Thursday, Nov. 13

I overslept this morning, and would have snoozed longer if Hubbie hadn't woke me up at 8:30. I guess I was making up for the sleepless night Tuesday. But since Hubbie had a 10 a.m. Master Gardener meeting, and Mother wanted to go shopping this morning, I needed to be up and about.

I skipped my exercises so I could be ready sooner to drive Mother to where she wanted to go. We left the house about the same time as Hubbie. Our first stop was the art gallery, where I hoped to leave my photo for the hospital display. But it wasn't open (the gallery doesn't always stick to its posted hours). So we went to the greeting card shop, where Mother chose three cards, and I got a children's Christmas storybook edition to add to my collection. With these purchases, I was able to use a $2 coupon I'd received in the mail, plus get the storybook at a reduced price. When we left the card shop around 11 a.m., I drove back by the gallery, but it still wasn't open.

Then we went to the WDCS. I used two $2 coupons to buy a couple of boxes of hair color, but that was my only purchase. Mother, in doing her monthly shopping, used quite a few coupons. Mother, Hubbie and I have always been avid coupon users, and in these difficult economic times, we feel it's even more important to take advantage of savings wherever we find them.

As we were shopping, a lady stopped and commented that the 3-lb. bags of onions we had in our basket were on sale at a new grocery store downtown for 99 cents a bag, and that the WDCS would honor that price at the register. So I mentioned that to the cashier, but she said that in order to get the discount, we had to have the sale paper in hand. We didn't, so I told the cashier we didn't want the onions...we'd just go to the other grocery store and get the sale price.

In the past, the WDCS would take a customer's word for sale prices offered at other stores, but the cashier said they got a letter this week stating the store could no longer do this, because some customers were abusing the privilege by declaring false sale prices. It only takes a few dishonest folks to ruin things for the rest of us.

By the time we got home at 12:30 p.m., Hubbie was back from his meeting and had prepared himself a PB&J sandwich with corn chips. I opted for a few leftover sauteed potatoes scrambled with a quarter cup of egg substitute, a couple of tablespoons of low-fat cottage cheese, and a slice of toast. We shared an orange for dessert.

Since I needed to take the photo to the art gallery this afternoon, Hubbie and I decided to stop at the new supermarket on the way. We've intended to look around this store ever since it opened a few weeks ago, but just didn't get around to it until today. We got two bags of the 99 cent onions, and then picked up a few other of the store's bargains, like turnips (to go with a few that Hubbie brought back from his MG meeting) and sweet potatoes. Soda crackers were also on sale, so we got a box for Mother, who had forgotten to get them on her shopping trip to WDCS.

From the supermarket, we went to the gallery. This time it was open. From there, Hubbie wanted to go look around a plant nursery. The folks who run this nursery had another one down by the river that was ruined during the last flood, so they will be having a big sale Monday to get rid of their remaining inventory and then close the business.

By the time we got back home mid-afternoon, I was ready to relax with the evening newspaper, before fixing bagel pizzas and salad for supper for Hubbie and me. Mother opted to spend her afternoon at home.

What glorious weather we had today! Sunny, with temps in the 70s. I could live with this kind of weather all the time. Tomorrow is predicted to be a carbon copy until later in the day, when the temps will drop and winds will blow. Boo. I don't look forward to it.