"Stop and Shop"

I miss shopping. I miss meandering through malls, scouting cosmetic counters, ducking into messy changing rooms. I miss the smell of new shoes, the bustle of large department stores, the quaintness of small boutiques. I even miss giant food warehouses. I miss Roseville Galleria, Arden Fair, Stone Ridge in Pleasanton, Walnut Creek shopping, Santana Row....yes, my list goes on and on! There is a large structure going up down the road from us, and I was so hoping it was a mall! I would give anything for an Ann Taylor Loft and a Pottery Barn. But, no. It seems to be something in conjunction with the new brewery being built next door to the village. (sigh) Like the world needs another brewery. Not so! We need a mall!
But what Monrovia does have is a portable market. I like to think of it as "Wheelbarrows R Us". If you own a wheelbarrow, you have unlimited access to customers. Goods are piled high and pushed around from markets to street corners to parking lots. A wheelbarrow store is highly specialized; the ultimate specialty shoppe. There is usually only one type of commodity per "shop." Our favorite purchase from a wheelbarrow store is bread. "Wheelbarrow Bread" is a soft french bread and rather tasty.
Here are some of the products seen being sold from wheelbarrows: tennis shoes, nail polish, fabric, stationery, cassette tapes, pineapples, socks, rice, jewelry, canned sodas, smoked fish, men's golf shirts, coconuts, watches, flip flops, telephone accessories, cornmeal, toddler's clothing, DVDs, blue jeans, stuffed teddy bears, men's skivvies, watermelons, crackers, plastic bowls and buckets, ladies sandals, toothpaste and soap, onions, sugar, women's underwear (kind of a rolling Victoria's Secret!).

Well, until I can find an Anthropology or J.Crew or Target, I will continue to enjoy scouting out the portable markets.
Happy Shopping!
Babs

Oh, by the way, the most innovative use for wheelbarrows I have observed is transporting patients to the hospital. Just flop your buddy into the wheelbarrow and push him to the nearest ER! I have also seen patients being discharged from the hospital in wheelbarrows. Hopefully, they were on a lot of Vicodin, as it seemed a rather uncomfortable ride.