Grinnin Saturday High

OK...I admit it, stupid title, but I was just listening to some music, and like always it moves me to tears. I have so many tears.

Today, was one of those wonderful rolling warm, thunder filled days you get every once in awhile with a good friend. My friend "M" and I took off this morning, leaving kids, hubbies and expectations behind.

We drove through the mountain passes of Montana, back to school clothes on our minds, and more to talk about than we could manage in 2 trips.

Even though today was about shopping, the bigger thing it was about, was two overworked, overwhelmed married mothers of two small children the same ages, who have a tremendous bond because we both have preemies, we both worked in the same hell hole and made it out on the other side, and we are both dealing with very rough patches in our marriages. We both had a minute of freedom today and it was a beautiful soul renewing sort of day for both of us.

We were on a mission, new school clothes for our 5 year olds, and new clothes for the little ones.

There was a huge sale at JC Penny today. We got there early enough to get the "door buster" prices, and the guy that rang me up, he was a manager, let me ring stuff up in two separate purchases allowing me to use 2 $15.00 coupons instead of one. I managed to basically get my kids entire winter wardrobe for under $300.00. This is for both kids, multi sets of sweats, jeans, shirts, sweatshirts, shoes, everything...there is something about a killer sale that just does my heart good.

I had planned on buying a new camera today. Sadly, every store I went to had "just sold out" of the one I wanted. I have saved up enough cash to pay for half, and I was going to put the other half on my credit card. I decided two things today. I am gong to buy that camera, but since I have gone to more than 5 stores, and it's "sold out", that it must not be the right time to get it. So I decided that I would wait until I have saved up the entire amount and buy it with cash, and that as long as I had it before the holidays, I could live with that.

After we got our shopping done, and we basically got the shopping we had planned to take all day to do done in less than an hour, we went to lunch at this fab BBQ place. I got a full rack of baby back ribs. All I can say is YUM. I only ate half, took the rest home for hubby's dinner.

We then wandered through many consignment stores, and then this store called "Rocking Rudy's", which had more good things than I could ever hope to count. Bumper stickers, chocolate, magnets, toys, lotions, cards, paper, huge music store, it was just awesome, and though the store looked small when we walked in, it was huge and cavernous. Its smelled of Nag Champa and Patchouli. There was blues music playing and it felt like I had landed in the Haight again. It was freaking wonderful.

After that, we found a store that mixed essential oils with lotions and body oils, similar to the one I used to frequent in my younger days. I got two bottles of scented body oil...yum.

We then hit the "real food store" there, and wandered and shopped. Bought a bunch of organic fruit, and I got a "black seedless watermelon", I've never seen one before, but I had to buy it. It really wasn't even that expensive, actually all the organic fruit I bought today was totally reasonable.

So there you go, my knee is killing me and I took my first pain pills in almost 3 weeks. I had a glass of wine and a bacon and tomato sandwich for dinner with tomato's I grew in my own garden.

When I got home, my kids were so thrilled with their new clothes, they loved them. I love making them happy, and it takes so little really to do that. I spent part of the evening in the kids bedroom with Little Miss on my lap reading her one book after the other and smelling the watermelon/bubblegum smell of her hair and squeezing her and telling her I loved her. I got lots of Little Miss kisses tonight. After that, I went back downstairs with Small Son, and hung out watching "Transformers" and falling for my five year old who was so excited by his new Sketchers (he knew what Sketchers were, how I'll never know) in his new hoodie sweatshirt and his sweet little boy smell next too me. I told him tonight he could sleep with me so we could cuddle. He is the worlds best cuddler and I'm going to indulge myself in it tonight. I'm sure Little Miss will be in for her fair share.

To hubby's credit, he had the kids bathed when I got home, took them to Micky Dee's for dinner and though my house isn't clean, it isn't thrashed and I don't have that much to do tomorrow. I brought him home sushi and the ribs, and he was absolutely excited at all the good food just for him, and I was grateful he let me take off today, no questions asked, no expectations of when I was going to be home. He let me have a day off and actually made the house run today with out me.

So a good day was had by the Old Crone, don't you just love those days that just meander past at their own speed, taking on a life of their own? These are the sort of days that heal your soul.

My kids have no idea I have two brand new huge sets of Lego's waiting down in the garage for them in the morning. I promised Small Son and Little Miss last weekend if they let me donate their old "baby" toy's I would buy them Lego's. I can't wait, I adore Lego's myself and could spend hours playing with them.

Over and out from Bears Mountain.

Peace,

OC