Rejoicing in August

Posted on August 24, 2026 by patsypridgen

Heat and humidity, along with the realization that it’s back-to-school time, make August my least favorite month of the year. But then I remember the choir at my Methodist church singing, “This is the day that the Lord hath made, Let us be glad and rejoice in it.”

So I decide to look for what’s good about this sultry month in eastern North Carolina.

I’ve been a retired English instructor for almost a dozen years now, so I tell myself I should be over my beginning-of-the-school-year anxiety. Instead, I try to look at an economic benefit of school starting back. Many supplies needed for an academic year are on sale.

I got a great deal on a pack of notebook paper from Target, and these markers and a composition book from Walmart were a steal. Also, call me a nerd, I think it’s just plain fun to buy school supplies.

Why would I need these supplies if I’m retired? I have grandchildren who do crafts and homework at my house, hence the notebook paper and markers. I use composition books when plotting out my cozy mysteries.

Here’s a peek at what I’m currently working on. It’s a sequel to my Narrow Creek series. I’ve completed a rough draft of about 10,000 words, a third of the book.

But I digress. I remember that along with the anxiety of going back to school is the excitement. My two oldest grandchildren are happy about returning to college campuses. One is glad to be a senior at East Carolina University, and her brother is pumped about his sophomore year at North Carolina State. He’s escaped the dorm this year and will live in a condo with his buddies.

It’s hot and humid outside, but on the positive side, the lushness of summer is still evident. Black and Blue Salvia in pots has matured and helps to lure hummingbirds to a feeder.

I had AI add a hummingbird to the salvia since the little suckers are too fast for me to photograph. Can you find it?

An orchid in my house has decided to bloom this August, which makes my heart glad. I assure you this picture is real although the flowers are so perfect they look artificial.

Another plus about August is the fresh produce in the grocery store. A friend told me to try the Eastern peaches sold at Harris Teeter. Leave them on the counter a couple of days, she advised, to let them fully ripen, and then they are delicious.

I did and they are. Best peaches I’ve had in a long time. I’ve already been back for more.

Come this final weekend in August, those of us who enjoy college football can rejoice. Several schools are playing their first games of the season. We can all dream about past glory days and hope for a repeat this year.

My husband is glad when August rolls around. It’s his birthday month, but even more important to him, August brings the calendar closer to fall, which means hunting. These days, though, he’s more about watching the deer than shooting them. Still, he likes to get in his jeep and ride out to the woods.

The Lord has made every day, even the hot, humid ones of August. It’s up to us to find something good about each day we’re given, to be glad and rejoice in it.

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Prague, Czech Republic

Posted on July 1, 2026 by patsypridgen

I found Prague to be one of the most beautiful cities I’ve visited in Europe. The capital of the Czech Republic was the last stop on our recent Uniworld trip, Delightful Danube: Budapest to Prague. We walked 18,000 steps in the one full day we were there, trying to see as much as we could of the “City of 100 Spires.”

The variety of architecture in Prague is stunning: Romaneque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau, Cubist and Modernist. No, I don’t know all the distinguishing features of each style or how to recognize Renaissance versus Baroque, for example, but I was well aware of the diversity as I walked the city.

Here’s an interesting building I encountered, evidently providing quarters for a study-abroad program sponsored by NC State. A touch of home I didn’t expect to see. Swarovski jewelry is sold in a store on the ground floor.

The Powder Tower leading from New Town to Old Town is a landmark in Prague. Once used to store gunpowder, hence its name, kings would pass through it on their way to Prague Castle for their coronations.

By the way, the quarter of Prague called New Town dates to 1348. Old Town was founded in the 9th century. America, in terms of history, is a baby (although I am excited about our 250th birthday.)

One of the top must-do things while in Prague is to cross the Charles Bridge. Lined with 30 statues of saints, the bridge offers views of the Vltava River.

The statues on the bridge are not to be outdone by the one of King Charles IV at the Old Town entrance to the bridge. In his hand, he holds a model of the bridge.

Rising above the skyline on a hill, the Castle District can be seen from the Charles Bridge. Prague Castle is part of a complex. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this grouping of palaces and churches is the largest such complex in the world.

