Yes, that's right, I got to the grocery store for the first time since January 6.

Last Friday the ice sheets had receded and the car started after 71 days of inactivity. I actually remembered how to drive, recalled what direction town was in, and managed to do some pressing chores. The grocery shopping I put off until today.

It felt strange being in a supermarket again. Wow, do they ever have a lot of food on the shelves! It was all I could do to keep myself from filling my cart before I got to the end of the first aisle. I immediately grabbed a bunch of bananas. Fresh bananas do go so well with the Bird's Custard we still have in stock.

I had almost forgotten that not all food comes in tins. Imagine that. Everything looked delicious. I had to wipe the drool off my beard. I practically picked up a package of liver. And I hate liver. It makes me gag. But I almost made a grab for it. I might have ripped the shrink wrap off right there and wolfed the meat down raw. Food. Real food. Food that you don't need to get at by yanking a ring tab!

We still have so much left over from the winter that I contented myself with a smallish order. Nothing fancy. Eggs, bread, butter. Our tradtional breakfast of an egg on a buttermilk biscuit with veggie "bacon" on the side will seem like haute cuisine for a week.

The ice cream tempted me, but there'll be time enough for ice cream when the weather warms up. According to the forecasts we could get seven inches of snow tomorrow. It's a good thing I got out today!