Sunshine's Raw Life

Hi there everyone!

I had posted a comment on a board I'm on, and someone thought I should expand further on that comment. I had said I don't think that some people who say they can't afford raw food haven't formed relationships with the right people yet. And I stand by that statement and will clarify it for you now.

Where I live now, I'm so blessed. I live about an hour away from Your DeKalb Farmer's Market. It's HUGE, you can find it on google, and it has almost everything I need to eat/stay raw. But I still have formed some more local relationships with some people that help me even further. There's a great guy named Scott who has a farmer's stand just up the road from where I live. He sells 4-6 tomatoes (depends on the size of the tomatoes) in a container for $4. However, I can buy them by the case for $20-$30, depending on what he buys it for. He sells them to me for cost. He's a great guy, and tomatoes aren't the only thing I buy from him. But he gave me his cell number, so now, anytime I want some tomatoes, all I have to do is call, and he'll make sure to have them for me every time! :)

Before we lived where we do now, we lived in Augusta, Ga. for a bit. This was before they built Earth Fare there. So there was a small health food store, and then a small specialty store up the road from that. Neither one was cheap. Oh, and since I neglected to mention it, then I was the only one raw, the rest of the family at that point was eating anywhere from 30-50% raw or so. And we were doing it on one income and that being military pay to boot. The rest of the family was eating GFCF to help J with his issues with that in regards to his autism. So I had to be careful with our money, and still get everything we needed. Well, after a few trips into the commissary, and seeing that I spent a lot of time in the produce department, EVERYONE there knew me and would cut open new fruits each time for the kids to try. And they would save their bananas for me that had started to spot and I was able to buy PERFECTLY ripe bananas for 19 cents/pound!

None of these relationships took any extra time or effort on my part to cultivate. I was already there just doing my thing. All it took was me being open and honest about what I was doing, and asking questions. Like, how much would a case cost me? I see you put out the spotted one for reduced, is there anyway you could save me a ton of them? What kind of fruit is that? Is it sweet, sour, bitter, soft, tangy? I have found most everywhere I've been, that anyone who works with produce lights up when you start asking them questions about their area of expertise. And most are willing to explain anything you need, and check on case pricing and work out a deal if you'll be regular about your purchases. And in my case, they're willing to be regular, because they know I'll be regular, at least until it's time to move again. So talk to people when you're out shopping. If you don't see a particular fruit you'd like to try, ask them if they can get it (though don't be disappointed if they tell you it's not in season yet). Ask questions about buying in bulk. Most people who work in produce will take an interest in you, if you take an interest in them! The worst they can do is say no, and you haven't lost anything in the process, and if they say yes, well, then you've just scored! :)

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In other news, hubby and I watched "The Celestine Prophecy" last night. I'd been drawn to this movie for some time, not even knowing what it was about. Well, it came from Netflix and we watched it, and it was......... WONDERFUL! One of the things I loved was how they showed the energy around people and things. I've heard there are people who can see that, see people's aura's. I've always wished I could. I've been more of a feel/just know person myself. I can feel energy, and there are some things that I've just known. So I am blessed in that area, but always wished I could see. I guess because I always second guess my what I've felt and what I've just known. I guess I thought it would be more difficult to second guess what I could see. But it was a beautiful movie. I highly recommend it! And it's one of those movies that makes me feel good about being a beacon of light and love to others. :)