Summertime Scenes

"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes,

and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit.

A few of those days and you can become drunk with the

belief that all's right with the world."

Ada Louise Huxtable*

Since it's the first of the month Sweetie and I headed out with our full bank account and long shopping list to see if we could come out even at the end of the day. I took my camera with me thinking I'd capture a plethora of summertime scenes to answer the question posed on Molly's blog.

Alas, I was undone at our first stop - Sam's Club. The parking lot was crammed full of a combination of people just like us (with first of the month money in their pockets) and holiday shoppers. The one picture I didn't have the nerve to take was of a woman checking out with one of those huge baskets full from bottom to top with hot dog buns. Not a weenie in sight, but enough buns to serve the Russian army. Obviously this lady had drawn the bread card for the holiday picnic.

From Sam's we went to Lowe's to look at gas grills. Another photo op missed - Sweetie drooling over some humongous cooker with vents that looked like submarine periscopes stuck in the up position. After giving the grill serious consideration and gently caressing its rust-resistant porcelain steel top, my very practical Sweetheart came to his senses. Even with a free container of propane thrown into the deal, the chances of us ever using the total cooking space on that thing were pretty slim so it really wasn't cost effective.

Had Sweetie had the camera in his possession he might have taken a picture of me in the fabric department of Walmart. I have a whole slew of coupons for Joann Fabrics, but I still made an honorary pilgrimage through the aisles of discount fabrics. Buying fabric is actually a year-round exercise, but selecting reds, whites and blues for some patriotic quilts made it feel summerish.

I considered taking a picture of Patricia, our checkout lady whom Sweetie lovingly described as a goofhead. In her defense she had apparently just been written up for some minor offense by her supervisor. Thus she was much more interested in making her own list of grievances to throw back at management than carefully packing our reusable bags. As it turned out neither we nor she were in the mood to argue over a coupon that said "Free" in big bold letters, but 24 oz size in itsy bitsy type. It's summertime and the livin' is easy, unless you are working at Walmart and your line is backing up over a 48 oz. item.

Later on in the day, with the groceries put away and Sweetie cooling off in the pool, I went looking for a new bathing suit. The one I've been wearing for an untold number of years has apparently lots all it's stretch. Even though my mom wore an old-fashioned Speedo tank suit left over from when my sister was on the high school swim team for more years than anyone can remember, I decided if I was going to force myself to do laps and aquatic stretching exercises I was going to look good doing it.

You can tell it's been awhile since I bought a bathing suit because I nearly fainted at the price tags. Who in their right mind would buy a $90.00 suit even at half price? I think I finally understand why mom wore that old rag for so many years. Since being in my right mind is often in question I loaded myself down with suits of various sizes, mostly in black hoping for a slimming affect that would negate the fact that that I was trying on suits designed by Delta Burke, i.e. suits for the larger sized woman.

I guess I'm pleased that nothing fit quite right; or should I say nothing fit the way I thought a $90.00 suit should fit. I figure for that price I'd appear slimmer and trimmer than I did.

At the end of the day Sweetie decided against the grill and I decided against a new swim suit. We stuck to our financial goals and stayed within our means. This is a good thing.

As the lazy, hazy days of summer linger on I'm curious, what are your summertime scenes?

Merry ME

* I saw this quote on http://aerialarmadillo.blogspot.com/