Walmart, fried okra and a few trips down memory lane...

After work tonight, I had to go to Walmart. Ugh! I remember as a child thinking it was the greatest place on earth, then when I grew up and it started taking "my own money," well somehow it isn't as fun. Dad, it just isn't as easy for me to write a check as I thought it was for you, when I was a child! :) It is great when you find that "perfect" deal, but rather frustrating when you go in for "3" items and come out with $100.00 worth of groceries! What is up with that anyway?!!!

Today I was in there for 2 hours!!! My husband was ready to send in a search party to look for me... I probably needed it too. You see, our store just "remodeled." That basically means that nothing is where it use to be, or even where you think it might be. They changed everything in this store and I do mean everything! I find myself going down the same aisle 3 times because all of a sudden the rice and pasta isn't on the same row anymore and tuna is on the same aisle as the soup... The sodas are now clear in the back of the store, while the bread decided to be up front and... well you get the picture.

Anyway, we do have a new deli. I was passing by it today and saw the variety of different foods; lunch meats, cheeses and a rotisserie chicken, when my eyes landed on one of my favorite foods. Fried okra! Yes, I will say it again... I love the stuff. Next to fresh garden tomatoes, okra is a favorite. Of course it has to be fried. I stopped to get some, but realized how long the line was and knew I was already late getting home, so sadly I passed it by... for today, anyway.

The thing about okra, is that it always brings along a "bowl" full of memories when I eat it. There are those snapshot moments that hit me every time I take a bite. My Granny and Grandpa's garden on the farm, going to the buffet for Sunday dinner with my family or eating on my Aunt Fay's back porch (she really did make the best okra in her cooking days!). Just thinking of all those sweet moments makes me crave some even more. Even going to the Walmart deli has its own set of memories. During the months before my Nanny died, we would all take turns going and staying with her. My sister and I could have lived off the chicken nuggets and fried okra from the Walmart deli!

As I sit here typing this, I'm smiling, thinking of all the crazy expressions everyone is wearing while reading this post, wondering why in the world I'm blogging about a veggie! Truth is that it is more about the memories the vegetable holds than the food itself. Have you ever stopped and thought about how certain things, often insignificant things, can trigger big memories?

Grocery shopping... 2 hours.
Slow line... frustrating.
A cart full of food... 120.00.
Spotting the okra in the Walmart deli... priceless!

I smiled all the way to the car and then called my sister...

I pray, during your busy, sometimes frustrating day, that something will "pop" out at you and trigger a smile...