But How Did Miss Rumphius Eat?!

So, my bicylce is currently out of commission...and in Connecticut. But, that is neither here nor there. The important issue is - how did Miss Rumphius get her food?

Yes, she lived in a beautiful town by the sea. But, many beautiful towns by the sea - such as the one that I live in, do not have grocery or general stores that are within a reasonable walking distance.

Yet... and yet. My grocery store is only 3 miles away which proves itself to be too far for trips more than once a week - yet I have found it such a challenge to go trek there weekly, when feeding two. Strangely, we're not large eaters. We are one light eater and one average eater. Yet - that weekly 6 mile round-trip to the grocery store proves a difficulty for me. Rather quickly I discovered that there are plenty of taxi cabs eager and waiting (well some are more eager than others) to pick up shoppers and carry them home with their purchases.

To rationalize this expense of taking a taxi cab home we have reduced our shopping trips to once a month. This has proven interesting and difficult. In ways it is wonderful to spend a half hour walking 3 miles to the  grocer. An hour or two meandering about the grocery store, marveling at the opulence of things available and then a quick 10 minute ride home before putting away our stores and preparing things for cooking, freezing and/or storing for the next month.

I doubt that Miss Rumphius was ever shopping to feed two. And, I also doubt that Miss Rumphius ever took a cab home from the grocer or market. I suppose this is a case, of another age and other customs yet I like to pretend that if it were just I- that I would be able to easily trek back and forth - though I know a 6 mile walk lugging groceries half the way, is a 6 mile walk with 3 miles of lugging groceries regardless.

We do have fantastic farmer's markets on Wednesday and Saturday in the town square, if you will, from mid April through the beginning of November. But, as wonderful and conveniently located as they are, they are not cheap. As anyone who knows librarians know, we love what we do  -money is not exactly something we really care about, or understand. So, unfortunately, the local farmer's market is not exactly conducive to a Librarian couple's budget.

Alas, our wonderful place by the sea has for us some adjustments to make - but stay tuned to see what we come up with, if it works and what we do if it doesn't!