Three Times In One Day

Today must be one of those days. I worked and worked and got almost the entire house clean - floors mopped, one bathroom scrubbed, vacuumed, dusted, mirrors clean, etc. After almost 8 hours of cleaning and laundry, I ran out of steam after I vacuumed my bedroom, so tomorrow, my bedroom and bathroom, along with my regular chores. I love to do it. It makes me feel so good when it is done. It is challenging, and trying, but good. I also made a dinner using the tasteless little shrimp that were filling my freezer...We were given elk meat by a dear friend at church who is moving -(I hope he realizes just how much he blessed us!!!), and I had to make room, so I sauteed the shrimp in olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes, mixed it with some cooked pasta, and topped with mozzarella cheese. A good dinner for the guys and lunch tomorrow for both. We also had a limb break on our lemon tree in the big winds we had, so the guys took down the limb, got the lemons, we all squeezed and we canned 12 quarts of lemon juice (my freezer has tons in it already).

A busy day, indeed. But, I did have a moment, after the kitchen has been cleaned again, to reflect on the life of a dear friend. Gregg died suddenly this morning. I get emails from him all of the time. The other day, he sent a picture of a redneck with a DUI conviction: a guy on a bike with a deer over his shoulders. This morning, one of the emails I received was a warning about a new breast cancer. He is sensitive to cancer...his dear wife Joyce battled cancer, and has won. I read the emails, and deleted them, as usual. No big deal, I thought. MOre tomorrow. But, there will be no more tomorrow. Gregg shared everything via email: from funny pics, to health warnings, to politics, to...well just about everything. I took all for granted. I thought they would just keep on coming, but they won't.

Gregg was Dee's fried for more than 30 years. I just keep thinking about seeing him at Allison's wedding reception, at Ethan's wedding reception. Joyce was very ill at Allison's, and yet both of them came...all the way from Tucson, just to be with us. They came to Ethan's. Gregg was like the brother Dee never had (1 boy, 5 sisters!). I don't know if I ever told him just how much it meant to have him there for my sweetheart...what a difference he made. It didn't matter to him that we were Mormon...Dee joined the church during their friendship, and it just didn't matter to him. They were friends, and that is all that mattered. You don't find friends like that.

Dee called Gregg last Sunday night. I am so glad he did! They talked work, and politics, and worries. It was a good call. I want to tell you to take a moment...think of those people who stand by you, who help you, who hold you up, who send you email. Don't ever take them for granted. It takes just one moment to change everything.

I Miss...

One of the hardest things you will ever have to do is to let your children and grandbabies move to another state. I sat and talked to my sweet Adam, and to my dear Allison last night. All I could do is wish that I could be there in Vegas to help her, to watch sweet Adam and Grace when she has to go to a meeting, to hear about the birthday party that Adam went to, to see Grace and all her "babies"! Oh, how I miss them...

So Very Sad

Dee just got a phone call at work...his dear friend, Gregg Ellicksen, died suddenly of a heart attack this morning. Gregg has been his friend since high school. They worked together at Bill Johnson's Big Apple. He was in our wedding. He would ALWAYS send us a Christmas card. He would stop in and visit all the time. They built cars together. Our kids always referred to him as the guy with the neat race car! When he moved to Tucson, with his dear Joyce, he would stay in touch and still visit. He was there for our kids' weddings, even though he really didn't know them that well, and it was quite a distance to drive. He emailed us all of the time. Dee was his best man when he married Joyce...(I got to be the deejay for the ceremony!) He was just what you call a true blue friend. He didn't care what our religion, what our politics, or anything. He just wanted to be a friend, and a good friend he was. We will truly miss him!

Good Things

Dee's anticipted May trip to India for work has been cancelled (his Honeywell division has no travel budget). This is great news, and sad news.

