Ok really? This is what qualifies as news? I saw Dustin Pedroia at Fenway Park....does that count?

And how do WE know it was really her? Susan...I think you may have been had! But to see this as breaking news made me laugh out loud! Thanks! Great ending to my day!

Wow. She must have heard about our being rated 38th in the country!

I think that is Great news for Framingham!

I think Oprah being in Framingham is newsworthy. It's not every day that you run into Oprah at Bed, Bath and Beyond! The news can be fun, too! Thanks, Susan, for a light-hearted story, for once!!!

@Andrea - thanks for the phone call from the parking lot and the photos too!

Patch loves to report on residents' encounters with celebrities be it here in the 'ham or even on vacation! But always better if the celebrity in in Framingham!

Totally newsworthy! I am a bit obsessed with Oprah so glad i didn't see this before :)

Is Oprah going to college?

And we hear from a reader Oprah met the general manager of the MetroWest Colonials - a semi-pro football team based in Marlborough.

I am wondering if any of the students from her schools in Africa are enrolled in a local school. Nice to know that she continues to support them.

Did you all know that she has sent HUNDREDS of young black men all the way through college? This is a woman who puts her money where her mouth is, over and over.

I am grateful to hear that Oprah has come hear locally to where I live.Obama came here before and Clinton came here before too.Of course many celebrities had come to the annual Thanksgiving time shows at The Sheraton Tara and even The old Chateau Deville on Rt.9 in Framingham and even the now late Phyllis Diller.This is just down the street from Bed Bath and Beyod where Oprah was seen.

I saw her when I went to get a new pillow today. As I rounded the corner into the pillow section she was there. I wasn't sure if it was really her or not so I just kept looking at her and she smiled back at me. She was with 2 security guards that kept their distance. I heard her on the phone yelling at Gail saying something about looking for the hotel entrance. I didn't try to talk to her because besides being surprised I wanted to respect her privacy. One of my friends went in a short time after me and said that when asked why she was here she said her niece is attending private school in the area and she was dorm shopping. She very politely refused to do autographs, because she said if she does for one than she has to do for all. I was so impressed by the whole thing. What a great experience!

Correction to my last post: my friend just confirmed patch's story about shopping with students from Africa not her niece, she was misunderstood. Sorry for the wrong info.

Creature worship...what is it with people and celebrity's?
Jim@ccfiile.com

I'd like to confirm that I saw Andy my neighbor. It made me very excited because he's got a wicked cool mustache

LOL...this must be a woman thing I don't understand...

Seriously? who cares! These people do just what we do..go shopping..eat food..use bathrooms.. they are just PEOPLE! Enough already! This is not " breaking news"!!!

She wasn't doing just what we do. She's giving an experience of college to these young women would never have had without her generosity and caring. I can't say that I've done that yet.
It is easy to be cynical. It is courageous to hope in the goodness of humanity.

I saw her a Target and I didn't even recognize her at first. It wasn't until my friend said "That's Oprah!" that I was like "WHHHHAAAAATT?!" We kinda followed her around the store and my friend's dad ended up getting a picture! It is one of the photos under the photos. I was within two feet of Oprah and I was just star struck and shocked. I couldn't even speak! She looked at me though and she waved to my friend! It was so nice because every person that walked by and just said "Hi Oprah." she would respond right back with a hello. She is so down to earth.

Meghan: Thanks for telling your Oprah encounter with us and our readers!

no problem! it was just so cool because I work at Target and I had just gotten off my shift like half an hour before. My friends and I were walking around the store also back to school shopping. One of them was sitting in the cart and the other was pushing it. They were trying to round a corner into the next aisle and they almost hit a woman (later realizing it was Oprah!). My friend Stacey actually got to ring her out. She was waiting in line behind another family (that didn't even realize it was her) and Stacey took her over to a different register. She prompted her whether she wanted to open a Target credit or debit card but Oprah being Oprah already had one haha. Like I know Oprah shopping isn't a big deal because she is a regular person too and does that stuff, but the fact that it was Oprah Winfrey, the most powerful woman in the world, at a store in Framingham, MA, of all places. I love Framingham but it's not that special so I am just curious as to why she came here instead of like Boston or Worcester. But it is still pretty cool that I got to meet her :)

Apparently the young women with her are graduates of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, the high school for poor girls that she established in South Africa. It had its first graduation in January (that's the beginning of summer south of the Equator), and two of the grads were accepted, with full scholarships, at Wellesley and Mt. Holyoke. The students call her "Mom Oprah."

She was at Bed, Bath and Beyond picking up a hostess gift for my dinner party.

Could you please refrain from being vague by referring to her school as being in "Africa"? The continent is large and consists of over fifty countries; the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy is in South Africa. Please make an effort to be specific when writing or speaking about African countries; how come other places are hardly ever referred to in this manner? As an African -- a Tanzanian, to be exact -- I find this frustrating and almost offensive.

Is Oprah Winfrey running for Elected Office for Chief Selectman of Framingham or next Governor of Massachusetts ? or campaigning for her Appointment as Next UN Secretary-General a la Koffi Annan ? H a Ha Ha Excitements are in the Air of Metrowest Boston/Framingham !

GCW Heng Sr.