Cough drops.
All I needed was cough drops.
I parked as close to the door as I could on a recent cold and rainy day. This was one of a few short errands that had me in and out of the car for a few minutes at each stop. Gas station. Cleaners. ATM. The grocery store was on the route and had a pharmacy, so, there I was.
I didn’t need a cart, or so I thought, silly me. One always needs a cart in the grocery store, even if just running in for one item. If nothing else, a shopping cart is something to hold onto when you are navigating the aisles and trying to find your phone, which, at that moment was ringing. Loudly. It is set to chirp like a bird!
Missed call.
I was momentarily stunned by the visual display of tulips, daffodils and orchids in the floral department. I know. It is hard to imagine someone like me sidelined by flowers, but, there I was, soaking in the radiance of blossoms. I must have admired every petal before recalling my mission as a coughing spell commenced. It abated just long enough for me to wander down the sale aisle where ornaments, candy, paper napkins and doo-dads were reduced. No, thought my reasonable self, head down, Penelope, and off you go to the pharmaceutical aisle.
It was just as I turned right that my left eye caught something moving in between the styling gel, hairspray, and deodorant.
Penelope Pitstop, ace sleuth in the supermarket, off on another amazing adventure.
I slithered down the aisle, muttering to myself, hoping no one was watching me. I could be wearing ear buds, a Bluetooth, toothpaste, paste wax, or whatever those ear thingies are called. I could be on a mission of utmost importance.
There is was. Again.Under the shelves.
I tiptoed, in my galoshes, slowly, step-by-step, and there is was, looking at me as if hearing the call of my phone, then quickly crossing the aisle and ducking under another row of shelves.
Aha. Playing hide-and-seek are you? Be careful. There’s a clerk over yonder, stacking shaving cream and men’s deodorant. Actually, she didn’t see the bird,. She was eyeing me with a measure of suspicion. Sometimes I wish I had an invisibility cloak.
I tiptoed around, following it; not a mouse (thank goodness), but, a sparrow gathering tidbits under the shelves. In and out she slipped, from magazine to cleaning supplies, under the peanut butter and over the canned peas. If she keeps this up, i muttered, she’ll end up in the meat department, but, no, there she was in produce, before the next round of hacking coughs sent me back to what I came for.
Humming Peter, Paul, and Mary’s rendition of Keep Your Eye Upon the Sparrow (Wish I Was a Single Girl), I grabbed the Luden’s, paid for my purchase, and hoped the little, lost sparrow found her way out of the grocery store and back to wherever she nests, humming my way back home.
I hope all is well with you and yours.
Oh my, let’s make everything a adventure even if is a trip to the store for cough drops. My phone is set to birdsong for text messages so I often have a bird following me through the store as well. But, I only see the birds high in the rafters of the big box stores. I worry about them sometimes.
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Other folks travel abroad, sail the oceans, climb the mountains. Me? I go to the store for cough drops, Funny we use similar phone rings. My text message just bings.
This was a bigger chain grocery, not quite a big box. I have seen them in the rafters, but, never on the floor. I hope she flew out from whatever her point of entry was. I also hope I wasn’t “captured” on the surveillance camera. THAT would be a story. 🙂
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It’s good to be open to joy and fun even on mundane errands (which are then no longer mundane). I remember having a toddler granddaughter in the grocery store when we spied a bird flying through the aisles — she wanted to catch it and take it outside. Even Grandmas can’t do everything! Sigh.
I hope your cough/cold is better.
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Thank you, Sallie. I’m sure I’ll keep at it. 🙂
Awww . . . that is so sweet and so like a grandchild. No, we can’t do everything. I”m sure you said something to comfort your granddaughter, though.
Cough is still a bother, Sallie. There is an upper-respiratory virus making the rounds, and lasting about 10 day. In spite of the cough, I felt so much better today, so, on the other side of it. Thanks for asking.
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How delightful! And one of the things I always liked about shopping in America is your parking slots right outside each shop in main streets. Here we have to park in a car park miles away, walk to the shop we want, walk back, meanwhile getting soaked if it’s raining. I hope your cough improves very soon.
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Oh, Cath, that does sound cumbersome, especially with bags of groceries.
Thank you. Coughing is much improved and I do believe I am on the other side of this. Today, I actually did a few things. 🙂
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Penny, your story made me laugh to myself and smile to the world. Cute story. I don’t know why I suspected it was a mouse, given your title! Maybe because I once was shopping in a grocery store, and over by the meat counter I saw a small, but very fat, mouse. I left the few things I had in my cart and walked out of the store, never to return. I could handle a bird, but not a FAT mouse, who obviously had easy access to food.