Prague Castle Complex is another must-see item on the Prague tourist agenda. To get there, we could either take a trolley or a series of steps. We labored up the steps but once we reached the top of the hill where the castle complex is located, the views were stunning.

St. Vitus Cathedral, on the grounds of the castle complex, is yet another lovely European church.

Prague Castle Complex has lots of tourists. I got tired of waiting for this guy taking selfies to finish, so he became part of my picture of the statues of the Wrestling Titans, which stand at the entrance to the first courtyard of Prague Castle.

Prague is also known for its beautiful public gardens. Walstein Garden, with a resident peacock, was a perfect place to stroll after lunch.

One of our Prague dinners was a food tour. There was a little too much cream cheese on the appetizer for me, but the main course featuring bread dumplings and beef sirloin was delicious. (Note: there was a piece of beef hiding under the garnishes and cranberries.)

The Prague Astronomical Clock Tower always draws a crowd, especially when it’s time for the twelve apostles to parade in front of two windows to mark the hour.

Over our years of travel, my husband and I have been fortunate to have a group of friends join us for many adventures. The gang was all here for this trip. Safety–and fun–in numbers.

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Waiting for a Membership Card

Posted on June 28, 2026 by patsypridgen

Dear Sam’s Club Headquarters:

Thank you for your current $15 joining fee special. I let my membership lapse several years ago when I decided my husband and I, now empty nesters, didn’t need to buy mega-size this and that anymore.


But your gas prices coupled with such a deal on joining reeled me in. I looked forward to filling up my tank and occasionally buying a big tub of potato salad to put in a bowl and pass off as homemade at a family reunion.


Here’s the problem, though. I can’t get a membership card. I mean a hard-copy, put-in-your-wallet kind of card.

My local Sam’s Club is out of cards and not sure when more will come in, according to the lady with the super-long, fancy-painted nails at the Customer Service Desk.

“Get the Sam’s Club App,” she told me. “Then you just scan it to check out.”

Sounds easy, right? Wrong!

I’d already attempted that at home. Getting the Sam’s Club App requires remembering my email password. I’ve tried every combination of letters, numbers, and symbols I vaguely remember using for anything, and nothing works.


I even made a stab at changing my password, and that was scary. I didn’t receive any new messages on my email account for a day. By some miracle–thank you, Jesus–the problem seems to have fixed itself. I’m not going there again. No changing whatever that password is that’s locked somewhere in my computer.


I called your helpline and talked to AI and then a customer service rep who seemed to be reading from a script. Both the robot and the person told me cards are issued at the local level and if they’re temporarily unavailable, I should download the app.


Sigh. The nice service rep lady at the local Sam’s Club, the one with the flashy fingernails, gave me a temporary paper pass to use the day I was in there looking for a card. “Won’t work at the gas pump though,” she said.


I was so bummed I didn’t buy a thing.


I’m at the age where I love to give advice. Here’s some:

When you run a special for joining, be sure to have plenty of membership cards available for old folks like me who don’t want to use the rest of their days fooling with technology. I need a card to add to the ten already in my wallet.

I trust my local Sam’s Club will soon get a supply of bona fide, hard-copy cards, and I’ll be able to enjoy all the perks provided by my $15 joining fee before my annual membership expires.

Yours truly,

Old-School Consumer

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Passau and Regensburg: Germany

Posted on June 19, 2026 by patsypridgen

One of the benefits of traveling by riverboat is the time spent on the water, in this case, the lovely Danube River. On our recent trip from Budapest to Prague, we crossed the border from Austria into Germany, arriving at Passau on a crisp early-May morning.

Our Uniworld riverboat swapped out flags when we changed countries. The Austrian flag was replaced by the German. The onion-shaped domes on the buildings here remind me of those in Russia.

I was charmed by these painted bricks, a fanciful indication that art galleries and studios are located on this street in Passau.

This fortress on top of a hill–where fortresses were often built, the better to see the enemy coming–dates to late medieval times. The Gothic number, 1499, indicates the year the fortress was built. A weird-looking number 4 (second from left), I agree, but our guide explained it’s the Gothic number 4.

