A Visit to the Farmer's Market

Wednesday and Saturday mornings are very special to me.  As I have written in the past, these are the days that the Farmer's Market is open in our little strip mall parking lot.  It has done my soul good to see the booths all bustling and crowded this summer.  If it were up to me,  I would bring a lawn chair and enjoy watching the transactions of the morning.

One can learn a great deal by listening to others as they choose their purchases.  There are elderly women, who still like to can, choosing just the right cucumbers for pickles.   Some folks are seasoned veterans at picking the perfect peppers.  When the sweet corn comes in, the place is very busy with people wanting to taste the delights of summer.  From apples, eggplant and tomatoes to broom corn, fresh flowers and herbs and jellies, there really is something for everyone.  It is one of my happy places.


For the longest time I have wanted to attempt to capture the Market on film.  This past Saturday, I finally remembered the camera.  It was not one of the busier days, but then the season is winding down for some of the vendors.  Most gardens are about done.

This is one side of the area.  Armello's brings fresh Italian bread, pizza shells and rolls from Vandergrift about  45 minutes away.  The baker told me he is up at 3 am so that the bread is fresh for the Market.  And it is.  I've had their bread and pizza shells.  They are so good.  The fresh fragrance when the bag is opened is....well, uh, I guess beyond words.

These folks have quite a variety of wares; from vivid yellow flowers to honey and jams and watermelon.  They even had maple syrup.

The Hooks Family.  This is where I buy most of the veggies that I don't grow myself.  

Mr. Hooks is in the center of the picture in the "Maine" sweatshirt.  He has been very helpful answering my many gardening questions and is delightful to talk with.  His sweetcorn is the best by far.

Mussers Fruit Farm.  My "Apple Guy".  It seems they have every kind of apple, old and newer varieties.  They had pears several weeks ago that were amazing!  Mrs. Musser had blueberries for sale for the first time this spring.  These folks know each variety of their apple's best qualities.  The Mussers know which of their apples are good for sauce, baking or eating fresh.  He is a wealth of apple wisdom.  Since I am on this no sugar diet, I wasn't sure if my normal Cortland apples would be the best for my applesauce this year.  When I asked him about canning sauce with no sugar, he recommended Ida Reds. The result was perfect.  It is nice and thick with a great flavor.  I headed back for another bushel a week later.  For his other apple choices, he says the Cortlands are still his pick for a drying apple.  Empires are his favorite eating apple.  I've seen folks buy quite a bit of their grapes, too.  I can't wait for the cider!  It's pure, unfooled around with, nothing added--or taken away--cider.

There are not many weeks left until just the Mussers will be at the Market.  They will be there until Christmas with apples and cider.  At that point, I wait until the late spring to see the delights of the Market.

O DIVINE REDEEMER,
Great was thy goodness
   in undertaking my redemption,
   in consenting to be made sin for me,
   in conquering all my foes;
   Great was thy strength
   in enduring the extremities of divine wrath,
   in taking away the load of my iniquities;
Great was thy love
   in manifesting thyself alive,
   in showing thy sacred wounds,
      that every fear might vanish, and every doubt be removed;
Great was thy mercy
   in ascending to heaven
   in being crowned and enthroned
      there to intercede for me,
      there to succour me in temptation,
      there to open the eternal book,
      there to receive me finally to thyself;...
Great was thy grace
   in commanding me to come hand in had with thee to the Father,
      to be knit to him eternally,
      to discover in him my rest,
      to find in him my peace,
      to behold his glory,
      to honour him who is alone worthy;...
When thou art absent all sorrows are here,
When thou art present all blessings are mine.

--A selection from Victory, from the book, The Valley of Vision.



 

Observations While Shopping During the Christmas Season

A"quick" trip to the local grocery store and farmer's market to pick up some apples, milk and beer (for making the best chili), turned into an extended shopping trip.

First stop was "The Apple Guy".  Bless his heart, he will be there with apples and cider until just before Christmas--in any weather.  It is a delightful day (in comparison to what we have had lately) and we were able to chat a bit. 

Next stop, Shop N Save.  I'm sure it is Shop and Save, but that is not how it is said in Western PA.  Example:  "I'm go'n dawn to the Shop N Save ta git some milk n'at."  Well, it seems that this store was the place to be!  It was packed, no doubt with the regular Saturday shoppers, but with those stocking up for the coming snow storm, not to mention the ladies laden with sugar and spices ready to do some baking.  I only came for milk.  In my cart were bananas, Hershey kisses (baking, of course), eggs (more baking) and finally, milk.  Upon turning the corner to head to the checkout, there were a sea of people waiting in lines.  The first checkout land is the "Express" lane.  That line was weaving all the way back to the deli counter.  Bad sign.  It wasn't long before I could see it was breaking up and there were rumors being spread that the register was down...indeed, the light was out.  So, all those folks headed for the already crowed regular checkout lanes.  These lanes were now headed back the aisles, which was making navigation interesting.  I picked a lane that looked reasonable.  By "reasonable", I mean that five people ahead of me did not have carts full to the brim for the next two weeks.

