A great beginning and end and something silly but Very Important

My whole day today has been really wonderful, but especially the beginning and the end. This morning Mike suggested that we go to the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin with Clarita. That place is so wonderful - an award winning library with this kids section that would knock your socks off! Clara is Very Independant now and was off exploring, playing with other kids, and looking at fish. I took some time away to check out the library myself and discovered the Reading Room - this giant room with a four sided fireplace in the center of the room, windows looking out onto the river (the Fox River, that is), cozy-up-into-them chairs, and a ceiling that was so high and had the coolest lighting that many an hour could be spent daydreaming while looking at it. Someday, I'm going to visit the reading room sans Clara (pretty sure that if cell phones and computers aren't allowed, toddlers aren't either) and read my bible and contemplate Great Things.

The end of the day was just as magical. I took Sadie out to the dog park at dusk and was welcomed by so many deer. Like 30! I counted them all; they were so Beautiful all big. Deer instill in me a certain stillness that was such a perfect way to end my day. You'll notice a new link - to sign a petition to save our dog park. If you'd like to help, feel free! We'd love the support.

And the silly but Very Important. I have found the most Amazing and Coolest and Most Perfect Grocery Store Ever in the History of the World. It's called Woodman's and is employee owned and operated which makes me feel good about giving them our money. Up until this week, I have been shopping at the Wal-marts and Meijer's of the land and resenting every penny spent. I mean, the produce totally stinks, you can never find anything that is any bit off the beaten path, and it is really not that cheap. No more, my friends, no more! There are too many wonderful things to list about Woodman's , but I'll give you my top three. 1. It feels like your neighborhood supermarket and farmer's market/produce stand rolled into one - I kind of feel like I stepped into the 70's when I walk in which is a nice change from super-bright, super-slick, crazy marketed-up stores. 2. They have Everything. Basics like leeks (hello, have left so many a shopping trip sans leeks!) to papayas and beets. The store is actually huge (although it doesn't feel huge) and has every kind of cereal, chip, dairy product you could dream up. Like, today, I picked up a can of white tea with pomegranite soda and a bag of kettle chips flavored with barbeque and blue cheese. Seriously! 3. This place is cheap! Like, so amazingly cheap I can't believe it. Almost cut my grocery bill in half. FOR REAL! And you can find so much stuff that is localish - like cheese and dairy from Wisconson, amazing quality, low, low price. I know, I'm stopping. But, people, for a girl who shopping for groceries is pretty much the culmination of all her shopping, a great and inexpensive find is life-changing. Can I get a here-here?