Another impressive building in Passau is Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, which houses the largest organ outside of the U.S. Unfortunately for us, much of the organ is under repair, but we were sufficiently awed by viewing the exquisite exterior and interior of this magnificent church.

Can you imagine attending a worship service here? I’m afraid I’d be so busy gazing at the architecture and statues that I wouldn’t pay attention. The ceiling alone would have me spellbound, oblivious to anyone speaking.

One tour in Passau involved visiting a local merchant, in this case, Julia, the jewelry designer. We watched as she demonstrated her art of creating a bracelet. Noting her painstaking process, I understood why some handmade jewelry is expensive.

Being a member of a garden club, I’m always looking at the landscaping. This flower bed in Passau caught my eye, reminding me it was May and I should be home planting some flowers myself.

Flower planting would have to wait, though. From Passau, we traveled to another German town, Regensburg. Here, my husband and I opted for the Jewish Heritage tour.

Our guide walked us around town, pointing out significant Jewish sites, many related to the atrocities suffered by the Jewish population of Regensburg during the Nazi regime. Here, she showed us a picture of the Regensburg Synagogue that was destroyed during Kristallnacht (night of broken glass).

In Regensburg, as in many German cities today, brass plaques mark where deported Jews once lived. Most were sent to concentration camps. Few returned. Our guide placed a picture of this woman, Ida Lilienfeld, above her plaque. As you can probably decipher, she was deported in 1942 to Auschwitz, which was one of the worst concentration camps. Like many others, she perished. Ermordet is German for murdered.

If you’ve ever seen the movie, Schindler’s List, then you know the story of Oscar Schindler, whose heroic efforts saved over twelve thousand Jews from the extermination camps. Our guide gave equal credit to his wife Emilie Schindler, whose jewelry was sold to buy food, clothes, and medicine for the Jews they protected.

A sign notes where some believe the two once lived briefly in Regensburg.

Life today in Regensburg seems a far cry from the dark days of Hitler’s regime. We happened upon a wedding party preparing to go into City Hall, where, according to our tour guide, all marriages are made official. A couple can then opt to go to the church or synagogue to tie the knot again.

A special treat in Regensburg was hearing a boys’ choir perform at a boarding school. Most of the words were in German, as expected, but the music was universal.

Another type of musical entertainment was the oom-pah-pah band that performed on our boat one night. We were in the Bavarian state of Germany after all, where these bands are popular and play at events like Oktoberfest.

Polka, anyone?

In the midst of checking off all the must-see places and experiences, it’s nice to pause and enjoy sitting at an outdoor cafe. People-watching and soaking up the culture are part of traveling abroad, too.

Our final stop on this trip and the subject of my next post: the lovely city of Prague in the Czech Republic.

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Durnstein and Linz (Austria)

Posted on June 9, 2026 by patsypridgen

After touring the big cities of Budapest and Vienna, my husband and I enjoyed the slower pace of the smaller towns of Austria and Germany located on the Danube River.

Durnstein, Austria, was quaint and uncrowded. And what could be more charming than a cobblestone alley with an arch, or a tiny “lookout” window in a checkerboard facade?

Durnstein is perhaps best-known for its baroque abbey with a Carolina-blue tower. My Tar Heel travel buddies loved this choice of color.

The entrance to the Durnstein Abbey courtyard is ornate. The interior of the Abbey church is as well. Of course, we were in Europe, where lavish architecture in churches and cathedrals is common.

Another sign of European culture was a wine-tasting on the premises of the church grounds…. at ten o’clock in the morning. Durnstein is noted for its apricot products, with apricot spirits being one. I didn’t buy any apricot liqueur, but later I purchased apricot gummies for the grandchildren and apricot jam for my daughters (and me) in one of the gift shops in town.

Remember Richard the Lionheart, a king of England in medieval times noted for bravery? The ruins of a castle where he was once held prisoner can be seen in Durnstein. His ransom was set at 100,000 pounds of silver, which was two to three times the annual income of the English crown. Despite the exorbitant demand, the money was raised, and Richard the Lionheart was released.

So much history everywhere in Europe.

After a morning in Durnstein, we spent the afternoon sailing through the Wachau Valley on the Danube River. This area is noted for its steep vineyards (producing some of that wine we tasted) and beautiful scenery.

