Shopping? Me?

I am somewhat spoiled. In the thirty-five years I’ve known my husband, I have cooked possibly a dozen meals. That’s because hubby does almost ALL the cooking. He always got home from work almost three hours before I did, and went to bed quite early in order to get to his job at 3 AM. So instead of waiting for me to get home, he’d cook. He continued even after we both retired from our full-time jobs. So I don’t do the grocery shopping – since he plans the menu, he knows what he needs. I just buy the stuff he forgets, or extras like treats for us or one of the groups I belong to.

The things I buy (after I pay my share of the bills, of course) are things I use for my various hobbies: sewing, scrapbooking, greeting card crafting, and music (my oboe and clarinet both need reeds and other incidental supplies). I also take care of the technical stuff (computers, smart phones, ipads), office supplies, and gifts from the two of us. And I love to buy things for the grandkids – toys and clothes, their favorite treats, and diapers for the baby.

Spending, of course, depends on the time of the month. We both get retirement checks, plus I get royalty checks and a small stipend from the university. But this is not the week for any of those, so my list is quite short. Here’s what I plan to buy:

1. A treat for my quilting group. We meet on the first and third Tuesday of the month, and everyone brings a snack for our mid-morning break. I am on my fifth week of Weight Watchers, so I’ll probably bring some raw veggies and hummus. I’ve spent too many Tuesdays chowing down on the sweets everyone brings.
2. A box of clarinet reeds. Last week during band rehearsal I started to squeak a lot – that means my reeds are getting worn and need replacing. Yes, just like brakes. I could use some new oboe reeds too, but those cost more so they’ll have to wait for the next payday.
3. Some quilt batting. A friend asked me to make a baby quilt for her soon-to-be-born grandson, and provided the John Deere printed fabric, but had no idea what else was needed. I bartered and agreed to make the quilt in exchange for scrapbooking supplies (she sells them). The baby is due any day, so I’ve got to get to work. I’ll probably buy some pillow forms and make a couple of pillows to match and give those as my gift.
4. Prints of pictures I’ve taken in the last three months. My scrapbook group meets tomorrow night, and I’m signed up for a full day of scrapbooking on Saturday. I’m hoping to get caught up sometime in the next century.
5. Flowers for Daughter #2. She invited hubby and me to her apartment for lunch this Saturday, so I’ll probably pick up something little for a hostess gift.
6. Flowers for Daughter #1. Because you can’t do something for one child that you don’t do for the other…

That’s it for this week! There are no birthdays, anniversaries, or other events requiring gifts – not that I know of. I might have to buy gas for the car, but since the Volt has only a 10-gallon tank and I haven’t bought gas since June, I won’t complain. Much.

How does your week look?