Things I Learned at Farmer's Market and Elsewhere

Yesterday at Farmer's Market, I had a long visit with someone I'll call Janet.  I've known her for a number of years, mostly through, but not limited to Farmer's Market.  Visiting with people like her help me remember how life looks to people whose perspectives on faith and life are diametrically opposed to my own, in many ways.

Yesterday when I asked Janet about her grandchildren, among other things, she told me that one of them had converted to Catholicism in order to marry the woman he wanted to marry.  It was a tremendous disappointment to the young man's mother, Janet's daughter.  That particular religion was not the problem.  The fact that he had committed to any religion at all was the problem.

A granddaughter married an Evangelical young man.  "But I don't think she ever goes to church with him.  And right down the block is a Unitarian church, and I'm hoping some time he'll go there with her."

Janet told me yesterday "We are completely unchurched."  In an earlier conversation on matters of faith, after I had told her that having a personal relationship with Jesus is precious to me, she said "That's what I cannot personally accept."  In that same conversation she told me that she and her family are Unitarians.

The steady flow of conversation slowed only briefly yesterday when I told her I had seen her husband's obituary in the paper and was sorry about her loss.  She got tears in her eyes and said she was trying to focus on having been blessed with nearly 60 years together.  We talked briefly about the necessity of  adjusting to how things are and going on.

When her daughter joined her at our table, Janet introduced me as her wonderful friend.  ?????  I hope she keeps coming to visit.  She is a genuinely pleasant lady, and I truly enjoy hearing about her life.  If I can convey caring and provoke her thinking by what I say and who I am, that might be a good thing too.

Janet is passionate about politics.  When she was describing the house where she lives, she said that during the political season she has as many as ten signs out front.   She also recently ordered a sign to post by her house:  "Parking for Democrats only.  All others will be towed."  She also told me happily that one of her grandchildren lived in Vermont.  "That's a very liberal state."  Her grandchildren say they knew they were Democrats before they knew what being a Democrat meant.

Janet's local grandchildren were homeschooled.  Our family had some interaction with them during that time.  They are very gifted in the arts and, now, as adults, they're all finding ways to make a living in creative professions--from dance to web design.

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Last week at the market, a long-time friend of the market stopped by to visit.  I had served with him on the board at one time.  Before that he had been a vendor.  Growing produce had screeched to a halt when highway construction overran their land, and for 36 years he worked for the same small company--right up until they fired him recently.  I had overheard him tell Shane he got laid off, but he confided in me that that wasn't strictly true.  Work had slowed down and the company dealt with it by getting rid of the newest guy and the guy with the most seniority.  He felt a little better when a friend of his who knew his employer said that "firing" action was no surprise to him, given what he knew of his attitudes toward money and people.

My market friend told me they had just bought a new car, which they certainly would not have done if they had seen the job loss coming.  Otherwise, they're debt-free, and his wife has a job that provides health insurance and enough money to make the car payments.  He thinks they'll be alright.

He decided to consider himself retired and set about enjoying life.  He'll need about 6 months to "get my feet back under me" and work on some maintenance projects around home.  Then he wants to gear up to do market gardening again.  "I love this place," he said, looking around at the market.  "This is what I want to do."

I certainly wish him well and would welcome him back to the market.

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The Iwashige family did not have a roaring start in their marketing ventures yesterday.  Shane had gone camping at Kanopolis (more than an hour away) with his family and other young-married families from church.  Before they went to bed he made plans to get up at 5:00 and drive here to get the meat truck and head to market.  That plan was right on track till he got to the campground gate and read the sign saying that the gate would be unlocked at 6:00.  There was a thunderstorm taking aim on the campground, and he could tell on his cellphone radar that there was storm activity here.  So, while he waited, he tried to call and tell me that he would be late and that he needed me to round up a few things he had forgotten to put in the truck from home before they left to go camping.

Meanwhile, we were having an intense thunderstorm, and we had judiciously unplugged the portable phone, which also connects the computer to the internet.  When all efforts to reach us by the usual means failed, he called my cell phone.  I have a very distant relationship with my cell phone.  But surprisingly I actually heard it warbling away inside my purse (Can't believe it was charged up.) and guessed that it might have been Shane trying to reach me.  I called him back and got the information he needed to give me.

Then I gathered my flowers and other things, and, because it was still pelting  rain, I got partly soaked loading everything.  I stepped into mud while I was getting some things out of the truck that I needed in order to do the setup by myself.  I'm surprised I was not thinking unkind thoughts toward Hiromi who was still in bed while this was happening.

I got everything set up just before Shane rolled in at the market.   Grant and Clarissa soon arrived.  Their troubles began soon afterward.  Clarissa had forgotten at home the little girls' dresses she makes to sell. So Grant drove the 12? miles home to get them.  After he left, Clarissa remembered that her chair had left with him.  She got by by trundling over to the far corner of the parking lot where my van was parked.  I had an extra chair inside.  Grant came back and the dresses were duly placed on display and Grant left to run some errands.  That's when Clarissa remembered that the cookies she had baked to sell were still in the car.  It was a good time to just laugh at all the misfortunes of the morning.

We got another half inch of rain in that storm.  And no.  This wasn't nearly enough inconvenience to prompt any complaints about rain.  It's still welcome here any time.