It is during my waiting time, that I was watch and listen to the people around me.  Behind me, old friends had found each other and there was much teasing and laughter.  Several people ahead of me, a woman, who was clearly put out about something, was expressing a stone cold face to the poor cashier.  There was some sort of issue with one of her purchases that required a change of cashiers, and this woman had to make a trip to the front desk.  The woman just ahead of me, smiling a pleasant carrying her clementines, said something nice to the new cashier.  I don't know what was said, but her expression changed to being on the verge of tears to a smile.  Words really can be gifts of gold wrapped in silver boxes.

Packing up my meager purchases, I headed off to the pizza shop where I can purchases single bottles of beer.  Since it was a nice day, I thought I would make the walk down the sidewalk and through the closed in part of the shopping center, to the pizza shop...praying my hip didn't give out.  Inside this little mini, and I do mean "mini" mall, Santa was seeing little ones.  I knew it before I opened the door...there was a screaming child outside with her grandma.  "I don't want to see him!!!"  Inside there was a short line, but also screaming children and a I wonder if Santa may not have been the problem, but the person dressed as a reindeer.  Creepy.

Safely out the door, I headed to the pizza shop.  Usually this place is busy, but it was strangely quiet...ahh, not quite lunch time.  There was a man making pizza dough by hand, who said he would be right with me.  I set my groceries down and waited several minutes until a young man appeared from the kitchen (who apparently could not wait on me until he put the hood on from his sweatshirt....then promptly removed it when I told him what I needed.  There are things I don't understand.  I asked for some Black and Tan.  Well, it seems that they were out of Black and Tan.  He asked if a Porter would do.  Now, of course, my beer knowledge is very limited, but I knew I needed something dark for the chili.  Along comes a customer from the back corner for a refill from the tap (it is just past 11 am).  The clerk asked him if a Porter is what I needed.  He said that, indeed, a Porter is darker and would be a great choice.  This little town is full of helpful people--really.  You never know when one is going to show up.  The man making the pizza dough hollered that the gentleman was an expert.  OK then.  Upon leaving, I noticed a small sign, "Beer makes everything better."  Now I know.

Packing up all my bags again, I head for the car.  The sun is shining the temperature is above freezing, I now know that beer makes everything better.  I can clean the bathroom and do some laundry knowing that I have learned much today.

**CORRECTION  It seems that the store really is Shop 'N Save...figures...Western Pennsylvania.

O LORD GOD,
There is no blessing we implore but thou art able to give,
   hast promised to give,
   hast given already to countless multitudes,
   all unworthy and guilty like ourselves;
Make us willing to receive the supply of our need from thy bounty....
...Help us to be in the Spirit on the Lord's Day,
   to enter upon the sabbath mindful of it solemnities, duties,
      and privileges,
   setting all things worldly aside while we worship thee.
--an excerpt from Future Blessings,  from the Valley of Vision

I love Wednesdays and Saturdays because it's Farmer's Market Day! During the growing season there are a delightful group of people who bring their fresh fruits and veggies and baked goods and flowers. It is a step back into a simpler time for me just to mill around and feel connected to a community. There were not many folks there today. The 'Apple Guy' is the main attraction now. I bought pears and some apples and CIDER. He makes great, real cider. Not the pasturized stuff. The apples are neatly displayed in graduated sized red baskets with the names of the apple variety in the front. It is a colorful display of a still life piece of art of country living.

Things are a bit slower today...thank goodness. I was able to gather rose hips and they are in the oven drying now. When they are dry, I'll crunch them up and use them in tea (thank you, Carla Emery and your Old Fashioned Recipe Book). The are chalk full of Vitamin C. I did leave some for the animals. It looks like there is a bumper crop this year. I may get a few more to decorate. They are a beautiful red.

Keith has a long weekend and is busy putting the finishing touches on the furnace (we hope). The rest of the week looks busy. I hope to get the shopping done tomorrow and cook Friday for the weekend!!!

Friday is the church's Fall Harvest Party. Since we are Presbyterians, there will be more food than people. :-) There will be square dancing and good friends and fellowship. It's always a grand time.

I finished an apron!! I haven't made one since 7th grade! It's a 40s-50s type fabric with little cherries on it. The idea came from reading Kris Ante's blog. She sells cute aprons. Hopefully, I won't be afraid to get it dirty, but I really like it...It has pockets!!!

If you are reading Respectable Sins, and have read Chapter 7, ...what can I say...I'm a horrible sinner and there appears to be no end to it. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

"O God of the Highest Heaven, occupy the throne of my heart, take full possession and reign supreme, lay low every rebel lust, let no vile passion resist thy holy war; manifest thy mighty power, and make me thine for ever." Valley of Vision, Regeneration

Pray for our country to repent and be wise in what you choose to do.

Blessings,