The Glad:
I hate it when he is gone, and he would have had to be gone "three weeks on the ground" which adds four more days for traveling, making it gone almost four weeks. I surely would have perished! I am totally dependent on him, even after 29 years! I love his sweet kisses, his warm hugs, and his ever encouraging "I love you's".I love his snoring and muttering in his sleep, the sound of his singing, working in the yard with him, and sometimes I can stay awake to watch a movie...at least the beginning and the end! I love him for ALL he does here, too. That pool looks great all the time because he cares for it, and it seems to sense when he is gone, and so it goes cuckoo when he is away. He cares for our cars: changing oil, fixing various problems that 1990's cars get, and even cleans it out for me after weeks of driving the "pigs" to school! He makes everything nice and wonderful, and makes sure I am happy. No one does it like him!

No worries about what food he is in contact with. He can't eat onions, and that severely limits what Indian food he can eat. They try to help in their cooking but they don't understand. And then, he will get some fruit, etc. off the street, and I worry that the knife used to chop that coconut was used for something unsavory before that...or that maybe they haven't cleaned things so well. Sanitary conditions around the world are not the same as here...and sometimes things here are pretty bad!

The sad:
He was really looking forward to going to the Bangalore 2nd Branch of the Church. He just loved the people in India at church. They were kind and humble and positive and grateful for their blessings, even though it seems to us that they have little!

He really had made progress with the people he was working with in helping them get an engine for Honeywell into production. He is very patient (I hear the phone meetings at night.) He likes the people he works with. The only problem is that the room they use for the telephone meetings echoes badly...another sad...he wanted them to get a rug for the floor or wall...and now, no rug, but then, again, meetings are off as well.

He gets no excursions. He would use his Saturday for an adventure. He went to a maharajah's palace, and a zoo last trip. He also took many pics of the people and lifestyle. He loves to learn about new things, and this was a great opportunity.

No projects at home...for Suzzy. I had planned on FINALLY getting my room fixed up from the storm 12 years ago. My ceiling is in less than stellar condition, and we just ran out of money when we got to the master bedroom. I had planned to have him fix the ceiling before he left, and help me install/build the built in shelves I wanted, and then I was going to move the bed, and paint the walls my favorite Sage Green. (I had planned that we would save on gas, food, etc. with the money we wouldn't be spending for the 3 1/2 weeks he was gone, so I could by a sheet of drywall, some mud, a couple of sheets of plywood, and a can or two of paint.)

No spices. He found some Indian spices when he was there last time. I have a little saffron that he got for cheap! And he found the most wonderful cinnamon...it was in bark form. At first, we would just hand "sand" it off, but I got a spice grinder at a yard sale, so I was ready for new cinnamon.

No Christmas projects for Suzzy. I have to keep myself VERY busy when he is away. I hate tv, so my evenings get long. I am making my daughters in law and older daughter things for Christmas. I cannot say what, but I hope that, while my gifts will not officially cost a lot, they will become something they will treasure from me...something that will be in their homes long past me! I will still do them, just not get them done. I even thought to cut out my ornaments for next year and get them going. I need to do that anyway...maybe if I was busy in the evening, I would not hear the hershey kisses calling me!

Furlough worries. I was so sure that we would save so much money with me not cooking and him not driving to work for weeks that the first furlough week, which we were going to schedule for when he got back, would be no problem. I am just a worry wart. This month, I have cut back, and saved over $300 from the food budget, while still maintaining our 3 month supply and our year's supply. I have tried new things, made smaller portions, and had great meals! And I buy nothing else, so it is working, and maybe it won't be so bad, and it will be wonderful to have him home for an additional week!

I think the good far far outweighs the bad, but I am sad for him. He is concerned about work and this was something he felt very valued in. I am happy for me...sad for him!

