Anyone for IKEA?

Admittedly I am well past the age of dreaming of furnishing a house, but I like to wander through the exhibit rooms and admire all the accoutrements that might have made my daily life better organized. If IKEA had been around some thirty five years ago, my late wife would have turned our home into a shrine to IKEA.

It’s not so much that I have a thing for home furnishings, it is just somehow reassuring to watch the young couples roaming the exhibits, she with a tape measure and a list and he pushing a cart half full Swedish labeled boxes maybe with a toddler or two in tow. It gives me a sense that the world is not coming to an end soon when these young people are still looking to build their lives regardless of the turmoil in the world at large. Those problems fade as they try to decide between the color and design of a living room settee or a bedroom suite.

But the fun doesn’t end there. Take a stroll through the market place area with its bins chock full of mysterious boxes with Swedish labels which are impossible to decode. Kitchen ware, lamps of all sizes and shapes, linens and towels, and closet fixtures fill the aisles on the way to check out. There must be something there that you cannot live without.

And did I mention the food? The chief attractions are Swedish meatballs and a wondrous assortment of Swedish torts and cakes. These are not only delicious but inexpensive. I have read that IKEA in Germany is a prime dining location, maybe not so in epicurean Dallas, but certainly worth a try.

But that is not the end. Exiting the store there is the aroma of fresh cinnamon buns filling the air. Huge cinnamon buns oozing with icing are just waiting to go home with you. What better way to end the day.