Hi Dave,

I grew up in a small town, population was about 850. At that, there
were smaller villages in the area that had no grocery stores so the
folks came to us for shopping. Going over the mountains in winter was
not a fun experience; one place in particular was notoriously bad. I
think most people stocked up when they came, and, a lot of the farmers were able to do their own butchering. My parents, having white collar jobs, bought meat from the grocery stores.

I didn't always live in the "metropolis" that is the State Capitol.
But, both Taylorcille and Carlinville were larger than 1000
population. Still, it was "small town America."

Since getting married, I've lived in places as small as 1,000 (late
70s/early 80s Swansboro) to as large as 3.5 million (reunited Berlin)
and all sorts of sizes between. Always something interesting, no matter
how large or small a place. Some of the big places have "neighborhoods"
so you have a small town feel in the midst of a big city.

8<----- EDIT ----->8

When my shift at the Zone is done at 11 o'clock I'm swinging by to get
a nice order of frozen and dry goods. All of the attendants in the
pick up section know me and my car so they just automatically pull the tote with my order and bring it out to the car.

We've not tried that, doing all of our grocery shopping in person. May
hve to change that as we get older, but I'll not like not being able to pick my own produce, etc.

I still buy/select my own produce and fresh meat. Staple items are all that I let/have them pick and bag for me.

We may reach that point eventually.

We don't do a lot of bread either but probably more than you do, since it's 2 people eating from the loaf. I'll use the crusts, etc from my
home made 100% whhole wheat for bread crumbs--haven't bought any in decades.

Used to get my bread at the "used brad store" of which we had at least five examples. Two for Wonder Bread and three for Butternut. Now we're

My parents started doing that when I was in college and they went to the
larger towns that had those stores more often. They've never been
convenient for us tho.

down to just one ... a Tasty Kake outlet that I am told is the only
store of that type between Chicago and St. Louis. And their prices/

here named "Harvest Market" which is part of a local(ish) mini-chain
whose "schtick" is locally grown/processed/fresh meat and produce and packaged products. They have a nice in-store restaurant like Wegman's
or Hy-Vee which I have tried a couple times. I have yet to buy any groceries at that location.

Sounds like an interesting place to check out.

Oh, I've cruised their produce and meat aisle. And, of course the
canned/ boxed goods too. Pricing is pretty "up-market". And I am a
careful shopper.

It is/was. But, it's about as far from me as it can be and still be
"in town". I've done some 'walk-about' when I've met folks there for
a lunch or similar occasion.

We may be out in that area in spring, going to the Dayton Hamvention.
Also have some things we want to donate to the Chicago Public Library
so need to resume (stopped when Covid shut the country down) talks with them.

I don't think CoVid shut it down as much as changed the marketplace.
The "weak sisters" did not survive. But the well run, well done places seem to have survived.

We've got to find out if the person we were communicating with is still
at CPL. Also need to make a list of what we have, run it by my siblings
and get their ok since it is family papers.

Then there are the ethnic markets. We have Indian, Chinese, S.E.
Asian, Italian-American Imports, etc. I buy my miso paste at one of
the Chinese markets. And some Indian specialities at Masala Mart.

Those are all down in Raleigh, don't think there are any in WF.

Probably not enough volume of business to sustain a presence.

Possibly, but the way the town has grown, it won't be long. When the Wegman's development was announced, it included plans for a number of other stores and apartment buildings. The other stores are across the highway, more small restaurants than stores actually. The latest one to open up opened yesterday, Bibibop Asian Grill. Fast Asian style (mostly Korean-ish) bowls; we tried it for lunch yesterday. Had a good sized
crowd but that could be opening day novelty; we'll see if it lasts.
Food was ok, not the best Korean we've had but could have been much
worse. We'll go back, but it most likely won't be a regular.

CONTINUED IN NEXT MESSAGE <<

---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


... You learn something useless every day.

--- PPoint 3.01
* Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)

Hi Dave,

I didn't always live in the "metropolis" that is the State Capitol.
But, both Taylorcille and Carlinville were larger than 1000
population. Still, it was "small town America."

Since getting married, I've lived in places as small as 1,000 (late 70s/early 80s Swansboro) to as large as 3.5 million (reunited Berlin)
and all sorts of sizes between. Always something interesting, no matter how large or small a place. Some of the big places have "neighborhoods"
so you have a small town feel in the midst of a big city.

Biggest actual city I've lived in was Memphis, TN - after I got out of Uncle Sugar's Yacht Club. I lived in a 'burb of Los Angeles
(Inglewood) but it was all part od the "metro" area.

Whoops, just remembered a part of my life I've tried to forget, I
*did* live in L.A. for about six months 0 near the Colosseum - just
before I scarpered back to Illinois.

That short a time, it's easy to forget. We lived 3.5 months in San
Angelo, TX and 6 months (me and girls, 8 months for Steve) in Pacific
Grove, CA. Both of those were after basic training for Steve but
opportunities for us to explore new to us areas of the country and
associated foods.

