A LATE AUTUMN DAY

Yesterday was shopping day--just one store, and if I go early enough, there won't be crowds.

I didn't go early enough. Plenty of folks--all ages, from mid-20s up--filling carts. One young dad had at least two kids with him, clearly too young for pre-school or day care (or maybe it isn't available now), but I was so proud of him--not a snap, not a deep sigh of discontent, just going about his business checking out a cart full (and it was really full) of all the stuff a young family needs. I think he ended up carrying one of the kids and the other rode in the child seat.

My cart wasn't even half full, for which I gave thanks, but some of the items were heavy enough that I knew I'd be getting my daily quota of weight lifting. Liquid laundry detergent, a box of 20 Mule Team Borax (great for softening our local hard water), non-dairy creamer, quart-size cartons of plain yogurt--it all adds up. I put it in the cart--took it out to place on the conveyor belt--picked it up again to scan it and place it in a bag--shifted the bag to the cart--then out to the vehicle where I put the bags in the back--then went home to lift it all out again. As I say--my daily weight-lifting exercise.

That's what I did on a cold, windy, but sunny day. I got home, hit the BREW button on the coffeemaker before hauling my shopping inside the house, and by the time everything was put away, the coffee was fragrantly steaming and I was able to sit down and rest my feet, enjoy my coffee, and remember that not everybody has the ability--physical, financial, perhaps even mental--to do their own shopping.

Doing the errands isn't all bad. Just, sometimes, tiring.

What with the later start and all the other folks trying to buy out the store, I got back in time to think about lunch--so I did. Plenty of food already in the fridge, but I opted for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (open face), which I find quite satisfying. Is it because the good old PBJ is a reminder of childhood? Whatever.

While I ate my PBJ, I read some more of Jacqueline Winspear's To Die But Once, a later book in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series (set in the years between the wars, 1929-1941). This one is 1940, and England is preparing for the invasion everyone says is coming. If you haven't tried this series, it's worth a read--historically accurate, well-researched, and the story lines are interesting. And so is Maisie, herself.

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Did you have a cold, windy, sunny day? The main ingredient for me is the sunshine. I can put on enough clothes to keep warm, but the sun--not only does it somewhat warm me, it puts a smile on my face. I actually enjoyed being out of the house--getting in the car, getting out, walking around a big store for an hour, checking myself out, loading the car, coming home. 

Many, many things in our lives have changed. But some things seem to remain the same. Shopping has to be done. Meals have to be prepared--or ordered--or at least thought about. Laundry will pile up whether we're sick or well or working or unemployed.

Some of us turn to our hobbies, like woodworking, quilt making, painting/drawing, letter writing, binge watching shows on one of the numerous channels available nowadays--just to maintain a sense of Life As We Knew It. To make us smile.

If I could have one wish for everyone who is home bound or otherwise restricted, it would be to look for something that makes you smile. It could be as simple as a sunshiny day. Or a book that you've read dozens of times, just because. Or a phone call, even if you're not a phone kind of person--hearing a beloved voice can do wonders for morale.

And if the day is cloudy? Gloomy? Stormy? Smile anyway! Can't hurt, and might just change your day into something bearable.

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Until next time, stay warm. Stay safe.