Grocery Shopping Bliss

This week is the craziest shopping week of the year......at the grocery store. And my town seems like it's ten times more horrible than any other when it comes to shopping. I carefully avoided the grocery store this weekend. A friend who went last Thursday at 10am said there wasn't a grocery cart to be had. And the few times I've been stupid enough to go the day before Thanksgiving, the line for the check-out stretches around Produce, through the Meat dept. and all along the back of the store.

I've learned my lesson. I decided this year to go at 7am this morning. I made a list, I made Hubby check the list, and then I checked it again. There would be no going back to the store at any time this week. Period.

I got to the store as it opened. I parked one space away from the entrance. I picked a cart from the very long line of carts still available at the front of the store. As I headed toward Aisle 1, I dug the list out of my pocket.

Sadly, it was not my grocery list. It was an old shopping list for Wal-mart. Damn, Damn and Double Damn! I considered going back home for the list, but I just didn't want to put in the time and effort. I would shop from memory (Bwahhhhhaaahhhaaa!)

It was so calm and blissful and quiet as I cruised up and down the aisles. I carefully thought in my head what was needed to make it through the whole week, including a Thanksgiving dinner for my Hubby's kids on Saturday. I made it to the end, then turned around and went back for the things I missed. It was absolute heaven to have no people, no lines, no waiting.

The cashier and bag-boy were pleasant as we joked about how insane it would be later in the day/week. It was the cashier's first time, but the bag-boy was a pro with three years of experience.

I even remembered to use my Gift Card and to get quarters for my laundry this week.

When I got back to the car.......there was my list sitting on the front seat!

After I stopped laughing, I checked the list. I had not forgotten a single essential item!!! It's a Thanksgiving miracle!!!!

The only thing I did forget was the Tension Tamer Tea......but I won't be needing that, now, will I?

Moving Day

Is there anything more fun/aggravating than moving?

My son and his wife were living in a condex, and are moving into a split-level house. Hurray for them!

I got to see the house for the first time yesterday, and it was so much fun to be given the "grand tour". Even more fun was seeing my daughter-in-law's excitement as she bounced around the house, showing each new visitor her new home.

I took the day off and spent the day helping her, along with others, clean the house and paint Emily's room so things would be ready to move in today.

I have to work this morning :( The rest of the moving crew is meeting at the "old house" this morning and will move until it's done. I'll join the crew and/or go take care of Emily after I get out of work.

It's exciting and fun.....but so much work! It'll be worth it when they're all cuddled up and cozy in their new house.

I don't know what to name this post cause it's so stupid...........

A new government task force has declared there is no need for mammograms before age 50 and no need for self breast exams. You can read the whole article here.

Are they crazy? The American Cancer Society has been advocating for years that all women of every age should do breast exams, and women beginning at the age of 40 should have mammograms.

And now this "U.S. Preventative Services Task Force" is saying there's no need? What is wrong with these people???? Have they ever seen a woman go through the rigors of Breast Cancer treatment? Chemo? Radiation? Surgery?

Well, they should. Because if they did, they'd know that it's no picnic, people. It's serious business. And if feeling myself up once a month and going for a booby-squishy once a year is going to keep me from dying.....I'm all for it.

If this "Task Force" convinces just one person not to get a mammogram.....they should be shot.

Are there MORE Omaha Steaks in my Future?

As I've mentioned before, my very sweet old Auntie Izy is now living about 2 minutes away from me. She has no immediate family since her son died last October, so our family has adopted her (she's my father's brother's widow). We invite her to holidays, etc, and we've let her know to call on us anytime she needs help.

Last year my sister and her husband helped her move from her house to the elderly housing in my town. As a reward, she sent them a box of Omaha Steaks.

I offered to help her with her medical directives and her finances......she then sent me a box of Omaha Steaks.

Just a couple weeks ago, my brother John, who is an auto-body tech by trade, offered to fix up a little dent and scratch on her car from a fender-bender. He was finally bestowed the honor of receiving a box of........you guessed it.......Omaha Steaks.