More Food Experiments

I received two tomatillos and a few of various kinds of chilis in my Food Club Box this week. So, on my way home from taking Nate to track practice, I stopped at Food City and got a couple of pounds of tomatillos (on sale) and some cilantro. After the power was on, and they had gone to Mesa, I washed and sliced the tomatillos in half, roasted them with all the chilis under the broiler, and proceeded to make some tomatillo salsa. I put 4 small roasted chilis, the tomatillos, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in my food processor and let it go. It looks great...but it is soooo hot (at least for me!) I fear it is only good to remove paint from a barn!

In My Corner of the World Today

Hearing:

My dear sweet hubby softly snoring as he sits on the couch near me and takes a quick nap. He has spent the whole day working on the yard drip system (1+ acre and many leaks) and monitoring as the electrical portion of our solar power system was hooked up. He leaves in a little over an hour to drive some of our ward's young men out to the temple to perform baptisms for the dead. What a great blessing he is in my life.
The dishwasher runningwhich means that our power has been turned back on. I was nuts this morning when I couldn't wash, dry, blow dry, vacuum, compute, or anything. I love electricity.
Kayty singing. She just adds so much to our home. She is ALWAYS singing something!
Doran and Nathan banging - Nathan is cutting out rusty spots on that 1960 truck he is restoring and then cutting a new piece of metal and welding it in. He has learned sooooo much on this project!!

Tasting -
Pecans - they are so wonderful from Costco!
Banana Sugar Free Popsicle - only a few left before price increase and box size decrease, so I am enjoying every last one!

Seeing -
My beautiful swimming pool and my freshly mown lawn-I sure can't wait for the water to be warmer, though I don't want the temp outside to get warmer!
A house waiting to be vacuumed - at least I will have time when everyone goes out to do my work, though I had wanted to begin making my kids' Christmas gifts...I decided to make something for each one.
Pictures of my sweet family-I am so blessed. My sons married wonderful women...would not trade Cameo or Danyel for all the money in the world! And Mike, my daughter's husband, is simply the best son in law ever. Though my daughter lives in Vegas, I know Mike is there to take care of them, to bless them, and I am comforted. I have the most awesome children in the world, and I am very, very proud of what each and every one has accomplished and of who the are!!! And then there are those sweet, wonderful grandbabies of mine...I think of them all the time, and I miss them, but I gain great happiness knowing how much Allison does to make them happy!

Smelling-
Clean dishes - don't you love that clean dish smell the dishwasher gives!
Cranberry lotion - Kayty just loaded my Christmas stocking with the best Ulta lotion this year. I used up one Hot Cocoa lotion, and now I am on to the Cranberry...so nice!
Sloppy joes - dinner before the guys go to the temple

Feeling -
Keys on my keyboard - I love the computer and the opportunity it gives me to share. I would love to write someday, and, while I am totally untrained, at least I get some early practice until I can be educated.
Missing someone...

What are you doing?

Using My Resources!

We are trying to be very careful about our spending, saving for the furlough weeks that Doran has to take for the rest of the year. I always planned meals and kept track of our spending, but now I try even harder to do it all better and cheaper. I had heard about the Westside Food Bank Food Club from a friend's blog, and had gone and purchased some items near Christmas...the meat was wonderful, and I used most of the staples, and veggies. I went again with Dorrie yesterday. I only got a $13 pantry box...no meat, but the haul I got was incredible. I got 2 cases of Gatorade -great for a football/discus and shotput athlete. I got 8 loaves of bread (French bread used for French toast this morning and garlic toast tonight) rolls, hamburger buns (sloppy joes tomorrow), canned goods, cakes, candies, - what to do with 2 large loaves of rye bread I am trying to discover. I also got tons of veggies...2 head of lettuce, 2 big bunches of celery, dry red peppers (great in Dee's kung pao), jalapenos, tomatillos, four yellow squash, dried red peppers, beans, pintos, rice, corn flakes, 12 boxes of grape tomatoes, and just tons of stuff. It took me quite a while to put it away.

