Sunday Ritual

(aka The Longest Post Ever)

Every Sunday around 9am I take my trip to the grocery store. I love grocery shopping like a child loves going to Toys R Us. I could (and do) spend hours in there just cruising around looking at everything.

Let me clarify one thing. Fred Meyer has made me a grocery shopping fan. If I had to do my shopping at Walmart, I would avoid it at all cost. Fred Meyer may be the best store ever. I believe it's a northwest exclusive, but it can best be described as what it would be like if Macy's or Dillard's sold food. A little more spendy, but totally worth it because I don't leave wanting to hurt someone.

Step one: Secure shopping cart without a tweaked up wheel.

Step two: Get Starbucks.

At this point I thought to myself "Crap, I forgot to get a cart with a cup holder."

After collecting the crack laced coffee, I head over to the produce. This store has the most beautiful produce area.

I buy apples every week. See the prices? I have to have the most expensive ones. No others will do.

This is when I start playing. I'm not sure why I always get the apples first. After the apples, I head straight to the dishes. This store always rotates a gorgeous display of dishes every couple weeks. Here's the newest one.

I want to buy them and host a tea party with little finger sandwiches.

I love the dishes here.

I've been eyeballing these for a couple months now.

These too.

I want to get these and throw a Cinco De Mayo party. I have a lot of imaginary gatherings in my mind.

After drooling over all the dishes and talking myself out of them for yet another week, I make my way over to the magazines. I'm one of those annoying people that spends 30 minutes looking through the magazines and cookbooks for ideas but never buy one.

Time to get busy because I think I've already been in the store for nearly an hour.

There are some things that I must have the name brand. Paper towels are not one of those things. While some may argue that Bounty and Brawney are more absorbant, I think I can buy 6 cheap rolls for the price of one good roll, so in the end I'm still saving money.

Does anyone else have issues paying almost $12 for detergent? It's too much. I would write a letter if I knew who to send it to.

Sandwich bags are a name brand must. Not only that, I need the ones that are easy zip. Even though yellow and blue make green, sometimes it just takes too much effort to match it up. I have no pateince for that.

My cart looks like this now. Please note that things are placed and never thrown in. Jim isn't allowed to shop with me anymore because he's a tosser.

I never grind my own coffee, but I always go through this aisle anyway because it smells delicious.

This is my favorite produce guy. It's possible that he smiles and says hi to everyone, but I like to think we have a special bond.

(Is it just me or does it feel like the music from Jaws should be playing here?)

About now I start losing focus on the actual shopping. I noticed the holiday aisle is all dolled up with Valentine's Day stuff. I don't care what holiday it is, I am always drawn to that aisle.

Look, more dishes!

I think I need that little red pedestal in the lower right corner for my one-of-these-days tea party.

And then, because I hadn't made my way over to the clothing area yet, I headed that way.

I require very organized vignettes for shopping. See these clearance racks? I consider those too much of a hassle.

I'm starting to realize how much of a shopping snob I am.

Here's me saying "Hey everyone!"

This is how I typically dress for the grocery store. I abhor when people wear sweats to the store. If you do that STOP IT RIGHT NOW!

An hour and a half after starting, I'm finally ready to check out. Honestly I could stay longer, but Jim starts getting curious.

This is my least favorite checkout lady. She's crazy and is always asking personal questions based on what I'm buying.

When I found an acceptable lane, I looked to see what the person in front of me was buying. I guess I'm just as bad as the checkout lady, but at least I don't ask questions.

I just take pictures.

Now tell me you didn't look at that picture and wonder how horrible this lady's house smells that she needed FIVE Renuzits.

When I checkout, I like to organize my stuff by how I would like it bagged. All refrigerated items must stay together, all non-food items must stay together, all fragile items, etc.

It actually bothers me that those taco shells are upside down. Missed that one.

So there ya go. More info than you ever needed to know about my Sunday ritual.

My Life on January 23, 2010

Outside my window...


(blogging from Medford, OR while waiting on a delayed flight.)

I am thinking... it’s been way too long since I’ve blogged. Shame on me.

I am wearing.... A gray business suit.

I am creating... fatty cell tissue. See below.

I am going... to San Francisco then home. Leaving for Denver Monday.

I am reading...

(not loving it so far)

I am hoping... my flight isn’t delayed so much that I have to race to catch the next one.

I am hearing... a basketball game on the TV at the bar area and clinking from the kitchen of this airport restaurant.

On my mind... Wish I hadn’t eaten that donut this morning.

From the kitchen...



I am thankful for… this restaurant letting me order from the kid’s menu even though it said for 12 and under only.

