Farm Boy

Mary doesn’t like shopping for clothes. I didn’t hit pay dirt on this point with any of my girls – not one of them wants to take out her charge card and go to the store and by clothing. Today we were there at the mall, for she had two half price coupons and she does have to go back to work and wear something that fits – so Old Navy beckoned. On the way through the cash register she was thanking me effusively for coming along, though I did nothing to help out more than posse her.

“You can thank me by going out to lunch with me,” I replied.

“How about buying some lettuce at the store and going home and making a salad,” she replied. Now that sounded so much like what I might have said – not something I would expect coming from her.

“Alright,” I said, “but only if we can stop off at the Diary Queen and get their blizzard special.”

How was I to know that I wouldn’t want a blizzard by the time we got out of Farm Boy – a store with only vegetables. We couldn’t even find a pound of butter on the shelves. But we stocked up with blueberries, watermelon, bananas, apples, two heads of romaine lettuce, a huge cellophane bag of half price string beans, a purple eggplant, green onions and two bags of oranges – and all that after stopping by a roadside outlet for more fruit (ie a van at which there was a sign saying “Fresh Wild Blueberries”). Then we added 3 gourmet self-serve salads to the cart, and went to find some feta cheese.  We couldn't stop ourselves from adding everything that looked delicious to eat.

I have already cooked the eggplant we purchased and it is marinating to be put into the Macedonian Salad tomorrow (see p 45, Mollie Katzen's The Moosewood Cookbook). When we were through, I didn’t even want to go get my blizzard. Now that is sad.

Tonight Mary and Leo have gone to a folk festival concert. I stayed home with the kids to have treats and watch Walt Disney's Pete’s Dragon. I don’t know why these parents always let me have the best of the deal. I wouldn’t trade places with them for anything.

Oh yes, I am not friends with the dog. I made four beautiful egg salad sandwiches for Mary and Leo, thick filling on home made bread and put the sandwiches in the middle of the table. The dog got up on all fours and ate them.

What is it about my kids that so many of them have dogs?  I consider that act on their part, failed parenthood on my part.

Arta