Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Eva Cassidy - Over the Rainbow
Thought for the day - Food Lion
Today, i read in the paper an article about Ralph Ketner, one of the founders of the Food Lion grocery store chain, who passed away at age 95. It made me think about how this grocery store has been a part of my life longer than any other. i still shop there. i shopped there today, actually. i love to go grocery shopping and Food Lion is one of my first choices.
My earliest memory of Food Lion was back when it was known as Food Town. Ours was on Sunset Drive in Monroe, NC. It was across the street from the Methodist Church and diagonally across from the scout hut. Food Town was almost half way between our house and Grandmother's. i remember she shopped there a lot, especially the older she got because it was close and a fairly easy parking lot to get in and out of.
i remember going there as a small child, before i started school, with Mom during the week. i would sit on the bottom of the cart after i got to be too big to ride in the child seat. It was always fun to be pushed around by Mom and see all of the items that were closer to the ground. One particular thing i remember is going there to buy supplies for our annual beach trip to Kure Beach each year. When we were small, we were not given many sodas. i don't know if this was because they weren't good for us or because we could not afford them on a regular basis. Anyway, when we went to beach, we always got sodas to take with us. Specifically, Chek Soda. They came in many different flavors. The can was always white and whatever color "matched" the flavor of the soda. Mom would be 4 or 5 flats of them. Of course, then i had to get out from below the cart so she could put them there. But, i will always associate Food Town with going to the beach.
i also remember the glories of having shopping carts with license plates on them. After your groceries were bagged by people who were actually trained on how to bag groceries, not just put 2 items in each plastic bag, you were given the option to push the cart out yourself or drive around for pickup. If you drove around, the cashier would write your cart's license plate number on the back of your receipt. You drove up to the front of the store and a clerk would put your bags in the car for you. Shoppers today don't know what they're missing!
i remember one time, after Food Town became Food Lion, it went through a period where ours was not the best or cleanest grocery store in town. Harris Teeter, Winn-Dixie and Kroger and all opened up and Food Lion got left in the dust. Even though their prices were considerably better, people did not shop there as they used to. A friend of Mom's who was a home economics teacher at a high school, i don't remember which one, was shopping for chocolate chips there for a class project. She found the chips easily enough, but the first bag she grabbed was open. There were teeth marks on it...and not human teeth either. She went through several bags and all had been chewed and gnawed open. And underneath where the bags were there were mouse droppings. Needless to say, she did not buy the chips and was not happy either. So, she took each bag of chocolate chips that was damaged by mice, opened them up and let the chips spread all over the aisle. She told the manager what she had done and why and then she left the store. Then she called the office of Tom Smith, who was the president of Food Lion at the time, and relayed the story to him. He listened to her intently and thanked her for her actions. He promised to check into the matter and see that the store was properly cleaned so that this kind of thing would not happen. And, happy to say, it was a promise he kept.
Another memory of i have of the store is with Grandmother. i spent many weekend nights with Grandmother and she usually had some kind of sweet for me to enjoy. One night she realized she didn't have anything and loaded me into the car and off we went to Food Lion. She was going to get ice cream. Or ice milk as the inexpensive house brand was called then. It was late, at least to an 8 year old. In those days, Food Lion closed at 9 as did most everything else. We got there just at 9 as they were closing. Even though she explained to them she was just getting ice cream and knew exactly where it was, they would not let her in the store. So, we left empty handed. i do understand why we weren't allowed in from the employee's perspective, but it was rather disappointing to a young boy and his Grandmother.
From that episode, i took away that it's ok to bend the rules every now and then if it helps someone out and makes their day better. When i worked at a video store in the 90's, if someone showed up as we were closing or right after we'd closed, i would let them in because i knew the disappointment of being just a few minutes late.
The Food Lion i shop at these days is not too far from our house. If you look at Greensboro's demographics, it is not located in the best part of town like all of the high end grocery stores are. But, i shop there because the prices are very good. And i also shop there because, at least in my experience grocery shopping, they have one of the nicest, most genuine staffs around. Every person i encounter there is pleasant and usually smiling. They are easy to talk to and always answer my questions. i can tell from the banter between employees that they have created a good work environment for themselves and it shows. They make my grocery shopping experience an enjoyable one and that's why i keep going back.
Chek Soda. Carts with license plates. Ice Milk. Good memories. Thanks for that, Ralph Ketner!