Our next destination was Linz, Austria. This monument, Trinity Column, was the first photo I took in the city. Located in the main square of the city’s historic district, the column was created to express gratitude after Linz was saved from several disasters.

Of course, as almost everywhere in Europe, there’s a magnificent church in the city. St. Mary’s Cathedral is also called the New Cathedral since it was finally completed in 1924. With a seating capacity of 20,000, St. Mary’s is the largest church in Austria. The stained-glass windows here are spectacular.

Cathedrals and monuments are often what tourists are shown, but walking around, I find the everyday life of a city interesting. For example, while bicycles are not as prevalent as in Amsterdam, Linz still had quite a few.

Some of you may be old enough (I barely am) to remember when May Day was celebrated in the United States, especially in elementary schools. Linz was not the only Austrian city with a May Day flagpole, but this was one of the prettiest I saw.

Seeing these May poles that celebrate spring was one of the benefits of being in Austria during the first days of May. The mild, sunny weather was a plus, too.

The most enjoyable experience I had in Linz, however, involved food. We were served a typical Austrian lunch: a veal-based soup; a main course of chicken, gnocchi, and mixed vegetables; and a pastry dessert shaped into balls with a cherry sauce.

Of course, all this food had German names, but there was no printed menu I could take home to work on translations. What each course is exactly called doesn’t really matter; it was all delicious. Fortunately, I remembered to take pictures before I dug in.

In my next post, I’ll talk about the two towns we visited in Germany before we ended the trip in Prague. More grand architecture, local culture, and history.

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Majestic Vienna

Posted on May 30, 2026 by patsypridgen

I’d passed through Vienna, the capital and largest city of Austria, a couple of times before in my European travels. I remembered it as a place of majestic buildings and ornate statues. My most recent trip there with my husband confirmed this impression.

Of course, when you visit two palaces, it’s easy to come away with an impression of grandeur. A morning tour took us to the Belvedere Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. (There are a lot of these designated sites in Europe.)

The Belvedere Palace was built as a summer residence in the early 18th century for Prince Eugene of Savoy. A pretty nice second home, I’d say.

Even the gates are over-the-top elaborate, as well as the interior.

What a ceiling.

Belvedere Palace is not just a fancy former summer home of royalty, however. Today, it houses an extensive art collection. Probably the most famous paintings are those of Gustav Klimt, especially his masterpiece, The Kiss. You can see some of his same style in another of his paintings, The Bride.

The Kiss
The Bride

You don’t have to walk far in Vienna before you encounter an impressive statue. Can you imagine living in a city where you can see such magnificent works simply by strolling along the streets?

Maria Theresa Monument
Francis I Monument

This eye-catching, intricate sculpture with gold features has an interesting history. Erected after the Great Plague epidemic of 1679 by Emperor Leopold I, it’s called The Plague Column or Trinity Column. The sculpture is located near busy streets. I wonder if Vienna citizens have grown used to seeing it or if they appreciate its beauty as much as I did.

Here’s the St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, not to be confused with the St. Stephen’s Basilica we saw in Budapest. Yes, there are a lot of cathedrals in Europe.

After busy streets, it was a bit relaxing to encounter a quiet alley, an oasis of calm.

Schonbrunn was the second palace we visited in Vienna. The Schönbrunn Palace in its first renovation copied the architecture of the more famous Palace of Versailles outside Paris.

Maybe you’ve heard of the Austrian Hapsburg rulers, for whom this palace was remodeled. (They’re not as well-known as “let them eat cake” Marie Antoinnette of Versailles.) The Hapsburg ruler Maria Theresa received the estate as a wedding present.

Though the palace isn’t as ornate as Versailles (the family encountered “financial constraints”), it still qualifies as a great wedding gift!

Our guide was well-versed in the Hapsburg family tree. He lost me in most of the details, but the big picture is that Franz Joseph and his wife Maria Theresa lived at Schonbrunn with their sixteen children.

Another interesting fact is that the youngest daughter, Maria Antonia, married Louis, Dauphin of France, and became known as Marie Antoinette.

It may not be Versailles, but the interior of Schonbrunn Palace is still quite lavish. The Grand Gallery is just that–grand.

