Friday, March 25, 2022

Is Change Afoot?


There's the tung tree underneath the oak tree which is itself underneath the bright blue sky we have had today. Another perfectly perfect day, warm but not hot, not so humid, and all you could ask of a North Florida spring day. 

I went and got a pedicure this morning with Lily and Jessie. Actually, Lily got a manicure instead as she had a pedicure recently so she didn't get to chat with Jessie and me as we had our feet taken care of. Hooves trimmed, claws cut, polish applied. It's so funny to see my toes doing the same things my fingers are doing. The toe knuckles are becoming gnarly and some of my toes are changing the direction in which they point. They could be worse but since I hardly ever wear shoes that put pressure on my feet, they are just growing old. I do remember the days when I used to wear heels when I'd go out with my nursing school friends. 
Lord, Lord. 
This was the early eighties and we wore tight, tight jeans and high heels to go dancing. I generally kicked off those shoes before I danced but I wore them when I came in and I wore them when we left. I remember a pair of pink "snake" skin heels I had. I loved those things. I wore them when I married Mr. Moon with my Jessica McClintock white dotted swiss dress that I bought two days before the wedding. 
Oh, those were the days indeed. 

Anyway, after we got ourselves beautified today we went to a little Mexican restaurant in what used to be just a Mexican grocery store, thus the name, "La Tienda." None of us had ever eaten there and it was fairly charming. 


However, it took over an hour to get our food- so long that Jessie had to leave to go get Levon from school. We were going to get her lunch packed up and take it to her at home but it took so much longer that she was actually able to come and eat with us when it finally arrived. With Levon, of course. And we really didn't mind waiting so much. It just gave us more time to talk and we did. And then a chance to see our baby boy. On the way out I saw Lily's midwife, a woman I've known since the second day I was in Tallahassee. She was eating lunch with her daughter, and it was so good to see them. 

For once I really didn't have a thing I truly needed to stop and pick up on my way home which turned out to be a good thing because I ended up waiting for Gibson and Maggie at their bus stop as Lily had a grocery order to pick up on her way home. 


Gibson was going incognito. We waited for their mama to show up which only took a few minutes. I showed Maggie the picture of her doll I took yesterday and she very seriously and with great authority told me that she wanted the doll to have a big red smile and a dress, and gloves, and shoes, and a hat. She thought a little more. "And a jacket!" she added. 
Hmmmm...
I told her that I wasn't sure I could do all of that and she said, "Well, get Boppy to help you." 
"Uh, Boppy really doesn't sew," I said. 
"What?! He doesn't know how?" She was surprised. Boppy can do everything. 

On Facebook this afternoon I discovered that the powers that be are planning a Dollar General in Lloyd. A woman I know had posted an article from the Monticello paper. 


The part about Lloyd is in the first few paragraphs and it was a startling thing to read. No one around here had been notified. My across the street neighbor got ahold of our county commissioner who explained that because the property is zoned for mixed-use, commercial, no one had to actually seek approval and it was presented to the county as a done deal.
Now I'm not sure about that and I'm also not sure about exactly where they plan to put the dang thing but the only place I can see that would work is a bit north, across from the old truck stop by the interstate exit. It would still be less than half a mile from my house but it wouldn't impact us too much. And quite frankly, if that is the truth of where it would go (and the county commissioner was not sure), it would benefit many, many folks around here who have zero transportation options. The nearest groceries stores are either in Tallahassee or Monticello and they are not within walking distance. And Dollar General is selling groceries these days along with a lot of assorted other things, some necessities, some junk. Of course I, with my Prius and my privilege, can get to a grocery store anytime I want but a whole lot of people cannot. 
There is a convenience store down near that interstate exit which has been in constant operation since at least the seventies, maybe longer, but they carry very, very little besides beer and milk and can charge whatever they want because they have no competition. That family has been milking the people of Lloyd for generations. 

