Making some progress - or not!

I think I'm making some progress in the area of grocery shopping here.  Yesterday, Tim took me to a grocery store on the way to EpiCenter (our version of Home Depot).  I'm still struggling with the foot, but as long as I can sit down every few minutes I'm ok.  I thought I could handle this trip.  I found lettuce for less than $3 a head!  Yea!  (Some of you have followed my dilema with lettuce prices.)  I also found rosemary and basil - miracles never cease!  It didn't prove to be a great grocery store but at least I got lettuce and herbs.  In fact, I left the store so excited about the lettuce I forgot to buy any meat - which was the main reason we went!

We finished our shopping at the grocery store and EpiCenter and left in our first snowfall.  It was light and sometime would turn to ice, but it was snow.  (It continued through the early night but it's gone today).  When we got home, I knew I needed meat and I needed a couple of other things.  Tim agreed to go with me to the Renok (our local market where I do most of my shopping).  It was 4:00 so it wasn't completely dark - yet almost!  Again, with him along, I felt I could handle the walk.  I bought meat at the grocery store and then went into the Renok.  I needed potatoes, beets, one other thing that I can't remember right now.

Anyway, the thing I wanted to share was - we can buy beets, carrots, and potatoes from the same people in the market and we can buy it one of 2 ways - we can buy it clean or still covered in dirt.  Now that may seem silly to you, but I've been watching the Ukranians.  While I usually buy the clean ones, they buy the ones covered in dirt.  The vendor will take a knife and cut a slice out of a dirty one for them to see.  Oh, the lady I buy from has done that for me but I don't know what I'm looking at.  (This is the same lady that couldn't understand why I wanted to buy 4 potatoes instead of 4 kilos of potatoes.) What am I supposed to look for?  Does the dirt preserve the flavor or freshness?  I don't know.

On top of the dirt thing, I bought my first beet yesterday.  Not canned, I've bought them in the states.  But, a big dirty beet.  I'm going to try a new recipe with it.  I'm having to be very creative with our grocery budget and thought beets would be good because I can get them everywhere - clean and dirty.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

You know I seem to find a spiritual application in everything and the vegetable thing was no exception.  God chooses us "just as we are - dirt and all".  I'm constantly battling Americans and Ukranians with the "trying to clean up before coming to Jesus thing".  We'll never be clean enough.  In fact, if we think we're clean enough to stand before God, it's because pride and self-satisfaction has overcome humility and submission to Christ.  

And don't look too far.  Don't we choose friends who "look good to us".  Who chooses "dirty friends"?  Jesus did.  And He didn't cut into the surface to find out how they looked on the inside.  No, He took us dirt and all and made us children of the king!  Are you His today?  If you are, there's probably still some cleaning going on.  But, it will be worth it.

One last thing - please pray that we find a turkey for Thanksgiving - you remember, that American holiday that Ukranians don't celebrate!