A Little Bag of Treasures

My friend Cindy and I walked out of The Little Nature Store in Boerne, TX, one hot, sunny day this past July having had a very enjoyable time browsing. We each even found a few items to take home with us.

Chow Time at Rudy's

I was in Texas attending  a conference of the National Career Development Association; Cindy was there to be my tour guide when I wasn't attending conference sessions. We had seen the bats in Austin, sampled the bar-b-que at Rudy's and strolled along the San Antonio River Walk. On this particular day, we were on a mission to find some Texas wine for me to take back home to my sister who was keeping my cats happy while I was gone.

What an amazing phenomenon!

The Little Nature Store is a blend of science project resource mart, feed store for creatures both domestic and wild, and organic nursery. We were both charmed by it; it made me miss the nature store we used to have in our local mall. When we had satisfied ourselves that we saw everything from the plush Songbirds of North America collection to the bins of gleaming gemstones to the glow-in-the-dark stars to glue to your bedroom ceiling, we paid for our selections and headed out to find some ice cream. Happy with her selections, Cindy peered into her recycled-paper sack and referred to it as her "little bag of treasures." We looked at each other and exclaimed in unison, "There's an essay in that!"

The Little Nature Store, Boerne, TX

"There's an essay in that" became a major theme of that trip.  In fact, recognizing  writing topics during our adventures has been a feature of our friendship ever since the first year we both taught English at Northeast High School in St. Petersburg, FL. While on the phone one afternoon that fall I happened to mention that it was "my first non-anniversary."  We met for supper that evening while I told Cindy my story and she molded it  into an essay.  We've been writing buddies since then.

I've been going through a dry spell lately when it comes to writing.  My job, boyfriend, cats, and reruns of Sex and the City have consumed my attention and time for the past year or so. But Cindy's "little bag of treasures" comment got me thinking about the various kinds of items, insights, lessons, experiences, friends, etc., that we collect along the way of our life's journeys. One treasure I gained that day in hot, sunny Boerne, Texas, is a new way of thinking about the journeys I have been on during my life, the many wonderful treasures I have received from each of them, and a renewed interest in writing.

So here I am at the beginning of a brand new journey into the world of blogging.  I can't wait to see what kinds of treasures it brings me!