My Name is Ingrid...

"My name is Ingrid, and I'm addicted to Target."

I did not say those words!

They were spoken to me by the sweet concierge who greets me when I enter my hi-rise home in Seattle.  I wish I could deny this assertion, but it's true.  I may have a Target problem, but let me explain.

Living in the heart of Seattle, I do my grocery/housewares shopping in two locations.  The first is the phenomenal Pike Place Market where I get produce, meat, fish, flowers and a host of other items like thick balsamic vinegar and interesting spice mixes.  But the bounty doesn't end there!  Thankfully, a few years ago, a City Target opened half a block away, and I can't imagine life without it.  Anything I can't get in the Market, I can find in Target.

This is kind of my Target motto

City Targets are a slightly different breed than the superstore you may be used to way out in the sticks.  The stores are much smaller, and in an existing building.  They tend to sell items that in smaller packaging to fit in smaller urban households.  They don't play music—do they play music in the suburban stores?

We have lots of colorful shoplifters!  Just the other day, I witnessed a man heading for the exit with a large bottle of Johnny Walker protruding from his sweatshirt.  It looked as if he were suffering from an unusually-shaped goiter, which did not fool Security, as you can imagine.


Where else can I find workout shirts for my husband, pork loins, candles, and ear buds.  In the market for a pool float?  I can't imagine why you would be in the downtown shopping district, but Target's got you covered.

Feeling virtuous?  Pick up a yoga mat and some steel cut oats.  Feel like breaking some dietary guidelines?  Look no further than aisle three on the first floor.

Another reason to revel in the warm glow of Target?  The store is inclusive (after some rough patches in the early years), both in its merchandise and in its hiring practices.  Want to know what America really looks like?  Come to my Target where the employees span races, ethnicities, religions, and gender.  We're all together, getting along!

My one bone to pick:  The book section of my store keeps shrinking, and I suspect this is true across the country.  It's tucked away in a corner on the third floor, where there is no foot traffic.  If you're looking for a padlock or a fishing lure, you might stumble upon it, but otherwise, it's a sad little spot with few visitors.  Come on, Target!  More books!

So I've admitted my addiction in a very public way, and I already feel better.  So good, in fact, that I may just have to wander over to Target later today and pick out a new nail polish.  Or a bottle of wine.  Or a shower caddy...

What about you, Reds and Readers?  Do you have a store that is your happy place?

And a little housekeeping: Brian Vincent, you've won a copy of David Joy's book!  Denise Ann, you've won a copy of Christine Carbo's latest since the first winner was a no-show!  Please send your mailing addresses to ingrid@ingridthoft.com.

Behind-the-Scenes

INGRID THOFT

The other morning I was walking home from the gym, strolling through Pike Place Market.  It was early, and I realized that the market I was seeing was a far cry from the market that most tourists, and even locals, usually see.  In the middle of the day, rain or shine (yes, it really does happen) Pike Place is a riot for the senses.  The scent of lilies and raw fish, the deep colors of fresh cut blooms, and the sounds of buskers are all part of the experience.

That particular day the market was technically open, but it was empty and quiet, and I got a kind of behind-the-scenes peek into what goes in to bringing Seattle's top tourist attraction to life everyday.  There are some permanent stalls, but even the fish mongers and the produce people have to pack their products away each night, although their "store fronts" remain in place. 

Most of the vendors have to pack away not only their wares, but also their display cases and lighting.  At the end of each day, they store everything on pallets with wheels, lock it away in a secure part of the market, and roll it out each morning to begin again.  

It isn't just the behind-the-scenes at Pike Place that interest me.  A number of years ago my husband and I sprung for the full-day Backstage Tour at Disney World.  We'd been to the park enough times that we were ready to see something new and did we ever.

We went into the famous tunnel system under the park, which allows "cast members" to move about without being scene by the general public.  We learned that they test carpet samples in the employee buildings to decide which options are most durable.  We saw the enormous department dedicated to holiday decorations and were told that the park is always being painted and the light bulbs are always being changed.  When they finish, they immediately start again.  This tour satisfied my inner organizational freak and changed the way I look at the park forever.

Where else would I like to go behind-the-scenes?  I know it will never happen, but I would love to get a peek behind the curtain at a big international airport like Dubai.  I can only imagine the systems that exist in such a facility.

How about you?  Have you seen inner workings that have amazed you?  Is there any place where you'd like to get the backstage tour?  

