I love Asian art vases, and I remember admiring the large, wonderfully painted Chinese-made ceramic vases they used to sell next to my workplace years ago. Although my blue vase painting isn’t as fine as the imported Chinese vases admired, I enjoyed remembering the friendly people with the gleaming vases for sale near the Asian market in Edmonds, WA.

Right beside the famed Ranch 99 Grocers, was a crowded shop full of imported art, gifts, and home decor. They featured amazing hand-painted vases, carved jade bracelets, with rotating sizes and designs, as their stock sold frequently.

Discovering new vases and their different designs soon after they were unpacked was great fun. The hand-painted vases came in all sizes from short bookshelf sizes to tall, grand entrance vases painted with amazing scenes; delicate birds, bold carp fishes, and brightly colored flowers entwined among the ancient hillsides and storied landscape of China.

The store was filled with the glowing colors and shapes of all the different Chinese vases, and drawers displaying hand-carved jade pendants and bracelets. It’s a shame the shop is gone now. Small specialty shops are the prize of any town. I’m still exploring the antique art galleries, and hand-made gift shops of Bryan, Texas. There are so many treasures to discover in downtown Bryan as I go to lunch with friends, and browse the diverse shops nearby.

As I shop the wonderful shops in Bryan's historic downtown, part of me will be looking for a turquoise blue vase.