Tuesday, August 23, 2022

GDF Dollar General Report


Well. I spoke with my across-the-street neighbor yesterday and she told me that she'd been in the GDFDG and that they do have some fresh produce as well as other groceries. I was a bit surprised to hear that but also glad. So this morning I included a visit to the store in my walk. Why not? I've not stepped foot into the place since it opened, of course, but my presence there is hardly tantamount to my blessing. 
I was hot, sweaty, and not smelling like a rose when I walked through the automatic doors. I was holding my walking stick. I suppose someone might have been taken aback if they had noticed me but I really don't think anyone did. There only seemed to be about three people in the whole store and that included an employee. There may well have been more. I didn't walk through the whole thing. 

As I entered the store I saw the refrigerated space where there WOULD be fresh produce had they actually had any. As it was, there were only empty spaces and a few bags of apples. I've heard that Dollar General is famous for understaffing and that may have been the problem. There could have been fresh produce in the storeroom and no one had had time to set it out. 
Who knows? 
Not me. 

Anyway, the entire length of the right side of the store was taken up with refrigerated and freezer cases. I honestly only breezed past things but there were items like cheese, yogurt, hot dogs, frozen pizza, Hot Pockets, and other assorted things, most of it not very damn good for you. There was also milk and ice cream. And I'm sure a lot of other stuff. The aisles were partially taken up by stacks of products needing to be shelved and the shelves were definitely in need of restocking. A large part of the store is taken up with grocery items like bread and peanut butter and all the regular stuff you'd see in grocery stores. An entire case of energy drinks seemed to be pretty well filled. 

As I said, I didn't walk through the whole store. I think what I did see was such a shock to my system that I couldn't handle any more. The very idea of retail items for sale in Lloyd is overwhelming. For so many years, decades, in fact, the only place to buy anything has been a locally owned convenience store that really does not have much of anything and charges out the yang for the few things it does carry. Beer, milk, ice, chips, etc. And I can pretty much guarantee that one of these days I will buy something from the GDFDG. We'll run out of milk or Mr. Moon will have an emergency ice cream need or...well... I don't know. I've lived here for eighteen years and haven't died from lack of frozen pizza yet. But it is annoying to have to make a trip to town to get that one thing you just have to have. 

And let's be honest- there are people who live in this little community who do not have easy access to get to a real store and this store, as much as I hate it, will fill a gap. 

So there's your report. 

My walk this morning was slow. When I woke up my hips hurt badly and one of them felt as if maybe I was having a sciatica attack. So that informed my pace. I doubt there was much cardiac benefit but at least I was up and moving. 

I took a few flower pictures. You've seen all of these from me before. 


I just love these fancy little blossoms. They're called several things including ivy-leaf morning glory, scarlet-creeper, and my favorite- star Ipomoea. 


I've always heard these called swamp mallow but they are also called rose mallow. They, like the okra, are part of the hibiscus family. 

And here's my favorite annual wildflower. 


The clitoria! AKA butterfly pea. 
Such a lovely lady plant, isn't it? 

I've spent most of the rest of the day making a dress for the beautiful, perfect little human doll that Linda Sue sent for Maggie which I have not given her yet. I found some leftover mermaid fabric from a dress I'd made for Magnolia herself and sort-of using the garment she came in as a pattern, I made this. 




It is miles from perfect in any way and I still need to do the buttons and buttonholes but it's not so bad. It shows her cloth-body parts because I am NOT going to the effort of putting sleeves in a doll dress. Not at this point, anyway. I'm not sure the little human likes the dress at all. She appears to be a bit disturbed by it to me. 
Oh well. 

Here's some news! 


Would you look at those eyelashes? 

August lost his first tooth! I hear he was very brave and let his daddy pull it for him. The tooth fairy left him a tiny Lego set which he loved and a note, and Levon, too, got a note from her that said "Just to say hi and keep taking good care of your teeth!" 
He told his mama that the tooth fairy was "very kind." 

In chicken news, one of the hens showed back up. The youngster hen. 



Funny how the three rooster kids got taken but the hen kid has so far avoided the fox. I hate to tell you this but Violet has not been seen for two days. I am heartbroken. I truly am. 
Last night all of the chickens roosted on the front porch which they have never done before. Actually, this is a pretty smart move because I'm not sure the fox would get that close to the house and that porch is the part of the house furthest away from where the fox burrow is. If they go back into the coop and henhouse tonight, we're going to keep them caged up for a few days. I have no idea what good that will do but at least for those few days, they will be safe. I think the fox must prowl around the hen house at night and the chickens know he or she is there. 

And that's all the news for today. On my walk I passed one of the local voting places and there were cars there. It's not our location and we had early-voted last week but I remember going there to vote for Jimmy Carter when I lived in Lloyd so many years ago. It's the old Woman's Club and now is used only for voting and as a regular AA meeting place. 

Life in Lloyd. Where you can now purchase Steak-Umm's. Moving on up. 

Love...Ms. Moon





26 comments:

  1. The youngest hen, must be pretty special to have her own car. Violet must return, she simply must. I think the dress is fabulous! Lisi, or whatever name she be called by, looks stunning in it. It also enhances her Florida tan...
    August WHAT!!! A baby tooth oh my!! He will be driving soon and you are right - how does he keep his eyes open with those enviable lashes???

