Yesterday I just decided to enjoy the day and make myself happy.  I really don’t want to get depressed and try to keep my spirits up in this uncertain and turbulent world in which we live.

I don’t have a lot of money to spend and like most people want to stay healthy.  I don’t particularly like the area in which I live.  I was born here with no choice, made stupid choices at a very young age and ended up back in an area that I despise.  There is no way to make any kind of a living.  Jobs that pay barely enough to keep you alive.  Food prices that are sky high.  Taxes on everything you buy.  My older brother moved out of here way back in the 70’s and says he gets depressed if he ever has to come in this depressing area.  He lives on the NH coast near Maine and just a stones throw to Boston.  Always made big money and enjoys life.

So I don’t feel one bit guilty or narcisstic if I try to keep my spirits up.

I just put the radio on in the car, put the car on cruise and cruised on down the road a bit.  I bought some Seafood salad that was really fresh and all packed in a nice container in the deli of a neat store.  And only cost me $2.29.  Made an awesome light supper with some nice salad greens.

Which reminds me of the nightmare I had trying to buy some seafood salad in an in town  grocery store that charges at least $2.00 or more on each item then any surrounding areas.  First of all, there was this kid that looked about 12 that was working over by where the fish part of the deli counter is.  This obnoxious woman was ahead of me and I had to wait for her while she was making the kid pull every piece of Salmon up and weigh it on the scale until she got the one she wanted for 2 people she said.  Then she made the kid cut off the thin top part of it and then she changed her mind and wanted to try another one, twice.  Well, I saw the kid flopping raw salmon onto the weighing machine and she had plastic gloves on and I was sure she would leave those gloves on and weigh my seafood salad on that cross contaminated scale.

So I went down to where the cold meat section of the deli is where they just slice cooked meat to weigh on the scales and asked the guy clerk after I waited in line for my turn, if he could just go 8 feet down the counters and get me some of the seafood salad.  Well, he looked at me like I had put him out sooo bad on what his job was.  And he hmmmed and haed and then said, let me wait on the one behind you first.  So I was pushed aside and he waited on 3 people, all which had come along after me, taking his time, shooting the breeze and just totally ignoring my request.

Finally when there was no person in sight, he went down packed that seafood container and weighed it on that cross contaminated fish scale in the raw fish section.

He brings it back, and I was just livid.  It was too much for him to bring it back and weigh it on the Deli clean scale.  Said nothing but had to buy it after all that and I just threw it away.  I couldn’t eat it.  My fault for even attempting to get some seafood salad without traveling 20 miles to another area.

The next time I went in that store and wanted seafood salad I bought it at the salad bar and packed it myself in a container.  It was $6.99 a lb and cost me $5.00 and it was all chunks and awful.

So the really good seafood salad for the reasonable price of $2.29 in the deli of another area and the salad was really good, just made my day.

Then I got some local blueberries, veggies and a bouquet of Zinneas at a Farmstand in Walpole, NH.  If I bought the Zinneas in the snotty Florist in this town, it would cost probably between $12.00 and $25.00 plus tax.  I got the flowers for $5.00 and they last for over a week.  They just cheer me up and worth the trip.

Then, because I love Burdick’s Chocolate, I bought a Raspberry Madeleine as well as a Chocolate Madeleine.  And a Chocolate Macaron and a Cherry Macaron.  I put them on my Paris dish and had a cup of Starbucks Dark Roast coffee in my Paris coffee mug.  Oh, why not.  You only live once and that is as close as I am ever going to get to going to Paris, France.  I love the fancy, new little container Burdick’s has in their little Cafe for pastries to go.  You can tell, I needed some real cheering up as I was close to the depressed button.

I probably spent $25.00 for everything I bought on my trip and I put $7.00 worth of gas in my little Prius car which filled the gas tank.  Then I took a chance and won $7.00 on a $1.00 scratch ticket.

So, being very poor and living on an income that is below poverty level, I survive.  And even manage to have fun once in awhile.  Once in a great while.

If the weight of the world gets to me, there is always nature to turn to to see some beauty in the world.

I like the above inspiration.

Tomorrow is another day.  Keep your spirits up and make the most out of what you have and appreciate what you have.  That’s what I try to do.