After watching the morning news detailing one disaster and tale of misery after another, I decided I’m going to start a “Happy News” program to begin people’s days. A news program featuring videos of firemen rescuing a brood of baby ducks from a storm drain, or stories of angel sightings, or a mother cat adopting a litter of guinea pigs. Something please, to stem the constant stream of depressing and malignant news spewing out of my television set. Whew, I know I feel better simply saying that out loud, or at least writing it out loud.
Now I’m not for a moment suggesting we stick our heads in the sand and ignore the disturbing things going on in our world. Rather, I am suggesting, before stepping into the boiling pot, we at least begin our days with something upbeat and soul refreshing to temper the sadness and despair. I’m just sayin. We all need to be part of the solution for what is broken in our society. If, in fact, there is a solution, which I hold great hope there will be. Each of us, though only one individual, is an integral part of the collective whole. As such, we are responsible for doing our part to keep the earth moving forward and help out our neighbors when the need arises. This, in a perfect world, of course, which we do not live in. If it was a realistic goal, I would fill my tiny home with people displaced by the war, by homelessness, or for whatever reason found themselves without a safe harbor. However, this would be like placing a bandaid over a gaping chest wound after open heart surgery. Simply does not cover the situation. I don’t have any solutions, just thoughts for easing the pain.
Speaking of pain, I went grocery shopping this morning. Now, that truly was painful. I picked up a pound of hamburger and the ticket price on it was nearly $12.00. Wow. “Does this come with a filet”, I wondered? Perhaps the steak was buried under the hamburger, but no? OMG. Also, they seemed to be out of salt and vinegar Pringles. WHAT!!!!! Pringles are my dirty little secret. I eat them every day for lunch, and only the salt and vinegar variety with all their salty vinegary deliciousness. I am not ready for a world that cannot provide me this small luxury. In a world gone mad, Pringles provides me a little salty sanity. Going to the store, of late, seems to be asking too much of me. I realize with all the huge things going on in the world combined with what is going on in my personal life, perhaps I am not handling the smaller annoyances as well as I usually do. Surely there are many people facing hardships far and away beyond when the next potato chip shipment hits the shelves, but it adds another layer in my day to day that makes getting through it all a little harder.
As I struggled to deal with the Pringles crisis, this was yet the third time I’ve looked on the well stocked water aisle to find no distilled water. Huh? There was drinking water, sparkling water, purified water, but no distilled. I asked the checker about this, and he suggested I come on delivery day, and then stock up. Asking the next logical question, I inquired on which day delivery day might be. His answer, “varies”. Helpful. Though sometimes it might not appear so, I do have a life and don’t really have time to stalk the water aisle every day in the hopes the distilled water guy happens to be there making a delivery. Testy? Yes, I am.
While in the produce section I picked up $9.00 worth of blueberries. They are my morning treat and a healthy option for a snack. They are also about double what I used to pay for the pleasure of sprinkling them on my oatmeal. When I got home and was putting away the groceries, while tucking the blueberries in the fridge, the lid popped open distributing $8.50 worth of berries under every appliance in the kitchen. For a moment I thought I might cry. Life is getting serious lately.
Discussing rising food costs with a friend, she said her plan was to drive from store to store picking up the best deals. Good plan, except gas is $5/gallon, so in the end you’re not really ahead of the game. This will put a kink in my “why not” travel plans somewhat though I still plan to travel if I have to warm up my thumb and stand by the side of the road. My feet have continued to drag on renewing my passport. I don’t know why this is, other than I am hesitant to wrap myself up in all the red tape associated with doing it. Back in the 80’s, I needed my passport to travel to Nova Scotia. Being Canadian, I was informed if I wanted this process to take less time than elephant gestation, I would need to go the nearest Canadian Consulate to get my paperwork done. Kay. Living in the Bay Area at the time, the consulate was located in downtown San Francisco. Knowing traffic and parking would both be issues I got up with the chickens and was in “the city” in time for a light breakfast before arriving at the consulate at eight. Thinking myself very clever to arrive so early, I fell in line with a hundred other “clever” individuals and took number 88 from the clerk and found a seat. Several hours later my name was called and a gentleman guided me to an office at the back of the building. First I was told my permanent resident visa (green card) would have to be updated. After providing all my personal information, I was again left in the waiting room with a sea of other Canadians to wait to be recalled. Lunch passed, afternoon break was enjoyed, and around three o’clock I heard my name called once again. By that time I had assumed every position in that folding chair humanly possible without being a contortionist and consumed half of the packages available for purchase in the vending machine in the corner. Note to supplier “corn nuts were most probably placed there in the early 1950’s”.
The same gentleman I’d spoken to earlier in the day ushered me once again into his office. The reason I was still there, he explained, was that they couldn’t find me in their records. Huh? Nope, apparently I didn’t exist. At four thirty, still there yes, and on the last bag of stale corn nuts, he figured out the problem. Yay. Turns out I was indeed born (good news there) but came into this world with my actual father’s last name. With me so far? Then my mother remarried for the first time when I was nine and my stepfather adopted me at that time. Sooooooo, long story short, when you are adopted, your original birth certificate is replaced with one with your new name on it. Who knew? My mother was married four times to four men with very similar names. When I begin to go through my lineage you need a pointer and a flowchart to follow it. Finally, I was granted my papers. Hopefully, this time with be a bit easier.
Finally reaching what we hope to be the end of the constant barrage from COVID, we are now faced with the war raging overseas capturing the lead headlines. It takes energy to rise above the clouds to find the blue sky and warm sun on one’s face in the morning. For those of us far away from the battlefield, we are left only to feel compassion for those going through this aggression and help where we can. For the participants, they are faced with the loss of their homes, family members, possibly their country and their freedom. A far greater cost, to say the least.
Today I shall be thankful for everything I have and eat my $12.00 hamburger and be glad to have it. Have a great and blessed day.
Very very interesting I totally agree with everything you’re you’re discussing. I miss you so much Aunt Susan.
Love you and miss you too Aunt Pea. Big hugs.
Everything is so expensive now
I’ve done that with blueberries too. I nearly cried too.
I’m still finding blueberries here and there. Yes, gas just keeps going up and up. Don’t know where it will stop, but hope it does, and then goes back down. Have a great day!!