The Grocery Shopping Blues

September has arrived and around here that means we're gearing up for our Fall Works. I've got some much anticipated company arriving on Friday for 5 days and then 5 days after that, the crew will be rolling in. So I am in menu making mode.

It is 5 am on Monday morning and I am heading out the door to wrangle up some groceries. I hope to miss the crowds. We have a new grocery store in town - well it's actually just remodeled and they doubled the size. They have great sales all the time like 10# of meat for $10 and 10 apples, oranges, any produce for $1. With the exception of your run of the mill big box store, we don't have a lot of options. Hard to beat a nice, local, hometown store.

 I hate grocery shopping. Hate is a strong word, but it fits. I moan about having to go. I gripe about it for days on end. I procrastinate. DH says, "So, you're going to town today?" More often than not, my reply is, "Well, I was planning on it, but no. I think I can get by for another day or two."

DH always tells me to have fun when I head to town and my reply is always a withering glare. He knows how much I detest it. I am a woman on a mission and I tear through the store as quickly as possible. Often people will say, "Oh, I saw you at the grocery store last week, but you didn't see me." My apologies. I have only one thought on my mind when I am in there, "How fast can I cross everything off of my list and get out of here and how much is it going to cost me. "

I have no idea where this distaste for grocery stores comes from. I do not recall any harrowing experience in a grocery store when I was a child. My children, however, will be scarred for life. When we lived in Texas, we were almost 3 hours from the grocery store although there was a little one just over an hour away. They always came with me and the poor things were little troopers. I always had 2 overflowing baskets, and on occasion, I would have 3 baskets. Pushing one with a baby in it. Pulling one. And a 3-yr old trudging along side, pushing a third, that he could not even see over, for all he was worth. I'm telling you, those kids cowboyed up when we went to town. It was always after 9 pm when we finally pulled out of town and they fell asleep before we left that last parking lot. They slept the entire way home, a 25# sack of flour for a pillow between them and a ketchup bottle sticking them in the ribs. Rarely were we home before midnight and DH would come out and help carry them and the groceries into the house. I hauled 3 big coolers in the back of the pickup too. I still shudder when I think about those trips. Needless to say, those trips only took place every 4-6 weeks.

However, the last time I was in Farmer's Country Market I felt like I had been transported. It was clean.

It was nice.
               
                             
       
I meandered.

                                  

I smiled at people.

                                  

I told the manager what a pleasant place it was.

                                  

It was still expensive, but it didn't hurt so much and for the first time ever in my life...I am looking forward to grocery shopping and this time, when DH tells me to have fun, I will smile and say, "Thank you - I will!" :) So, thank you Farmers for making my trips to town just a little less painful.