Farmers Market

Hi! I went to the farmers market today! How fun! The past few days have been rainy and very cool here, low 60s,

...but today the clouds blew off to sea and the day was what New Yorkers call a Ten Best Day. Truly delightful. Still cool, breezy, dry, not a cloud in the sky.  

I haven't been to the market since summer before last, but today I decided to give it a try, despite always disappointing parking issue.

I was so happy I went. The market is smaller than it was, but bustling and cheery.

As always the abundance and the colors of the produce delight my eyes and  appetite, inspire creativity.

I love the bandanna lined baskets.

No fruit though! I was hoping for fresh raspberries. [Inspiration recipe here. ] But I have arugula and romaine in my fridge and a bought an enormous bouquet of very spicy red and white long radishes. So I'll make do with store bought vinaigrette , I think Kraft?

I also wanted Kirby cucumbers for my dill pickle project, but again, no. There was a box of the cukes but they were huge, like overgrown zucchini. This makes pickles that are all seeds, not good. I still haven't found a good pickling vinegar anyway so I guess I can wait.

The other item on my list was field grown zinnias.

My own zinnias [and other seed flowers] are doing well and blooming,

but I hate to cut them and I was so hopeful that the guy who always has the zinnia posies would be there today. And he was!

Aren't they the cutest flower?

My favorite Italian seller from my old Brooklyn neighborhood was still there. Many fancy ravioli choices.

I wonder what one does with berry filled ravs?

Next week I think I'll try the blueberry ones, which I'll toss with fresh ricotta. Also some  special cheeses, like this scamorza, an aged mozzarella with a rind, very unique to Italian markets, mild but salty, so delish~Info here

The market has a new ''wellness'' feature, with ongoing yoga under the trees. Here are some people practicing/ meditating (and young woman enjoying an impromptu  picnic with her daughter).

And here is the yoga studio's booth.

 I love looking at clothes and textiles, especially Indian prints, some voile, some silk. They also sell tiny [store bought] muslin bags stamped "Breathe" or "Namaste" and so on, filled with lavender; plus small bunches of dried lavender. Enjoyable, but I'm a bit confused/ miffed because when L and I wanted to sell my lavender hearts at the market we were told [unofficially but by someone in authority] that the green market could only sell produce and things grown locally, no ''crafts''--and certainly not kimonos from India!??

***

Back home Mo and I enjoyed the chilly afternoon on our deck. I think this makes Mo happier than anything else in life, even better than sleeping in mom's bed--a quiet afternoon in the sun on the deck, just us two, peaceful and relaxed. It must make Mo feel safe and loved.

I finished all but one posy of the outer rosette borders of Summertime. Four inner rounds to go, 24 more rosettes, then to disperse the extras. In birds' beaks, maybe?
I think the rosettes are zinnias, what do you think?

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

Out and About ~ Our Exciting Trip to Walmart

Good evening! It's been a perfect July day. 78* and sunny.

Today, to kill time while my car was serviced, my friend and I went out and discovered Walmart! We'd never been to a Walmart before. In fact we didn't know there was a Walmart hiding behind the big Target we go to all the time. LOL.

Interesting! It seems Walmart is HUGE, busy, cheap and chaotic.

It makes Target look like Saks Fifth Avenue.

But fun to explore anyway. Who could pass up tee shirts for less than 6.00.

I ''collect'' white tee shirts for housework, because I am the Queen of Clorox and this way I don't ruin my  nice brightly colored or black tees.

And then polka dots, aaawww.

Little square bowl, for ? Just because--salad, ice cream, prep bowl, Mo dish. Love plain white porcelain.

And then! Imagine this--Walmart sells fabric, even in NY. Who knew?

Yes, Mel has gotten me great fabric from her KS Walmart but I was surprised.

Picked up a couple cute souvenir fat quarters.

Oh and aisles of pickling supplies. All kinds of jars and spices and salts, at okay prices. I hope I get to make some pickles this summer.

Walmart---maybe 2 stars, for the pickling supplies and fabric? Also the cashiers were fast but pleasant and the very mixed ethnicity customers were good humored, even friendly. [in NY!! hahaha, home of surly shoppers and rude checkout persons.]
......
We still had to use up another oil change hour so we went on to Joann's. Looking for blues for Bitty.

Can't start a project without a trip to the fabric store, can I?

I picked up a yard of this adorable dot, reminds me of Cotton & Steel's blueberry print that I didn't get a few years ago.

And I never have a good selection of blue threads, so I just chose an assortment.

Most are silk thread, I always like to try new things and I had read somewhere that silk thread is good for needleturn applique?

And I fell in love with this oh so soft squishy pale shell pink ''alpaca'' bulky yarn.

It's lovely and will make a sweet warm scarf or cowl, my purple cowl is almost done and I may soon be able to sit and watch TV and knit, maybe this fall.

BUT the label really is misleading.

The very fine print on the back---which I couldn't see without my reading glasses---admits to 80% acrylic, only 20% aplaca, at 9.98 a skein. (I'm a bit of a yarn snob.). The price should have clued me in, but the label...?

We drove home by the back route, the ocean looks so lovely!

....
PS I promised Kel I'd show off the fishing floats in the new from Target granite-ware bowl.

I don't love it, the glass doesn't show off like it does in the wire basket.

An aha moment---the floaties and wire basket were fine, but they were too big for my table. Off to the pine bench instead.
.......................
When I got home Mo had ice cream and then we worked on sewing the four million yoyo rosettes onto Summertime. Cute, though, aren't they?

Have a good rest of the week. Tell me--are you a fan of Walmart? Target? Neither  or maybe both?

''black'' old fashioned hollyhocks

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....

"You were gone All. Day, mommy.
Ice cream won't fix that."