So. Who knows? Dollar General is taking over the world and Jefferson County, too and there's not a lot I can do to stop them. 

I think for the moment I will have a martini and wish you a happy Friday.



And a little more purple. 

Love...Ms. Moon

15 comments:

  1. Happy Friday, Mary! I love the incognito guy. I had my Friday salad. It'y version of the Friday evening martini.

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  2. Never too much purple. I see a G&T in my immediate future.

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  3. well, sounds like *The Board* was (and had to be) informed....but obviously not the local community who will be affected (good or bad) the most. Fairly typical, eh? Even if community HAD been notified and able to offer any opinions.......most likely they would have been ignored. Cripes. No, there can never be enough loving children, family....or the color purple. Happy Martini!
    Susan M

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  4. We had a dollar general go in about two miles down the road. I love them for the things my strictly grocery, fruit and vegetable store does not carry. Paper goods, coffee filters. Will you believe, I found corn starch there, and probably for half the price of Kreigers.

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  5. The purple!! Made my day. Delicious color. More plastic shit stores, yeah , that is what we need!

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  6. This state never met a developer whose ass it won't kiss...Have a good night.

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  7. I really appreciated your thoughtful view of a Dollar General in Lloyd. I had thought of them in the same vein as Linda Sue's perspective, but if they really do have basic necessities and a few groceries mixed in with the plastic junk, this location could certainly serve people who lack transportation. Thanks - again - for opening my eyes.

    The rest of your day sounds pretty perfect!

    Chris from Boise

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  8. Traveling through the country for years we always jokingly judged the tiny rural towns by it's stores.. oh look, they're civilized, they have a Dollar General!

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  9. I hope the Dollar General doesn't cause too much havoc during the building stage and later of course when people come from all over to shop and will have to park somewhere.
    Dancing in the 80s! I remember in the early 80s, well 1981, I had four children aged 8, 6, 4, and newborn. The only dancing I did was between laundry and kitchen, but they were all easy kids and we had fun.

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  10. Sounds to me that the "Dollar General" will be an asset to Lloyd and the surrounding district. Better than another church selling nonsense.

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  11. I think the Dollar General will be an asset to the community if it's underserved in having any shops close by for residents to conveniently procure what they need. Where we moved from FINALLY got one, there had been absolutely nothing nearby for Residents and it took an Hour to get to anything. While in the area I stopped by it and they carried everything, I'm sure most Residents are relieved that now if they run out of one thing they don't have to spent an hour commuting to obtain it... with the price of transportation soaring, I'm sure that's going to be a Blessing to many on a tight budget too.

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  12. I have no opinion on the Dollar General as it won't affect me at all. I do remember taking the grandkids to the dollar store when they were little, they would each get a dollar to pick out whatever cheap thing they wanted to play with and I would remind them that it was all cheap stuff cheaply made and would break sooner rather than later (which of course it all did) but I think it was more about being able to pick something out and buy it.

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  13. While that new store might be a blessing to many (IF they build it where you think they will), it's a bit unsettling to think new commercial builds are starting to encroach isn't it. And as for that Mexican tienda, I don't think I would mind AT ALL, sitting there for an hour amongst all those beautiful colours!

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  14. How lovely to have uninterrupted time with your girls and then to see three of the five grands all on a clear blue day. Life in all its routine beauty. I’m curious now about the Dollar Store saga. Life in Lloyd!

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  15. It IS hard to tell, from the article, where that store is supposed to be. If it's "between" Main and Gamble, do you think they mean on Old Lloyd Road, somewhere right around your post office? Or do they mean some tract of land between those two streets more toward the Interstate?

    It's a shame they can't redevelop that convenience store right at the corner of Gamble and Old Lloyd, though you might not want something like a Dollar Store right there. A little too close for comfort!

    That's a horrible article, BTW. Why on earth is the biggest part of the story -- by the writer's own awkward admission, the "elephant in the room," the development on the Wacissa -- mentioned so far down? Someone needs an editor.

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