Food… | #AtoZ #LetterF #nonfiction

…has been acquired.

Hi! I know you stopped by looking for an A-Z post of a short story, or perhaps the craft of writing. Perhaps you even looked so far as to see that my theme is “Catching Up.” Well, while I am spending a couple of days “catching up”, so at least on that point I’m on theme, there may actually be no fiction or writing talk.

I did the thing my husband wasn’t keen on me doing, and went to a grocery store this morning.

That doesn’t mean I haven’t been shopping for three weeks. It means that the high-traffic Wal-mart I’ve been able to do Grocery Pickup with for the past three weeks finally was unable to provide the things we “need”. I put that word in quotes because they still have plenty of food available, but it just wasn’t the right things that my family of picky eaters enjoys.

And for my youngest, having food they enjoy eating is critical for their mental health.

So I went to the local store, the one that’s only a few blocks from my house. They used to be 24-hours and now are 6a-9p, and I went at 7a, in case they had their first hour reserved for elderly and immunocompromised folks.

I was so grateful (and surprised) to find that they were well-stocked. Not fully stocked, but adequately for my needs. I lucked into arriving just after they stocked something I’ve been looking for the past two weeks. I found the chicken my oldest child and I enjoy, and the chicken my youngest says they’ll eat. I was able to find food that I’ll enjoy. I could get a few staples.

And best of all, the pricing felt normal. I’ve been looking for some things on Amazon, and the pricing is just outrageous there.

I wore my youngest’s “bear face” mask, the only mask we have in the house, since the temporary scarf things and fabric I plan on using for masks hasn’t arrived yet. It was hot, but not unmanageable, and I can see myself getting used to wearing a mask like that. I’m lucky in that respect. One of my dearest friends is in serious danger if she has to breathe in the hot air you end up with with fabric masks that fit well. I worry for her.

But I got food. And I’m so grateful to work for a company who treats each other like family. One coworker still lets her child work at the grocery store he was employed at before this started, and they apparently have a rack of staples set aside for employees. She let me know if I need anything, to let her know.

I don’t expect to ever need to take advantage of that offer, but I’m so grateful she made it. It makes this Thing a little easier to deal with.

Soon I’m going to need to try to get my hands on tissues and toilet paper, and those items will be challenging, I’m sure. But that’s for another day. Wouldn’t it be nice if those items held out for whatever day T falls on during this A-Z Challenge?