Little Bits and Pieces

Strawberry fields forever ...

1. I went strawberry picking last week. The strawberries this year are small and oddly-shaped because of all the rain we've had this spring. They still taste mighty fine, and I'm going back soon to get some more. Time to make jam!

2. Thanks to my friend, Sarah, I have discovered the most amazing service in the world. For $4.95, I can order my groceries online, and then pick them up at the store. Sarah has been doing this for years, and I've always assumed it cost an arm and a leg. Of course, when you have three children, two of them five and under, an arm and a leg is a bargain, so I understood why Sarah was willing to sacrifice so many of her limbs.

But it turns out she's been paying a pittance! In fact, this service pays for itself, since you can't make impulse purchases when you shop online. My grocery bill for the week was about twenty dollars less than it usually is. Bargain!

3. Another great deal: Buying reading glasses on line. Last week, I bought a package of five reading glasses on Amazon.com, including a pair of reading sunglasses. Total cost: $29.95. They're cute and funky, and now I have reading glasses spread out all over my house. I feel rich! (If you're interested, go here.)

4. The tyranny of May continues ... This week we have the 4th grade class play, a BIG deal, Jack's final band concert, baseball practice, and on my personal docket are two lunches with friends and my monthly book group meeting (we read Open by Andre Agassi, and I was surprised by how good it was). Two weeks from now, fourth and eighth grade graduation, fourth and eighth grade pool parties, and eighth grade graduation party.

I know I'll miss my children when they're grown and gone, but I will not miss school days in May. I don't remember it being this busy when I was a kid, do you? I remember field day ... and that's it. I'll have to ask my mom what she remembers.

5. Last week my friends Amy and Danielle came over for lunch. We ate this cake that I made with the strawberries I picked:

It tasted good, but was rather ridiculous. The recipe called for cutting two cake layers into four layers, but by the time I tried to put the fourth layer on ... well, just forget about it.

Anyway, Amy, Danielle and I have been friends now for fourteen years. We met when we were pregnant with our first babies. I am probably more myself with them than anyone else I know, other than the Man. I have no idea how they've put up with me for this long.

6. Got my first Durham Bulls' post up on the Bull City Summer Blog. If you want to read it, go here. My next piece is going to be on an elderly woman who goes to every single home game. That's how I'm going to be when I'm old--drinking a beer at the ballpark while I listen to the game on my transistor radio.

7. Is that enough stuff? Are you ready for summer yet?