One ornate room after another.

Parts of the palace were damaged during World War II bombing. Our guide pointed out this evidence of a repair in the ceiling made in 1947-48.

Although the grounds of Schonbrunn Palace were not at their best, walking beneath this wisteria arbor was a lovely way to end our visit.

My next post will be about the small towns where our riverboat docked in Austria and Germany.

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Budapest at Last

Posted on May 21, 2026 by patsypridgen

My husband and I saw the Hungarian Parliament Building up close this time on our recent trip to Budapest. Hurray! Almost five years ago in the aftermath of Covid, we were denied entrance to Budapest and had only an across-the-Danube view from our riverboat.

May 2026
September 2021

The ornate Parliament Building, seat of Hungary’s National Assembly, is the largest building in the country and one of the top tourist attractions in Budapest. I particularly like this picture I took near sunset on our first day in the city.

Touring the Parliament Building is so popular, in fact, there were no tickets available for the three days we were in Budapest. We found plenty to see on the grounds, though, including this statue of President George H. W. Bush, honoring him for his role in supporting Hungary’s transition to democracy from communism.

Especially interesting to us was the story of the unsuccessful Hungarian Revolution of 1956, led by university students who wanted the Soviets out of their country. Buildings near Parliament still show bullet holes from shots fired by the authorities as Hungarians protested in Kossuth Square.

An underground museum on the square tells the story of the brief, ill-fated attempt to throw off Soviet rule.

We also saw a memorial for Holocaust victims on the grounds. (Note: This sign was entirely in Hungarian; AI translated it into English for me.) It’s interesting to note that World War II is called the “War Aggression Against The Soviet Union.” I think it’s fair to say Hungary has a traumatic past.

This sad history was reinforced when we walked around what’s called the Jewish Quarter of Budapest.

In contrast to the tragic history of Budapest, however, was the upbeat spirit we felt strolling along the streets near our hotel in the Pest part of the city. For example, we stumbled upon these Saturday night dancers taking advantage of the paved Erzsebeth (Elizabeth) Square surrounding the Danibus Fountain.

Those shoes (circled) worn by a male dancer were a bright blue with a little heel on them. European fashion? I loved it.

Of course we took a spin on the Budapest Eye, the giant enclosed Ferris wheel which we could see from our hotel.

We were told to try goulash and chicken paprika, two popular Hungarian dishes. We didn’t expect the goulash to come sporting a cap of bread! The goulash itself was like a thick beef soup. I dug in and forgot to take a picture.

I’d eaten half my chicken paprika before I remembered to snap a shot. The paprika wasn’t as spicy as I thought it might be. We ate the goulash for lunch and the chicken paprika for dinner. Both were delicious.

At our chicken paprika dinner, we were serenaded by a couple of Hungarian musicians, who played a combination of folk music and American show tunes.

Screenshot

Budapest is split by the Danube River, with Buda on the west side and Pest on the east. Several bridges join the two, the most famous being the Chain Bridge. Late in the afternoon on our first day in the city, we fought our jet lag by walking this bridge from one side of the city to the other.

Parliament is the attraction on the Pest side of the city, but the Castle District on the Buda side is quite popular too. Here, we toured Hospital in the Rock, a complex underground maze of rooms carved from caves. These rooms served as a hospital in World War II and then again briefly in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Hospital in the Rock was last used as an elaborate nuclear bomb bunker during the Cold War.

No photography was allowed in the facility, so a picture of the entrance sign is all I have. Let me just say there were lots of mannequins inside illustrating the crowded, often unsanitary conditions endured by patients.

Matthias Church is also located in the Castle District. This Catholic church was originally built in 1015, rebuilt in the second half of the 14th century (what’s seen today), and restored in the late 19th century. The last two kings of Hungary were crowned here.

Near Matthias Church are the lookout towers of Fisherman’s Bastion. These towers provide a panoramic view of the city, showing how the Danube River divides the Buda and Pest sides.

St. Stephen’s Basilica with its twin spires soars above the skyline. This Roman Catholic Basilica is named in honor of Stephen, the first Christian king of Hungary. We were told that his mummified right hand is housed inside and is considered an important religious relic.

