Grocery Store Science

I was aware of the fact that stores set up their environment to entice us to spend our money, but I was reminded in a recent article and tv program that shopping is a science.  People study us to understand how to best make the spending happen.  This is quite interesting science about grocery stores:
The dairy case is placed in the back of the store because most people want milk or other dairy and this strategy  pulls the customer through more of the store.  The customer sees more products, which increases the odds for more spending.
Promotions and other stimulating setups in the store make the customer stay longer.  The longer customers stay, the more they spend.
The beautiful produce section is  often to the right as  customers enter, and is often specially lit to make the produce gorgeous and enticing. The bakery section is often in the front also. Some studies show that customers tend to go to the right when they enter the grocery store.
When I learn more about this science, I will write about it.  For now, I am heading to the market to see if I can buck science and turn left after I enter.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Plans Change

My plan was to fly into Alabama tomorrow morning along with two family members.  We anticipated a wonderful extended weekend with some of our  family members in the south.  However, this morning I got a call from one of those relatives and found out about the massive tornadoes that suddenly swept into Alabama and other nearby states.  At that point, there was no power in the city we were going to visit.  Thank God, my family members were spared and so was their property. 
So, I had a change of plans.  It was not meant for me to be in Alabama this weekend.  I am thankful for those who were spared and pray for all who were touched by the tornadoes.   By God's grace, I will visit in Alabama another day.
Take care,
Sylvia

The Devil Beats His Wife?

When I started today's blog post I had a thought to write about a little boy I saw standing in line at the store, proudly holding  the treat that his mother was about to purchase for him.
Then I looked out of my study window and noticed that the sun was shining brightly, yet it was raining.  When we were children, if it rained while the sun was shining, we said it meant that The devil was beating his wife.   I did not know how to interpret that, but I remember saying it along with my neighborhood playmates.  I guess I simply repeated what the older children said.  I think I asked my parents, who replied that it was just a saying and that the devil did not have a wife to beat. They told me that God was in charge of the weather.
I wonder what others used to say when it rained while the sun was shining brightly.
Just thinking.
Take care,
Sylvia

Extended Warranties

I went to a store to buy a new cordless phone.  Before I could choose the model I wanted, the salesperson asked if I wanted an extended warranty for free battery replacement and for phone replacement for a year.  It was not expensive, under ten dollars.  I  think most products come with a one year manufacturer's warranty, so now I guess  stores entice  you to buy a second year right off the top.  I got to thinking about how many purchases I make now where I am asked if I want to purchase an extended warranty.  Do they expect the product to fall apart on day 366 of ownership? What happened to good product workmanship?  Maybe the secret is that companies make lots of money on purchased extended warranties. What if nothing goes wrong with the product?  Think  about how many products you have purchased and also bought an extended warranty.   Interesting...
Take care,
Sylvia

Our Time and Place

I am thankful for the time and place into which I was placed.  I was born in the USA; I am thankful for that.  Unlike some of my ancestors, I was not born into slavery.  I am grateful for that.  I was not born during the Great Depression.  I was not born in a time of military war.     I was born into a time and raised in a place where indoor toilets in homes was standard; I am  grateful for that.  The automotive vehicle was in existence when I was born, so I did not have to use animals for transportation.  The electric refrigerator/freezer was around in my early days, as was the kitchen sink, so I did not have to pump water from outside the house.  I did not have to draw it from the well.  The telephone was there from my early years, and I was excited about that. In those days, though, it had a long cord.  No cordless, no cell phone.
I guess people from every generation could make similar statements for the times in which they were born.  I wonder what the children born into the years from 2000 to 2020 will say about the time and place into which they were born.
Take care,
Sylvia

Chocolate Eggs

I'm protecting my eggs.  Let me explain.  Every year at this time, Cadbury chocolate eggs are sold, and I allow myself this treat. Today I bought two boxes, with four eggs in each box: milk chocolate eggs with a caramel center and milk chocolate eggs with a soft fondant center. My plan is to ration them to myself for a week or two until the eight eggs are delightfully consumed.
However, I made the mistake of letting my spouse see me eat one.  Of course, he asked for one.  Then he asked for another one, all the while exclaiming how delicious they are.  I had to get busy with my writing assignment, so I carried the remaining eggs with me to my workroom.  That way, I can keep an eye on them.  I know better than to leave my chocolate eggs unprotected!
Smiles,
Sylvia

Plaits

An African-American television hostess talked about how when she was a girl,  her grandma used to put her hair in plaits.  She pronounced plaits as PLATES.  I kept trying to figure out what PLATES were.  Then, another hostess spelled the word plaits, and I got it.  People where I am from pronounce plaits as PLATS.  For those of you who do not know what plaits are, they are hair braids. Often, when African-American girls get to a certain age, they no longer want to wear their hair in plaits.  They want to wear it loose, or they want it  styled in some way: relaxer, wash and blow dry, press and curl, Afro, etc.
The dictionary gives both pronunciations for hair braids, but I like PLATS better.  It is what I am used to saying.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Zits

A few weeks ago, I comforted  my teenager because she was stressing about a pimple/zit on her face.  First I listened to her, without laughing at her level of drama.  Then, I reminded her about not popping the zit, getting the proper amount of rest, drinking more water, eating veggies, keeping her face clean and moisturized.  We even went shopping for a certain product that supposedly makes zits go away sooner. 
It was easy for me to be sympathetic because I remember being a teenager (long ago) and how serious it was for a zit to show up.  They always seemed to appear during class picture time, or when you had a date!

