Nana's Place

Today was grocery shopping day, a chore that all of us have to do whether we want to or not, because otherwise there would be no gas for the tummy machine that drives the old bod...

As I walked into the store and went to grab a basket, a Dad and his little girl were doing the same thing...a really pretty little girl of about 6 years I would say, out shopping with her Dad...well immediately Dad started barking orders at her, and her cute smile started to fade...he was scolding her because she wanted to "ride" on the front of the basket around the store...Dad was obviously wanting none of that, as a matter of fact, he looked like he would have rather had an appendictomy with a pair of tweezers than go shopping...

I had a week's worth of groceries to get, so I hightailed it to the far side of the store to begin my quest for grub. (okay I admit it, I am a "from one side of the store to the other" kind of shopper!)Heck, I've even been known to start over, if I lost my place...hee hee...naw, not really, but I bet that got a chuckle out of you.

During my walk about, I passed the Dad and the little girl a couple more times, and each time Dad was gruff, short, and all around displeased with his daughter, for what I observed to be doing nothing more than walking with him in a grocery store. (The man was probably early 30's, tall, very good looking, and had a big booming voice, so even if I wasn't in the same isle with them I could hear him talking to her.) "No, don't touch that, no you can't have this, no not right now, hurry up", etc...etc...etc... I made a mental note that if I were his kid I would probably be thinking right about now that I would love to kick him in the shins,(that was from "her" point of view, my feet would have been aiming much higher),but she just smiled and kept up with him the best she could.

By now, I had made my way to the meat department, holy smokes, talk about slobbering all over yourself...dang, never go grocery shopping when you haven't had any breakfast or lunch, cause it's pretty obvious when you see an old lady in swets hovering all over the rump roast, patting it lovingly, with eyes glazed over, and drops of perspiration popping out all over her face, that she's hungry! (No, I don't need no stinkin' bag for this, just hand me a fork and a napkin, I will eat it right here, and pass the salt while you're at it, thank you very much!) Geesh, to think, I could have passed out from hunger, not at the meat department, but "in" the meat department...what a way to go! For all of you vegetarians out there, "stuff it"!

I was checking out the chickens (actually I was sniffing them--I sniff everything, (dunno why or when it first started, but if you talk to my Sis, she will tell you it's been her whole life), I am a sniffer of food, sometimes it can be a blessing, ah, warm bread right outta the oven, and sometimes a real curse...some smells can trigger a bad allergy attack, while others can burn the nose hairs completely outta their hidey holes, like the unknown round tub of petrified who knows what, and how long it's been there in my fridge, that I opened and sniffed just yesterday...holy smokes, (I think I have discovered another new antibiotic), anyway, after sniffin' the packaged chickens for about 5 minutes, I figured I had better stop, cause the meat department guy was looking kind of curious as to why in heck I was doin' that, and I didn't want him to come over and ask me if I could pass the same sniff test....

As I turned and started walking up the aisle, I saw another cute little girl (about the same age as the one with the grumpy Dad), but this time she was with her Grampa and they were all smiles and helping each other with their grocery list that she had written. He would ask her what was next on her list and she would read it off, "Grampa we need bacon, and I will get it for you, because I see it right there"...Grampa would smile and she went and got it and came back and read her list again...this went on for a few minutes, and I have to tell you, the difference between this encounter, and the other one really started to make me think...what wonderful memories this little girl will always have of shopping with her Grampa, his patience with her, and his interaction with her that was so warm and loving, while the other little girl was trying so hard to please her Dad, but yet nothing she would do would make him slow down and see that she was just trying to spend some time with her Dad getting groceries...

I don't know if there is a moral to this story, other than if you are like the grumpy and impatient Dad, stop it!!! Life will speed up so fast on him, that his little girl will be grown and gone from him all too soon, and all he will be left with is a wish that he could go back and redo what he didn't do when he had the chance...we are all guilty of it, and we have all done it...

The Grampa in this story has it figured out, and he knows that to be kind, patient and loving with the ones around you, time "will" slow down enough for you to make wonderful and lasting memories for everyone, even with something as simple as going to the grocery store.
...after all, what is life but memories and experiences?

I guess that my first order of business for Nana's Place is to go back to about a year ago, and show you what it is like when my friends and family get together and enjoy each other's company. I know that many of you have already seen these cool pics, but for my friends and family that do not have access to My Space, nor to the Nana's Place board, this is for them to enjoy.

My daughter Mandy and her hubby Mart that live in the Netherlands brought our other friend Steven with them and each time they come, Mart makes a delicious Dutch dish for all of us to enjoy...well, this time Steven added to the fun with his own version of Teramisu...

Mart’s Peach Pilaf!!
I know that it sounds yuckky, but, oh my, the taste is to die for...each year that Mart is here he makes one special European dish, and actually, we were blessed to have two of them this year..one in August, and one a few weeks ago...there were about a couple of dozen of us there at the dinner and we had a blast...also, after the meal, they always bring "kinder eggs" from Holland...it is kind of like the plastic eggs we use for Easter here, but the outside is covered in a yummy hard chocolate shell, and inside is a really cool toy that you put together...this family really knows how to have fun!!! Oh geesh, I forgot to mention that Steven made 4 huge batches of Tiramisu, and it had a lot of Amaretto in it, and things really got silly with the kinder eggs as you will see!! One bowl of dessert, and we were all buzzed!!Enjoy the pics...I have sooo many pics of all the different things that we did...and I swear I must have put on 10 pounds cause of all the good eats that we had...(heck, I am still burping!!) hee hee

The grub cooking...

Hard at work...

Some hungry guests....
Dakota, Kyia, Eddie...(now Mr.& Mrs.)

Jodie (Kyia's Grandma--she has 3 Grandma's)

Bec, Brandi, Mandy (Dotty wasn't able to be at this get together)

Donna (my Sissy and best friend)

This is how to properly load your plate with the "fixins" per Mart...

You go first Steve....

Yes Steven, it's hot...

This was the first time Bruce had ever met any of Donna's family and friends...

Love your shirt David

Ahh...I finally get to sit down and eat!!!! (He ate 4 plates of pilaf!)

Steve...it's his house...

Michele...it's her house too....

Aww nuts...it looks like I have gotten a few of these backwards...oh well, you get the picture...err...pictures....
Now for the fun stuff...and the craziness...this is what started it all!!