Small Joys Big Happiness by Jenn McKinlay

One of the things my mother taught me, just like her mother taught her, was to find joy in small things. I remember spending a lot of time outside with my mom when I was kid. She would frequently tell me to be still (honestly, did she even know me?) and listen to the birds sing. It was a struggle. I am now and was then usually a blur of constant motion. But I did it. I listened. I heard the chirps and trills fill the air, and I marveled that so many birds could be chattering at the same time. I still pause to listen to the birds in my yard, because it amuses me to wonder what they’re talking about (probably, the great lummox, standing in her yard eavesdropping on them).

Looking back, I realize it was so much more than just an appreciation of birdsong she was sharing. She was teaching me to be observant of my surroundings, to be present and in the moment, and to find joy in something so small that most people, sadly, miss it.

Arizona Sunset. Pink Clouds!

When my hooligans were little, I would usher them outside every time there was a beautiful sunset. “Pink clouds!” I’d yell. Even now, so many years later, if they see a sunset, they holler, “Pink clouds, Mom!” and we all run out and watch as they deepen to purple and fade into night.

People, I think, spend an awful lot of time chasing happiness like it’s some illusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, instead of appreciating the small joys that pop up in their every day life. Madison Avenue convinces us that happiness is attached to a price tag or a label, but I don’t believe that’s true. I have never bought anything that filled my heart like the grin of one of my hooligans or the music Hub makes when he strums his guitar. And so, with the world being rather negative lately, I’ve been trying to focus on the small joys that make it all worthwhile like birdsongs and sunsets.

So, Reds, what are the small joys that brighten your days?

LUCY BURDETTE: Well, I can think of a lot of big things having to do with family and friends. But small things? Most of them have to do with food. Like our amazing tomato crop, which is just past peak. John said tonight: "Wouldn't we kill for a tomato like this in February?" (Yes, we would.) And the Connecticut peaches from our local grower, Bishops, are so sweet and delicious. I'm eating two of them a day!

Jenn's peach tree, which also brings me joy
and a butt load of peaches every June! LOL.

And I'm also grateful that my Meniere's is under good enough control that I can have a cup of coffee (big!) every morning, and a glass of rose if I feel like it at night without worrying that I'll get instantly dizzy. And I'm grateful to have Jenn's new book to read, which I am taking to bed with me tonight...

JENN: Thank you, Lucy, you're very kind!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I always try to  take a moment every day to look at the stars. Just to remind myself of everything. It really makes a difference.  Little things? My slippers, seriously. Nice soap. That first sip of coffee in the morning. The first sip of wine. When I have a good idea. (One little good idea and I am happy for hours.) When I am home writing and the weather is nice, I take a walk every day, and first, circuit our garden to see what's coming and going. Sometimes I see a bunny! And that is fabulous. (Even though the bunny's favorite thing is our hosta.) And of course, you know, the ducks.

Hank's flowers!

Hanks' bunnies!

HALLIE EPHRON: Top of the list, my grandchildren. I've got two pips. Nature-wise, the birds that hang out in our yard. We have so many bushes to provide cover where our neighbors have mostly grass. And the other day a painted lady butterfly through and paused on a flower. Lovely.

Hallie's butterfly!

RHYS BOWEN: I love the view from my balcony. On warm nights I sit out there watching the stars, the light of a plane crossing the sky and listening to crickets and frogs. I swim every day and relish in the blue sky. And when I'm in Arizona in winter I'm with Jenn--the sunsets are incredible. My cell-phone is full of zillions of sunset pictures! And little things? My afternoon cup of tea. Walking with friends. Dinner with family. So many things to be grateful for!

Rhys's view!

INGRID THOFT: One of the little things that makes me way too happy?  The sight of “People” magazine in my mailbox on Friday.  I love starting the weekend off with a shot of pop culture and human-interest stories, and I especially like reading it in the bathtub.  Warm chocolate chip cookies are always pleasing and seeing the gorgeous displays of fresh flowers, seafood, produce, and handmade wares at Pike Place Market never fails to give me a boost.  I love to watch the amazing variations of color and light that occur on Puget Sound on an hourly basis.  Also, the vessels that make their way range from tiny Boston Whalers to mega container ships with just about every size in between.  It’s like looking at a Richard Scarry book in which all of the different moods of maritime transportation are delineated.  Remember Richard Scarry books?  Those books still make me happy!

JENN: I loved Richard Scarry books! SO fun!

Ingrid's Pike Place Market! 

What about you, Readers? What are your simple joys?