Monday, April 25, 2011

EVERYBODY HAS A TALENT

We knew we’d made a mistake when we drove into the parking lot of the grocery store.  The place was packed with cars bearing license plates from all over the country.  A new semester had started at the university, and the students were stocking up.

DH and I elbowed our way through the energetic crowd, dragged a cart away from a little old lady (okay just kidding) and went off to find our supplies.  We made it easily through produce.  Students don’t buy fruits and vegetables.

But we got stuck behind a mom who’d parked her cart full of kids and goods in front of the bacon.  She was reading the label on every brand.  Who cares what’s in bacon?  It tastes great and is guaranteed to kill.  What else is there to know?  We HAD to have bacon so I told DH I’d go for the other important item on the list and meet up later.

I needed a can of Oregon Blackberries.

 Guests were coming for dinner and I was making a pie,
an apple blackberry pie, for dessert.

They keep those cans on the very top shelf.  The shelf is at least six feet off the floor.  The blackberries were on sale, so of course from my full height of five foot two (on a good day) I could only see one can.  Stretching vertically has been a challenge for me for the past six weeks, but I managed to reach that one can.  But I needed two.

No clerk was in sight, and I doubted climbing the shelves to the top to get a better view of the ledge was a good idea.  Then I saw a wad of young men standing in the checkout line.  One guy must have been six-five with arms like a spider monkey.  I stepped over and asked him to come with me.  I showed him my can (not THAT ONE! pervert) and politely asked him to see if there was another like it on the shelf.  He grinned, glanced and easily gathered the last remaining can and handed it down.  I thanked him and he returned to his friends.

I wish I would have dared to invite him over for pie.

But he would have wanted to bring all his friends
 and there were only two cans of blackberries.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Haha! Great post! Six-five and arms like a spider-monkey - still laughing. I share your pain with supermarket challenges though, being five-two myself! Wonderful pie!

Linda Sue said...

Oh Leenie! That pie - YUM! You really shouldn't post things like that- now I must have PIE!

TheSims said...

Oh man, I think I gained a pound just reading about your pie. Wish we could have been there. We had great weather so we cooked hot dogs and s'mores in the fire pit. Then went for a walk. I didn't realize how much I missed the sunshine.

TALON said...

That pie looks scrumptious, Leenie, and quite happy to be gobbled :)

It's sure handy have spider-monkey arms around, isn't it? I bet he wished you'd invited him for some of that pie!

Jill said...

I'm a bit taller than average and would have reached that can for just one little slice!

Anonymous said...

I'm a little bit taller than you, but still have problems reaching high shelves. And in our local newsagents, they will put the craft magazines on the bottom shelf. I have tried explaining to the manager that ladies of a certain age can get down to look at things, but getting up again is the problem!!

susan m hinckley said...

There's a recipe that sounds good -- maybe since you can't share the pie with the whole class, you can share the secret? As always, delightful post and DELICIOUS today, as well!

rebecca said...

Sounds tasty. I want pie...

Leenie said...

Go here for recipe and links to make the pie.

http://bonkersycarax.blogspot.com/search?q=pie+crust

DayPhoto said...

Your little grandson is darling. I tell everyone, even my kids, grandchildren make everything worthwhile!

Your pie looks really good and thanks for the recipe link.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Buttons Thoughts said...

Leenie Wow you are tall I am almost 4'11 and I am getting good at grabbing tall men to help get things off the tall shelf. I try not to climb anymore at my age I may break a hip. Just kidding I am just tired of looking like a monkey. The pie looks delicious I bet everyone loved it. B

lizziviggi said...

Oh, you made me laugh over and over! Really, what else is there to know about bacon? LOL
Now the nice young man did his good deed for the day.
I think I may need to make a pie soon...

Pearl said...

Oh, man! Do you know how badly I want a slice of that pie now?!

Pearl

Sarah said...

Smiley pie! It is never a good thing to be in the supermarket when it is crowded. We often end up going on a Saturday with every other person in North Greenwich. I know it is going to be bad when we get there and all the trolleys have gone! I am usually the tall person that gets the cans! Nice young man-possibly even a student!