A Grocery Store Experience.
The grocery store by my mother-in-law's house (1 block) closed it's doors yesterday for three months. It was purchased by another company who is doing a remodel project.
Normally that would be a good thing. However, that grocery store was the source of my mother-in-law's exercise and socialization. She would walk to the grocery store no less than twice a day for exercise, to pick up groceries (maybe one or two items) then go home. Sometimes she would go to the deli and buy a meal to eat at home and quite often she would sit on the benches and visit with people.
She's 91 years of age and a pure spitfire. So she's not taking this "desertion" of her grocery store very well at all. In her words, "it's the pits!" lol
So, herein begins the process of what to do for her 1) exercise, 2) groceries 3) food. Oh lordy me, what a process this is going to be!
1) Exercise
I explained to Ella that just because the grocery store was closed, it didn't mean that she had to stop walking over to the mall. There was still the Pantry cafe, White's Home Center and White Drug. She seemed OK with that.
2) Groceries was another story. lol. Today I took her to the "other" grocery store in town. What an excursion. She had her list...a whopping five items...grabbed a cart and proceeded to follow me around the grocery store getting acquainted with the store and where everything was. Of course, everything was referenced by "the OLD store did it this way" or "at the Old store they had 'this' and 'that'". lol We did finally manage to get everything after being there for an hour ..for five items. :)
3) Food. She is used to going to the deli to get something warm and hot to eat each and every day. That is not an option now unless she goes to The Pantry Cafe for a meal, which she could certainly do. I've tried to get her "Meals on Wheels" delivered to her, but she says that is "charity, and I don't take charity." OK, I get that. She has pride. So, I have decided that I need to get better at cooking meals, planning, so that I can take leftovers in to her.
All in all, today was a good day though. We have a standing date to do brunch and grocery shopping on Sundays. If anything, it will give me some quality time with my mother-in-law, and give her something to look forward to all week.
Normally that would be a good thing. However, that grocery store was the source of my mother-in-law's exercise and socialization. She would walk to the grocery store no less than twice a day for exercise, to pick up groceries (maybe one or two items) then go home. Sometimes she would go to the deli and buy a meal to eat at home and quite often she would sit on the benches and visit with people.
She's 91 years of age and a pure spitfire. So she's not taking this "desertion" of her grocery store very well at all. In her words, "it's the pits!" lol
So, herein begins the process of what to do for her 1) exercise, 2) groceries 3) food. Oh lordy me, what a process this is going to be!
1) Exercise
I explained to Ella that just because the grocery store was closed, it didn't mean that she had to stop walking over to the mall. There was still the Pantry cafe, White's Home Center and White Drug. She seemed OK with that.
2) Groceries was another story. lol. Today I took her to the "other" grocery store in town. What an excursion. She had her list...a whopping five items...grabbed a cart and proceeded to follow me around the grocery store getting acquainted with the store and where everything was. Of course, everything was referenced by "the OLD store did it this way" or "at the Old store they had 'this' and 'that'". lol We did finally manage to get everything after being there for an hour ..for five items. :)
3) Food. She is used to going to the deli to get something warm and hot to eat each and every day. That is not an option now unless she goes to The Pantry Cafe for a meal, which she could certainly do. I've tried to get her "Meals on Wheels" delivered to her, but she says that is "charity, and I don't take charity." OK, I get that. She has pride. So, I have decided that I need to get better at cooking meals, planning, so that I can take leftovers in to her.
All in all, today was a good day though. We have a standing date to do brunch and grocery shopping on Sundays. If anything, it will give me some quality time with my mother-in-law, and give her something to look forward to all week.
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