So. Feeling pretty wacked out, I still rose to the occasion this morning and headed out to my favorite Loblaws Superstore and No Frills supermarkets, armed with lists and bags.
While the crowds at the former store were within reason, No Frills--particularly the fruit and vegetable department--was unbelievable. It was shopping cart gridlock. The most disturbing scene took place in an area where loose nuts were on sale. I couldn't even get close enough to see what the hubbub was about, though I did spot one sign that said "Pistachios for $1.99/pound." People were vigorously scooping nuts into bags with a look in their eyes that somehow reminded me of Bilbo Baggins in "Lord of the Rings" when he asked Frodo to have one more look at the Ring, then, at being denied, suddenly turned with a very scary look on his face.
Interestingly, I also saw a small piece on the news this week about shopper greed. Seems that Canadians, on the strength of their stronger dollar, have been streaming into Buffalo malls in search of bargains, cutting off American cars in pursuit of parking spaces, etc. They've also been buying cheap shoes and putting them on in the parking lots, leaving behind empty shoe boxes so that they'll be wearing them as they cross the border and won't have to pay duty.
All this unseemliness demonstrates that Canadians, though they'd like to think so, are not morally superior to Americans. Since we're all fallen human beings, we all have the same tendency to nastiness and the same need for redemption (end of sermon).
In other news, after food shopping this morning I hit a large library branch to pick up some videos, one of which we'll watch tonight as we feast on Garbanzo Bean Bake. (It's a yummy old recipe from our quasi-hippie days in the 70's--the cookbook was called Diet For A Small Planet --and contains chick peas, pepperoni, cabbage, diced tomatoes, onions.) At the library I had my big fat Leonard Maltin movie review book to avoid picking up cinematic offal this time around; all the ones I got were three stars or better, so hoefully are okay.
Tomorrow I shall arise early and go to the 9:15 service at The Peoples Church. I found last week that I preferred it to the alternative, i.e, the 11:30 service. In any case, after going through a period of doldrums (or should I say, of wounding?) in which for the longest time I didn't get much out of church, I now find myself greatly nourished each time.
Quite remarkable. Despite all the bad stuff done to me by Christians--and the bad stuff I've done to other Christians--I'm still in the game, still believing, still pleading with God to help me through the week while at the same time, somehow, getting closer to Him. Theologically this is what is known as an example of the Perseverance of the Saints. If it was up to me, I'd have been "outta there" a long time ago. But, as the the old King James Version puts it, it isn't just weak, wishy-washy old me, but God who is at work "to will and to do of His good pleasure."
("And the people said...")
While the crowds at the former store were within reason, No Frills--particularly the fruit and vegetable department--was unbelievable. It was shopping cart gridlock. The most disturbing scene took place in an area where loose nuts were on sale. I couldn't even get close enough to see what the hubbub was about, though I did spot one sign that said "Pistachios for $1.99/pound." People were vigorously scooping nuts into bags with a look in their eyes that somehow reminded me of Bilbo Baggins in "Lord of the Rings" when he asked Frodo to have one more look at the Ring, then, at being denied, suddenly turned with a very scary look on his face.
Interestingly, I also saw a small piece on the news this week about shopper greed. Seems that Canadians, on the strength of their stronger dollar, have been streaming into Buffalo malls in search of bargains, cutting off American cars in pursuit of parking spaces, etc. They've also been buying cheap shoes and putting them on in the parking lots, leaving behind empty shoe boxes so that they'll be wearing them as they cross the border and won't have to pay duty.
All this unseemliness demonstrates that Canadians, though they'd like to think so, are not morally superior to Americans. Since we're all fallen human beings, we all have the same tendency to nastiness and the same need for redemption (end of sermon).
In other news, after food shopping this morning I hit a large library branch to pick up some videos, one of which we'll watch tonight as we feast on Garbanzo Bean Bake. (It's a yummy old recipe from our quasi-hippie days in the 70's--the cookbook was called Diet For A Small Planet --and contains chick peas, pepperoni, cabbage, diced tomatoes, onions.) At the library I had my big fat Leonard Maltin movie review book to avoid picking up cinematic offal this time around; all the ones I got were three stars or better, so hoefully are okay.
Tomorrow I shall arise early and go to the 9:15 service at The Peoples Church. I found last week that I preferred it to the alternative, i.e, the 11:30 service. In any case, after going through a period of doldrums (or should I say, of wounding?) in which for the longest time I didn't get much out of church, I now find myself greatly nourished each time.
Quite remarkable. Despite all the bad stuff done to me by Christians--and the bad stuff I've done to other Christians--I'm still in the game, still believing, still pleading with God to help me through the week while at the same time, somehow, getting closer to Him. Theologically this is what is known as an example of the Perseverance of the Saints. If it was up to me, I'd have been "outta there" a long time ago. But, as the the old King James Version puts it, it isn't just weak, wishy-washy old me, but God who is at work "to will and to do of His good pleasure."
("And the people said...")
posted by Ted | 1:59 PM
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