So, today, for my planned dinner, I made Lasagna. I had thawed 1 pound of ground turkey meat. For the sauce, I cut up the fennel I received in the box yesterday and sauteed it with the garlic and then added Italian seasoning,salt, and red pepper flakes and 1 1/2 super large cans of crushed tomatoes. That made enough sauce for 2 lasagnas...plus I had cottage cheese frozen that I had gotten on sale...mixed that with Parmesan cheese I had from a clearance, and some oregano. I also had an eggplant from yesterday that I had no clue what to do with, so I peeled, thin sliced, and browned the slices in a Cooking sprayed pan. To assemble, I put sauce on the bottom, then lasagna noodles, then the eggplant slices (covered the bottom layer of both lasagnas) then sauce, then cottage/Parmesan/oregano mixture, then mozzarella (2 pound bag I got on sale last week for 3.99!)I kept layering, and topped with the mozzarella. I had enough for two pans of lasagna, plus I made a little one for Nate's lunch (and our snacking pleasure) out of the extra. Still have some mozzarella left, too. And Kayty didn't figure out about the eggplant or the fennel until her second helping, when Nathan "kindly" pointed out that she had eaten that. It was so fun to try something new.

It's interesting. This is the first month I have really cut back. I am very careful at WalMart...no shopping the store, just goal oriented visits. No extra shopping. Planned meals. One or two meatless meals a week (Nathan still isn't used to lentils!) And I feel I have accomplished a lot!!

Voices of Warning and Hope

Listen and see the voices of our prophets giving us warning and hope.

Catching Up

My house is clean, I don't have to cook (hubby and son are at the lake) so, maybe, I can catch up our blog.


First, Kayty was invited to become a member of Phi Theta Kappa, a Jr. College Honor Society...We are just so pleased. She loves her college classes and works very hard!!


Next, Kayty had another very wonderful performance with the choirs she is a member of on March 12.


For our St. Patrick's Day celebration, a leprechaun had walked across our refrigerator, but since there were SO MANY QUESTIONING UNBELIEVERS, no loot was left. We did eat an Irish dinner, corned beef, red potatoes, cabbage salad...but Nathan is too American, and complained all evening that it made him sick. Kayty and I did make festive Green Rice Krispy Treats, which Nathan had no problem eating!!. We also had green M&M's to snack on (hey, I remember Nathan munching on too many M&M's years ago - May 25, 2001, I seem to recall, and ruining his sister's wedding pics because he was laying on the stage of the cultural hall, in between barfing sessions. I think I see a pattern here!)


We have now entered the 21st century and are having both a solar water heater, and solar power system installed. It should save us quite a bit! Here is our water heater panel.


We have a "special" person in charge of our installation. He is very knowlegdeable, but I cannot get over how much he looks like an Oompah Loompah from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (lacking only the orange complexion).

THE OOMPAH LOOMPAH LADDER







Finally, we celebrated Doran III's 25th birthday on Friday (actual birthday was Saturday, but Mr. Popularity was far too booked for us!) Happy 25th, Doran!

Flashback

I desperately need to catch up my blog...with pics and events and stories. I even got my camera out to try and post. It just sounded too big a project before church, so I was just checking my google reader when all of a sudden, I found this...



I have always loved "Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer" and look forward to seeing it every year! I remember that the very most scarey thing I ever saw, or could think of (only seconded by those flying monkeys in "The Wizard of Oz") was that Abominable Snow Monster. I would hide my head when I watched. I would think of that awful creature at night. I worried over Rudolph and Hermie. It was awful!!

Now, I find a picture of him. Those scarey feelings are remembered, but, now that I really watch, it is kind of a lame monster...nothing that nightmares can be made of...nothing like those Velociraptors in "Jurassic Park" (I still cannot watch them trying to open that door into the kitchen!) Nothing like watching out for snakes on the hiking trail (Adam knows that Grammy just hates snakes!!)

I guess I have progressed...or have I?

