The water spirits actually received more than one ring, harking back to yesterday's musings on dreams and mermaids. My friend Kim also ceremoniously gifted the pool with a ring all those years ago, and I do apologize for forgetting. It does deserve mention. I had such magical childhood friends.

What did I throw? Well, it doesn't sound as magical, but I threw in coins. I was quite a financially tight child at the time (due to my twenty-five cents a week allowance) and so it did represent a good gift from my point of view. Once, and soon after, my friends and little brother found a twenty dollar bill lying damp and dirty in a stone alcove by the pool. Well, this was obviously a fortunate sign, and we spent our largesse from the water spirits merrily on penny candy from Marochi's grocery store.

Speaking of treats....

Today, still off from work, I treated Jeff's Nan to tea and scones in a little tea-room downtown. And then she treated me to gelato. Mmmmmm, blackberry. And then we wandered through my favourite vintage stores, exclaiming at old tea cups and antique books. I am ever on the search for those beautiful vintage rhinestone brooches, but I didn't seen any alas.

I am also on the hunt for the perfect reading chair, as I have come to the conclusion that no chair in my house is actually comfortable enough to curl up in. I DID see a circa 1920's green velvet winged armchair that made me stop and seriously covet it. I also saw some soft little red leather bistro chairs in another place that were also extremely worthy... but the price tag was nasty.

Tracy, if you are reading this, know that I covet the ugly yellow armchair in your living-room. It is just the most comfortable thing.

Nan and I got into a conversation about things that are old but still useful and wonderful, and she told me about her Philco refrigerator that still sits in her kitchen out on the prairies. Sure, the door is now held shut by a bungee cord, but it works as fine as ever. And she still remembers the day back in 1953 when her and Jeff's grandfather sold some pigs to buy it.

I told her that if the Philco company is still around they should use her in their advertising. :)