This winter has been perhaps the most bleak, dreary, cold, miserable season of my life in so many ways. I don't say this lightly, considering that I once lived in a northern valley, where the wind would suck the warmth out of every nook and cranny. Where snowfall was recorded in feet, and roads would freeze with black ice in seconds. No - not even then was there a time that I remember this exhausting daily pursuit of simply surviving the darkness.
In the fall, we planted some carrots and lettuce as an experiment to see if they would take on the cold weather and flourish in the spring. In our defense, we had no idea what they were in for. Like us, they suffered with the cold - hunkered down against the snow and bid their time until the days got longer, and the dark didn't seem quite so deep.
And yet, despite (or maybe because of) their struggle, they have emerged triumphant - became whole again as they surfaced to the sun to welcome a new season.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A gradual thaw
Friday, January 2, 2009
A fond farewell
I really love new beginnings. The clean-slated opportunity to put everything in place always brings me comfort, even in the midst of chaos. The start of a new school semester, the first day of the month, heck - even a reorganized closet will put my mind at ease. So a new year always feels like the grandaddy motherload of opportunity. My first instinct is to plunge full speed ahead into the promises of the 2009, but I think it's a better idea to give tribute to one big change that the new year will bring.
The last Farmers' Market of 2008 marked the end of an era for one of our most loved vendors. Mr. and Mrs. Don Gilbert of Gilbert Farms are taking a well deserved retirement and will not return in 2009. The two of them have been a presence at the market since its humble beginnings under the Water Street parking garage in the mid-1980s. Their friendly service, good stories and lovely fruits and veggies will certainly be missed. Mr. Gilbert says he plans to catch up on some fishing and yardwork, but might send his surplus produce to the market with other vendors when he gets a chance. We wish both of them the best of health, happiness and renewed spirits in their exciting new beginning!