Bright Spots

I have had a couple of challenging weeks. And, so often, it is easy for one to wallow in self-pity and sadness, rather than see the silver lining in the clouds. I am finally seeing some lining, so I thought I would share some bright spots...
Monday - finally made my "stacker" for St. Patrick's Day and Spring. I couldn't afford the kit, so I had Dee cut me some old wood and I painted it and then copied a font I liked off the computer, traced it, and painted it myself!
Monday - Morgan came by...has a job selling Kirby Vacuums...great product.
Monday - didn't get my regular work done but, they messed up the house when Nate, Morgan, etc. came in and out fixing bikes, so I didn't get mad at them messing up my newly mopped floor...because it wasn't.
Sunday - Dee cooked Chicken and Snow Peas for dinner. Peas were from our garden and tasted amazing! He makes the best Chinese...better than anyone anywhere!
Sunday - subbed in Primary...as chorister. Witnessed Heidi Rollins: she is just what a Primary Chorister should be. SSHHHHH...better not let the stake leaders know or they will nab her!!! Great things go on in Primary, and she uses the music to teach principles, and the kids have a great time!
Saturday-I found some great dishes at a yard sale...spring green and turqoise and white. I wanted to say, "No...not a need," but my hubby asked the price and, at 50 cents for each piece, I just couldn't bear not to, so I have 7 dinner and salad plates, 8 bowls, and 4 serving bowls (and no place to put them...too many dishes) but it is amazing how that little purchase changed me.
Saturday- Mom came to visit...lots of fun showing her the photo albums, and just being with her. It's so nice that she lives on this side of town. She saved my life in more ways that one.
Saturday- my sweet 16 year old SON - Nathan - surprised me with...you guessed it, my fav banana popsicles! He rode his bike while I was buying marigold seeds (60 cents worth) all the way to Fry's, wrapped them in numerous paper sacks, an then rode home with them, and surprised me with a yummy treat! What a sweetie.
Friday - BAD DAY but even then, Doran and Danyel were just the best, and they know just what they did!!
Thursday - My daughter has found her passion: music. She loves to sing, and we were able to attend another GCC Choirs Concert. She had a solo and did a fantastic job. We just love to hear her!
Thursday - Cub Scouts - Cole is the only one that can come, and it must be hard to come alone and work with some old lady, but we had a such a good time (at least I did) doing things for the Space elective: making a rocket model, learning about the moon, satellites, and checking out the NASA web site...what a great young man he is. He turns 10 in a couple of weeks...I will miss him.
Wednesday - Nate had a good track meet. He now holds the school record for discus (first year of track for the school, so all records are new, but hey, ya gotta start somewhere...right?)
Tuesday - Talked to my sweet Allison...she just always makes everything better!
Monday - got to actually visit with Ethan and Cameo. I always miss them, so it was so good just to sit and talk and see them. I get to see what they do on Facebook, too, so that makes it so much better.
So, I guess it's not all bad...it's just how you look at it. Thank-you, one and all, for being my Bright Spots

Consequences for Many

Some kids, when they hit a certain age, like to make wrong choices, in the name of "using their agency". And they are totally convinced that the consequences that may and do come "only hurt them". Well, I can attest to the fact that no one lives in a vacuum, and that the choices that we make, the consequences that we face, hurt others, most of all, the ones that are closest to us. Morgan has made some sad choices in his life, and the consequences begin for him today. I have been thinking about that sweet baby I carried, the times we would read scriptures as a family, and he, wanting to participate, but being too young to read, would watch for Dad to give a special hand cue, and then he was in charge of saying, "And it came to pass". I remember when he was little, and we would say, "Morgan, why did Heavenly Father send you here?" and he would reply, "To make you happy!" So many things done for him, so much to support him, and yet, he has to face his consequences alone. I pray that this is a turning point for him. He is only 22...there is a future of good choices that he can make. I only pray that he uses this as a stepping stone on the road to Heavenly Father.

The Trouble With Knives is ...They Always Cut!

