What a day! I got two phone calls today. Well, one text and one call. The massage therapist texted me to say that her car wouldn't start so that massage I was looking forward to all week was cancelled. My body is pretty sore from all the bedrest and the massage helps with circulation and working some of the stiffness out of the muscles. The doctor's office called to see how I was doing and I asked about driving and they said I could as long as I had another adult with me in the car to take over if need be. So I drove today and I did really well. I am beat, though. Not from the driving, but from the grocery shopping.

First we went across town to The Market which is the only place that carries the additive free, preservative free, gluten free Boar's Head deli meat. It is expensive, but when you are dealing with allergies, sometimes it is worth it. I got a couple pounds of that and will freeze some of it. I want to pack sandwiches on Tuesday when we go back to Virginia Mason, but if I don't freeze some of it, it will go off by then.

I spent a total of $78.53 there and saved $10.15 with coupons and sale prices. I stocked up on Tostitos and Pirate's Booty as they had them on a good sale. I got organic milk and organic parmesan. I also got both Rainer and Bing cherries as they were on a good sale (though not as good as the cherry lady, but she wasn't there today). I also bought a book of stamps and impulse bought a bottle of Pepsi Throwback. I haven't had soda in ages, so I don't feel too bad about that (or bad at all, really).

After that we stopped by Joe's Garden since it was on the way to where we are going next and my mother got some veggie plugs. They were 25 cents each. She got lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower. They had a produce market there as well and they had some gorgeous looking food (organic). I ended up spending $12.29 on 2 of the most beautiful looking bright yellow summer squash, 6 kohlrabi (YUM), 2 fresh garlic bulbs with stalks on still, a pint of strawberry jam (a bit pricey but it was made with citrus pectin instead of apple pectin), and a gorgeous, deep burgandy romaine lettuce.

After that we drove to Trader Joe's and paid $39.99 for 2 boxes of Joe's O's cereal, a 4pk of no caffiene, no corn syrup soda (for the kids), sweet potato fries, chicken fried rice, beef and broccoli, graham crackers, 4 pounds of spaghetti, 4 pounds of hamburger and a one gallon pot of basil (that was about a foot high and smelled amazing!) to plant.

Then we went to Cost Cutter and paid $52.97, saving $10.37 between coupons and sales. I got 20 pounds of chicken at .68 a pound and 10 pounds of beef ribs at $1.78 a pound (I hope they go back to .99 a pound when summer barbecuing season is over but that was the best price I've seen since winter). I got a gallon of OJ, a bag of Maui onion chips, 4 lemons, 6 nectarines, 10 ears of corn, and a bunch of green onions.

Altogether I spent $183.78 on groceries. I still need to go to one more store, but don't think I will spend more than $40 or $50 there. I shouldn't have to shop again for two weeks after that except for milk and OJ, which put me right on track for $500 a month grocery budget (Yay!). Even when I do shop, I shouldn't have to buy meat (though I might get a pot roast). I am really glad that all of these places, except the garden market, had ride on carts. I needed them. I am exhausted but I am not hurting, which is great. We got everything divided up (except the chicken which is still partly frozen and needs to thaw some more to separate it) and put away before I lost the last of my energy.

Dinner tonight is ribs, corn on the cob, and watermelon (Mom's contribution). I am so looking forward to that.