DIFFERENT PLACE/ DIFFERENT STORES

When I was a small town kid, there were neighborhood stores galore. My favorite was Harlow's Market, just a few blocks from our neighborhood.

Kenny Harlow and his wife ran the store. They were kind to kids who maybe just bought a Popsicle too share on their front porch. I spent a few hours there. I even remember walking there one time just to put a penny in the gum ball machine, hoping to cop the speckled ball that awarded me with a quarter or something. I never won, so how am I supposed to remember the prize?

Other stores some not quite so near, but within walking kid distance was Bolerjack's Market before it grew; Liebengood's where good old German baloney was sliced to order for thickness, and Ted Shafer's. Max's or Parkway Sundries wasn't exactly a grocery, but we stopped there for shakes mostly. On the perimeter were Rogers' Grocery, Mays Market, and Jackson and Martin's before they, like Bolerjacks got big.

We would probably venture into each of those stores once every week or two. Baseball cards, bubble gum, Gulf Wax for scrubbing paraffin on cars at Halloween, running an errand for our mom's. I used to think those were bygone days.

In Arizona, we shop at Fry's for the best meat anywhere, even better than Harry's Market in MTV, Wal-Mart for staples that we like better than Fry's plus toiletries (I hate that word) like deodorant and shaving gel. But that's not all.

Sprouts for produce, at least some kinds. Before Sprouts came to our locale, it was tough to get good, fresh vegetables. I craved good Midwest tomatoes. I still do, but all the stores picked it up and they have very good produce.

But that's not all. Fresh and Easy, Saveway for their bread, Albertson's for toothpaste and dishwasher tabs, and one of my favorites--Trader Joe's. They don't have a lot of name brands. For example, if you're looking for Ruffles potato chips or diet coke or pepsi, you won't find them there. But what you find, whether fresh or frozen is excellent.

Once every week or so, you'll find us in all those stores plus Sam's and Costco probably once a month.

Never a baseball card or bubble gum, though only Wal-Mart has the Ice Cubes that I like. Never a Popsicle. We have adulted ourselves into coffee (there's a new Starbuck's vanilla something that tastes a little like a latte) and whole grains. We're a lot greener now, too.

But although similar in numbers of stores we invade on a regular basis, I miss the times where I would have to share a Popsicle. And where I could walk to the store. And where I'd tell Kenny Harlow what I wanted, and he'd go get it. But maybe most of all, I miss those baloney sandwiches.