Phase III - Friday the 13th

An excellent reason for neither of us going to jail was the necessity of buying a new pair of lamps.

I will repeat, I DO NOT LIKE TO SHOP. If I need something, I'll find a means of purchasing something appropriate, but it is not a blood sport for me as with some women.

To be continued ...

MOVING RIGHT ALONG: The selection of lamps has improved over the years. But my lamps had several criteria:

1) They had to be a tone of blue that would coordinate with the current wall color, art, and bedspread in the room.

2) They had to be of a simple shape and style to contrast with the white wicker headboard.

3) They should be no less than 25" inches tall, and no higher than about 30" so as not to overpower the headboard or the end tables that were to be their home.

So off we went. We had seen billboards for Posh Furnishings along the highway on Canal Road, so we started down that road first. Posh is an appropriate name. The pieces there were large and pricey, and there were no lamps suitable for my more modest setting.

On to Coco Island Furniture. There was a large selection there, and a number of attractive, cheerful options, but only one blue lamp that I thought might do. The color and finish were good, but the shape didn't appeal, and I thought it a little large for our bedroom. At $159 apiece they were a little pricey, too.

World Furniture offered lots of imported things that were totally inappropriate for us. They did carry a large number of attractive woven rope and wicker pieces, if you've a yen for that sort of thing.

Henry's had nothing appropriate.

So we drove on out to the main drag in Gulf Shores and visited a shop I'd never been to before. And there was a doable blue lamp. It looked like it came from the same maker as the one at Coco Island, but the shape and texture were better and the price, too, at $122.

And I found Charlotte again. She sold me the bedspread for that bedroom two years ago at Henry's furniture. She gave me the name of the seamstress who sewed my drapes. After the drapes were installed in 2003, I wanted to call and thank her for her recommendation and praise Sunny's work. I tried Henry's and she wasn't there. I had lost her. And she's just the kind of woman I wanted to know.

Charlotte owns Anchor Furniture. So she did it for me again. And she gave me a 15 percent discount. The lamps came in at $102 apiece. If you're that way, check out her shop. Buy something. It's been a rough first year for her. And she sells bedspreads.

Friday 13 was a lucky day for us.