is this really necessary?

our local kroger...which i love....the deals, the folks who work there, the atmosphere....great place
has this monstrosity outside its doors!
i must be old fashioned and so be it...bc i just think it is so unnecessary...
jack and esme love to come to the grocery store but now are fans of publix...bc of the absence of the rabid dog

i feel like we live in such an overstated culture.
happy has to be exuberantly caffeine hyped up eyebugging out fun
slim has to be super skinny
satisfied requires perfection in all areas of life

we just aren't simple.
and this?

this is a stretch but it reminds me of that song that came out after 9-11 where someone explained they'd "put a boot in their arss bc you don't mess with us the americans"
something like that...
and i cringed whenever i'd hear it...bc it was just so crass and common
it is very possible to say what we need to say, and show what we need to show without spelling it out in such base terms to make ourselves kindof wretched in the telling.

we have forgotten that communication is best accomplished with our actions....
the kids in highschool don't need to wear itty bitty shorts with "sexy" written across the bottom
we don't need a demon dog to show that we are a good football team
and we don't need to cuss our way to the top of the pack as americans...

anywho...
i ended up calling the manager at kroger...super nice and totally understanding and i knew he wouldn't even really remember the call after we hung up or to do anything about it...
i just wanted to let him know how much we liked the store but were now shopping at publix bc my kids were scared to come inside

honor, grace...being ladies and gentleman...
when did these things become "weaker"or the "lesser" way...
and how did i pull comparisons between the dog and toby keith! ha!
anywho...just thinking. =)

tea and english muffins...

around the fire this morning....with sammie =)

last night

the air was cool...the whipporwills were happy...and we sat by the fire and just looked into the big sky...
i love our little home and even though i feel like we will move on soon and that will be good, i have been so happy here

josh cut the grass with a push brush mower!

cleaning up the yard

a visit from uncle matt and aunt moe!

josh has been bushwacking all day...right after he rented it we heard from matt and moe!
so the kids and i looooved having them to ourselves =) though of course we missed josh...working hard in the fields while we chatted and played =)

$2 science playing

we went thrift shopping and found a science dna set for $2 and the price tag was still on for $80!
and i was craving liana's rustic almond pound cake ...but had no almonds so made a walnut one..
hmmmm....it stuck =-)

putting our feet in holes

jack loves to know where to stand...
and i am always searching to find ways of making our practices fun...
so we've started playing in our own little chalk spots...
such a little thing but it even keeps esme entertained...at least for a time =)

visit from brent!

one of josh's old friends came for a visit last night...
it was so fun to chat and to see them laughing together...
he has been in mexico for over 2 years and is staying at the portico as sort of a reentry time...
he is a lover of wendell berry, good music =), photography, community and the church...
so of course the conversation came up about buying land and making a village =)
we have so many dear friends we'd love to do this with!

botanical gardens

athens has some great things for kids...and adults!
my mum and i and my brother too! spent many hours here...just walking and exploring
and especially lately...they have added so much over the past couple years...
the trails and almost all shaded and with water in sight...there is just so much for the kids to explore and learn...

more botanical gardens

we love the botanical gardens

they have such fun trails...
we took a creek trail this morning...that looped around to the gardens and then to the actual botanical garden
we packed a picnic and ate it near the veggie garden...
jack was enamored with finding everyone else's footprints (probably bc we are always looking on our trail for animal tracks and rarely see anything but deer) he had a hard time moving on bc there were so many people tracks! =)
and he saw a guy running the trail with his shirt off...
so he of course needed to have his off too =)

oops forgot to type anything

so, here's the plan when we go into kroger
we go straight to the balloon section where we know all the ladies who work there and they give the kids a free balloon
we bypass the free cookies and head to the organic greens section...
we buy the big tubs of spinach and spring mix that are usually $6.99 for $1.89 (we find the ones within 2 days of going out of date)
then we go to the organic food section (the kids eat free chips)....
and to the milk section....where all milk or yogurt within 6 days of the due date is marked down 3/4 !!!!
i love it!
i just look for dates and know most of the folks in the section and ask them to mark it down which they do happily ....
and then i was in the bread section getting yummy english muffins =) and the lady stocking the shelf and i struck up a conversation about the muffins and that she prefered the sourdough ones...and offered to give me a pack for $.49 to try them out!
sure i said!
and then the roses....such a treat....a little bunch marked down to $2.50 how could i resist!

i do shop earthfare for a few things that i can't get at kroger...and then publix for huge bags of carrots (they are 5 dollars cheaper here than anywhere else in town!) but mostly i like kroger...they are just so nice and reasonable!