Saturday is Market Day! (usually)

Growing up, my Dad used to take me to the grocery store on Saturdays. I loved the grocery store ritual. I loved riding in the cart, especially because my dad is a big kid who would sometimes jump on the cart so that we could both ride it at the same time. He especially would do that in the parking lot when there were hills. It was AWESOME. My very favourite thing, however, would be when we'd go to St. Jacobs Farmer's market (even though there were no carts to ride there).

I feel really fortunate to have grown up in the country. No, really. I may trick you into thinking that I'm a city girl now, but in the city, you never get to see things like this:

I took this on a market Saturday. I not only got to grow up in the country, I grew up in Mennonite country. Horse and buggies were a natural part of my landscape, to such an extent that I didn't realize that there weren't Mennonites everywhere. When my school would have baseball tournaments, the girls from the Mennonite school would always kick everyone's asses, and they'd do it wearing dresses! I guess that's what happens when you don't have TV or computers. You actually have to go outside and PLAY. What a novel idea... St. Jacobs now is more of a tourist zone than actual Mennonite country, but Waterloo county is still the place to be if you want to see a horse drawn plough or a barn raising (which is definitely something you've gotta see).

So anyway, my Dad instilled in me a firm love of markets. Normally, on Saturdays when I'm in the city, St. Lawrence market is my morning ritual. I get up and meander over to peruse the vegetables and buy silly amounts of really exceptional cheese. Today, I am too non functional to do much more than read, watch movies, and write my blog, as a result of my cousin's birthday party, and a rather significant amount of vodka. So I decided, because it pains me to miss market day, to write about how much I love market day. Ironically, this is making me even sadder to be missing it. Alas, really doesn't change my current inability to remain vertical without pain for any significant period of time today. I know, I deserve no sympathy.

People have been known to tease me for the amount of pleasure I get out of going to the farmer's market. I get

so excited about the amazing fresh produce, and talking to the people running the stalls, and planning a menu based on what I impulse buy. And yeah, maybe it is a little silly, but I guess silly is one of the core characteristics of my personality. Fortunately, I also have people that love going to the market almost as much as I do. That's me and my best friend at the market. Don't we look happy? Actually, I'm not sure she actually loves the market as much as me, or if she just knows how much I love it and plays along. It wouldn't surprise me. She's a good friend like that. It could also be that she knows it inspires me to make awesome food, which she then gets to reap the benefit of.

The people that I know for SURE love the market as much as me are my sisters. This morning (oh wait, I think it was afternoon... given I got up at 11:30 it was probably afternoon), my sister Michelle posted on facebook all the awesome things she got in St. Jacobs. My response was immediate envy. Especially of the fresh Ontario peaches. mmm... peaches... That's what she gets for driving a car and living in Waterloo. Sigh... My other sister, Kristen, who is such a foodie as to make me seem like a

complete and total beginner, loves markets so much that when we had half a day in Santiago, Chile, and we both were picking the few things we really wanted to do and see, she chose the fish market. And we couldn't even buy anything because we were flying out that night! It was stinky, but cool. I don't think its a coincidence that both my sisters love going to the market the same way that I do. When grocery shopping and market shopping is made to be an adventure and an exciting outing from the time you are small children, its the obvious end result. Thanks Dad! I think its a good love to have.

Oh, and also, can anyone tell me what these are:

I have no clue. Man, there are some strange things that come out of the ocean.