20 percent

That 20%-off bag that came in the newspaper this week guaranteed I'd be taking Kelly up to Northampton, to browse for discounted goods.


We started the spree at a church bazarre that she'd read about earlier in the week. I picked up a neat little travel-size chess set. I can now put my kid in check anywhere we go...

I also picked up a box of Trivial Pursuit question cards. Never owned the game, and as I was paying for it, it dawned on me that the box was a little too small for the cards and game board. Sure enough, reading the box after purchase, I saw that it was a subsidiary card set to the game...D'oh! I'll have to buy the game now. A trivial pursuit, indeed.

Back out on the busy streets, we stopped in a couple of stores that I'd never been to before. One of them was a cool bird enthusiasts' store on Strong street called 'Backyard Birds' . Just what you'd think it is, bird feeders galore, books, seed and thistle by the barrel. I listened in on the store owner answering a customer's question about local bird migrations. She was very knowledgable, and it was obvious she was pretty passionate about the local birding scene.

We came back around Pearl St. and headed back to Main st., passing the venerable old Pleasant St. Theater.

I've seen a few good movies here over the years. They've always tried to show more of the independent or less 'popular' movies. I read recently that it was being sold, and the new owners were probably not going to continue it as a theater. I hope that isn't the case, it would be a real shame to see this Northampton icon dissapear.

Speaking of Northampton icons, we made our way through bustling Main St. to Thornes Marketplace. This 3 story shopstravaganza was also recently sold, but I think the new owners are going to keep it as it is. It was mobbed, as it usually is this time of year.

Walking the narrow hallways between the stores, I always listen for the creaking of the old hardwood floors. They've been waxed and probably polyurethane coated so many times over the decades, it looks like the floor is under glass.

We browsed through a few stores. I got a couple ideas for Christmas gifts, and a couple possible ideas for 'gifts-to-myself', in the post holiday sale world. We emptied back out onto Main st. and headed for the car.

Right near where we parked, there was this song troop drawing a crowd. They were singing 'Here comes the rain again' by the Eurythmics when we arrived, completely a-cappella.

They were so good and the background harmonies so subtle, I thought at first they were singing along to a recording.

Dang, can't record sound on my camera...Gee, really wish I had a camera that could record sound...