Azure Standard/Costco Day

Nothing makes a farm girl such as myself more content than a pantry full of food.  Everyone knows that I bulk order our grains, cereals, baking mixes, beans, and pastas, right?  I order from Azure Standard, a drop ship company out of Oregon.  Once a month, people can place orders that will be shipped to a volunteer's home.  We get a phone call that our order is in and we pick it up!  It's awesome!  Unfortunately, I've been missing the Azure Standard cut off for 9 months now, and ran out of whole wheat flour.  And then almost oatmeal!  Like, that could never happen!  This month, I did not forget, but I also had a lot to get.

I also had to do a Costco run yesterday.  I usually go once a week when I'm in town, but last week I went to the regular grocery store instead.  Grandad requested some special items that Costco doesn't carry and right now, his wish is my command.  So, I was two weeks away from my last Costco run and needed to restock several items.  The timing of my Costco run, however, coincided with the time some people were... stocking up in case of emergency.  You know what I mean?

It isn't too odd for a woman with five children to push a giant cart through the store.  Especially when there is a coupon for paper towels and TP.  But after the kids are packed in the van and I'm alone loading the food...I look a little like I'm stocking up in case of an emergency.  Well, I am.  I always am.  There are all sorts of potential emergencies: flu, earthquakes, ice storms, trees across the power lines,...rising food prices...nuclear fallout...or I just plain don't want to leave the house!  The man parked next to me mentioned that he had stopped in for just one thing.  But he decided that since he was there, he might as well get prepared, and it looked like I was too.  I responded, "Oh...well....this is just a normal run for me.  I have a lot of kids.  And I haven't been here in two weeks."  And then I tried to close the back of my van, but the door wouldn't shut.  Heh, heh.  Whoops.