Think Positive!

I sincerely hope that you find today's picture totally boring compared to those I usually choose.  But Tuesday morning is now my designated grocery shopping morning, so thought I'd show you where I shop for most groceries.  The Kroger Company now owns stores in just about every section of the US, but the "Marketplace" concept was developed just a few years ago.  This particular store was the prototype for the future and it is truly something to behold.  This picture was taken this morning and what you see is about half of the total length of the store.

Why am I posting pictures of my grocery store???  Because I have turned the corner and and in all things am choosing to see what I do have or can have instead of what I don't have or can't have.  Yes Sharon, that's all well and good, but what does that have to do with grocery stores??  Since I am the queen of listmaking, let's think positive this way...............

1)  I have moaned, groaned and am openly confessing the sin of envy towards all of you who are within 25 miles of a Trader Joe's.  I love Trader Joe's and rightly so.  My 250 mile (one way) trip to the one in Nashville last Saturday confirmed that it is still everything I remember and I loved meandering around in there until Mr. B gave me "the look."   Every one of you knows "the look."  I don't need to say any more.  But you know what?   In my own community, I have two Earth Fare's (owned by Whole Foods), two Fresh Market's, a farmer's market every day except Sunday and Monday, numerous health food stores AND my Kroger Marketplace.  I don't believe I'm exaggerating terribly if I tell you that the Fruit/Produce section combined with the Organic/Health Foods section of my Kroger are larger than the entire Trader Joe's in Nashville.  There is NOTHING you will not find at my Kroger.  In addition, you get wide aisles, state of the art lighting, Starbucks, a very nice eating area with a wonderful selection of foods, and friendly customer service folks all over the store.  I have no complaints.  Grocery shopping is a pleasure and I am thankful.

2)  My second area of positive thinking is to approach my Hot 100 Challenge from the viewpoint of what I CAN have instead of what I can't.  Yes, it's pretty restrictive to say that I will eat nothing with white sugar or white flour between September 23 and December 31, but as I walked through the store today, I found myself searching for and focusing on those things I can enjoy.   It wasn't the least bit difficult to find lot of those things.  I picked up a mango and my mouth watered.   Raw Sugar Snap Peas have become my potato chips.  Who needs cookies when they can chomp down on something called a Honey Crisp?  Yes, there's a lot out there to try and by george, I'm going to try it all. 

3)  This summer has been so brutally hot that I've not been able to exercise as I normally do resulting in a noticeable difference in my stamina when I do exercise.  Cool days are finally here, but I find myself feeling a bit negative when I realize I have work to do to catch my body up to where I know it can be.  So my third area of positive thinking is to just DO IT!  That's the only thing that will help.  My 10-day weather forecast shows nothing but bright yellow sun and I'm finding opportunities to walk, hike and bike.  I've already got 12,300 steps on my pedometer today, so I'm really thinking positive on this one!!

This entire post was composed in my head while in the grocery store this morning.  Perhaps, this is why I came home without three of the things on my list.  LOL!   So it only seemed fitting that today's picture would be of my favorite grocery store.  Wish you could come go with me next week.  We could have lunch at the Sushi Bar.  Or maybe you prefer the Olive Bar.   Think I'll stick with the Wing Bar.   Of course, there's always the Soup and Salad Bar.   Maybe I'll just have a Luna Bar.