This truly has been a MONDAY. Now, in spite of various mishaps this morning, I had the floors mopped the bathroom cleaned, and I was cutting my beloved cauliflower for my fav everyday lunch salad when I slipped and...cut my thumb. Now, I got the bleeding stopped, and it really isn't stitchable, so I bandaged it. But, I feel like I have lost a wing. The rest of the scrubbing has to be done gloved. And I made the mistake of telling Dee, and he is threatening to remove all sharp implements from our household. Now, mind you, he has a right. I have called him hysterically on more than one occasion to come home from work (Honeywell at the airport) and tape me together (thank goodness for butterfly bandages)...I just won't be stitched. He has been very patient, but knives and I don't seem to think the same.

When It Rains...It Pours!

Life runs rather quickly for all of us. There are times, I remember, when I heard one mom comment that, as she was taking one child someplace, she swore she passed herself driving by the other way with another child! Things had gone well, yesterday, though, so I was fooled into believing it would continue...
I got my stuff out for Cub Scouts, got my shirt on, and then...the phone rings. It's an officer with the Phx. Police Dept., letting me speak with Morgan. He had some "past issues" catch up with him that he had left un-taken-care-of, and he needed ME to go get his bike because he would have a "ride" and be staying "elsewhere" tonight. Oh, my goodness...Cole will be here any minute and I AM NOT CANCELLING!! So, fortunately, Dee walks in from work, and he goes to get the bike. Ok...all is well...I began to have opening prayer, and the doorbell rings. Hoping it was my other cubbie, I race to the door. No, it is the solar panel man coming to measure the patio roof. Okay, Dee will be back soon, so I directed him to where he needed to be, and then said the prayer AGAIN and then got Cole started on his Blue and Gold Banquet invitation. Fortunately, Cole is a GREAT kid, and he enjoyed coloring and doing a real nice job at his invite. The doorbell rings again...this time, it is the Solar Water heater guy, assessing putting the unit in the garage! Again, no Dee yet, so I direct him to the garage, informing him that Dee is a little detained due to a mishap on our older son's part. We finish cubs, Dee arrives, Cole's dad picks him up, and I race down to Nate's school, where I am 45 minutes late to pick him up. I would have gotten there sooner, had not the traffic been backed up at Cactus Road. I finally pull in...his football coach is waiting to go to work (Sheriff Dept. Captain), alone with Nathan. He won't get off until 2 in the morning, and he has to be back at school at 6:00 A.M. for weightlifting. I am a heel, making him late to work!! I get home, throw on dinner, eat, and then run out the door to Verizon with Dee to exchange Kate's broken cell phone. Then back home...I clean up dinner while Dee has a meeting with India on the phone. By 9:00, I am ready to crash. Then a 11:30 P.M.phone call from Morgan at the "holding facility" to make sure we got his bike. What a day!! I hope to not repeat anything like this at all in the near future, at least.

Thankful Thursday

I haven't done this in quite a while...in fact, I kind of forgot, until I saw an entry on my friend, Kathy's, blog. Even when times are unsure, it is wonderful to take a moment to stop and think of the many blessings you have.
I am thankful for an ever hard working husband. No matter what is thrown at him, Dee just makes the best of the situation at hand. He may have an unsure future, but he gives his all today to do the best he can, and he is ever searching for ways to better support our family and our dreams. I am so thankful for his steadiness in seas that seem very un-calm.
I am thankful for blogging, for people that share their knowledge and experience, their coupons, their deals, their ways to save and store and cook and bake. I can tap a vast store of knowledge and assitance at the touch of a button. And, I don't feel alone in my financial concerns.
I am thankful for my cub scout calling. It is such a wonderful blessing to stop the routine and think of what we are doing doing at our den meeting this week. I look forward to Cole coming and working on his silver arrow (already has earned his Bear badge and his gold arrow), and hoping that Ben can come today. My church calling to work with these young men is such an honor!
I am thankful for our garden that Dee worked so hard to plant. We have had soooo many snow peas. When they grow, snow peas are a crop that is worth planting (though last year, we reaped 1 pea pod...costing over $100 - water,mulch, etc.) And we have collard greens (yuck), swiss chard (yuck) and are growing basil, tomatoes, yellow squash, and cucumbers. Too bad we can't grow those nice bags of salad that I get at Food City!! And I am thankful for our many citrus trees and the oranges, lemons, tangerines, red grapefruit and white grapefruit (yuck!) and the limes that will come in the future. We are truly blessed!

