You win some, you lose some

I'm so mad I could spit. I could actually spit a nail, take a shot of whiskey, and smoke a cigarette.

And I don't smoke cigarettes.

It all started last week when I went hunting for jewelry. I was enjoying such a beautiful spring day by browsing and even stopping to smell the roses whatever these little flowers are.

I stumbled upon a new antique store with lots of Indian pottery, which I'm not interested in, and sterling silver, which I am interested in.

As I walked in, there they were: two beautiful sterling silver candleabras. I admired them but restrained myself as they would certainly be too expensive for a girl like me.

They looked very similar to these.

Very, very surprisingly, they were $95 for the pair. For the pair! You can't find that for less than $1,000 with the price of sterling these days! And the work on them was just impeccable. 

I told the owners that I'd like to ask my husband if I could have them for my anniversary present coming up. He said they'd be happy to sell them to me even though the price has gone way up since they bought these gorgeous beauties in 1985. Then I start envisioning my new candlesticks on my table. I told Andrew all about them, and he said that we could go take a look this Saturday. 

This Saturday couldn't come soon enough. 

I took a ride out to this shop again this afternoon. I know $95 is a steal.of.a.deal. for these, but in WhitneyWorld, there's always a deal to be made. Maybe I could haggle a bit, is what I thought. 

I walk into the shop. The owners look surprised to see me. I ask if they remember me and my admiration for the candleabras. They hesitantly tell me that they had been bought just minutes before by some lady in her 70's. 

Oh no.  

I really got sad. My one chance to own sterling candleabras is gone. I'll never find them at that price again, and I know it. The shop owners proceed to reiterate that truth as well. Many times over. 

The owners surprise themselves by being sad about that situation too. They say that they had just talked about me yesterday. They say they wish it wouldn't have sold to that other lady just mere minutes before I walked through the doors. 

Sigh, well I tell myself, "You win some, and you lose some." I usually win, though. I'm always on the hunt getting the best deal and striking when the iron's hot. I don't regret needing to talk it over with my husband first. That's the way we do things, and after all, it was supposed to be an anniversary present. The least I could do is to tell him what I'm getting myself for my anniversary with his permission. And it would only be appropriate that he come with me as we buy that anniversary present. 

We're still going back on Saturday. They have a few other sterling pieces on hold for me. I have a "thing" for sterling. It's a very expensive "thing" to get interested in, I know.

Those owners sure felt bad for me. I wasn't too upset in front of them; I waited till I got in my car to cry. I think they'll give me a deal on some other pieces, but it's no match to those candleabras.

My life will go on, and as it does I will count my blessings, even if it's a life without sterling silver candleabras.