One last tourist attraction we visited was Heroes’ Square, one of the major squares in the city. Statues here honor important Hungarian national leaders. The column in the center of the square is supposed to be crowned by a bronze statue of Archangel Gabriel (see circled area). Unfortunately for us, the statue had been removed and sent for restoration. Still, there were lots of impressive sculptures to admire.

I found Budapest to be a beautiful, vibrant city. Despite the trauma suffered from World War II and subsequent Soviet domination, the capital today welcomes visitors and shows them a good time along with a dose of Hungarian history.

Budapest was our first stop on our riverboat/land trip that ended in Prague. In my next post, we’ll visit Vienna.

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How to Save at the Grocery Store: Paper Products

Posted on April 23, 2026 by patsypridgen

“Please don’t squeeze the Charmin!” Mr. Whipple used to tell us in the company’s ad. Don’t buy it either, I say, unless it’s one of the small luxuries you allow yourself. There are better deals on toilet tissue.

I’m perfectly happy saving a few dollars by purchasing Angel Soft, especially this week when it’s on sale at the Harris Teeter where I shop (and incidentally, where all the other items I talk about today are located).

Toilet tissue comes in different sizes of rolls and different numbers of rolls per pack, which means you should examine the bar codes to determine an accurate price comparison.

For example, this week at Harris Teeter, a package of six-mega rolls of Charmin is 0.081 per SQFT (I assume that means square foot). The 8-mega roll of Angel Soft, without the sale price, is 0.039 per SF (square foot). Charmin costs 0.042 cents more per square foot than Angel Soft at its regular price. These are the numbers that count.

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You can use the same bar code comparison when buying paper towels. The first thing you want to do, though, is to be sure you’re picking out a paper towel that allows you to tear a half sheet at a time. Big savings since a lot of times, you don’t really need a whole paper towel.

Can you see where both Bounty and the Harris Teeter brand show you the “pick a size” option?

Now you’re ready to compare prices. Let’s look at the bar codes.

Bounty paper towels are 0.098 per SQFT (square foot). The Harris Teeter brand is less than half that price at 0.046. Bounty may be the “Quicker Picker Upper” but I’m buying Harris Teeter pick-a-size paper towels.

There’s really no need to look at bar codes when buying paper napkins. The number on the package tells the story. Why pay $4.99 for 200 Bounty napkins (even if they’re called “serviettes”) when you can buy the same number of Harris Teeter quilted napkins for $3.79?

I go even cheaper and purchase the Harris Teeter everyday napkins. Fifty more napkins and 80 cents less than the Harris Teeter quilted type.

One final paper product to analyze: facial tissue or–to call it what’s actually a brand name–Kleenex. As with napkins, what you need to look at is the number stated on the box.

Both Kleenex and the Harris Teeter brand contain 60 tissues in each box. Guess which one I’m buying?

As you can see, store brand paper products are less expensive than the name brands you’ve seen advertised. If you can give up your allegiance to Charmin and Bounty, most likely you can save money.

Remember I’m talking paper products. We all have certain items we can’t part with. I want French’s mustard and Heinz ketchup. No compromise here. I try to catch these condiments on sale.

But saving money on paper products is one way to ease the sticker shock we all experience these days at the grocery store.

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Azalea Season in Rocky Mount, NC

Posted on April 10, 2026 by patsypridgen

Our broke town couldn’t afford to light up City Lake for Christmas this year, but Mother Nature has taken care of spring decorations. Look at the azaleas.

I love azalea season in my Greystone neighborhood. I have a yard full of different varieties and usually add at least one a year–or occasionally, several. Sometimes I’m matching others in a bed, and sometimes I see a new color I like! In my opinion, there are no wrong landscaping choices when it comes to azaleas.

I like to ride around town, too, to look at the variety of azaleas in other yards. Recently, I found my way to Sycamore Street, a place of fond memories. Growing up in the country in Edgecombe County, I enjoyed a bit of city life when I’d spend the night with my uptown cousins, who lived on this street. Those days are long gone–the cousins moved to Texas in the late 1960’s–but the azaleas up and down Sycamore Street are still in bloom.