8<----- EDIT ----->8

pick up section know me and my car so they just automatically pull the tote with my order and bring it out to the car.

We've not tried that, doing all of our grocery shopping in person. May
hve to change that as we get older, but I'll not like not being able to pick my own produce, etc.

Give it a shot when it's not "critical". Canned/boxed/packaged staples
do not need on-site selection. Produce, deli, and meat ... that's a different story. As I said below. Bv)=

I still buy/select my own produce and fresh meat. Staple items are
all that I let/have them pick and bag for me.

We may reach that point eventually.

I'm at the point where I will use one of the battery-powered cats

****?

if one is available. And the r3egular cart makes a nice "walker" to
lean on if trudging through the aisles.

I used the ride'em carts when I had foot/knee problems but gave it up
when they healed. For a while my mom used a regular cart for a walker;
dad didn't trust her "driving" the other. When she couldn't walk much
any more, he'd find a seat in the front of the store and park her there
while he did the shopping. Not the best solution but it worked for them
until mom reached the point where she went into the memory care unit of
the local nursing home.

8<----- EDIT ----->8

Probably not enough volume of business to sustain a presence.

Possibly, but the way the town has grown, it won't be long. When

the RH> Wegman's development was announced, it included plans for a
number of RH> other stores and apartment buildings. The other stores
are across the RH> highway, more small restaurants than stores
actually. The latest one to RH> open up opened yesterday, Bibibop Asian
Grill. Fast Asian style (mostly RH> Korean-ish) bowls; we tried it for
lunch yesterday. Had a good sized RH> crowd but that could be opening
day novelty; we'll see if it lasts. RH> Food was ok, not the best
Korean we've had but could have been much RH> worse. We'll go back, but
it most likely won't be a regular.

Do you have a sizable population of any one ethnicity? We have quite a
few from the Asian sub-continent (India/Pakistan) as well as Latino
and Oriental groups. And we're beginning to see African themed/based eateries.

Not really,in WF. Morrisville, on the west side of Raleigh, has a
sizeable Indian population but we generally don't head in that
direction unless we've a need to.


---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


... Some are so educated they can bore you on almost any subject

--- PPoint 3.01
* Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)

Hi Dave,

Never saw that movie. Nor did I watch Lassie on the boob tube. I did, however, watch Rin-Tin-Tin on a regular basis. Although I found "F
Troop" more realistic. Bv)=

Both "M*A*S*H" and "F Troop" were good at portraying what the Army was not. "McHale's Navy" did the same for the Navy and "Gomer Pyle, USMC"
did it for the Marines. They were all fun to watch tho. BTW, did you
know that the opening scene of "Gomer" used actual Marines in the
filming? I've always thought they must have had a hard time keeping a straight face as Gomer was being "chewed out" by Sgt Carter.

Jarheads learn early on to keep their heads down nand their yaps shut. M*A*S*H was based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About
Three Army Doctors. I've read the book. And saw the original movie
with Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland as the stars.

I've never seen the movie or read the book, just enjoyed the tv series.

Hooker was actually in Korea and served at/in a MASH. So, there nwas a
lot of truth there. The final episode "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen"
was the most-watched television broadcast in the US from 1983-2010,
and it remains both the most-watched finale of any television series
and the most-watched episode of a scripted series.

I saw (most of) it as a movie while we were in HI. Do own the whole
series on DVD, thanks to a brother, just never sat down and watched it
again.

These are alleged to be "doggie treats". They will make
pretty decent "people treats" as well. -- UDD

Nothing in there I'd turn my nose up at. If it had peanut butter, as
I've seen some dog treat recipies, I'd gladly leave it to the pups.

You seem to be with P-Nut buitter the way I am with bologna. How are
you with other nut butters/spreads. Like Nutella or similar. I do fine with other lunchmeats (even SPAM) but bologna triggers mt gag reflex.

I like Nutella, probably because of all the chocolate in it, but don't
really care for the other nut butters. None of them turn my stomach like
peanut butter, just don't care for them.

We used to buy a lot of inexpensive turkey based cold cuts when the
girls were younger, taking their lunch to schools. Went with a better
quality one after they moved out but when Wegman's opened up, I started
buying their deli meats (usually ham, turkey or roast beef). Bought some bologna once, a few months ago and will not buy it again. It just tasted
nasty. Maybe if I'd fried it.................


---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


... Is this a Kodak moment or a Maalox moment?

--- PPoint 3.01
* Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)

Hi Dave,

When they came here they were paid the same as miners from here,
there, or anywhere. John L. Lewis was from Springfield (founding
president of
the United Mine Workers) and Mother Jones is buried in the nearby town
of Mt. Olive, IL https://www.biography.com/activists/mother-jones

*********

Mt Olive, NC known for pickles, relish, etc, as well as Mt Olive
University. On New Year's eve, the town drops a big dill pickle into a
cask of brine.

8<----- WHACK ----->8

So, I went back to chilli mac when I go there.

I would too; I don't put any sugar in my sauce and don't like a sweet sauce when I encounter one.