Imagine my surprise when I got a zit on my forehead last weekend!  I thought I was way past the age for a pimple! I plan to do most of the correct things I told my teenager to do, but this zit  had better be gone by this weekend, or I might pop it.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Do Overs

Just a  quick thought. 
If you had the chance for a Do Over with one person you've encountered in your life, who would it be?  What would it be about?
One person's response to this was that she would have told her fiance she had to finish college before they got married. 
Another said he'd unsay a hurtful thing he'd said to his parents long ago.
Another said he would have never convinced a friend to smoke her first cigarette.
Another said she would have paid closer attention to her friend so she could have prevented a suicide attempt.
Interesting.  Since we do not get many Do Overs, we have to try our best to do it right the first time.
Keep the faith,
Sylvia

Is There A Problem?

Have you ever been in a situation where someone has a problem with you, but you do not know what the problem is or how it came about?  Perhaps you have just met the person, so you have not had the opportunity to get on their nerves yet.  Maybe they heard something about you and they base their opinion of you on what they heard.  But how about if what they heard is not true?
Have you ever asked someone who is acting cool toward you if you have done something to offend them, and they say, "No," but they still act cool toward you?
If you  have never had such a communication issue, you might be unique or you might mostly keep to yourself.  I  have not had such a negative communication issue in quite a while.  When I do have one, I pray about it and do what I can to fix it.  If the person will receive my sincere effort, it works out fine.  If they do not, I still pray for them and for harmony, and I keep on walking in faith.
Take care,
Sylvia

Recognize

This made me sad.  I was in a doctor's office waiting room.  Near the front door was a patient  from a facility; he was in a wheelchair.  It seems he'd been there since early in the morning.  He had been seen by the doctor, and was waiting for the facility's van to pick him up.  The problem was the van had some type of problem or was stuck in traffic.  The patient had already missed breakfast because he had not been awakened early enough before coming to the doctor.  Now, he was concerned he'd not get back to the facility in time for lunch. He gave us the impression that the feeding schedule was kind of inflexible.
The blessing is that the van did come to pick the patient up in time for him to make the lunch serving. That made me feel better.  It also made me think of how blessed those of us are who can transport ourselves to where we have to go.  We can also feed ourselves on our own schedules. There are so many things we can take for granted if we do not stop, recognize, and give thanks.
Take care,
Sylvia

Dreams Come True?

I saw a car today with a note inside it near where they paste the state auto inspection sticker on the window.  On a note the size of a 4x6 inch postcard, someone had printed  DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE. 
I smiled when I read it.  I guess it depends on what one's dreams are.   Probably all of us have had some of our dreams come true since we've been on this earth.  I don't know anyone who feels all of their dreams have come true.  There is probably something to be said for how hard one works to make a dream come true, and how realistic a dream proves to be.
Well, if the owner of the car had a dream about a Mercedes CLK 320, then that dream certainly did come true. 
It was a really nice car.  Maybe I'd better get busy dreaming!
Smiles,
Sylvia

The Vending Machine

Do you know how you see things, but really do not see them?  This is what happened with me today at  the supermarket.  While I was in the checkout line, a man walked past me to a large green vending machine.  The machine had lots of little glass windows displaying what I assumed were sodas.  Instead, each window showed a different type of state lottery ticket.  The customer inserted money, selected a lottery game, and the ticket came out of a slot.  The customer walked away with the lottery ticket. 
On my way out of the store, I stopped to see this vending machine more closely. There were about  9 to 12 types of lottery tickets in there, the scratch-off kind!  I started to write down the names of all the games, but I thought that might look weird.  I did notice a sign that warned young people under the age of 18 not to use the machine. I do not know how they monitor that.  I guess this is a convenience for grown folks who do not want to go where lottery  tickets are usually sold.
I do not buy lottery tickets.  That is not my point here.  All this time, I thought that vending machine was for sodas. Until today, I saw the machine, but I did not really see it.
Take care,
Sylvia

Peanut Butter Squirrel

There is a cheeky little gray squirrel that hangs out in my back yard.  He regularly chatters at me from the highest tree whenever I step outside.  The other night I put a plastic container with some peanut butter residue inside it into the yellow recycle bucket.    Since the lid was on the container, I figured it would not attract creatures.  The next morning, the container was on my back porch.  The container had been chewed on and most of the peanut butter residue was gone.  I put the container back into the recycle bucket and went to church service.  When I returned home hours later, the container was back out of the recycle bucket and on the ground.  Now it was clean of peanut butter and even more tattered.  I know it was the work of that bold peanut butter-loving squirrel!

