Here we are at the end of another week. It has been a busy one for me, and it seems like that has become a habit with me of late. While I have been busy with editing for a client, writing and taking care of some business, I have made time to get outside and enjoy the cooler weather we have had this week. My animals have appreciated that I have come out for longer than to fill water pans and throw hay over the fence and run back to the air conditioning.
The other day I got my horse out, and brushed him and took him for a little walk. We both enjoyed that. Then he got to stay out and graze on some better grass outside his pen. A grand afternoon all around.
I was really saddened to hear about the two TV journalists who were killed in Virginia earlier this week. Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27 were shot while doing a live broadcast at Bridgewater Plaza, a Smith Mountain Lake recreation site about 200 miles southwest of Washington. The incidents of angry people grabbing a gun and trying to appease their anger seems to be increasing in number, and that is frightening. My condolences to the families of You can read more HERE.
Since other news is primarily focused on political junk and scary stuff about the stock market, I will go straight to some fun. Since many schools will be starting in the next week, if they have not already, I thought this bit from my humorous memoir, A Dead Tomato Plant and A Paycheck might be appropriate.
School Daze
Is There Hooky in Kindergarten?
The beginning of each new school year is always met with varying degrees of eagerness and excitement. There are some kids, like Jason in the comic strip Fox Trot, who live for each school year so they can amaze a whole new set of teachers. Others go begrudgingly because in some respects it is better to have something to do every day than be home with Mom who might find some unsavory job to do, like clean the toilets.
Mother’s are generally thrilled to have the kids gone most of the day, but first there is the mad rush to get them all outfitted with a few new clothes and the 10-page list of school supplies.
One year, a couple of days before school was going to start, I went up to our local grocery-drugs-everything-under-the-sun store to get those school supplies. When I arrived, I discovered that I wasn’t the only one who’d waited until the last minute to perform this little task.
The aisles were crammed with shopping carts, harried mothers and a multitude of kids, which created more confusion than in the pits at the Indianapolis Speedway. The mothers wore a grim look of. determination which clearly said, “I can only suffer through this indignity because it is all for a greater good,” as they jiggled crying babies, fought their way up and down the aisles, and did their best to ignore the earnest pleas of their kids.
“Oh, Mommy, please! Can’t I have this organizer? See it has Star Wars stuff on the front and this neat thing for paper. And I won’t ask you for another thing extra, I promise.”
“I know it’s not on the list, but I really need these felt-tip markers, and the big box of crayons and some of these notebooks.”
For the first time in my life I actually had the presence of mind to think ahead and only brought one kid with me on this shopping trip, and he had masking tape over his mouth. So I was in a position to see a little humor in the human drama occurring around me. Although I did have to hurry to cosmetics if I felt a laugh coming on to avoid the risk of being attacked by a horde of irate mothers armed with wooden rulers.
The store clerk probably deserved as much sympathy as the shoppers. He valiantly tried to keep the shelves stocked, answer questions, and help locate vital items. He looked like the last one over the finish line at the Boston Marathon. I wondered whether he would pull his hair and scream if I asked him to help me find the grade two manuscript tablet.
I decided not to take the chance.
To make matters even worse, we all knew that we’d back in a few days to try to exchange the things that shouldn’t have been on the list for the things that should have been. None of us was more acutely aware of this than that poor clerk, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that as soon as he clocked out for the day, he took off for a quick vacation in Siberia.
So, could you relate to the school-supply shopping? Do you have a funny incident to share? Please do leave a comment. We’d love some more stories.
And please come back on Sunday for my review of Go Set A Watchman. That book has stimulated some interesting discussions, and the reviews on Amazon are most interesting.
The weather has been wonderful hasn’t it. I don’t go outside much because the hot weather & I just don’t get along well & I sunburn at the drop of the sun’s rays but I wandered around our yard each evening this week. The birds are flocking to the feeders & bird baths along with the squirrels who seem to be getting more & more tame! I’m glad your horse had a break from the usual surroundings. The dogs at the Humane Society loved being outside so much of the day this week. And as for school starting, well, not having to go through the school supply drama is one of the perks I enjoy so much about growing older!
I also appreciate not having to shop for school supplies. But it was fodder for my humor column.
LOL — you’ve brought back some memories, Maryann. I never had the experience of taking one kid (3 boys with very different preferences) shopping at a time for school supplies or school clothes, so most of our group excursions were like nightmares. Still gives me a cold chill thinking about it after all these years.