Let Me Tell You About My Awesome Day

Yes, it was truly an awesome day. For starters, despite a (stress?) headache and general unrelenting weariness of life's trials, I felt an immeasurable amount of peace. A shoulder-relieving, weight-lifting kind of peace. Has our situation changed? Not one bit. Do I know what next month will hold? Or next week? Nope. Peace.

But back to my day. First, I spent the morning at the grocery store. I was a bit leery of the trip, knowing our cupboards are fairly skeletal, knowing we need food, and knowing the money just isn't there. Don had been saving up his funds from re-selling records and CDs snagged at our local thrift store, and he had enough to purchase a gift card for the grocery store. Yesterday afternoon I sat down with my cookbooks, my grocery store circular, and my coupons -- I planned out our menu for the week (something I just started doing a few weeks ago and am convinced it's saving us money) and scribbled out the related shopping list:

Tonight: Menestra (simmering as we "speak")
Thursday: dinner out (fundraiser)
Friday: Grilled vegetable fajitas
Saturday: Sweet corn chowder
Sunday: Chicken parmesan
Monday: Cajun fusilli pasta
Tuesday: Baked Chicken a la Joe Dogs

This morning I looked at my shopping list; I looked in my wallet; I looked at the gift card. I had no idea how it was going to work out. The list was just too long -- all necessities, no frills whatsoever. Just long. "Widow's Oil, Lord!" I breathed.

Grace was in a fabulous mood, lifting my spirits. This is a good start! I pushed my cart through aisle after aisle ... and then the Widow's Oil began to pour. I am not kidding nor exaggerating when I say this: nearly everything I needed was either on sale or I had a coupon for it. Seriously. Even random items such as mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and bathroom cleaner. Everything.

It also helped that every once in a while I'd look over and see my dad taking something out of my cart -- the gallon of skim milk, the four cans of soup (with coupon) and putting it in theirs. They literally lightened my load. (Thank you!!!)

My cart was full when I wheeled into the check-out lane. I was a little nervous as I unloaded each item. What if the gift card wasn't enough? I had about $4 in my wallet -- that wouldn't cover much. There's always the credit card, which I loathe using (and which -- thankfully!! -- we haven't had to use yet).

My mouth almost dropped open when the final tally hit the screen. It was unbelievably low, affordably low ... miraculously low. I actually now have a left-over balance on my gift card, my $4 are still hidden in my wallet, and my credit card remained unswiped. The Widow's Oil is flowing indeed! Thank you, Lord!

My spirits only improved as the day went on. The temperature neared 60 today, if not surpassing it. My coat remained on its hook in the hallway. My window was open. I had to drive Don's work clothes over to him at the shop unexpectedly, right before lunch, and I drove with the sunroof open, sunglasses on, music blaring comfortably. It ... felt ... good!

It was just one of those days that just worked -- really worked.
And I feel great today.

(The only depressing event was looking at the 10-day weather forecast, predicting a doom-and-gloom drop back into the 30's. Bummer. What a tease.)