A Sea ... a sea of people

I have to blog something tonight. My attempt last night was preempted by a creative spurt over the book I am in the middle of writing. The subject last night will be reserved for a future post.  Tonight I wish to unload my frustration over Saturday shopping.

After spending an hour and a half in the beauty parlor getting our hair done, a wonderfully relaxing hour and a half I must add with a very satisfying result, my daughter and I returned from the big city to spend time in the nearest town to our small village.  If it hadn't been for the fact that we looked great, the shopping experience would have ruined the entire day, but I digress.

This week end follows the week end of the heaviest snow fall witnessed in this area of Arkansas since 2004. The previous week end found the entire populace of Central Arkansas was confined to their living rooms unable to travel on the ice covered snow roads until late Sunday, or Monday at the earliest. The restrictions of last week end found us all, myself included, out and about in the highways and the byways today catching up with the errands we were forced to neglect last week end. I can't recall running into this number of people on the roads and the shops since the holidays, I almost wish I had been snow bound again.  The super bowl week end shoppers did not diminish the crowd, it only contributed to it.

I chose to shop in the larger town Kroger instead of my home town grocery store. When will I ever learn?  I returned home with many items, some of which are not available in our small town grocery. It is regrettable, though that I neglected to buy many of the standards I never forget when in familiar surroundings. I was dazed by the numerous offerings of the large store. When I say numerous I mean varieties of cheeses, meats, chips, cokes, everything. I was boggled by them, stunned by the choices, confused by the selections, confounded by the indecision and perplexed at my own sense of wonder.

My daughter reacted to my amazement as if I had never stepped foot into a Walmart before.  I wasn't in a Walmart, I was in Kroger store... a Kroger! It was much better than Walmart, trust me. She was almost as awed as myself, and to her credit, did not belittle my astonishment and bewilderment. She tried her best to help me find the items on my list. After forty five minutes of dodging shopping carts and bodies, we were exhausted and confused. It took everything we had to find a requested package of Oreos. Trust me, that was frustration. I was so happy to park my cart behind two other shoppers at the check out, the consume that was THE item for which I had selected this store, was forgotten until I drove up to our house in the country.

It didn't matter by then. I was home.  Home.  Safe and quite and always a constant solace from the hustle of the city.  Thank the Lord for home.

Thank you for your ear.

Love, Jeannene