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    1. When August gets his face wet whether from swimming or bathing, those lashes look like little stars around his eyes. I sort of want to put mascara on them just to see what they'd look like.

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  2. FDG.....we don't have those, but we have *Family Dollar*. Same thing except no produce. Just tons of stuff that is unhealthy and poor quality of everything else. Glad at least one young hen turned up......now for Violet?
    I keep fingers crossed. August's tooth......oh my. a big event for a little one! When our goddaughter was that age....her mother stitched her a *special* pillow to put on her bed as the loose tooth came close to coming out...... the stitching on the pillow said
    *tooth fairy, tooth fairly, please be kind
    In this pillow a tooth you will find
    Please take it out, and leave for me
    a nickel, a dime, or maybe three
    I remember this with such fondness........bless August
    Susan M

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    1. Oh, we have Family Dollars too. There's at least one in Monticello.
      The tooth fairy was very good to August. I love that pillow poem.

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  3. Awww such a milestone that first baby tooth leaving! And yes let's hope that store at least serves some sort of a purpose.

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    1. Well, I definitely know that if you need an energy drink, you can get one there.
      And it is a big deal when that first tooth comes out, isn't it?

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  4. The Dollar General near me has glass freezer cases only half the length of the store and never has fruit or veggies. I wonder if it still has the same owner. Since the pandemic it has been different. Aisles blocked by unshelved merchandise...
    I can't bear to think of the chickens, so I'll just add Hurrah for August and the missing tooth.

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    1. And I must add, the dress is perfect for the perfect doll and need not have sleeves for those well toned arms. Michelle Obama would agree.

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    2. Jessie said she saw a truck there on her way over today so maybe they are restocked on produce. I mean- that's the main thing that people around here could really use.
      I believe you are right about Michelle Obama and Lisis's toned arms. Show 'em off girl!

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  5. August is growing up, with adult teeth soon. The doll dress is lovely. Maybe keeping the hens locked up for a few days is just the thing that will make the fox move on to easier pickings.

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    1. I don't know, River. It's all so fucking sad and depressing. Getting them back IN the coop may be impossible.

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  6. I can't believe how quickly that Dollar Store went up and started functioning. I know you didn't want it but as you say, it will have some benefits (however minor) - just like Amazon! Yeah, I know life would probably be happier if we all shopped at the mom and pop stores locally (if they exist any more), but such is life in today's world!

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    1. Oh, those Dollar General people have opening new stores to a science. They're like poison mushrooms or viruses, springing up out of seemingly nowhere.
      Speaking of Amazon- you should see the behemoth monstrosity of a building they've built as a distribution center not fifteen miles from here.

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  7. The " cloth body parts" looked like a t shirt under the dress when I first saw it. Beautiful dress!

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  8. You know where the fox's den is? You'd think that would make it easier to catch. Have you tried flooding the den during the day to force it out and into a big net or something? I can't imagine that a fox would eat a whole chicken every day.

    Cute little dress. Making doll clothes is how I taught myself how to sew when I was about 9 or 10. My mother sewed and had a little sewing room. She would make our Easter dresses when we were little so I had watched her sew often.

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    1. We know approximately where the burrow is. Glen says they have many ways to get in and out.

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  9. A part time job in the new Dollar General would suit you down to the ground and you would look so cool in one of the company's smart polo shirts. You may need a little hospitality training and a better understanding of the Dollar General ethos with regard to customer service.

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    1. Okay, that made me laugh. I probably would need extra training. But I'm waiting for the truck stop to be rebuilt so I can get a job as a waitress there. That's my dream job.

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  10. Well, I suppose it's good you checked out the GDFDG, and I don't blame you for using it now and then. Boycotting it isn't going to bring the swamp back, and if it closes it will just be another blight on the landscape.

    I hope Violet shows up again. She may be hiding somewhere. She's a clever girl.

    I remember how weird it felt to lose teeth as a child.

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    1. I'll have to go and do a real tour sooner or later. Do you suppose I'd have to wear a bra? Nah. Probably not.
      You're right about Violet. I haven't given up all hope but most.
      Yes. Losing teeth is weird. It's like- you're proud of this milestone and it's sort of fascinating but also extremely weird.

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  11. Suggest you just use a small velcro patch closure on the doll's dress. Easier for small fingers to open and close than tiny buttons. Because you know she will get stripped 'neked' and put in something else as often as possible.
    Blogger/google now wants to put cookies on to sign in to comment, so I didn't bother. Commenting is not easy. In case my name doesn't show up, it's Mary.

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    1. Hey Mary. I don't have any Velcro that I know of. I'll have to look. That would be a lot easier for Maggie. And for me!
      I'm sorry Blogger is being a bitch. Thank your for figuring out a work-around to comment. I appreciate that.

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  12. You have a club for old Women? Maybe one or two of them will appreciate the new store if they can't drive but it's not much good if it doesn't have stock.
    Could you keep the chooks on the porch?

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  13. I lost a tooth 2 years ago and it was not an exciting event at all. Had to pay a lot of $$ for a fake one to put in its place. Much happier and more exciting for August than for me! :)

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  14. I think August and Levon have the most charming of tooth fairies.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.