping to acquire a sewing machine in the near future.

To balance this off, a book by a true Domestic Goddess:
She rocks! And meals in 30 minutes? I like. Anyone who can midnight snack all the time and look as sexy as her is a true hero in my book.

Another purchase for the workplace:

Handy for staff meetings, I thought.

And, being the ever generous person that I am, I did not leave JJ out of the bounty:

with such gems of wisdom as:

Don't drop cigarette-ash all over the living room carpet. Some people will tell you that it improves the colours...

Huh?!? Why didn't JJ buy that excuse when I gave it to him after the last Tenant Advocate Summit at the pub ("Oh aye?!?  Last time ah was at the paint shop ah didnae see the colour 'ashtray', hen.  Two and a half million colours, mind ye, and no 'ashtray'.  Mebbe ye should write all the paint companies.  Ye could make millions and ah cuid retire...")???

...but your wife won't care to try that recipe.

Oh. I see.

Don't refuse to eat cold meat once in a way (sic) if you are home to that meal. Unless you keep a large staff or domestics, you can't always have a hot meal both at midday and in the evening.

Dang tootin'!!!

Don't expect to understand every detail of the workings of your wife's mind. A woman arrives at things in diffferent ways, and it is useless to worry her with "Why?" does she think this or that.

Hmm... how many self help books have I seen on the shelves with that theme?

Don't "talk down" to your wife. She has as much intelligence as your colleague at the office; she lacks only opportunity.

Seems pretty progressive, actually, for the time period - let's have a look at the conclusion of this paragraph:

Talk to her (explaining when necessary) of anything you would talk of to a man, and you will be surprised to find how she expands.

(...in the fields of sports, peeler bars and gossip?!?)

Actually, not all that bad considering the time period in which it was written. I've seen Oprah and Dr. Phil come out with worse stuff. Who wrote this, anyway?

Blanche Ebbutt

Well - that explains a lot.

But lest you think that I'm picking on JJ by buying this book, I did buy something similar for myself as well:

I'll save the nuggets of wisdom from that one for a future post, I think. This one is getting a tad out of control.

In parting, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish a very happy birthday to Shirley Bassey, one of my favourite singers. Her name may not spring to mind, but doubtless you remember the theme song from James Bond Goldfinger? That was her. And if you don't remember that, perhaps this will refresh your memory:

Please have a couple for me, Ms Bassey!