I was making beans and rice today for the guys working on our beloved mud pit. Remember the mud pit? I first told you about it in A Family Affair. Well….we took a break from it over the summer. But today My Captain, with some help, picked up the shovels and pick axes once again.
And since I am pretty much worthless with a hammer in my hand (unless I’m cracking nuts…I mean the shells of nuts….oh you know what I mean!) I went to my favorite place on earth….the kitchen! Because I like to feed ‘da Troops!
So I made Whole Grain Blueberry Pancakes for them for breakfast. And I made homemade, full-on-butter white chocolate chip sugar cookies for snacks. And then I made Beans and Rice for them for Lunch. Because nothing says ‘Thanks for working so hard!” like a big ‘ol case of Gastroenteritis.
And also, farting makes me laugh, so I serve beans often.
Don’t judge.
Anyways….it was during the cooking of the Beans and Rice that I came into contact with a rather painful reminder of a rather painful fact of my rather painful life.
The garlic salt I had reached for was none other than SELBY’S IGA Garlic Salt. Selby’s grocery store was our little town’s only grocery store.
And it closed its doors after decades of family run service because the bigger, glossier, Starbuck’s carrying grocery chains nearby had run them out of business.
It was SUCH a sad event for our little town. On so many levels.
And even though we want the wound to heal, every freakin’ time I reach for my spices, I get reminded that our small town is in economic crises. And OF COURSE I had to buy the jumbo spice canisters when I last shopped there, so I’ll be reminded for a long time to come yet.
It is all so very sad. Thank goodness I made the fart-inducing beans and rice to make me laugh again, or else I’d still be all goopy about it.
Mama Boe 