One of my favorite things... sweet tea. Especially sweetened sun tea.

The rest of the week... Lots of laundry and packing to do tomorrow.

Pondering these words... (I'll be back for this one later!)

A picture to share...



(working on #30 of The List!)

This One Is For Me

One of my 2010 list items was to record both of my Grandmas on video. Since I was back home last week, I visited each of them and pestered them with my camera.

These short clips capture each of their personalities perfectly.

The first one is my Grandma Norie. She is soft spoken, gentle, loving and sentimental.

The second is my Grandma Lillie. She is also loving, but she's silly and giggly.

And they both have iconic fashion sense.

My Life on January 11, 2010

Outside my window... It’s clear and dark. Except for the street lights in our backyard. Why are there two street lights in our backyard?

I am thinking... how much love there is in my life and how happy it makes me. It bubbles out of me and spills onto everything I do.

I am thankful for... free work trips home!

I am wearing.... new gray yoga pants and a black t-shirt. That makes me one step closer to taking a yoga class. Kind of. Or it was just an excuse to buy something comfortable. Probably the latter.

I am creating... whatever project I abandoned in the craft room. It’s hard to remember.

I am going... to try to knock a thing or two off of the list this week. And create a shortcut on my sidebar for quick updates.

I am reading... and loving this book.



I am hoping... my eyebrows heal quickly. Don’t ask. I had a grooming accident.

I am hearing... Family Guy. “You can’t eat all those hamburgers.”

From the kitchen... Beef Stew and these beauties.

One of my favorite things... Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. Oh, wait. That’s not me, that’s Julie Andrews. Those do sound good though.

The rest of the week... 2 out of town trips and it’s the first week of American Idol 2010!!!

Pondering these words... I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
- Laura Ingalls Wilder

A picture to share...

Touch Dates

When I was home last week I went to a restaurant called Touch. If you live anywhere near Springfield, MO you should go there. It is perhaps one of the coolest places I've ever eaten.

They gave us a free appetizer and at first I was skeptical. Bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese didn't sound that great, but let me tell you, after eating them I knew I had to make some at home!

Just 3 ingredients:
goat cheese
pitted dates
bacon (I used center cut just because they're less fatty)

You'll also need several toothpics soaked in water.



Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Stuff the dates with the goat cheese. This is nearly impossible without a pastry tip. Trust me. I will be buying pastry tips at my earliest convenience.

Next cut several strips of bacon in half. Lay out on paper towels in a single layer. Cover with another paper towel to prevent splattering. Microwave for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes. You don't want to cook them, just speed the process along. They should still be very pliable.



Wrap each date with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. You could make these ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.



Pop them in the top rack of the oven for 5 minutes or until done.



Sweet, salty, crispy, chewy, goodness! You simply must try!

Family Time

I follow a handful of blogs and it always irritates me when one of them doesn't update me. I figure if I follow their blog, then I am entitled to know what's going on, or to complain if I don't. I tell you that just in case you're irritated with me for being gone a week. I understand.

But I have a really good excuse. I've been back home with my family!

I always miss my people, but I forget just how much until I spend a little time with them. What a bunch of funny, crazy, loving, wonderful people I get to call my own. I'll share much more over the next few days, but one of my favorite things this week was playing dominoes with my mom, my brothers Jeff and Bub, my sister in law Renee, and my super-friend Dynn.

We played a game called Mexican Train. I highly recommend.

We might all be a little competitive.

We've always been a "table" family. We ate almost all of our meals together at the table growing up. We've played many, many games at the table, too.

Gathering around the table enables us to connect. We laugh. We tell stories. We reminisce. We play. We bond. These are the things I miss the most.

So very thankful I was able to go home, even though it was much, much, much too short. And so thankful I grew up in a "table" home.

I need more of this table time.

(Love you guys and can't wait to come home again!)

The Problem With Work Clothes

It's very possible that I'm not as young as I think or pretend I am.

Technically I'm 32. I may or may not act and dress like I'm still twenty-something.

My favorite clothing store sells stuff like this....



But most of the time I have to be responsible and dress like this....



This week when I was at my favorite store, but dressed businessy, I felt about as fun and trendy as this....



Every time I shop in work clothes, it's a bad experience because (a) people think I'm a flight attendant, or (b) they think I work there, and (c) I feel lame.

Case in point, while I was in JC Penney on this particular shopping day, a very sweet old lady stopped me to ask if I could tell her the discounted price on the purse she was looking at.

I calculated the discount for her.

It made her happy.

I was happy to help.

It happens all the time.