My earliest memory of Food Lion was back when it was known as Food Town. Ours was on Sunset Drive in Monroe, NC. It was across the street from the Methodist Church and diagonally across from the scout hut. Food Town was almost half way between our house and Grandmother's. i remember she shopped there a lot, especially the older she got because it was close and a fairly easy parking lot to get in and out of.
i remember going there as a small child, before i started school, with Mom during the week. i would sit on the bottom of the cart after i got to be too big to ride in the child seat. It was always fun to be pushed around by Mom and see all of the items that were closer to the ground. One particular thing i remember is going there to buy supplies for our annual beach trip to Kure Beach each year. When we were small, we were not given many sodas. i don't know if this was because they weren't good for us or because we could not afford them on a regular basis. Anyway, when we went to beach, we always got sodas to take with us. Specifically, Chek Soda. They came in many different flavors. The can was always white and whatever color "matched" the flavor of the soda. Mom would be 4 or 5 flats of them. Of course, then i had to get out from below the cart so she could put them there. But, i will always associate Food Town with going to the beach.
i also remember the glories of having shopping carts with license plates on them. After your groceries were bagged by people who were actually trained on how to bag groceries, not just put 2 items in each plastic bag, you were given the option to push the cart out yourself or drive around for pickup. If you drove around, the cashier would write your cart's license plate number on the back of your receipt. You drove up to the front of the store and a clerk would put your bags in the car for you. Shoppers today don't know what they're missing!
i remember one time, after Food Town became Food Lion, it went through a period where ours was not the best or cleanest grocery store in town. Harris Teeter, Winn-Dixie and Kroger and all opened up and Food Lion got left in the dust. Even though their prices were considerably better, people did not shop there as they used to. A friend of Mom's who was a home economics teacher at a high school, i don't remember which one, was shopping for chocolate chips there for a class project. She found the chips easily enough, but the first bag she grabbed was open. There were teeth marks on it...and not human teeth either. She went through several bags and all had been chewed and gnawed open. And underneath where the bags were there were mouse droppings. Needless to say, she did not buy the chips and was not happy either. So, she took each bag of chocolate chips that was damaged by mice, opened them up and let the chips spread all over the aisle. She told the manager what she had done and why and then she left the store. Then she called the office of Tom Smith, who was the president of Food Lion at the time, and relayed the story to him. He listened to her intently and thanked her for her actions. He promised to check into the matter and see that the store was properly cleaned so that this kind of thing would not happen. And, happy to say, it was a promise he kept.
Another memory of i have of the store is with Grandmother. i spent many weekend nights with Grandmother and she usually had some kind of sweet for me to enjoy. One night she realized she didn't have anything and loaded me into the car and off we went to Food Lion. She was going to get ice cream. Or ice milk as the inexpensive house brand was called then. It was late, at least to an 8 year old. In those days, Food Lion closed at 9 as did most everything else. We got there just at 9 as they were closing. Even though she explained to them she was just getting ice cream and knew exactly where it was, they would not let her in the store. So, we left empty handed. i do understand why we weren't allowed in from the employee's perspective, but it was rather disappointing to a young boy and his Grandmother.
From that episode, i took away that it's ok to bend the rules every now and then if it helps someone out and makes their day better. When i worked at a video store in the 90's, if someone showed up as we were closing or right after we'd closed, i would let them in because i knew the disappointment of being just a few minutes late.
The Food Lion i shop at these days is not too far from our house. If you look at Greensboro's demographics, it is not located in the best part of town like all of the high end grocery stores are. But, i shop there because the prices are very good. And i also shop there because, at least in my experience grocery shopping, they have one of the nicest, most genuine staffs around. Every person i encounter there is pleasant and usually smiling. They are easy to talk to and always answer my questions. i can tell from the banter between employees that they have created a good work environment for themselves and it shows. They make my grocery shopping experience an enjoyable one and that's why i keep going back.
Chek Soda. Carts with license plates. Ice Milk. Good memories. Thanks for that, Ralph Ketner!
Recipe of the week - baked scallops
This was the first time that i ever cooked scallops. i love scallops but have always been apprehensive about cooking seafood. i think it's because i tend to over cook my meats and seafood is especially not good when it's over cooked. i conquered my fear of cooking shrimp, so it was time to move on to scallops!
This recipe was actually on the bag of scallops. i thought i'd try it out and ended up really liking it! i forgot to take a picture but it turned out like a very nice looking casserole. Oh well :)
1 lb. scallops
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt
pepper
1 cup of cracker crumbs, divided
dash of nutmeg
2 Tbsp melted butter
Preheat oven to 350. Rinse scallops in cold water and pat dry. Mix scallops with 1/2 cup heavy cream. Add salt, pepper, 3/4 cup of cracker crumbs and a dash of nutmeg. Place in a pan and cover with 1/4 cup of cracker crumbs. Sprinkle with melted butter. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
This recipe was actually on the bag of scallops. i thought i'd try it out and ended up really liking it! i forgot to take a picture but it turned out like a very nice looking casserole. Oh well :)
1 lb. scallops
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt
pepper
1 cup of cracker crumbs, divided
dash of nutmeg
2 Tbsp melted butter
Preheat oven to 350. Rinse scallops in cold water and pat dry. Mix scallops with 1/2 cup heavy cream. Add salt, pepper, 3/4 cup of cracker crumbs and a dash of nutmeg. Place in a pan and cover with 1/4 cup of cracker crumbs. Sprinkle with melted butter. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Monday, May 30, 2016
Thought for the day
Letter writing is a dying art. i am trying to bring it back...one letter at a time. As convenient as emails are, it is so nice to get something in the mail that isn't either a bill or an advertisement or just plain junk. i know, in my heart of hearts, that it won't catch on again, but that is not going to keep me from doing it. In the past week, i have written 4 letters. i am trying to write one at least every other day. Whether or not they get answered is still to be seen.
