Friday, March 30, 2012

grace for the poor planner



i think i've shared with ya'll 
my inadequacies when it comes to executing a meal plan.
i'm compulsive & organized
& tidy
but planning ahead for my weekly menu
just never seems to make it to the top of my list.

truth be told,
i pat myself on the back for preparing hot meals for my family all week.
however, eating out is my love language after all,
as is my love for chips, salsa & cheese dip
& pizza
so on the weekends we hit the road & eat at some of our favorite
local atlanta spots.

while i cook all week
( she says while wiping her brow as if just the thought of that conjures up memories of 
slaving over the hot stove for days)
i don't actually plan what i cook all week
because of my lack of a plan
i usually end up at the grocery store multiple times.

that would drive you crazy wouldn't it?
i'll probably lose a few readers after that confession...

actually in true ADD form
that reminds me that i must tell you
everyone
i do mean everyone
in my home
sans moi
(might have something to do with my passion for cheese dip & pizza)
has lost weight.
thankyouverymuch
& is looking good!
we're all trying to make better choices so my dinners are usually light
grilled fish or chicken
a veggie
& a starch
but smaller portions & lighter fare.
hoorah.
( i felt i needed to tell you that just because i don't plan in advance 
doesn't mean when i do cook, i make poor choices)

ok...
so the other day i already cruised through publix to pick up my items 
necessary for one of edie's claims to fame, mexican hotdish
when after running errands , running & needing to get home to do a zillion other things
i remembered that  i needed one. more. crucial. ingredient.

i was so flustered with my "let's go to the grocery store every single day"-ness.
i drove to kroger (my publix folks would not see me twice. mkay?)
i thought to myself
"i must get a grip on this"
i thought
" i could add hours to my week if i could get my act together"
i stormed in there, all mad at myself
when lo & behold
the flower lady was putting a buggy together of marked down flowers.
i'm certain i heard the angels singing a hallelujah chorus
when i saw lavender roses....
for FOUR NINETYNINE.

last week they were $14.99.
i love photographing florals this time of year
& really love photographing lavender roses
but i didn't want to pony up the fifteen bucks.
& there 
in the midst of my grumpiness stood that same dozen
for a fraction of the price
still in all their glory.

i know i smiled. i'm sure the ladies beside me at said bargain flower buggy
might have even heard me make an audible gasp.
i placed my bargain gorgeous lavender roses in my minibuggy
and completely changed my disposition.

i honestly felt my $5 glorious flower score
was like the Lord was telling me...
"i know you are a meal plan failure, paige
but i love you
& i love that you love that i created beautiful flowers
especially the purple ones
& i know you'll return home to photograph
approximately 147 images of the purple flowers i created
&
then 
you'll bake your mexican hotdish
&
you'll probably be back at publix tomorrow...
but i love you
& i love to give you your hearts desire
especially on sale"

the end




~~

"you took our sin
you bore our shame
you rose to life
you defeated the grave.
a love like this 
the world has never known"
chris tomlin

29 comments:

3 Peanuts said...

You are so cute Paige!!! Seriously. I wish you were my neighbor. We kind of plan our meals fr the week and do a bog grocery trip on Sunday (and by "we" I mean Dave dies the shopping....I make the list usually). BUt anyway, I end up at the store several times a week in spite of it. So, you my friend are doing just fine!!!!!

Gorgeous images too!!!! I need to photograph some flowers. It has been a long while for me.

3 Peanuts said...

Please excuse my typos. I am drinking coffee and in a rush and off to work and did not check my words!!!

Deborah said...

You always put a smile on my face and sometimes seem to be living 'in my head". I'm a 4 to 5 trip a week grocery shopper too. I try to convince myself to become an organized food planner to save time and money but it never seems to work out. Maybe now that I'm "retired". And then again, probably not.

As usual, love your floral pictures. When I grow up ;-), I want to be just like you.

Home: Inside and Out said...

