I MUST be on CRACK...Part 1

Is it possible to be on crack and not know it??? Or...is that called denial...? Does an invisible crack pipe really exist??? I have heard rumor of one... Sweet Jesus, I have LOST MY MIND...and the scary part is...I know that I have and am not sure how to get it back. Ugghhhh...What to do, what to do...

OK, so here is the situation: About two weeks ago, I did something that I had NO business doing...I went...OMG, I am sooo ashamed to say it...(((with my head hung low in shame)quick prayer: Dear Lord, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE forgive me...I know good and T well that I had no business goin' up in there by myself!! Dear Lord help me resist temptation, You said it in Your word, "...the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matt. 26:41 KJV And Lord, I know that your word is true...so PLEASE forgive me and my weak flesh...(deep sigh of regret)~amen)))...I dropped my daughter off at school and then...I went on a binge....I went...to...Lord I knew better...but I went anyway...I went to the....uggghhh...the Half Price Bookstore...There, I finally said it...a small chunk of my burden had been lifted...Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of the story...there is more...MUCH more...

I knew I was wrong when I went in without a plan. Believe me when I say..."The Half Price Bookstore is the LAST place in the world that you want to go without a plan!" I have spent- oops...I mean, seen-I have SEEN many a mortgage payment be spent at the checkout counter. I never enter with the intent to go broke...but some how, it ALWAYS happens. In an attempt to self medicate, I have gone so far as to leave my debit card and checkbook in the car and enter the store with only $10 in my pocket. Do you think this works??? Nope...not until two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago, I had no plan, but I only had $10 and about 15 minutes to shop. I figured that I would be safe...Well...I figured WRONG! I made my usual rounds in about 10 minutes-fiction, mystery/suspense and CLEARANCE-which left me only 5 minutes to go to "The Promised Land"-the land of Craft and Cooking. I intentionally saved the best for last...I figured the less time spent there, the more money left in my pocket!! With only five minutes to shop, I did a quick walk through the cookbooks, but since I already own ALL of the books in that section...I decided to spend my last 4 minutes and 49 seconds in the craft section. Knowing that I only had $10, I knew that my selections would be limited. Me, being me...I wanted the most bang for my buck, so I skipped the stenciling, stained glass and wood working section and went straight to the "general crafting" section...which is where I found it...the Anti Christ of Crafting...the seven headed beast of creation...my eventual downfall...the crafty crack of all crack...I found the Reader's Digest Home Made Best Made: Hundreds of Ways to Make All Kinds of Useful Things.

I think "Home Made..." is what got me!! Then, I pulled the book off the shelf and saw the cover...I was HOOKED!! In the upper right hand corner was the sweetest thing that I have seen in a long time...a small white price tag with $6.98 written on it...Oh yeah BABY....!!! At that price, I was out about $7.50 for the book, which meant that I would have about $2.50 left over...just enough to buy a small chili and a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger from Wendy's. Yippee...(Yes...Che-Quita is in the house) a book and a meal for less that $10...(quick prayer: Dear Lord, Thank You for miracles!! ~amen)...I was in hog heaven (where is hog heaven??? a chicken or beef processing plant...)! I grabbed my book and RAN to the register.

After saying another prayer of thanks for His bountiful blessings, I paid for my book, got my change and went to Wendy's. I ate while I was driving and then I went to work. Work was difficult because my mind was in the car with my new book of home made goodness...I still had not actually looked inside of the book, but while I was driving I glanced at the cover and...let's just say..."Mama liked." There were suckers, baby corn in a jar, hand painted ceramic tiles and home made dish soap on the cover...I was like one of Pavlov's dogs at this point...DROOLING!!! I knew that I had gotten the most bang for my buck with this book.

By now I am sure you are wondering..."What did she do that was so wrong/crazy?? Where is the crack?? What happened?? She only spent $10...she got a book and a meal...so what's the big deal...? Well, my friends, you are going to have to read part 2 for the answer...


~Quita