OK, I Give Up

If you've read this blog for a long time, you may have noticed that I hate Walmart. However, I regard it as a necessary evil, on occasion.

What I hate is the fact that Walmart has deliberately gone into smal towns and driven so many small retailers out of business. I used to be able to shop at home and find most of what I needed. After Walmart came to town, home-owned businesses couldn't compete and many closed. Now, if an item can't be found at "Wally-World," it is necessary to go out of town to shop.

For years, I have resisted shopping for groceries at Walmart, even though I realized that it would be a bit cheaper. I like my hometown grocery store and remained faithful even after it was sold to an out-of-town owner because they didn't change anything or replace any employees. I was still comfortable going there. Parking is easier and the sackers still carry groceries to the car. Everyone who works there knows me and is very friendly.

I think I could go to Walmart two or three times a week for ten years and never be recognized as a "regular'. Furthermore, my local grocery offers even more services. They will cash my check without asking me to show my driver's license, they sell stamps, and have a "mailbox" into which I can drop my utility bill payments and they will mail them for me. Of course, I haven't needed the last few services since I discovered the internet, but still...........)

Now, unfortunately, in light of the economic downturn, and at the urging of my son, I have bowed to the inevitable. I have started buying all of my groceries, except meat, at the local Super Center. I am astonished at the amount of my savings. And, most of the store brand, Great Value, items are quite good, which adds to the savings.

So, who says old people can't embrace change? I still don't like Walmart, but I'll hold my nose and shop there, and keep intoning, "Change is good. Change is good." Sigh.

Stay tuned.

They Woudln't Dare - Would They?

I was reading through blogs this afternoon, and came across one by Cyberspace Dawdler and it made me realize that I am going to have to add something to my previous blog.

Walmart has gone into the funeral supplies business. Yep. They have a selection of 14 caskets with prices starting at $999.99. They also have decorative urns for the loved ones' ashes with prices starting in the $30s, for adults, children and even pets.

They even have "Keepsake Urns" and necklaces that hold only part of one's ashes. This struck a chord with me. I had always told my children that I wanted my ashes to reside on Jay's mantle for 6 months of the year and Kelley's the next 6 months. But, with "Keepsake Urns" I wouldn't have to be shunted from one residence to the other. And, with whatever ashes are left over, they can put in a tasteful necklace or key ring. They could even offer them to my friends and other family members. I'm sure there will be plenty of me to go around. Another little problem solved.

I have never been completely sold on cremation, but now I am. It would be just too humiliating to think of my bereft children having to go to Walmart to pick out a casket. And yet, I don't want them to have to pay a small fortune to a funeral home for something that is going to be stuffed into a hole in the ground that they can't reuse or resell.

O.K. I'll stop writing about this subject, now. Unless something new happens, such as KMart or Cosco or Amazon.com jumping on the bandwagon, not to be outdone.

Searching For A Good Donut

I do hate to complain, but is there anybody out there who can make a decent donut? We used to have an excellent bakery here, "Harold's". Harold made the best donuts that I have ever tasted. Everybody stopped by Harold's for donuts on the way towork at one time or another during the week. Harold's donuts were big, they were airy, they were lightly glazed. In short, they were perfect.

Harold excelled in other areas, too. His cookies were delicious, his cakes sublime. Little children felt deprived if they didn't get a birthday cake from Harold's. Brides didn't feel properly married if their wedding cakes weren't made by Harold. And, speaking of cookies, Harold had a cookie for each holiday. At Thanksgiving, his cookies were shaped like turkeys, etc., with icing piped on. At Christmas, they were trees and Santa Clauses. At Easter, he produced bunnies. Well, you get the idea.

Alas, the day came when Harold decided to hang up his apron and retire. And, when he went, he just closed the door and went, taking his donut recipes with him. Since then, our town has been bereft, wandering from place to place, unable to find donuts that come close to meeting Harold's standards. And, nobody makes the holiday cookies any more, either. Bummer!

The closest Krispy Kreme is in Branson, but they do make daily deliveries to the grocery stores here. They are pretty good donuts, but they're at their best when they are fresh off the line, hot and dripping with glaze, but we don't experience that. When we get them, they're cold. They're small. They're over-glazed. They're under-filled. Their chocolate tastes funny. Did I mention that they're SMALL? And, if we buy them in the afternoon, to have with our coffee the next morning, they're stale. Bleh.

Walmart's donuts are ok. I guess. But, they only make a limited number of them per day, and when they're gone, they're gone until the next morning. If you can't get there before eight a.m., you might as well stay home and have cereal. And, what's with that glaze ?

It has been several years since Harold's closed, and we still grieve. But, eventually, we'll have to let go. Harold is not coming back, and neither are his donuts. So, we bid a fond farewell and continue our search for the perfect donut. Maybe in time, our memories will fade, and Walmart's donuts will get better and we'll get a Krispy Kreme, and we'll be able to appreciate what we have. Until that day comes, though, we'll make do.

Why? Because, even an inferior donut is better than no donut with the morning coffee.