Beautiful roses. Hilarious post! I try very diligently to plan for a week....it just almost never works. I like the idea of cooking what I'm in the mood for that night. So no judgement here...and I do that same thing about going to Kroger if I already went to Publix. (I'm already in Publix almost everyday as it is!)

Debby said...

Do people plan their meals in advance, hah, not me.
I am always up for a impromtu eating out.
Those flowers would have lifted my spirits as well.
You are so funny but you don't give yourself enough credit.

Alisa said...

That is my daily prayer..."Dear Lord, help not to miss all the little blessings in this day." I make a daily trip to Publix...and sometimes twice:) I'm from Snellville, but live in Anderson, SC now. I MISS Atlanta restaurants! Enjoy your weekend.

Love Being A Nonny said...

I think that's EXACTLY what he was saying!!!!!!!!!! I just love you!

Lemonade Makin' Mama said...

Okay I must say (as I'm rushing around trying to scoot off to vacation but couldn't leave without checking in on all my peeps first) that last night, I just sat down for the first time since long before Christmas, to write out two weeks worth of means on a menu for when we return, using a bunch of new recipes from Gwenyth Paltrow's amazing cookbook! And then I looked them all up and wrote down the actual ingredients on a grocery list. I shocked my own self there. I set a goal just last week of trying to do better in this area not only for $ reasons but for health as well. (We'll see if I can pull it off.) I used to be religious about this, planning two weeks of meals out but the older my kids get, the more flexible I get with EVERYTHING! (I think that's okay though... generally speaking, right?)

Mwah!
Sash

Alecia said...

I LOVE IT!!! He totally does that with us...in our scatteredness (if that's even a word) He finds ways to love us and show us that love! I love, love, LOVE IT!!! :-) And we get to benefit from your lack of meal planning...we get to see gorgeous pics of your awesome find! Thank you Lord!

Kelli said...

He's so good like that isn't He...reassuring us of His love, even in the small details. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the reminder. The roses are beautiful!

Tiffany said...

:) pagie you had me smiling only because I have BEEN THERE!

Feeling like a failure and then grace shows up in midst of my frustration and shows me all is well!

So glad you got your lavendar roses!

Happy Friday, Happy Weekend and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

xoTiffany

Tiffany said...

opps sorry; Paige - not pagie

i think i had too much coffee!

Tiffany

Alison Agnew said...

hallelujah
that i'm not the only
stinky meal planner in blogland

i try
i fail
i cook
i run to the market
for forgottens

thankfully
my family allows
a whole lotta grace
for me too

thanks for sharing.

alison

Tracy ~Seeking Refinement~ said...

amen amen amen!

You completely inspired me to do a post about meal planning ... sigh....it is something I always plan on doing, and rarely do...

Hugs & Happy Friday! xoxo

Paula said...

What a wonderful and funny post! I have been trying to meal plan since my my first child started on solids (oh about 10 years ago!) - I simply cannot stick with it - that AND on-line shopping. I know that both will make life 100% easier, and on the odd week that I have managed to organise myself, it works beautifully...sigh! I think that it's too much like 'homework'. Btw Your roses and photographs are spectacular. x

Bonnie said...

Well, would you believe I clicked on my google page and your blog update was there. I was all ready to redo my feed to your blog and try that.

What a delightful post. I love how you can pound out the words and make me smile and relate to your feelings but in the end you always give the Lord credit for your experience.

The roses are so beautiful and I can smell how sweet they smell all the way to Alabama from Georgia. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for your emails trying to help me get your blog again.

Jboo said...

Gorgeous flowers!! You are doing way better than me as my meal offerings sometimes range from "drive-thru" to "frozen food nights"!

Hope you have a fab weekend and eat out a lot! :)

janet

Jodi said...

I see that I am not the only one going to the store on a daily basis to pick up what will be for supper! :) And, yes, I go to a different store also, so they don't see me twice in the same day. :) I always have great intentions on being a "planner", but it never seems to happen.