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Talk of having a year round farmer's market in Hutchinson is gathering intensity.  Our board president is in conversation with development people from the city, and there are some significant opportunities opening up.    Indoor facilities with garage door access for every stall would be ideal.  Apparently such a facility is under consideration.  The present market building could conceivably be dismantled and moved, as I understand it.  The pillars that  support the structure have six mates that are presently in storage, so the structure could actually be extended also.  On the current lot, there is no room to extend the length of the building.  At a new location, the open air structure would the be primary  venue during the summer, and an indoor location would serve that purpose during the winter.  Climate control would be minimal, probably in use only during the winter, and then used only conservatively.

Ron (board president) said that research has shown that wherever markets have begun to stay open year round, revenues during only the standard market season (May to October here) have increased by 30%.  This is apparently due to people never losing the market shopping routine as they tend to do now by stopping in the fall and having to restart in the spring.

For Shane's meat sales, year round marketing in a public venue would be very welcome.  Being able to do it without having to brave the elements for several hours at a time as he did last winter looks appealing.  Vegetable growers would adapt their planting to meet the winter marketing needs, I believe, by growing more vegetables that can be stored, and perhaps by using season extenders that would allow some growing all winter long.  Bakers could, of course, bake as well in the winter as in the summer, and crafters could craft.

The facility that is being considered would also allow the sale of ready-made foods by a vendor who was properly licensed.  With an emphasis on marketing locally produced prepared foods, that could be a marketing boon also.

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One little girl who was shopping yesterday with either her father or grandfather spied one of Clarissa's dresses and informed the man with her that she wanted "that one."  It was too big, so the man tried to interest her in one that was actually her size.  Nothing doing.  They went on shopping, but when they circled around again, she latched on to another dress.   This one was too small.  She could not be dissuaded, however, and the man ended up buying the dress.

Some day someone will have to reckon with that child's strong will.  She was quite charming, however, and I don't blame anyone for wanting to please her.

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Clarissa is targeting a niche with her angel food cakes.  She bakes whole wheat angel food cakes in various flavors, sugar-free angel food cakes, and does all of them in a mid-sized tube pan.  Apparently Wilton is the only company that makes that size pan currently.  She would love to have more pans, but they aren't readily available except new, online.  If you know of a good source, pass it on to me and I'll pass it on to her.

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My parents and Linda came for dinner today after church.  I really enjoyed having them here.  My dad is as interested as ever in what goes on, and my mother looks on benignly, usually without saying much.  Her confusion is coupled with lucidity in some matters, as evidenced by her trying to figure out who lives here and then concluding that this is where she grew up, (No, it's where I grew up.) but also recognizing familiar pieces of furniture as distinct from things that were unfamiliar.  As is often the case with people whose mental functions are in decline, dealing with Mom one on one is not nearly as awkward as having to do so in the presence of a crowd of people.  Dad and Linda both do well in looking out for Mom.

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This morning when I was hurriedly sweeping the porch (something I didn't get done yesterday), I paid no attention to the Carpenter bees buzzing loudly around the Blue Bedder Salvia in bloom around the porch until one obnoxious critter dived in and stung my ring finger beside the knuckle.  So far, I had not been too worried about getting stung, even though the bees are quite active right now.  I'd heard that they are seldom aggressive.

True, off and on over the last week, I have been stalking them with a murderous gleam in  my eye and a can of wasp spray in my hand.  By waiting till they land on a flower and then blasting them with a spray from the can, I've wiped out several.  Believe me, I'll be back on the warpath tomorrow.  I was too busy getting ready for company this morning to hunt them down then.  The bee that stung me this morning acted more shrewdly than insects have any right to act, as far as I'm concerned.  

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My nephew Hans is leaving Tuesday for a term of service at Faith Builders, working as the tech guy.  I think it's a good thing, but I'm wistful about him leaving.

On Wednesday Joel and Hilda go to work in Bangladesh till September, when they come back in time for the expected arrival of a baby in November.  They will be doing language study while they're there, or Hilda at least will be doing so.  Ditto the above comment--good thing, wistfulness, etc.

My niece, Joelle, Caleb's daughter, is getting married to Jeff Beck next weekend in the Grantham, PA area.  Some from Kansas are going, but I am regretfully not among them.  Jeff is Asian by birth and grew up in a Caucasian family from the same church the Millers also attend.  He has his own business and works hard at being a good father to his primary-school-aged daughter.  I'm sure Joelle considers this child a good perk going into the marriage.  As Caleb said, she's dreamed of having a child to take care of since she was about 2 years old.  Jeff and Joelle both graduated from college this spring.

I hope to visit Caleb's family next August when I fly to Harrisburg near where they live, and then go on to Harrisonville, where I will be having some workshops at the Women in Ministry seminar at SMBI.

My sister Lois gave me a report about some of what happened this year at Obsess, the camp for girls at the CBS campus in Arkansas.  I marveled again at the creativity and effectiveness of the planned activities.  God bless those who invest so much in this ministry.

One of the former Obsess planners moved later to Pennsylvania and is on the planning committee for the Women in Ministry seminar.  I presume that's how it happens that I got invited to SMBI--because I had spoken on a similar topic at Obsess.

My parents' descendants are planning the Levi D. Miller reunion beginning on July 12.  There were about 200 at the last reunion, so we need to get some serious meal planning done soon.