My morning of errands

By Elizabeth Prata

The southern heat gets me. The dew point gets me. The humidity gets me. So I just stay inside with air conditioning most of the summer. No sense complaining. It's Georgia, it's summer, it's hot. Not much is going to change that. The only time I have to go out is church and when I have to do errands. Not a fan of errands.

But they need to be done and I am doing this adulting thing pretty well if I say so myself, so I go.

I decided to head out early before the worst of the heat sets in, like be at the grocery store at its opening at 7 am. I didn't do too bad, I got there at 7:06.

My grocery store of choice is Kroger. The prices are good, they send me coupons, and the variety is excellent for my dietary needs. I've recently even discovered a lactose free yogurt that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Since it was early I got the first spot, next to the bushes. Crossing hot asphalt in the Georgia summer isn't my favorite thing. The first spot! I felt special, like I won something.

These faux terra cotta pots looked cool all stacked up outside the store. I liked the graphic design.

The Sahara dust storm has reached Georgia now. The haze the other day was quite visible. It was like the floor of the desert had levitated to just above the tree line and hung there, yellowish orangey brown brooding, just hovering. The dust had laid on a thick coat all over the car. I thought it best to get it washed off before the paint got pitted or scratched.

I've always been scared inside of automatic car washes but I just breathed steady and called on the name of the Lord and I was OK.

On my way back out of the Kroger parking lot I saw some mockingbirds flitting where the planters were. I like dhow the gray chairs and the gray table matched the little bird. They know just where to land, don't they?

It's important to maintain the car but I am hesitant to do some of the things by myself, and that includes tires. When I was 16 I accidentally blew up my 10-speed bike tire and I never got over the loudness of the explosion and the suddenness of the bang. Tires Plus guys are kind to do that task for you. They'll check the air and add it if the tires need. I bought 2 new tires from them and they patched another, but I think they will do it even if you are not one of their customers. Since I was in the neighborhood during the day, which is unusual since I normally go to Kroger after church on Sunday evenings, I thought it prudent to do the adulting thing again and have them check. Sure enough, the two front tires were low.

I stopped at the Dollar General store to buy a few hard goods. I didn't need much, just sandwich sized storage bags, toothpaste, and an empty spray bottle. I've ordered some frosted film to put on my kitchen window, and it adheres by spraying water, placing  the panel of frosted film on the glass, then squeegeeing the water out. No adhesive, which is good for a rental unit. The review said it was easy to apply, so after I ordered some at Amazon I trotted to the Dollar store to get me an inexpensive spray bottle to do the deed.

I did't find any. It was just after their opening at 8:00 and the store was empty except for me. The three employees were busy cleaning and wiping the front door. I asked one of them where the empty spray bottles were. With barely turning around one of the employees brusquely said in a nanosecond, "We're out." I said, "You're out of all your spray bottles of any kind?" "Yep."

The Dollar store is noted for their low prices, not for sparkling customer service, so I chalked it up and figured I'd check another store later in the week when the frosted film arrived from Amazon. At least I got toothpaste.

Last stop, the bank. The sign is ridiculously large. It's about the same size as the front of the bank. But the ladies inside are very gracious and helpful so I forgive the bank its massive and ugly sign, lol.

The little neighborhood I pass through on the way home has several homes that take care of their front porches and rotate their decorations on them. They are cute to look at. With the 4th of July holiday coming up, this home had decorated with the red, white, and blue semi-circular banners. They looked nice hanging over the large porch and contrasted against the white.

I took pride in winning the grocery game of "bring it all inside in one trip". I can't do it anymore since I started buying a case of seltzer water. But I'm serious about the one-trip thing when I can do it. Apparently so are others! Take a look-

Home at last, I made it back by 9 am. I got my things put away and re-heated the coffee and finished my second cup. Ahhh, the pleasure of having done my jobs!

As I was putting away the groceries, the delivery man knocked and handed me my bonito flakes. At Kroger I'd bought seaweed. Alton Brown has a video on making dashi, which is a Japanese broth composed of soaking the previous two items and then straining. Bonito flakes are made from the bonito, a fish they dry, and make into flakes. Apparently bonito flakes are FULL of protein. I'll do another essay about them when I make my broth. I hope you have a great day and week ahead, everyone.

It's always nice to come home to your cat. What is it with cat in a box?

Saturday errands

By Elizabeth Prata

Yesterday was one of those days where you had to go out and around doing errands. Errands aren't my favorite thing, but they're part of life. So I try to be observational and consciously look for cute or interesting things to remember. It keeps my observation skills sharp (which I had to develop as a roving news reporter back in the day), and it keeps my mind focused on something positive. Else, I'd grumble the whole time about errands.

That day I needed to go to the Dollar General store to get shades. I was finally going to solve two problems. Someone has kindly bought me a three-step ladder. I need to change out the curtains sometimes, or get them down for a wash, or change the shower curtain, and I have to stand on precarious things to do it. Not good when you live alone and aren't nimble. I'd been waiting to see of The Special Store had one, (a second hand, vintage store) but the lady says whenever they come in, they go out fast. Finally I bit the bullet and searched for a new one but they are expensive. I wished for one and a very generous someone blessed me.

