Shop with me!

By Elizabeth Prata

I love to shop for things I need. I seem to be unable to bring myself to buy things I want, but if it is something I need, I buy it. The only exception is books. I'll buy a book anytime.

I don't shop in stores. I abandoned them after 1978 when as a teenager I outgrew malls. Honestly, I hate shopping in brick and mortar stores and avoid malls like the plague. I love online shopping though.

I have been an Amazon customer since 1997. 22 years! Wow. I enjoy browsing, then purchasing, then tracking, then seeing it arrive at my door. I never even had to leave the house. After the printing press, I think Amazon was the best invention ever.

I was gifted a hefty gift certificate this summer. I bought a lot of things. The main item was New Balance shoes. My feet are wide, have a high arch, and pronate. I am also on them all day, walking up and down concrete floors. Good shoes are critical. My old New Balance shoes finally fell apart. When I went to buy new ones I was shocked at the cost now! I got these with the gift certificate and they are like walking on air.

I bought two books that I needed to help me when I blog about daily life in ancient Christian times. Applying the theological word to daily life brings the ancients more to life and I enjoy picturing how they lived day to day. The one book I had was kind of a survey and not deep or substantive, so with my gift certificate, I bought these two more detailed books:

A friend had given me Crocs sandals some years ago. I love a shoe you can slip into. After years of wearing them daily at home as slippers, or yard sandals, they finally fell apart. I looked for new Crocs but like the New Balance sneakers, my oh my, they are expensive. I found this alternate and I love them. They are cushiony, the holes on top ensure my feet don't get too hot, and they were the right price. They can also be used in the water as lake or shore shoes. I highly recommend these Amoji Unisex Garden Clogs-Shoes-Sandals-Slippers:

I learned this summer that Charles Spurgeon adopted a persona called John Ploughman and wrote two books of practical advice for Christians. It's in the style of Ben Franklin's advice as Poor Richard's Almanack.

Here is part of the Ploughman's blurb: "He had a gift for speaking the language of the man-in-the street and presenting Christian truth in a way that captured the imagination. Two of his publications of this type are here combined into one volume. Both are funny, pointed and profound in their content. They give answers to the common questions of the day on doctrine and behaviour as explained by a ploughman to his wayward audience."

The moment I heard about this book it became a 'must-have'. Thanks to the gift certificate, I 'now-have'.

It was a disappointment to discover that IBS sufferers like myself are sensitive to many kinds of tea. I love hot tea. I love everything about it. But for now, I need to drink low FODMAP teas (too complicated to explain here) but suffice to say that the dandelion tea and my cherished chamomile tea in my cupboard are off limits for now. If I drink black tea, it needs to be made weak. Sigh. That's most of the tea I have on stock.

So since for now I can't have the other teas, I bought some more Boh Lemon myrtle and Peppermint teas, which are OK for IBS/FODMAP folks. The chamomile in the pic was part of the 3-tea bundle.

I also enjoy a good soap. A few months ago I found this French bar soap that is creamy and soapy and feels wonderful. So I bought another bar.

13 years ago I acquired for free a 20 year old crock pot. It was 7-quart, oval, and when filled, so heavy I could barely lift it. Then the handles broke, making it even harder to lift. With the gift certificate I bought a 4.5 quart crockpot. It's attractive and easy to handle.

I also bought some pencils for school, a journal for note taking during sermons, groats, quinoa, and vitamin B12 (doctor or nutritionist orders, FODMAP again), some necessary clothing items, and toy mice for my cat. I can make a gift certificate last, I tell ya.

I had fun shopping for my necessary items this summer with my gift certificate. I'm grateful to the folks that chipped in and got it for me.

What do you shop for? Needs? Wants? Impulse buys? Brick & mortar stores, malls, local shops, or online?