Looking back over the last month, beginning with February 24, according to my checkbook, I have spent most of my time, and my money, at Wegman's. Coming in second, but not close, are the checks written to my hairdresser/friend.
There are also 2 checks to the US Post Office, where I purchased books of stamps, mostly to send the article about our son to various friends and relatives. One paid my bill to Bon=Ton department store, and one paid for my one-hour massage.
So there you have it: my life in a checkbook. Oh, and I wrote a check to Curves for a t-shirt, and one to St. Luke's for the Women's Retreat. I think I need to get a life. What do you think?
Oh, and by-the-way, I never have cash, so whatever I pay for comes out of the checkbook. I'm afraid to count up the checks to Wegman's...oh, what the heck, let's see the REAL story. There are nine checks to Wegman's in one month. Pathetic.
So what is Wegman's? It's my favorite place to have coffee and lunch (the latter maybe once a month). You see, Wegman's is an upscale answer to Wally World. The food is wonderful, the meat and fish fresh (no unpleasant odors near THOSE cases), the produce beautiful, the breads from the in-store bakery to die for, and that's only the beginning.
Wegman's also has the largest selection of organic meats, poultry, produce, prepared foods, dairy, eggs, boxed foods like pasta, etc., and they specialize in shade-grown, fair-traded, and organic coffees.
You can get the name brands there, also, but the Wegman's brand is excellent. They buy locally whenever they can, and in the growing season the produce comes from nearby farms. They support organic farmers in the area and many of the other produce is also organic.
But with all of this, only the surface of Wegman's is scratched. I can get Williams Sonoma quality kitchen supplies there, including some wonderful seasonal dishes. I can sit in their library area and read the books and magazines to my heart's content (or rent videos). The in-store pharmacy has good prices, especially if you buy generic, important for us as we have no prescription insurance.
I can check my blood pressure, taste the daily offerings, watch a new receipe being prepared, sample the exotic teas brewed fresh several times a day, and stand by the bakery and just inhale the aromas from their artisan breads.
If I had children, I could leave them in "Wegman's Kids", a play area that is staffed and fully equipped. Or my little ones could ride in a cart that has steering wheels, or push their own "customer-in-training" cart.
But my favorite area is the Market Cafe'. DB and I occasionally have lunch there. They have fresh-baked pizzas and calzones, subs made to your order, chicken wings, fresh hot soups, salad bar, prepared single-serving foods that you can heat right there in a microwave, superb coffee and pastries, and, wonder of wonders, a SUSHI BAR!!
Mostly I go into the Market Cafe' to have coffee or a mocha, to sit and make out my shopping list, and, weekly, to read morning prayer with my pastor friend. I love to watch the people who come there to socialize. There are always retired people, of course, visiting with their friends, but also young moms with their little ones (there is a corner in the Market Cafe' that is outfitted with toys and a rug and a TV with kids' videos).
There are three or four groups of pastors who meet there to discuss the Bible readings for the week. And always, in the WiFi hot spot, there are young business people conducting their work at one of the tables. It is a cross-section of the community.
I mentioned that Wegman's is upscale from Wally World. This doesn't mean that they can't compete pricewise with WW. However, the store is always clean, bright, staffed with HELPFUL AND COURTEOUS staff. And they have many, many foodstuffs that are unusual and pricey, if you so desire.
Gosh, they even giftwrap, if you buy one of the kitchen things! I love that!
Almost every Sunday, if I stop into Wegman's on my way home from church, I will meet at least a half dozen parishioners who are also coming from church.
One other thing: Wegman's is very generous to the local food pantries. They give away thousands of pounds of good food every month. They also are in the top ten best places to work in the country, and have been either number one or two several times.
So there is my social life: church, hairdresser, and Wegman's.
Life is good when you have a Wegman's in the neighborhood. Thanks be to God.
When I was making out a check the other day, I noticed that the previous 4 had been made out to my favorite supermarket, Wegman's. It seemed that there must be a story in that checkbook.
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