A little bit sometimes helps - although I'm more likely to use honey
than sugar. Same w/BBQ sauce unless I want it to caramelize on the
meat. Overall I don't do a lot od sugar in/on anything except
desserts. And I only do those sparingly.

I've switched to stevia for my morning tea, cook sometimes with half stevia for baking, half sugar or all sugar or honey. I don't do bbq
sauce; Steve smoked some baby back ribs yesterday but just used a
couple of dry rubs on them. There was just enough heat that my mouth
had a slight tingle of heat, just right. But, like you desserts are
where I usually get my sugar.

I mostly use honey as my beverage sweetener. And I manage my blood
sugar levels well enough that the occasional "sin" causes no spikes or lasting effects. Bv)=

I'm doing well with no meds, just watching what I eat.

5 1/2 c Mini marshmallows
5 c Puffed rice cereal

*******************

My mom used to buy that for one of the cold cereals in the few months
we had them (between early June and the end of August). She'd get that, puffed wheat, wheaties, corn flakes and rice krispies on a rotating basis--when you added milk to the bowl of most of them, you got a
sorry, soggy mess but we had to eat it. Only one of the above I've ever bought is the rice krispies, for the treats. Oh, she also bought
(regular) cheerio's, another one that got soggy fast in milk.

AFAIAC cold cereal(s) is good only as an ingredient is a recipe. Corn Flakes or Wheaties crushed for breadini, Rice Crispies for any number
of sweet things and so on. If I'm doing grains for breakfast it will
be, most likely, instant oatmeal - with raisin, date and walnut
leading the charge.

I like a granola type cereal but for hot, will go for oatmeal with
cinnamon and raisins. Growing up, my parents allowed only a teaspoon or
so of brown sugar and a couple,3 tablespoons of milk on our oatmeal or
cream of wheat (alternating days). After leaving home, I began adding
the above, with a bit more sugar, no milk and today I'll even leave out
the sugar.


---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


... OOPS: Not just for klutzes anymore.

--- PPoint 3.01
* Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)

Hi Dave,

Especially watch out for those blackberry seeds.

When, and if, the time comes, I will. Did get a Water Pik a while ago;

Never messed about with ne of those. Nor the waxed string (floss). A
tooth pick (wood or plastic( and brusking with and up & down stroke
rather than the more usual (ad easier) to & fro that most use took
care of the bits and pieces in the cracks.

I do the up and down also but there's those odd bits that don't like to
come out except with a bit of help.

I did the dental visits. But I had teeth break for no known reason, Or

Must be something genetic or from your years as a smoker.

Whatever, it's a fact of life. My niece has horrid teeth that her
dentist blames on my brother's service in Vietnam and exposure to
Agent Orange.It seems that can cause a genetic shift

Why am I not surprised?

Here's a recipe I'm going to try with my bread machine. I may add some ground caraway - as I said I like the flavour. And I might play with
the rye to white ratio. Or sub whole wheat for the bread flour. Bv)=

Don't use any more rye flour as it has no gluten. The bread flour has
more gluten than white or whole wheat so if you use one of those, you might want to add a tablespoon or so of powdered gluten. Voice of experience. (G)

Thanks for the head's up.

Glad to pass on knowledge to aspiring bread bakers.

I'm not really a baker. But, every so often I get frisky, Other than
the breakfast toast and burger buns ..... oh, and the cinnamon rolls
at the Golden Corral breakfast buffet.

We don't have a GC in town any more, closed during Covid. Now it's a
ghost kitchen for several restaurants. You have to call them order,
then go over to the GC to pick your food up.

Our G.C. began life as a Golden Corral steakhouse franchise. Then
switched franchises to "Maverick Steak House" and finally transitioned back to Golden Corral as a buffet. And in a different, much larger
place.

Ours closed, had been a buffet for years. I preferred the old
concept--go thru line to order every thing, then find a seat and it will
be brought to you. Western Sizzlin' had that plan also, but they closed
some years ago. It was one of our favorite places to go to in
Jacksonville, NC when we wanted something special.

Only thing I've baked for a while has been frozen pizza. Bv)= Or Papa Murphy's. MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

We baked a pita pizza Friday night--pizza using a pita bread for the crust. Worked well for the 2 of us--6 slices (2 put aside for my lunch yesterday) and a salad made a filling meal for us.

Off to the pulmonologist this ayem to get him to give mw a script for
a home oxygen concentrator and a porta-pack to carry along when out of
the house. I had that set-up for more than a year but things improved
to the point I didn't see the need to tie up equipment I didn't really need. And two years down the road things have changed dramatically - I can't walk into the kitchen for a glas of water or cup of coffee and
back to my computer without running out of air. I'ts the tiniest bit scary. Bv)=

Hope all goes well. I've been on O2 at night for a couple of years now,
just got bumped up to 3 lpm from 2, had a CT scan on Monday. Results
showed some more deteroraton since the last one done, in August of last
year.

---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


... A truly wise person knows that he knows not.

--- PPoint 3.01
* Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)