Hello from Oklahoma, USA!!  My blog discusses everyday happenings in my life in rural central Oklahoma.  If you check it out, you will see that I have not been too diligent with it over the last several months.  I hope to correct that for the purposes of this challenge and write about one of my favorite things each day.

For the Intentional Blogging Challenge, I have decided to discuss one of my favorite things each day. 

Today's topic is strawberries. 

I have not thought about strawberries for a while even though they are one of my favorites.  I used to have lip balm that was strawberry-flavored which I used for many years.  My favorite scented candle is still Yankee Candle's Sweet Strawberry, even though it is getting more and more difficult to obtain.  Strawberry is such a refreshing, uplifting scent.  It always makes me feel better when I inhale its fragrance. 

Strawberries are only available for a short time every year, so when you can find them fresh you need to seize the opportunity, which brings me to my post for today.  I stopped by the local market on the way home tonight to pick up a gallon of milk and a few other items.  As I was looking for the green peppers, I happen to see a plastic container full of ripe red strawberries sitting on the shelf in the cooler.  Immediately I reached for it thinking I would buy it.  I could already imagine the delicious, sweet strawberries with a little sugar sprinkled on them sliced in a bowl with a little whipped cream over some shortbread.  Immediately my mouth started watering.  I lifted the container closer to my nose and got a whiff of the sweet smell of the strawberries.  What a wonderful aroma!!

I started turning the container over checking each strawberry for bad spots or mold.  So many times in the past there always seems to be one strawberry in the middle that is bad or the side NOT facing out is rotten.  First container had a strike out -- fuzzy spot on the side of one strawberry.  One container down, three more to go.  Next container had several strawberries that were partially green -- no go.  Next container had a big fuzzy one in the center of the container.  My hopes are beginning to deflate.  What started out as a hopeful adventure is quickly becoming a depressing state!!  By the time I get to the final container, I have to accept the fact that I will not be having strawberries for an after-dinner delight tonight.  The final container had several strawberries with black spots on them.  Dang!!  I place the contained back in the cooler and push my cart on down the aisle feeling sorry for myself.

As I pass by the frozen food section, I see a pint-size container of frozen strawberry topping.  For a split second, I almost reached for it.  At least there would not be a fuzzy strawberry in it, but somehow it is just not the same.  I kept pushing my cart on to the checkout.  The only strawberries I will have tonight will be in my dreams!!