‘Tis The Season … For PUMPKINS (Apparently)!

monkey pickles, cartoon bubble

I went to my favorite, local market,

the other day, to pick up a few items for dinner.  When I pulled into the parking lot, it resembled a Saturday morning.  I, actually, had a moment where I questioned my brain about what day I was in.

Tuesday.

Definitely Tuesday.

NOT Saturday.

They must be giving something away . . .

After spending ten minutes, circling

the compact parking lot (testing my patience, as I was confronted by every type of “driver-challenged label” one could possibly come up with) – for fear of hate mail, I will let your imagination do the talking,

 . . . I finally found a spot.

Taking my life into my own hands (visual of me, walking side-by-side, with myself), I dared to walk through the parking lot of driver-challenged individuals, and safely (yet, barely) made it to the sidewalk.

 I walked through the automatic doors and . . .

 BAND playing!  LEIS (not lays) flying!  FACES grinning!

I’m thinking, they are definitely

giving something away,but I don’t think it is something they normally sell in the store.

“It’s CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY!!!” someone hollered out.

 “OHHhhhh, YAY!” was my response, as I saw my “quick trip” to the store,

                         suddenly extended.

And, there were pumpkins – EVERYWHERE.   Pumpkins in every size, shape, and color (apparently, orange pumpkins are going out of style).

And, pumpkin FLAVORED . . .  everything.

“Would you like to try a sample of pumpkin biscotti?” said one, as he shoved a tray under my nose.

“Pumpkin ravioli, over here!” said another.

“Try a sample of our pumpkin coffee!” announced (yet) another.

 “Pumpkin pound cake?  Pumpkin waffles?  Pumpkin chips?  Pumpkin ale?”

Hmmmmm . . .

Amongst all the chaos, I tried to remember what I had come for.  By the time I left (with my lei, around my neck), I had a new appreciation for pumpkins, and (in my head) I was doing a pumpkin appreciation dance.

That night, for dessert,

I served up Pumpkin Bread Pudding.

      OH, YUM!

As I thought back to my market “experience”, I was still convinced they were giving something away, as I had never  before seen such enthusiasm . . .

     over PUMPKINS.

Maybe it was in the coffee.

That could explain my “pumpkin appreciation” dance.