A Wise Grandmother

A lady told me her grandson (early elementary age) had the habit of watching a tv show upstairs while the rest  of the family watched the same show  in another room downstairs.  When Grandmom asked why, his mom explained that her son just liked to chill alone and watch tv.  Grandmom went upstairs and asked him what he was doing.
"Just watching tv by myself."
Wise Grandmom said, "So, you like to hurt the environment?"
The child was alarmed. "I don't want to hurt the environment! We study about that in school.   How am I doing that, Grandmom?"
"Well, you're wasting electricity and energy by watching the same show on another tv that we're watching downstairs. This waste hurts the environment."  Having said this, Grandmom went back downstairs.
A few minutes later, her grandson turned off the upstairs tv  and joined the family downstairs.
Hurray for Grandmom.  Hurray for good education.  Hurray for a thoughtful child.
Enjoy your weekend!
Sylvia

Potatoes and Onions

My root vegetables changed the dinner menu for tonight.  Baked sea bass, stir fried chopped spinach with a little bit of onion and garlic, and a baked potato-that was the plan.  But when I opened  the bin where we store potatoes and onions, nature had taken its course.  Several of the potatoes had sprouted the white root-looking tubers from their "eyes" and the onions had started sending out curved shoots.  Since I do not like to throw edible food away, two simple baked potatoes became a baked casserole of several sliced potatoes, several onions, and cream of mushroom soup.
It is amazing how God makes vegetables and other plants so they reproduce, all for our good.  If I had put those sprouting potatoes and onions in the ground, the growth cycle would have repeated.
Umm, I can smell the casserole baking now.  This should be delicious!
Take care,
Sylvia

Please Toss A Roll

There's a television commercial about a husband who discovers there's no toilet paper in the bathroom, so he calls out to his wife to throw him a roll.  The first toilet paper roll toss shears part of his hair off because the toilet paper is too hard.  The second toilet paper toss flakes all over the man because the toilet paper is too soft.
Every time I see this ad, I want to tell the man to please go to the supply closet in his house and get his own roll of toilet paper.  It would be a lot easier on him.  I know that misses the point of the ad, that one brand is better than the others. 
I just want to warn that husband about the flying rolls of toilet paper!
Smiles,
Sylvia

Pushy Salespeople

I took my precious Mom to the local mall today.  While she used her gift coupon in a store, I wandered out into the mall to do some window shopping.  There were only a few shoppers, and the lunch crowd was headed back to their jobs, so all was peaceful.  That is, until I was accosted by some roving salespeople from the kiosks.  One thrust out small plastic envelopes for me to take home, fill with my unwanted gold, and return to their store for payment.  Another put a sample packet of "natural" lotion in my hand to lure me over to his booth, another tried to get my attention by calling out to me and telling me I was beautiful, but that tactic was not successful. 
Here's the thing: I practice being polite because I was raised that way and because it is the Christian way to be, but this aggressive sales behavior can be taxing.  Oh well, I guess these people are just trying to make a living.  Maybe the next time I'm confronted with aggressive sales tactics, I'll give advice about how to successfully approach a potential customer.  And I won't even charge a fee!
TTYS,
Sylvia

Interrupting

I watched a few talk shows recently and noticed one similarity:  the hosts  kept interrupting the guests or talking while someone else was talking.  I wanted to tell them to wait their turn, that a conversation  consists of one person talking while the other person listens, then talks.  I know there are exceptions, like at my Book Club meetings, where we all talk at once.  However, we have an unspoken rule that this is allowed, and that we are not being rude.  We understand this rhythm.  On a television show, however, the format is different.  It is supposed to be communication that benefits the audience.
Oh well, this week, I am going to practice not interrupting.  I plan to listen with care and patience, no matter how marvelous I think it would be for others to hear my  point.
Take care,
Sylvia

"Free" Scale

Sometimes, it does not take a lot to make a person happy. While writing today, I heard a delivery truck out front, some footsteps in the back, and a knock on the rear door.  I went downstairs in time for the delivery guy to say, "I left it in the back."  I thanked him and wondered what it could be.   When I stepped out back, I saw a large brown box.  It was a scale I'd ordered using my points from a rewards program!  All I had to mail in for it was the shipping and handling cost.  It's almost like getting something for free!  Yay!
While I am not a woman who gets excited about weighing herself on a scale,  I do watch my weight.  For many Baby Boomers, it gets harder to lose pounds than it is to keep watch on gaining them. Metabolism issues.
This is perfect, because my old digital scale is not consisent and I have to buy a battery for it, so I am going back to this new mechanical scale with the big round dial.  Some doctors use this type. 
I am happy to get my new "free" scale.  However, I do not plan to weigh myself until tomorrow morning.
Enjoy your weekend!
Sylvia