Thighs

This is a story I wrote on my personal facebook page.  What does it have to do with the store?  Well, keep reading.

Back around July 2010 I went to Memphis for a couple of months.   My mom was sick and my son had to have some medical issues addressed.  I went to help take care of them and my grandbabies.  One day while visiting mom.......

I went to the deli for my mom today. She wanted some chicken livers and potatoes. I get to the counter and a  little 20-something, beautiful blonde, big eyed, gorgeous smile, girl asked, "Can I help you?"  with that familiar southern drawl.  I asked if they had chicken livers today.   She pointed at the food in front of her and said yes. The case was full of meat from meatloaf to fried chicken to livers. She informed me that I could get chicken livers and 2 "thighs" for 3.99. I said okay. I thought about it for a second and decided that mom would only eat the livers the rest would go to waste.  I asked her to just give me the livers and skip the thighs. She looked at me with a confused faced and asked, "Where did you get thighs?" "From you," I said. Now she is extremely perplexed and at a loss for words. I repeated her words back to her verbatim. She started to laugh so hard she almost dropped the prongs. Then she says, "No s-i-d-e-s, which she spelled slowly, sides she repeated in her southern drawl. Of course, that made sense. I said, "That will be fine.", and moved to the vegetables. As I was peering in to the hot food case for the "SIDES", something caught my eye. It was strange. It was little brownish red thingies with green bean snaps and tomatoes in it. I looked up and asked her, "What is that?" She responded with, "That is what I was talking about the siddddes." I said, "No what is it?", again she says, "A SIDE"  this time with a sharper tone. At this point, I am laughing so hard I can't talk. I finally get out the words, "What kind of vegetable is it?" She says," Oh that's just beans, honey."

As I drove back to mom's, I came to the conclusion that even though I have one of the thickest southern accents in Cloudcroft, I have lost my ability to decipher the southern dialect.  O Mama.

Still what does that have to do with The Bird House?  I will tell you. Here at the Bird House we carry Poultry Scratch for CHICKENS.  The chickens just eat it right up which makes for fine plump chicken thighs.  And we have also been selling it for the Stellar Jays and ground feeders but I would not recommend eating a Jay's thigh. 

Just a little acknowledgment to a wonderful boss.  The day I was hired for the Bird House I got the call about all the sickness going on in Memphis.  I was suppose to start work within a week but instead I was right back up at the store apologizing for having to turn the job down.  My boss would  have none of that.  She told me to go and take care of my family and my job will be waiting on me.  She held my position almost 2 months, during the summer no less.  I could not believe it.  I want all to know that I love my job, my boss and the wonderful lovely people that walk through these doors.  I feel so blessed.

Update--- Unfortunately I lost my mom about two weeks after returning home. 
RIP mama. Your laughter was the greatest gift you ever gave me. 


Until next week
Ruth Lane
www.thebirdhousecloudcroft.blogspot.com
www.cloudcroftwebcam.com/beta