In the midst of letter writing is thank you notes, also a dying art. i think it is important to let people know one's gratitude towards them. Today, i wrote 2 thank you notes for kindnesses that have been done to me. Of course, a thank you note never has to go acknowledged but the writer does get a great sense of accomplishment at having done it. And, if it brightens the recipient's day, all the better.
Anyway, it is my goal to write more letters. i love the time that it takes to just sit down and put pen to paper. i usually put on some records as i write...any excuse to listen to my music. And even if the news is old news by the time the letter is delivered, it still means a great deal at having done it.
i used to write letters to my Great Aunt Billie. The last one i wrote to her was about a week before she died. She never actually got the letter because she went into the hospital. When we were in Wilmington at her house for the funeral, i found the letter among her mail and i kept it. And even though she never got to read it, i was glad that i had written it. It's just a nice way to keep in touch.
Cheers
In the midst of letter writing is thank you notes, also a dying art. i think it is important to let people know one's gratitude towards them. Today, i wrote 2 thank you notes for kindnesses that have been done to me. Of course, a thank you note never has to go acknowledged but the writer does get a great sense of accomplishment at having done it. And, if it brightens the recipient's day, all the better.
Anyway, it is my goal to write more letters. i love the time that it takes to just sit down and put pen to paper. i usually put on some records as i write...any excuse to listen to my music. And even if the news is old news by the time the letter is delivered, it still means a great deal at having done it.
i used to write letters to my Great Aunt Billie. The last one i wrote to her was about a week before she died. She never actually got the letter because she went into the hospital. When we were in Wilmington at her house for the funeral, i found the letter among her mail and i kept it. And even though she never got to read it, i was glad that i had written it. It's just a nice way to keep in touch.
Cheers
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Sunday's moment of faith and reflection - The Lord Bless You and Keep You
Now that i am getting back into the swing of going to church on a regular basis, i find that i am really enjoying it. It is a great way to connect with people and to reconnect with my spirituality. So, i figured that my blog would be a good place to reflect upon that. i simply plan on sharing things, mostly music, that made an impact on me through my life in church. i am not here to preach to anyone or to try to change anyone's religious views. i just want to share those things that are important to me.
This arrangement of "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" is by John Rutter. It is beautiful. Many Sundays at church growing up, this was the benediction sung by the adult choir. i enjoy most everything that Rutter does, but this is one of my favorites.
Peace
This arrangement of "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" is by John Rutter. It is beautiful. Many Sundays at church growing up, this was the benediction sung by the adult choir. i enjoy most everything that Rutter does, but this is one of my favorites.
Peace
Thought for the day - car taxes
My car taxes and tag renewal are due at the end of next month. This morning, before i went to church, i was going over some of the paper work the Guilford County Tax Office had sent me. i try to keep like papers together...i don't always succeed, but i do try. Anyway, i also found the same papers they had sent me in 2014 when i purchased the car from my previous employer. At that time, the car was valued at just under $10,000, which is what i paid for it. i noticed today on my 2016 form that my car is now valued at almost $16,000!!! WTF? How can a used car appreciate almost $6,000 in two years? i always thought that the older a car got, the less its value. Hell, i've always heard that a car automatically loses half its value the day you drive it off of the lot. So, how is it possible that the car is now valued over 1.5 times what it was 2 years ago?
i just do not understand. And, of course, my tax bill is much higher than it was 2 years ago. i think that i will be taking a trip to the Guilford County Tax Office this week to see how this works. If they can give me legitimate reasons as to why my car appreciated so much in value, i will be satisfied. If it is some sort of clerical error, then screw that. They will have to fix it. The Kelly Blue Book value is only just above $10,000. i just want to know how they reached this conclusion. i ain't got time for mediocrity right now LOL Mistakes happen and this better be one. We shall see. GRRRRRRRR
If you have any answers or helpful info...i welcome it!
Cheers
i just do not understand. And, of course, my tax bill is much higher than it was 2 years ago. i think that i will be taking a trip to the Guilford County Tax Office this week to see how this works. If they can give me legitimate reasons as to why my car appreciated so much in value, i will be satisfied. If it is some sort of clerical error, then screw that. They will have to fix it. The Kelly Blue Book value is only just above $10,000. i just want to know how they reached this conclusion. i ain't got time for mediocrity right now LOL Mistakes happen and this better be one. We shall see. GRRRRRRRR
If you have any answers or helpful info...i welcome it!
Cheers
Saturday, May 28, 2016
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