Sunday afternoon I retreated to the shoe department at Nordstrom Rack.

I admit it. That's how I deal with stress.
Well, that and chocolate. And old movies. And escape novels and hiding in bookstores and reading the New York Times while lingering over a cappucino at Starbucks...

OK, I obviously don't deal well with stress, but that's a topic for another day.

Yesterday, while I sat on the little bench at the end of the size 8 aisle, trying on the armful of shoes that had caught my eye, a woman sitting on the little bench across from me spoke.

She held up the same pair of black pumps I was trying on and encouraged me to buy them.

Naturally, I returned the favor.

We struck up a conversation and for the next, oh, 30 minutes or so, didn't stop.

She was up from Walla Walla for The Farm Chicks sale.

Talking about that we discovered that we had been there at the same time on Saturday and that our paths crossed a number of times. She ordered pasta from Davide at Trezzi just as I walked away, she bought a table from my friends Sally and Nancy while I was in their space, and she had a long conversation with Farm Chick Serena while I was interviewing someone nearby.

We also discovered a similar philosophy about having children, living in the Northwest and spending time with our female friends.

All over a pair of shoes.

I left Nordstrom with a little less stress, a new pair of shoes and a new friend's address and phone number.

Now that's power shopping.