I have had several re-usable fabric bags that I've been using/wanting to use for grocery runs for a couple of months now. I've used them 3-4 times in the capital, but I've either forgotten them (because I went shopping in a taxi) or ML's done the shopping the rest of the time.
Tonight, JW and I went to the store. I drove, of course, because of our wonderful new van (wait, you don't know about that, do you? cha-ching, another post topic**). I actually remembered to get the bags that were sitting on the shoe bench (sweet, another post idea). The theory is that we'll take them to the car the next time we go somewhere after they've been unloaded. The reality is that we're *always* in a hurry when we're leaving the house, and they often just sit there.
(Fun aside: the bag that holds the rest of my empty re-usable bags is one of the Sonlight free-gift-when-you-buy-a-core canvas bags from several years ago. I ended up with two, because I bought two cores within that year due to when they came/were brought over to us. The other...wait, that could be a whole other post!)
I had to fight with the guard at the front door not to have to check my bag (of bags) at the customer service desk. As with many stores in the States, larger stores here will not let you enter with shopping bags from other stores or large, non-purse handbags. However, I was willing to stand my ground not to have to leave my cart in line and retrieve my (empty) bags from the service desk. He finally waved me on in. Somedays the "crazy foreigner" thing works for you.
So, I hung my bag (of bags) on the hook at the front of my basket (Do baskets in the US have hooks in front of where the child seat is now? They're so handy. I usually hang my purse there, so I have more room in my cart.) The bagger was a tad confused when I handed him the bags when it came time to check out, but he was cool with it. He even asked about how heavy I wanted them to end up (two of the bags are huge), etc.
I survived! No one looked at me like I was crazy*! One small step for God's creation. Yay!
*Okay, there was this one college-aged girl who remarked to her friend on the way out of the store, "*She's* not from here!" I wanted to say back to her, "And *she* speaks Arabic!" but I didn't. Well, actually I did, but they were out of earshot.
**In case you're wondering why I'm so post-topic happy, I will bury this little piece of information down here: I have made a commitment to myself (well, I guess now to all of you, and I use that term "all" lightly) to post once a day during the month of November. A certain friend has been encouraging me to blog more, to share our life here, and so I'm giving it a shot. After November, it might not be quite as consistent, but I figure 30 days is supposed to set a habit (and, according to the rhyme I just said in my head, November has 30 days), so maybe I'll at least still be posting more.
Blessings!
