Shopping Day
written by: Lisa Rivers Kiesling
My mother didn’t know she was showing signs of the day’s difficulties. All she really knew was that she was happy to be home and that Dad was there to help. She had successfully completed another monthly food shop.
The build up to shopping day always began several days prior with a menu of the meals for a month. Next, a thorough check of the fridge and pantry. Then the cutting, organizing, and preparing of the coupons. This always required the removal of those that had expired. Then came the finale…the making of the list. And this wasn’t just jotted down items on a piece of paper, this was separated by store, by department, refrigerated, non-refrigerated, paper products, and so on. So you get the picture, this was serious business.
So, it was unseasonably warm this particular shopping day in the California Valley and if you knew my mother you knew she did not like the heat. First off, mom never left the house without her hair and make up done, and secondly, Mom is a fluffy girl, like myself, and we tend to run a bit hot blooded. And adding insult to injury, she was also a woman of a certain age, and hot flashes can be brutal. But, if nothing else my mother can be resourceful and has always successfully dealt with her facial perspiration. So, this day was nothing she couldn’t handle.
Mom carries the purse size Kleenex packs, either in her handbag or the glove compartment. They are always near by. They are her “go to” when she becomes overheated. She would open one into a big square and then begin folding it like a bandana until she had a headband. She would then place it across your forehead and tuck the ends under the arms of her glasses. This way it would catch the perspiration before it came running down her face. When it was saturated she would remove it, pat her face with it and begin again with a new Kleenex.
For some reason on this day she didn’t have adequate supply. She was in a pinch and had to use a paper napkin from the day’s fast food, which seemed to be working just fine. It got her through Costco without issue.
So, as she sat in the car preparing herself to go into Walmart, she removed the wet headband and patted down with it, then replaced it with a new dry napkin and off she went into Walmart for the final stretch. Going straight to the tissue aisle first, Mom picked up some Kleenex and, while in the store, she made herself another headband. She patted down with the discarded one, finished her shopping, and headed to the checkout line.
She collected her coupons together and handed them to the cashier while trying to make conversation. She noted to herself that she had never come across a less friendly cashier, noting she hadn’t made eye contact, not even one time.
Brushing off what appeared to be a bad day for the cashier, mom made her way to the car, loaded up the groceries, and headed home. Soon forgetting the entire situation.
It was there, when she pulled into the driveway and made her way into the house that Dad asked the question, “Rough day?” Surprised my mother answered, “Why yes, it’s been rough. Why do you ask?” Dad replied,”Well you have paper stuck to your forehead and coming out from behind your ears and you’re missing an eyebrow!”
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