This weekend, Auntie called and asked, "who in the family might be best to put together a small cabinet for her". Since Hubby is an assembler, I assured her we'd be happy to come over and Hubby could put her cabinet together for her.

We went over this morning and I spent two hours visiting with Auntie while Hubby built her cabinet. As we were leaving, I could see her fishing in a drawer and thought, "Oh crap, she's going to offer him 20 bucks for helping her. There's going to be a big fight". She didn't offer him 20 bucks.....she offered him $100! They argued....and Hubby surreptitiously left the money on the kitchen table while I said goodbyes to Auntie at the door.

I'm sure she found it after we left. I can only guess there will be some Omaha Steaks in our future now.

I'm Guilty.......

I've said over and over again....in this blog as well as in the "real world".....that I hate it that the Christmas Season is so rushed. Big sales beginning before Halloween. Decorations and Christmas music in the stores just afterwards. Why can't they keep Christmas for just the two weeks before the actual holiday?

But I started my Christmas shopping yesterday. Yup, I did. I couldn't help myself. I had some time off......I had money saved in my Christmas Club account......and the internet was just sitting right here in my bedroom, begging me to spend money.

So I did. I love shopping online. I found all kinds of wonderful things. I placed a huge order with Amazon, sent for some gift cards from various stores, and checked out prices on lots of items.

And I got in the car and actually went to a couple of stores. Yup, I did. It was tough, cause I had to get out of my nightgown and brush my hair to do it.

But there were a few things that I couldn't get online, and a few other things that I wanted to look at in person before I bought them.

It wasn't bad. There wasn't much traffic and few lines. Not bad for a Thursday afternoon 5 weeks before Christmas, huh?

Just Stuff

* I know I've said it over and over again, but my grand-daughter is just so darn smart. At the age of 2 and 3 months she knows all her letters, some of the sounds, all her numbers, all shapes (including things like trapezoid) and can name almost any picture you point out to her. It just amazes me. She might be one of those kids who reads at the age of 3. The best part is....she's got personality galore.

* It's been over a year since I started working full time and I may have finally gotten the hang of it. You know...the balancing act. Trying to keep up with stuff in the house and still do my job and have a life with my husband. Our company just switched our hours so we start a half-hour later.....and somehow that half hour adds so much time!

* Thanksgiving is the forgotten holiday and that makes me sad. It's my favorite one. I love the "getting together with family" without the "stress of shopping, wrapping, buying gifts". It's sad that people are already so focused on Christmas.

* Speaking of shopping, wrapping and buying......I have done all my Christmas shopping online the past 2 or 3 years. I live in the shopping capitol of the world....nothing but retail stores in my town.....but I hate going in them. I hate the traffic, the lines, the people, the waiting and most especially the going from store to store and never finding what you need. When you shop online, you can do it in your jammies, cruise all the stores, order what you need and then sit back and wait for them to deliver it to you. It's like magic!

* I love that my Hubby gets my teacup ready in the morning....fills the teapot and puts the bag in a clean cup near the pot. It's the little things, ya know?

For those of you in the Heartland......

Hubby and I went to the beach yesterday. It was a balmy 60 degrees in New England and, in our humble opinion, the perfect day for the beach. No traffic, no crowds. A bit chilly but comfortable and heart-lifting.

You can't tell in this photo, but the waves were actually pretty big for New England. Later in the day we actually saw a crazy person...in a wetsuit....practicing his surfing.

I don't think it was actually cold enough for Hubby's hat, but he likes wearing it and couldn't wait to bust it out.

Ours weren't the only footprints. There were other people there....we're not the only crazy ones.

Hubby spied a red wooden box bouncing around in the surf. He had to risk life and limb (and wet sneakers) to capture it.

Success!

As the day got later, the sun was hitting the waves just right to make them look flourescent.

The Sunset was so pretty!

And of course, we concluded our day with a trip to the center for some fried dough. Good thing there are no photos of that! Powdered sugar sure knows how to fly everywhere!