The changing year

Normally I love the 'fall and winter' of a year. The time change has always been my best friend. I much prefer the 'winter hours' over the summer hours. Notice the first word was 'normally'. This year, I'm having a hard time adjusting to the hour change. It could be simply that we've only been into the hour change for a few days and I haven't adjusted, it could be because I'm getting old or hell, it could be because my underwear are too tight. (wait......I don't wear underwear..scratch that), who knows, but for some reason, the past 3 nights have felt like they were an eternity long!

First off, let me explain why I always preferred the 'winter' hours to the summer hours.
Here in the south (as I am) during the early summer (before the time changes back) when it gets daylight earlier in the morning, it's cooler outside to do my 'outside work'.
Here in SC, it gets hotter then the door handles of hell by 10am. (what with the humidity factor and all)
I want my outside work done by then, or noon at the least! I want to be inside in the coolness of the house enjoying a glass of the house wine of the south (otherwise known as iced tea) I don't want to be outside in the heat and humidity of a late southern morning, sweat rolling between my eyes and under everything else making me smell like a cowboy harlot on a three day rodeo!

And let me tell you, if you're a fat women and you live in the south, POWDER is your friend. Your BEST friend. I need to buy stock!

SO, whenever the clocks ticked back to 'daylight savings time' or whatever ridiculous name they are calling it now, I've always relished in it. The sun rose faster in the mornings and come spring and early summer I KNEW I could be outside getting MOST of my gardening and yard work done by noon before the hellishness of the south set in. Being a morning person, this is a good thing. My average 'awake' time is 5am. Naturally. No clock needed, no alarm set. 5 am (and that's sleeping in, most mornings it can be anywhere from 3:30 to 4:30). I REALLY must be getting old!

For three days now, I've wondered..why the nights have been so long. I realize by 5pm it's getting dark. My 7:30pm run to the chicken coop to close the ladies up for the night and feed Baxter in the last dredges of sunlight are no longer possible. I've had to switch it over to a 5:30 run. Ok, I can do this, fine by me. But the nights are FOREVER LONG. And I USUALLY love that fact. Something is wrong here, I must be sick.

See ya next time......down on the farm!Sage

Did you remember??

It's FALL!! My favorite time of the year, so I'll ask again..Did you remember??
SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK!!! :)
See that, you got up earlier then what you think! LOL


See ya next time......down on the farm!Sage

Grumble..grumble...

(draggin' Suds the soap box from the corner and stepping on his back)

Ahem..ATTENTION WALMART SHOPPERS!!

Let's get the requirements out of the way.
1. I hate shopping at Walmart
2. I have no other choice but to shop at Walmart because I'm like everyone else in the world..and I need need to save money AND since the super Walmart moved into our small town..many of the competitor grocery stores have closed down. We've lost Piggly Wiggly, Winn-Dixie and Food Lion (which we didn't technically loose, it just changed to a Reids but with higher prices it seems. We do however purchase most of our meats there).
3. The prices at our Walmart are consistently higher then the Walmart 50 miles from here..WHY is that?
4. I hate to shop ..period.

Ok..now all that said, here's the skinny. Today was a 'big' shopping day for us. We needed a good many of the basics, the bones of groceries like flour, sugar, crackers, noodles etc. so it was a 'big shopping' day. Now, mind you remembering what I've already stated, off to Walmart we went.
We comparison shop at all times, I mean who doesn't in today's 'money struggle' right? Over the past many months, we have discovered many Walmart brands (great value) to be cheaper and just as good as the name brand counter part. I'm sure most of you have discovered this right?

Right.

So today..no different. What with the list I had to buy (grocery bones) I expected to be able to get a good portion of those items via 'Great Value' and save some money. What a surprise I got.
While shopping for ..well, here..here's a VERY short list.

Vegetable oil
Flour (self rising)
Grape Juice
Cheese (cheddar)

Ready?
Vegetable oil: Great Value brand: 2.98
Crisco brand: 2.50 (starring starry eyed)
Flour: Great Value brand: 2.50
EVERY OTHER BRAND (except Southern Biscuit) 1.96 OR LESS (blink..blink..WTH?)
Grape Juice 100% juice..no sugar added: Great Value Brand: 3.98
Welches Brand: 3.62 AND a $1.00 off coupon when you buy 2 (blink..blink..WTH)
Cheese: Large block, sharp cheddar: Guess what? Walmart's Great Value doesn't come in a 'sharp', however for comparison here we go: Walmart's Great Value brand, 3lb block, mild cheddar 7.98 (By the by, all Walmart brand 3lb block cheese whether it was cheddar, mozz. or colby..7.98)
Cabots EXTRA SHARP white cheddar 3lb block 6.98 A DOLLAR CHEAPER! (and trust me when I tell you, Cabots is MUCH MUCH MUCH better) WTH?

NOTE: all sizes were the same, all products identical except for 'brand'.
WTH??
Was I seeing this right? Since WHEN did the 'Walmart Great Value Brand" get such a calling and upper crust attitude that it was now more expensive then the name brand items? Can someone please tell me this?? Chime in anytime here. WTH?

So, I'm wondering here. WHY did this happen? WHEN did this happen?? And have YOU who Walmart shop noticed?? If not you better start standing up and taking notice. Walmart has sucked you into their brand..made it cheaper, saving you that hard earned dollar and then WHAM..once they think they've got you automatically grabbing that 'cheaper 'Great Value Brand" they raise the prices and HOPE you won't notice.
SOOOO
ATTENTION WALMART SHOPPERS!!!! Take notice. Price compare. Don't assume.

We found on this shopping trip that almost ALL groceries had taken a considerable price hike then by comparison of 3 months ago. Gas is on the rise again. Hard times over? I think not. Put on your rose colored glasses cuz Christmas is a homemade affair around here!

(getting off Suds and putting him back in the corner after an appreciative pat on the back and a scratch about the ears)


See ya next time......down on the farm!
Sage