Early morning shopping....

Okay folks, I'm going to play the "stay-at-home-mom" card here.  To me, the following is a true perk of being a sahm.  It is the quiet peacefulness of going to the grocery store just after it opens. At this time of day the sweet smell of freshly baked muffins and bread hangs in the air, the aisles seem wider and more spacious, and the early morning dairy stockers smile as they actually place the gallon of milk in the cart for you.  Cans and boxes are neatly placed on shelves, their lables facing forward, so they can actually be read.  The produce department is brimming with fresh, green vegetables that are glowing with the promise of vitamins and minerals in every bite. The fruits are polished to such a high gloss that you almost need sunglasses as you choose between McIntosh and Jonagold.  And then there are the checkout lines....oh the blessed lines!  The clerks are actually standing there waiting for you.  You are most likely their first customer of the morning and they are smiling and chatty. They happily run your items through and if a price check is needed, there are no scowls or heavy sighs.  Just a cheerful call over the intercom, "Jerry sweetie, I need a price check on celery, Thanks hon."  And, my favorite part, the comical retiree who packs your groceries.  "Paper or plastic young lady?"  At this early morning hour, this dawn of a new day, eggs get carefully placed in their own bag.  Bread is ever so gently tucked into the cart, no where near the canned goods.  Then, with a twinkle in his eye, the bagger asks, "May I help you out with your purchases?"  I'm always tempted to say yes, but I see the harried working mother running late behind me, and decide to let her reap the benefits of the early morning glow that surrounds the store. It's an experience that stays with me through my day.  And every time I reach for an egg, or glass of milk, I am comforted by the thought that tomorrow is another day, and I will surely run out of something before then....