It has been a while since I participated in #MarketFriday, the weekly adventure hosted by the charming @dswigle. For full details, do go here and join in the fun!

I went to see my eldest grandson in his first speaking role as a budding actor. OK, he is just a fourth grader with one line in his class play, but he deserved an Oscar in my opinion. And a Tony and Grammy. 😁

Seriously, isn't this just the most adorable Thomas Jefferson you ever did see? And yes, my fourth grade grandson is as tall as I am already.... good thing he is such a nice kid!

But what does this have to do with the market? Nothing, it is just why I was in "the big city" and I had to grab some coffee as my local store would be closed by the time we got home. I LOATHE shopping in the big city. I was also not much in the mood do deal with humans. In the past week I had the most incredible streak of crap from places I where I was trying to spend HUNDREDS of dollars. I made a post about the insane run-around that is still in progress from the Nectar mattress people. Well, the next day my coffee roaster broke down and we decided to upgrade to a real coffee roaster - I have used popcorn poppers for years. I was excited, I was going to buy myself a new toy, one that would make my life easier and my coffee better - YAY!!!

I will spare you the details, but it was a FOUR HOUR RUNAROUND that ended with me changing BANKS. They literally declined my purchase of under $500 because they deemed it an "unusual spending pattern." I had a couple grand in the account, it was ridiculous. How often do they think I ought to buy coffee roasters, and from whom do they authorize me to purchase one? If they thought my card was stolen, call me. That is why I gave them my phone number. It is embarrassing enough to have a card declined because you really are overdrawn. I know, I have done it. I have NOT done it in decades, and I have had this EXACT little drama play out with this bank before and was assured it would never happen again. (I kept thinking "This is why we can't have nice things. THE DAMN BANK WON'T LET ME ORDER THEM!" If not for dark humor I would have jumped in front of a truck long ago...)

At any rate, I was not feeling especially friendly as I stepped into line at the Winco, cash in hand to avoid any risk of further interference from my granny-nanny bank who might think it is time for me to give up coffee. The transaction began like all big city transactions, with inane niceties.

Cashier: "Hi! How is your day going?"

ME: (Socially obligated to lie because this woman really does NOT want to know how my day is going. Furthermore, I do not really care how HER day is going, I only hope to get in and out without having to wrestle anyone for my damn coffee. I slapped a smile on for public consumption, but I have not yet gotten my dose of grandsons so I am pretty cranky inside. Still, I know the drill.) "Fine" I reply. "How about you?"

Cashier: Stops for just a moment, makes eye contact with me, and says with all the sincerity in her soul: "AMAZING." She then gives me my total and asks if I need a bag....

With ONE WORD that woman changed my entire day. I have been back on the phone dealing with many of the same companies that had pushed me into a state of utter bitchiness, and they just do not irritate me as much. I keep remembering how AMAZING it is to be here, on this rock, at this time, with all these crazy humans sharing the journey with me... She might have changed my whole life.

So, I do not have a picture of the coffee I bought. I do not have a picture of the store where I bought it. What I hope to share with you for this week's Market Friday is what that lovely cashier shared with me... a little dose of

NAMASTE!!