The Efficiency Experts

The Man and I met his sissy and brother-in-law today to pick up Mom from her two week visit with them.

They suggested we meet at the Vermont Country Store - a very unique shop, if I may say so.

They have all kinds of goodies and treats. Toys and tableware. Clothing. Household items. Most of their goods are items you can't find anymore. Nostalgic items.

Mom had a blast walking around the store. She kept picking things up saying, "I remember this! My mother used to....." or "I remember this! I had one of these for....."

The sales clerks thought she was a hoot. One woman spotted her showing me something and came over, put her arm around Mom and said, "Are you still reminiscing?"

It was great to see Mom smiling so much.

A very old looking refrigerator.

I couldn't figure out if it was truly old or just made to look that way. Either way, it was a beautiful piece.

We wandered around the store for about an hour or so and then went and had lunch together before we parted ways.

It was a perfectly lovely way to spend a winter's day.

Thought this was interesting. 

There were metal tracks all around the store, way up along the ceiling. Mom pointed them out to me, telling me what they were used for and how they were in use well before her time.

The money used to travel from the cashier to a central cash office, who would then return change to the cashier to give to the customer. Advertisements from the time period claim it was the most efficient and economical way to handle cash transactions in a retail store. 

Hmm.

I don't think people today would have the patience to wait for the cash to come back. 

It's funny how our definition of "efficient" changes as time passes.