Farmers Market Love

There are simple things in life that give me great pleasure---one of these things is our family trips to the farmers market.

There is something so refreshing about strolling through a space, hand-in-hand with those I love, surrounded by heaping rainbows of the freshest fruits, vegetables, flowers, and plants. It's a symphony for the senses---beautiful sights, tastes, and smells, all intertwined amidst the lively chatter of people. 

Handing my money directly to a farmer feels so much more fulfilling than it being shoved into the cold cash register at a grocery store. Being able to know when the corn I'm placing into my bag was picked. Seeing photos of the chickens who laid the eggs in my carton. Sampling more varieties of watermelons and tomatoes than I knew exist. These experiences make each visit to the farmers market so deeply satisfying.

Regular trips to the farmers market also serve to strengthen an awareness of the Earth and the uniqueness of each season. As the types of fruits and vegetables piled on the tables change, my family and I grow to understand when each different plant grows...what types of conditions they thrive in. This might seem trivial, but I see each opportunity to connect with nature as extremely meaningful as the world we live in becomes increasingly industrialized and commercial. 

My children love going to the farmers market. They appreciate the experience just as much as I, although I am sure the chocolate cupcakes from the German  baker have something to do with that. ;) I am hoping our visits to the farmers market are something they look back upon with great fondness when they are grown.  

And So It Begins...

"The family is one of nature's masterpieces."
~George Santayana

The quote above rings so true to me. My husband, our three boys, and what we all are together, as a family, feels like a beautiful thing. A beautiful thing that did not just appear all at once, but through both intent and chance, formed over the course of time. 

Perhaps it is because I've always loved art that I view so many things in this world...in life...as masterpieces. Things to stop and take notice of...to appreciate...to enjoy...to savor. The perfect blackberry cobbler is not just a dessert to me, but rather a sweet and comforting reminder of my childhood and the berry vines intertwined around the field of wildflowers behind my house. A decorated mantle fills my heart with the unique joy connected to each passing season or special holiday. Our small garden is a slice of heaven...a patch of land bursting with a rainbow of lush, green plants and colorful fruits and vegetables waiting to delight our taste buds and fill our bellies.  The sound of my children's laughter while they run and dance in the warm rain of summertime is the sweetest music to my ears.


This blog is a place for me to share the different things in my life which I find beautiful, enjoyable, or worth appreciating...whether it be a home/garden/craft project, special recipe, enchanting place to visit, family activity, or even just a photograph. I hope it serves as an inspiration to try something new or to appreciate nature's masterpieces and the "ordinary" things in life a little bit more.