I got feedback from
two different people regarding my posting from last week; both of them said
that it sounded melancholic and as if I was longing for something to be
different. Sorry I gave that impression; it was not intended like that at all.
The idea behind the writing was to start documenting how different the
lifestyles are between here and, say, South Florida. This is nothing short of
paradise! I should have added that the only thing I regret about having moved
here is that I could not do it ten years earlier! (Oh, and I do miss the daily
newspaper; I know I can read it on-line, but it is not the same… I miss the
facsimile).
Having said that, get ready for
this week’s rendition of Bluffites Lifestyle… When it comes to food acquisition
and storage, things get interesting when living in “these here mountains”… To live here, in or around Spencer, TN and
specifically Hawks Bluff, and to be happy living here, you have to learn how to
manage your food supply down to a science. Save-a-lot is the closest grocery
store; it is in Spencer; it is very modest. Then there are Kroger and Wall-Mart
in Sparta and McMinnville both(equidistant to us); Food Lion (that used to be
in Sparta and it closed) and Sam’s Club are in Cookeville; Publix is in Hixson
(north Chattanooga). We very seldom go the Spencer Save-a-lot; most of the time
we go to Sparta or McMinnville (30 minutes) or to Cookeville or Hixson (50
minutes) less frequently. Regardless of where you go, a cooler is a must for
the perishables you may buy. And what you buy, and how much of it you buy,
depends on the size of your cooler, pantry, fridge, and freezer(s). We have not
found yet a reliable, convenient and attractive farmers market for the veggies,
so we are still dependent on Kroger (Wall-mart veggies are more challenging)…
The meats are a crap shoot; we go from Kroger having a decent variety fairly
priced, to Publix’s prices being simply outrageous, and any other store in
between (Food Lion in Sparta was the best!). We have learned how to include
deer and wild hogs into our diets and the variety turns out to be quite
pleasant. The flavors are rich, and the different was of preparations are very
attractive. Fish is another story… Whatever you find is certainly not fresh (you
know you are eating shrimp because you see it, not because you taste it) and
the prices are ridiculous; get a load of this: we went to Publix a couple of
weeks ago and Tilapia (the same most-insipid-fish-ever that used to be $3.99/lb
not too long ago!) was $9.99/lb, Salmon $14.99/lb and Grouper $17.99/lb … stuff
that! So, we eat seafood only occasionally… We look forward to the fish fries
held occasionally by friends who fish the local waters…
The 138th Kentucky
Derby was ran this past Saturday, May 5th (also known as Cinco de
Mayo to our Mexican friends – The day of the Battle of Puebla). Before the
race, the experts and pundits said that this field was exceptionally deep and
talented. I noticed a couple of colts that run from the front and were not used
to relinquish the lead (Take Charge Indy
and Bodemeister); and there were
other colts who run from behind (Union
Rags, I’ll Have Another, Creative Cause, and Gemologist) which I also liked.
The winner ended up being I’ll Have
Another, which is who Jan wanted me to place a bet on for her and I forgot
the name, so I bet on another horse… Still haven’t heard the end of it…
Now, some food for thought…
“Everybody
is a genius; but if you judge a fish on his ability to climb a tree, it will
live its whole life believing it is stupid.”
Albert
Einstein
So, keep on looking for the right
tree, my friends…
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