Nils

I love how it is in Europe. Shopping malls are in the streets. They're not in covered buildings as in U.S., at least so far as I saw. And the stores in Europe have wares outside, and the store owner or salesperson stands outside and tries to get you to come inside.

In the Coralville Shopping Mall in Iowa City, the aisles are wide, and spaces on the aisle are rented out. These wide open "stores" are on wheels, I believe. In these stores without walls, you can see sunglasses for sale, for instance. Pocketbooks. Jewelry. Oh, yes, you can get a hands-on back massage.  One of the most interesting places I've found is eyebrow threading.

Have you ever heard of it? I never had. It is an Indian and Middle-Eastern technique. The ladies take a spool of cotton thread, pull it and twist in such a way, that it acts as a tweezer. So simple. Just thread. No wax etc. I believe the lady told me that after a few times, the hair does not grow back. I do not think that's true, however.

After we visited Jack, the beloved border collie at the sheep farm, my daughter and I went to the Coralville mall to cheer ourselves up. As we walked by, a charming man tried to get me to stop at his spot. He said to me, "Nils."

I brightly said, "What?"

He said, "Nils."

I said, "What?"

He said, "Nils."

My face stayed blank.

Then he held out his hands and said, "How are your nils?"

Then it dawned on me that he meant nails -- as in fingernails.

I smiled and told him, "No, thank you,  maybe another time."

Apparently he sells a kit that shines your nails, and you never need fingernail polish. I know this because Jacqueline, who met us at the mall, had let this charming man who was from Israel, by the way, shine her nails, and they looked really nice.

God bless the people who have the courage to stand in the open like that with their little stores and really welcome you.