Abby is working this summer at the neighboring lavender farm, so her school lunch containers are continuing to get a workout. Lately it’s been a lot of peanut butter sandwiches, but she decided that this week, she’d like to do something different, a la turkey wraps.

That’s Mount Adams in the background.

Which meant I had a visit to the deli department on my list during our weekly shopping trip.

I’ve gotten deli meat in jars before, but I don’t do it often. I can’t eat it, Eric has given it up, and the girls aren’t really into that sort of thing. (Which is why it was surprising that Abby requested it — those girls tend to be vegetarians when left to their own devices.)

It wasn’t a big deal the times I have tried to get lunchmeat in a jar, so I wasn’t particularly worried this time — plus it’s easier the more you do it. I was armed with my orange tupperware (we are still eating chicken from my perfect meat counter experience) and the lady didn’t even blink when I made my request.

But.

Lightening-fast, she had that lunchmeat on a paper square before I could even ask about tare. You probably don’t want this in your container, she said, gesturing to the paper, and I was like, no, thank you, so she proceeds to throw the paper away (I guess I should have brought it home after all) and grabs another paper square and slaps the price sticker on that.

What?!

I feel ya, Bert.

As we’ve established, I’m not a fighter or a complainer, so once I wiped the shock off my face, I smiled and thanked her — and peeled the sticker off the paper and just stuck it to the container. Then recycled the paper when I got home.

Here’s what I’m learning: I need to speak up. The time to clarify my meat counter expectations is NOT after I’ve handed over my container — it’s before. This is hard for me. I am all about letting people be who they are, I have a natural apologetic nature and I don’t just assume that my way is the right way — I think people should find their own path, just as I’ve been allowed to find mine.

(Does that make sense?)

Unfortunately, that attitude isn’t helping with the overall success of the project.

To be continued, I guess.

Next up: My dishwasher is working again (although now I’ve probably just jinxed it), so I can finally write about my homemade detergent attempt.