Today, Jean and I traveled to Baton Rouge for some sort of state rally with our Interfaith group. We had just gotten out of Natchez, Mississippi when she annouced to me that she needed to go to the bathroom. Who knows as to why she needed to go so suddenly after we left town, instead as we were going through. On the road that runs south from Natchez to Baton Rouge, there is's much of anything except a Mammy of Amazon preportions standing out among woods and farms.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/MSNATmammy.htmlWe finally approached a tiny town called Sibley that was a gas station, post office and restaurant all in little wood frame building. They were open so we stopped. While Jean was getting relief, I mosied about and checked out lots of very ugly (but charming) merchandise that would fit right in at Gramdma's house. I do believe that the whole town was gathered around at small card tables, seated in folding chairs as they caught up on all the local gossip over coffee cups. Jean got finished and I decided to take a rest stop since I had stopped on her behalf and found that the bathroom was lit by a shadeless table lamp that sat on the floor in the corner. There was an extension cord that ran underneath the bathroom door that supplied electricity to said lamp. In attempt to wash my hands afterwards, the hot water faucet came off the sink in my hands. That didn't to seem to be much of a problem to any of the locals because the water line was turned off. So, when in Rome, as the old saying goes and I placed the faucet back in the hole on the rear of the basin where I found it. Even though this place seemed to be broken down, the reception was warm, our business was welcomed and a local woman showed us her new craft idea, which was a pansy planted in a goldfish bowl which was filled with blue irredescent marbles. A thoughtful gift to bring to someone in the hospital, I thought.
So we got to Baton Rouge and did our rally thing, then headed over to the Whole Foods Market. Jean had never experienced such, and even though I had been to the one in Baltimore twice, I didn't feel that I got the opportunity to soak everything in, so it just seemed like the thing to do. She was just expecting an ordinary supermarket but she gawked in disbelief while perusing the aisles and aisles of the good for you goodies and was totally blown away by the wine selection. She was so blown away in fact, that she admitted her confusion and I waved to one of the wine wardens to come help her out. I secretly wanted to take one of the wine wardens home. I was calling him my boyfriend before we left the wine department. I also got very excited about purchasing a tube of myrrh toothpaste, so now my mouth will be a suitable gift for the Baby Jesus! How great is that?! We also noshed on gelato by the chocolate fountain. And then we rode the go-carts! No I'm just kidding about the go-carts but this story is starting to sound like a date or something. All in all, we had fun and I think we definitely need a Whole Foods Market here although, I'm am sure it will be a very long time before we see such. I am officially spoiled by Whole Foods, now but Brookshire's will just have to suffice.
We decided to bring the Pastor (who wasn't able to make it, he had a severe case of the trots) a mug of sorts as a souvenier. He collect coffee mugs, but I found a very cool shaving mug offered in a line of men's products whose name (Herban Cowboy) is a play on words of a phase in pop culture (Urban Cowboy) that he unfortunately missed out on, especially since he is a native Texan, but he was just too busy being in a New York State Of Mind with Billy Joel (gag) and wearing a Member's Only jacket (umm... yeah, that's real cool, dude).
Renae would approve of Herban Cowboy products since they are sweatshop and creulty-free, vegan and organic, so any may be a future good gift idea for Mr. Forterino, since we both know how he likes to try new grooming and hygiene items. Besides, I think he would have fun lathering up shaving soap on his face with a brush.
