Farmers' Market

Hey, had a ball yesterday when I decided to take an hour and 20 minutes to explore the farmers' market on the capital square in Mad-town. Went against the flow of foot traffic no matter what way I chose to go but it turned out except when I almost tumbled over a wagon tongue because of my bi focals. Whew. That kid would have been surprised as would his cauliflower.

I was on the lookout for apples and flowers and cauliflower. I got peppers (both green and mild), apples, broccoli and cauliflower plus a tiny bouquet of straw flowers. It was fun and the cauliflower grown locally was 1/4 the price of the one at Whole Paycheck the day before that I luckily weighed before purchase. I carried my own bag and only took a 20 and brought home 5 so did really good.

I tasted a few really good bites of horseradish cheese but resisted the high price per pound. I love the flavor of the market and the music and the $1 cup of good free trade coffee made me wake up instead of lay on the grass and look up at the trees as I was tempted to do.

As I made my way back to the car I felt really proud of my purchases and look forward to eating them this next week. I would love to go every week instead of to the grocery store. It is like a throwback to the 60's for me. Good food and open air with music and flowers ...well, that is why we were called the flower children, huh?

The Rest of the Story

So all week I have worked at cleaning up the biggest mess I have seen in a yard for quite awhile. John cut and run in a big bad rainstorm and I had to stay and do the cleanup. I got a helper here and there for a couple hours but mostly just plugged away at it. 8 truckloads went to the city brush pile and I have given logs away and still have an amazing pile to move this next week. Dave S came over and used my electric chain saw to cut up the long pieces I couldn't take to the city and now it is looking like a done deal! I am grateful to Peggy, Jenna, Josh and Dave for helping me and to Pam for a night out watching Mama Mia one last time on the big screen as a reward for a job well done. I do know how to reward myself you know. It makes the whole thing a lot more fun.
I wore my headband like a sweatband one day as I was dripping and we ran to Culver's for some Soup. You know that Soup is good food and they had Mexican Chicken Enchilada...MMMMM Good! So the lady asked if we had any discounts or coupons and Pam said "NO"...I said "Wait what kind do you offer and she said well are either of you over 60?" and I crowed "Yes! I am 62!" She looked at me like she almost was gonna ask for an ID but Pam said "She always looks younger when she wears that headband!" Ha! Gotta get your laughs where you can huh?

My Willow got a bad haircut!

I am not talking Jamie Willow here. I am talking my actual Willow Tree in the front yard. The facts are that in the last windstorm I noticed the tree was split and later it split more and finally I could see through a spot on the trunk so I was so worried. It truly was the tallest Willow tree around that I had seen and I was swayed by it's beauty when I wanted the property. It made the place and oh how I wanted to save that tree.
My brother is into saving trees so he volunteered to prune back the heaviness and see if we could keep it standing another 10 years. Well, I can tell you that it looks bad but what is worse, the yard looks worse. I have piles and piles and mounds and intermigling branches, fronds, 12" diameter branches and neat cut pieces that John got to with one of his three saws in the driving rain. He for sure missed some but oh well.
The day began raining and I called to see if he wanted to cancel. No...he and ma were coming he said. Turns out he wanted to buy a older Ford Camper Van thingy so they drove up in that with apples from Sky Hi orchard and his dog who is now deaf as Hobbz. The rain went up and down. The sun came out and went behind clouds and then it rained, drizzled, poured, misted, clabbered up and poured again then came the downpour. Yuk!
I prayed a lot. John is surefooted but the slippery tree and the rain and the height he climbed did make me think I needed angels to watch out after him. He might not be a Christian (and he for sure is not) but he is my brother and I counted on the Lord taking that into consideration when I asked. It ain't over til it is over so hope presides in my heart.
Now, as John stated upon leaving, I will find out who my friends are. The mess supercedes normal messes and it is more like a tangled web of heaviness. So it needs further action with a chainsaw. I won one and have really never used it. Guess my day has come.
Monday when I arrive home from here it will be a workaday! I was half-dead and soaked to the skin yesterday and I hope it is not raining on Monday. I already have one volunteer helper and I think he might be able to handle the chain-saw. Sigh.

Beck's Package is ready to go!

I have finally had enough fun gathering the gifts. The box I chose is full to the brim and it is wrapped and taped and addressed to go tomorrow. Life is good when you are 3 and everyone loves you and I think that is great!

I have a few hints as to the goodies I found to include. I will put them on the side to tempt you.
I would have put a bunch of homemade cookies in there but have stayed so busy no baking has happened. There is a treat though!

I love you Beck and your mama, daddy and sister too! Have fun opening and trying on and playing with as well as learning from the certain goodies I included.

How long should it be before the mailman comes with the box? Maybe next week huh? Wish I could be there to watch you open it.

Enjoyed the hunt!

In between having a nervous breakdown and drinking gin/tonic in my car late at night while I listen to Books on CD to avoid going in and dealing with more nagging and questions and other trivia that occurs when I have a huge issue going on, but that is another story; meanwhile I have shopped for Beck and compiled a small box of goodies which I will soon send. Some of the things I am not sending are electronic toys or DVD's. No expensive goodies or new toys that will soon lay on the basement floor or in a toy box to never be played with again. I wish I could see him open it but of course that might be impossible seeing as how I am tied down and broke for awhile.

My helper Miss Jenna is in Love with a certain bakers man named Francois and she started school. She is fixed up and set up and able to do it so I wish her the best possible. I want to see her succeed and to have a vocation which does not tax her physically unstable body too much. She has problems every day, a pain, a headache, a back that goes out, her neck is stiff, her bowels are stirred up, her temper is hot or she is hurt by someone's remarks. Sigh. I hardly remember what it is like to be nearly 30. Maybe I was like that. I suspect not but maybe...I had already drank and lived way too hard, only accepting Christ at 29 and slowly leaving behind the cigarettes and nearly all the hoochie pop and other pain medications too numerous to mention. Jesus and my kids became my center and I worked the program well. Sadly but predictably, they are all grown and gone and my life is smaller again... Jesus didn't leave thank God! He never will!

But oh well my precious offspring go on, live your lives..., I shall soon be able to begin my book and paint my masterpiece. My room is nearly organized. My masterpieces and manuscripts may be full of memories and concepts I have learned and a whole lot of nonsense as that amuses me but they will be mine. Lewis Carroll was after all quite nonsensical and we are still reading "Alice"! As I write there are 6 kids in my peripheral, one 2 month old in my lap taking a bottle while I type one handed. One thing is lacking but I shall leave that to your guesswork.