Take a moment, midst the stock market falling, the prices rising, and uncertainty, and give yourself the blessing of gratitude. It has changed my day! Thank you, Kathy!!!

My Sister...My Friend

My sister gets me the nicest things for Christmas! I have the most beautiful temple ornaments she has purchased that I cherish and enjoy each time I hang them on my tree. Last year, she got me the most wonderful sign that I hang by my front door... "The Rices est. 1980". I had always wanted one. This year, she made a clock for me. She didn't get the vinyl ordered for it, and I know how much it will cost, so I just finished the clock hanger and hung it up in the hallway, right outside the bathroom. Every morning, as I go out in the darkness to run, I see that clock...and I remember that I set a goal to say my morning prayers every day, so I go back in my room and say them. She helps me keep my goals that I have set...and she doesn't even know it. And that is not all. She seems to call at just the right time...always when I need to hear from someone who just loves me. She and I are very different...I am planned, she is spontaneous. We complement each other. Who would have thought that this person who used to get into my Barbie Dolls and totally disorganize my cases and boxes of accessories (now, again, she was just enjoying making Barbie beautiful and happy...I wanted everything labeled and organized), who would climb the street light pole with all the neighborhood boys looking on in envy, who forgot her slip to wear under her long dress at my wedding reception, so she had to borrow my short one (made for some interesting pics)...yes, who would have thought that irritating little sister would become my refuge in my storm, my rock (I even used to threaten my kids that if they didn't behave, I would send them to Utah, to Aunt Sharynn, I called her "the rock" so they would learn how to behave), my friend. So, last weekend, I traced a font that I liked off the computer, onto my clock, and painted the words in my favorite green color..."My Sister...My Friend" That seems to say it all! I love you, Sharynn!!!

This Economy Stinks

Now, I truly try to be a patient person...my children have taught me to have some patience (or else they secretly performed a lobotomy on me during the time they were teenagers)...but I really try to take things in stride. I took the news of no raises at Honeywell Engines as just a bump in the road. I took the news of payless furloughs as an opportunity to not waste our money and put into use our years' supply as well as expanding my cooking and planning skills. But today...well, what happened just takes the cake. I love the sugar free banana popsicles (Kroger brand) that I get at Fry's. I get one or two as a treat at about three in the afternoon. I look forward to my popsicles. I eat them winter, spring, summer and fall. On a few occasions when it was cold, I even went out to the car, turned on the heater, and then ate my popsicle. And they were a good deal...12 in a box for 1.99. I ran out on Saturday. So, today, as I completed my other shopping, I went to the freezer to get my familiar box of popsicles. I looked and looked. The cream filled and multi flavored were there. And then, I looked more closely... A new box! A new amount! A new price. Now, I only get 8 in a box, and they cost $2.49! Well, that's the last straw!! No more popsicles! Now, you say, it's only 50 cents and 4 popsicles difference, but it's just the principle of the thing. What do they contain? Any product that has increased in cost? No. There is no real banana in them...just flavoring. Has there been a freak freeze destroying the artificial flavor crop? I think not! And have supplies of artificial sweetener been interrupted by world conflict? I dare say no!! So, why, why raise the price on these tiny morsels? Why find these as the area of the Kroger empire that keeps them in the black? Why ruin my 3:00 snack? I cannot take this anymore!!!