But, I am always wandering around the flower counter checking for "cheap" flowers too. :)I just love the lilac roses; my fav color.

Have a great weekend
Jodi

Tiffany said...

Love this. I just wish we had a Publix. We only have Walmart and two small grocery stores...have to take a cooler to Savannah if you want anything "special". Seriously.

You should do a post about your favorite ATL eating spots. I LOVE ATLANTA!(visits, not traffic)
;)

Anonymous said...

No worries Paige, I'm the same way!! I can't plan a meal in advance if my life depended on it! :)Our grocery store employees see me and hubby a few times a day. {We switch off.}
I love your story and I would have gasped too at $4.99 lavender roses! It makes the trip all the more sweet!
Hope you have a beautiful weekend.
Oh, and your photos are glorious!!
Sincerely,
Melinda

Anonymous said...

Funny post and I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one with this problem...The roses are beautiful..

Cathy said...

I love this! Those roses are so beautiful! This post put a smile on my face. Oh, I visit the grocery store multiple times per week, too. :)

Kim said...

OK - you are hilarious. I cannot relate as I am meal planning retentive and only have enough patience for the grocery store once a week. Just got back from the store with a rainbow of food as I am starting a Daniel Fast tomorrow... can't wait!

After seeing your flowers I might just have to make a special trip to the store for some hydrangeas or something - love 'em!

cathypentonatelier said...

hey beautiful just to let you know I spend ever other day at the supermarket and usually don't decide till late afternoon the day I am cooking what I am cooking and on average I only have 4 to cook for so you are doing marvelously (hehe) xoxoxox

cynthia said...

pagie great post and so true for me also.
LOVE YOUR PICTURES , BUT MOSTLY
LOVE YOUR LOVE FOR OUR LORD.
i am the mom of two grown ladys with 2 wonderful grandchildern , so i relate to so many of your story of your beautiful girls.
thank you for sharing your family and faith with us.
could you tell me where you got the vase in picture?

Lulu and Co. said...

Paige, i can just wrap my arms around you and say a big thank you for being a poor meal planner...because I need a friend just like YOU! Once a time ago, before 4 kiddos i was rather good at the whole meal planning thing...now 4 kiddos later and my hubby who travels constantly has turned me into a great house cleaning, painting, decorating, laundry folding, whipping out the vacuum anytime kinda gal but turn 5PM and i'm all...ooppsss i totally forgot about dinner kinda mom...which then leads me to quickly tossing anything i have in the veggie bin, pasta and fresh fruit on the table and i yell dinner is ready! THe kids think its great poor husband probably thinks other wise but then again his schedule is too unpredictable to be home at dinner hour so he enjoys the salad i made and says thank you! But good grief i keep saying this is the week i will fall in love with meal planning and then i get side tracked and repeat the same thing over again....it's just nice to know that God loves us and appreciates that we like a clean home, and pretty flowers!
xo,
Lulu

DeeDee said...

What beautiful lavender roses!!! I.am.a.HORRIBLE.meal.planner!!!! It's pretty bad when my husband texts me pretty much everyday with the same question...what's for dinner??? I just cringe...I just hate meal planning. In a perfect world, we would have our own personal chef with healthy meals cooked for us EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!! Love your blog, Paige! You are not alone!

Bethanie said...

Do it all the time Paige! One day I refused to go back in, while remembering one last thing while I was still in the parking lot...so I drove across the street to Ingles...where I never go. It was a pride thing, they were not going to say, "that woman is a whack job!" Kroger often has flowers marked down, I only know that because Kroger is closer than Publix, so that is MY daily stop!! :)

nonnie said...

Paige,
You are SO me! I love this post. I love this honesty. Sometimes I wish Publix was across the street so I wouldn't have to drive fifteen minutes to get there :)

Beautiful roses. Ah....

teresa (nonnie)