The second thing that gets solved with this ladder is the curtain situation. I've never been happy with the curtains over the kitchen sink. Its a very dark area of the apartment, but it's where I spend most of my time. The neighbors on the other side of the house have their kitchen window looking directly into mine For privacy's sake I put up a couple of sheers, that way the light still comes in but blurs the view. It never looked good though, just makeshift and temporary. I found these lightweight blinds at Dollar General, they don't have a cord (saves the cat) and they don't require hardware to put up. Best of all, they are only $5 so if I make a mistake putting them up, no big loss.

So one of the errands is heading to the store to get the shades. If they work, I'll get some more and put them on the bathroom window and the front door window. I need the light and want the privacy and these are supposed to do both.

Also- I headed to the library to return books, and Kroger to buy a few necessities. I didn't need much. Fruit was on sale. Blueberries for $2.50, pineapples were $2, and grapes 88-cents a pound. Too good to pass up. It also gets me out of the house. The Library book drop was closed, only accepting books M-F, so I'll have to go back during the week. Grrr, another errand.

I snapped some photos along the way, like this one at the BBQ place. It wasn't open yet. When it is, it's crowded. And for you northerners like me, barbecue to Yankees is an activity you do pushing around meat over an outside grill. But to Southerners it's a meat item that is slow cooked with drippy sauce. Totally different things.

I thought the seats at the BBQ place looked like Mexican sombreros

It was a nice day. The Car Wash place was buzzing with activity. The automatic car wash is expensive but the vacuuming is free. Tons of people cleaning out their cars.

A lot of cars on the road hauling little campers or bass boats. I know where people are headed this nice Saturday!

You know you've been bingeing on too much of the survivalist reality program Alone when you see an A-frame doghouse and think, 'Awesome shelter, man!' lol.

I saw a woman wearing a mask. While driving. Alone in her car. Hm.

I've noticed this year the birds in my yard seem very active and very plentiful. Maybe that's just because I've been home since early spring and not at work like normal, so I can observe them more,  but even now during summer when I'd normally be watching and listening, they seem to have peppered the yard with calls, low flights, and lots of insect-catching. Right on, keep doing that, birds!

I hope you all have a nice weekend.

Errands are fun when you have scenery like this

By Elizabeth Prata

I am no fan of errands. When I finish work or school, which are the only regularly scheduled activities that draw me away from my home, I like to scuttle back ASAP. But being alive means you have to sustain yourself, and that means an occasional trip to the bank, mechanic's, hairdresser's, Dollar Store, grocery store and so on.

It's been raining non-stop here for a good few weeks. And cold. A cold rain with temps in the forties is just chilling. But I see that the rain is helping the blossoms grow. We have forsythia and dogwood and some fruit trees blooming already. We also have greened-up grass and some buds on the trees.

As I was driving home yesterday after school, I had to stop at the Bank. Although the day was a bit gray, the scenes around weren't. I love my little town and the county I'm living in. Here are a few charming scenes. I got a huge kick out of the no trespassing signs. Looks like they mean it!

Saturday mundanity is wonderful to me

I stayed home from school Friday. It was my first absence this year. I hated to do it, but I needed it though. The sinus infection I've been struggling with is now bronchitis, and that is one disease that just wears a person out.

Anyway, today is the usual Saturday domestic bustling that must be accomplished on this day and this day alone. (I'm serious about Sunday being a day dedicated to the Lord). I straightened up, but failed so far to vacuum, something that I have to do without fail every week. I have two cats, enough said. But I did clean the kitchen, do the dishes, and complete the errands.

I really enjoy our local grocery store. I can easily stick to my weekly budget of $30 and still get protein, fresh fruit, and a treat once in a while. The Dollar store is next door so that takes care of that. It is a blessing not to have to drive to the two places, and I would not give up the Dollar Store for anything. It is just too expensive to try and buy hard goods anywhere else.

I'm looking forward to the fruit salad I'm going to make: cantaloupe, grapes, mango. I plan a menu based on what was for sale, and make several items on Sundays for lunches during the week. This week I'll have tofu jerky, salmon-potato patties on bed of romaine, and sides of baked squash and green bean casserole. I'll also make some kind of soup, maybe some of the squash will go into a thick squash bisque...

It is less expensive to make items and store them ready to eat so no temptation to go out and pick something up. I work two jobs for 11 hours a day, so advance planning is crucial.

On my driving here and there I saw a wonderful 2 nailed on a rusty trailer, a black crow standing in front of red clay hill that reminded me of the cliffs of Dover, and coming round the curve, this unfortunate hay roll that escaped off an overloaded truck. Actually in passing the hay bale I saw that two had fallen off. I was glad no one was hurt and the driver as getting out of his car and making a cell phone call as I passed. Must have just happened.

I'm having a mug of green tea and preparing to put together the weekly prophecy newsletter. It will be a relaxing and restful Saturday, just what I need.

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