You make me feel like a natural woman………..

So yesterday I was sort of bummed after work. My boss is out of town and I don’t perform as well when no one is watching me. This makes me sluggish and tired by the end of the day, because I have to be extra careful not to get off task. She is not here today either and I am slowly running out of things to do. Anyway……
I left work with the bummed, sluggish feeling, so I stopped by the coffee shop for a pick me up. Eric has devised this drink for me: a large English toffee steamer with a shot of espresso. It is so delicious. I love the aroma as much as the taste. BJK says that it doesn’t make any difference how you like your coffee, it is always better when someone else makes it for you because they add TLC. I know that is the truth. My coffee is always better when John or Eric and Anna make my coffee. So with my cup of TLC and my movie that was due, I headed to the movie store. I felt like I had been given a smile.

The movie store was loaded with things that I wanted to rent. It was frustrating to have to make a decision on which to rent. I started at the Z’s and didn’t even get past the L’s. That is a good thing, because it means that I will have something to watch for a while. There was a drought the last time I went, so I rented Practical Magic. I really should just buy that movie. I think I have had this thought already.

From there, I headed to Betty’s for food. Now, I know that I have said more than enough about Anna and Eric’s Sweetwater coffee, but I do believe that I have failed to mention Betty’s Country Store as a key part of my life. Mostly, I only go there when Helen is not so Helen. It is in prime time Helen, but has all the elements of Sautee. It carries fresh everything with prices to match at times. Most of the time, it is the grocery store that I imagine my Granddaddy went to over in Jasper. He went to one called Blue Star, but I pretend it looks like Betty’s and with the same atmosphere. Yes, the store has atmosphere. They serve breakfast and lunch daily. Everything is very rustic looking, like the inside of a log cabin. This woman named Darlene runs it. I think she inherited it. She has a very….influential family in White County. She is “very good people,” as they say round here. The pretty girls, who work the front registers, are all local and are at the high school. They smile and nod and ask how you are, because they know how everyone else is in the county so you can ask them about anyone, but come prepared with your questions because they come with teenage attitudes.

Back to the story, I picked up some fresh salad, chicken, pasta, cheese and milk and headed to the homestead. It has been a while since I cooked for myself. When I got home, I turned on my CD player, which I love to listen to when I cook, but this time I filled it with all woman power houses instead of all my classical, which I usually like. I put in Sarah McLaughlin, Tori Amos and the Dixie Chicks. I cranked it up and sang!! I went through the house and lit all my candles. There is nothing like cooking in the kitchen with Sarah comforting the soul at the top of her lungs in the back ground complimented by a candle lit atmosphere. It was so fulfilling to be in the apartment making dinner, cleaning and singing to my heart’s content. I have seen a lot of girl maturing into woman movies over the years, or where there is some great obstacle that the woman has to overcome, or where she grows into her own person scenario. Last night was a great scene in my movie. My insides exploded with emotion, esteem, and confidence. I felt like I could conquer the world. I talked to my girlfriend, Michelle, on the phone and then started the fire.

I put in Le Divorcee and prepped the stove. My soul was on fire, but my kindling was not. I couldn’t get that thing started for the life of me. Everything was still soaked from the ice. I thought that I had found some dry pieces and pine cones, but I was wrong. At least my wood was dry. It made that almighty woman feeling smolder. John called and as we were talking he went into cellular space, so I walked away from the fire to wash dishes and I here a car pull into the drive……John got the fire started. So I made him blueberry tea as a grand reward. I made myself mango passion fruit. Tea is soothing for the heart of fire.

Hurray for a man who can read my mind! What a wonderful evening: food, song, tea, company and me.