From Sycamore Street, it’s a short drive to the Meadowbrook Park neighborhood, adjacent to Meadowbrook Road, where my husband grew up. Here I found this stunning display of a variety of azaleas.

West Haven is a historic neighborhood in Rocky Mount, and so many of the homes here have mature landscaping, which sometimes means huge azaleas. Most of this house was hidden behind these lovely azaleas at the edge of the front yard.

Leaving the West Haven neighborhood, I passed by Lakeside Church, where I stopped to take in the beauty of the steeple, showcased behind a bed of multi-colored azaleas.

This display of azaleas coupled with a blooming dogwood tree caught my eye as I drove through the Englewood subdivision. After azaleas, a blooming dogwood tree is a close second in my book of favorite springtime beauties. And what’s more typical in eastern North Carolina than dogwoods and azaleas growing under tall, skinny pine trees.

The residents of this house in the Westridge neighborhood use white azaleas for foundation shrubbery, just like my mother did years ago in front of our brick ranch out in Edgecombe County. Pretty! I also love the American flag on a very high pole in the yard.

I don’t understand people, usually non-Southerners, who say azaleas aren’t worth planting because they don’t bloom that long. The blooming complaint may be true, but once their glory days are over, you still have nice shrubs in your yard.

And oh, how beautiful azaleas are when they bloom.

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Money-Saving Tips for the Grocery Store

Posted on March 10, 2026 by patsypridgen

Do you experience sticker shock these days at the grocery store? I know I do. I’ve learned some strategies, though, to save money, starting with the two staples we all run out to buy when the storm’s a-coming, milk and bread. Let’s talk about milk first.

Note: The grocery items here are from either Harris Teeter, where I do most of my shopping simply because it’s the store closest to my home, or the nearby Food Lion, which I pass on my way to Target. The prices are current as of March 10, 2026. As we all know, prices can change.

Now, back to milk. The gallon of 2% on the left is a brand called Highland Crest and is found on the bottom shelf of the milk cooler at my Harris Teeter. It’s 40 cents cheaper than the Harris Teeter brand found on the shelf above.

Unfortunately, there’s quite a bit more of a price difference with name brands. I say unfortunately because I am fond of the Maola company. My Uncle Norman used to work for this outfit years ago here in my hometown. But my loyalty doesn’t go so far as to pay $2.00 more at Food Lion for Maola milk that to me tastes the same as the Harris Teeter Highland Crest brand.

On to bread, another item where I save money. My one requirement for a loaf of sandwich bread is that it be 100% whole wheat. I want a loaf that’s fairly soft, but I tend to toast slices for most of my sandwiches, so I’m not locked into paying significantly more for a loaf of bread just because it’s the softest on the shelf.

The one-pound loaf of bread on the left is the Harris Teeter store brand, found on the top shelf of the bread aisle. Without the sale price, the Harris Teeter bread is $1.70 cheaper than the comparable Nature’s Own brand. With the sale price, there’s a savings of $2.09.

At $4.79, the price of a one-pound loaf of Sara Lee sandwich bread at Food Lion is even higher than Nature’s Own at Harris Teeter. The comparable Harris Teeter loaf of bread on sale is a whopping $2.29 cheaper than the Sara Lee brand.

Now there are items where I don’t buy a store brand but wait for a sale. Saltine crackers are an example. A box will last my husband and me for maybe three months, so it’s not something I buy every ten days or so, like milk and bread.

When I see a good sale on Zesta, the saltines I’ve always eaten, I’ll pay the extra cents. Currently, there’s such a sale at Harris Teeter. At regular price, there’s a significant $2.20 difference for a 1 lb. box of Zesta saltine crackers versus the comparable Harris Teeter brand. With the sale price, even on both, the difference is only 50 cents. Time to buy a box of Zesta saltine crackers!

The only grocery store cookie I purchase with any regularity is Stauffer’s ginger snaps. If you haven’t tried them, don’t–they’re addictive. If you’re already as hooked as I am, then watch for the frequent sale price on this delicious cookie at Food Lion.

I’ve never found the Stauffer’s brand of ginger snaps at Harris Teeter, and for me, this cookie has to be Stauffer’s.

I like to save money, and the grocery store is one place where it’s not that hard to do so.

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