Now this is NOT a whine! I'm grateful every day that I have (more than) enough food to eat, and I think of the millions who go to bed hungry when I complain that we don't have the right brand of pudding or the potato chips aren't crisp.

Just an observation: I make it to town and back, make it through the aisles and the check-out, packing the groceries in the car, etc. When we pull into the garage, I think, WHEW, we're DONE! (Because my husband won't let me carry anything upstairs to the house except what I can easily get on my one trip)

Then I get upstairs and remember I have to unpack, sort, put away, freeze, etc. And at that point I just want to collapse in my chair, too tired even to eat! Why don't I ever think of that when I'm loading my cart?

I bought several pounds of chicken tenders on sale for $1.99, so those have to be frozen in serving-size packages and labeled--washing hands in between each chicken-touching. And we bought several things at the reduced sale bakery shelf: tea bread, muffins, pie, coffee ring. I cut those in singles and wrap in saran for my husband's coffee break. I hardly ever bake anymore, except biscuits or for special occasions.

My next project is pulling things out of the pantry closet and re-loading so that the fresh stuff goes in the back. Can't tell you how many times I've paid for skipping that step with four-year-old cereal to feed the hens!

It's a good feeling to have the trip behind me and the larder full--thanksgiving every time we hit Shaw's!

Oh, one more thing! I always keep my eye on the bagger, even at the store where I hardly ever have problems...don't really want the soap with the cereal, or the grapes on the bottom. It was a kid, I mean he was literally probably 17. Hadn't seen him before today. Afterward I asked him, "Are you new?" He said, "No, why?" And I said, "I just wondered--you're a really good bagger!' I should have told his boss instead!