Day 10 of 16 with the Grands *Restocking Day*

I had intended that Ella and I spend a chunk of this day down the hill shopping to restock the cupboards and the refrigerator, for both areas were now showing empty spaces . . .and the little mouths, the medium-sized mouths, and the big mouths were still chomping away. But she was tired from the late Disneyland trip, and still sleeping, when it was time for me to go. Brady was up and ready.

“May I go with you, Granny?”

“How about your school work?”

“I only have two more chapters to read, then I will be totally finished. Not just for today, but completely.”

So, he took his book, jumped in the car, and he and I jaunted off to San Bernardino. First stop was the 99 cent store where I stocked up on wonderful sourdough bread, grapes, tomatoes, and a few other things. Second stop was Aldi. Third stop was a remarkable thrift store in Loma Linda, a tiny place, that from time to time places hand-lettered signs on the door that announces spectacular specials. Today a sign read, ALL FURNITURE $5.00. “Five dollars?” I asked the clerk

“Yes.” She smiled broadly. As I say, the place is tiny. Couches were stacked atop each other, fine wing-back chairs were crammed about, and a most magnificent headboard in which I had interest was pressed against the back wall. But I passed it by, for it just was not a good day to be trying to buy a headboard, stick it in the back of the Jeep etc……..

Fourth stop was Wal-Mart, and because my list had nicely dwindled, I canceled stop number five which was to have been Costco. The only problem was I had planned to buy a rotisserie chicken there for dinner. But we had things in the freezer I could pull out.

Home, then. Everyone helped unload all the goodies, and later I baked peanut butter cookies to make up for the less than stellar meal.

 

 

Am I Rich or Broke or What?

Rolling smoothly off their tongues and out the edges of their mouths are these discussions of ghastly amounts of money and debt and greed and mismanagement and “bail-out”–a baffling state of affairs for it sounds as though it involves me too, although I don’t think I had a thing to do with it, and, as far as I can recall, nobody asked my opinion, and I don’t think I joined up. I tell you frankly, I am just not accustomed to speaking at any length or with much authority or with any intelligence about money deals that mount up into multiplied millions and billions and threaten to tap on the door of trillions, so I hope nobody is depending too much on me and my expertise, although I’m always willing to help out when I can. Tell you the truth though; I just don’t get it.

But I think I understand that I just bought a bunch of houses and maybe an insurance company or two and saved the country from a recession and maybe a dark depression and I do know our checking account checks have the name Washington Mutual on them, but now there is not a Washington Mutual…I guess J. P. Morgan Chase backed up a pickup truck to our WaMu branch, loaded in our couple thousand dollar bills and took Jerry’s money and mine over to their own bank. I don’t know what to think, though, because I’m not sure where J. P. Morgan Chase is, and our money was in the San Bernardino branch of Washington Mutual. You know–the one over on Highland Ave.

Well, anyway, I’m a bit consoled because I own all those houses. I wonder, though, if I have to make payments or if I bought them outright? Did I get a bargain?

One other thing: Can you believe WaMu did not call to let me know they were shifting around our money. Didn’t hear a thing…but I was kinda wondering about our dollars so I googled about until I found  J. P. Morgan Chase and guess what: They’re welcoming me! Sweet of them, huh.