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The little secret is that at first I thought it WAS a mouse. Had it been, I would have left asap, Susan, probably making a racket all the way to my car. I don’t blame you. This little bird was sweet to see. So glad to hear you had a laugh on such a gloomy day as today was.
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Penny, I’m happy to hear via other comments that you’re starting to feel better. Sorry I didn’t express concern in my first comment. I had a similar virus recently, so I empathize with what you’re going through. Take the time needed to heal. Hope you feel 100% fine soon.
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Oh, Susan – how sweet of you to come back. I appreciate it. I am, indeed feeling much better and on the other side of it. I am sorry you also experienced this. It seems like every-other-person has been down. Now, if we melt this ice.
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Birds of a feather, Penny! Perhaps the little songbird also popped inside for just one thing on that frigid day. So happy that you both found what you were looking for that day. You always find a bit of adventure ~ wherever you go! 🙂 Hope you feel better soonest, dear Penny! ♡
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Perhaps some nesting material? She wasn’t afraid of me, though shy, as well a bird should be when in a grocery store. 🙂 The little things do matter and bring me joy – especially on a gloomy day. Thank you, Dawn. I seem to have caught this nasty little upper respiratory that is going around, but, think I’m on the mend. Still coughing, but, congestion is abating. Stay warm and enjoy these lengthening days, my friend.
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What a nice diversion on a cold, busy day with a cough!
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It was a nice diversion, Janet. Sometimes I wonder about myself. haha
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Oh Penny , you turn everything into a positive and fun adventure, even a trip to the grocery store. I admire you for that ! I hope the little sparrow found his way back and your cough is better.
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Thank you so much, Gerlinde. Sometimes treasures can be found in the most mundane of chores – or maybe it is the child still in me. 🙂 I hope the sparrow found his way out as well. It was odd to see him on the floor. Usually if one gets in, they are flitting on high.
The cough is much, much better today and I actually slept well last night. yay!
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Oh Penny, you have the most delightful adventures when out shopping, and your stories are so funny. I’m glad nothing ended up rolling down the aisles this time as I seem to recall have happened in other adventures. Thank you for a good laugh and a smile.
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It is amazing what we can find whilst out picking up a loaf of bread (or cough drops). Ah, yes, I have managed to topple merchandise and then there was the time I attempted to ring up a cantaloupe (melon) . . . 🙂 You are most welcome, Juliet, and I am pleased that you had a good laugh.
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Oh my goodness, Penny! That is hilarious. I hope the sparrow made it out alive. So glad you were there to chronicle the sparrow’s adventures. 🙂
Hope you’re feeling better.
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I hope so as well, l. Marie. I often wonder if I’m being photographed on these little “adventures” I have. 🙂
This was really a hum-dinger. Still coughing, but, much, much better. Now, if I can coax the sun out . . .
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I’m sorry you needed the cough drops in the first place, Penny, but having a little adventure “bird watching” in the supermarket was a small dose of good medicine, I’m sure. Very funny! You do seem to find adventure wherever you go. 🙂
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It was just what the doctor ordered. 🙂 Thanks, Debra. These little events help lift up any day, for sure, and sometimes we just need to be open to fun.
Hope all is well with you
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Am sorry you were ill but happy you are on the mend. I worry about the critters in and outside during the cold weather. I am certain he has a warm, safe spot. I am keeping my eyes on another Golden eagle nest in Florida. The eaglet is 17 days old and as usual the parents take turns feed it and taking care of it. I watch it to remind me of all the good things in the world as I am down in the dumps this week! Hope you continue to look up and down for the ” sparrows” in the world.
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Than you, Marilyn. I am hoping so – and he probably does have safe harbor.
How fast time goes; here you are watching those precious eagles again, and another nest. I wonder if there will be a second eaglet. It is always amazing to me how the eggs of eagles do not hatch at the same time, and lucky for those attentive parents to spread the attention. 🙂
Here is hoping for better days and better weeks. Off I go, my far-away friend, in search of more of life’s sparrows.
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Brace little soul, she was.
Hope you’re feeling better. Have you tried Ricola? Great stuff for hacking cough.
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She truly was.
Much, much better. Thank you. I have not every tried Ricola and will remember it should I need it again. Thank you.
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