Earthmovers and Sandcastles

I adore that the local Farmer’s Market is so close to my house now. On Friday mornings, the kids and I walk down there, about a mile, and pick out fresh organic produce to last us for the week. We went the first few weeks it was there, and the season was early enough that the pickings were fairly slim, but now there’s lots of really good stuff to be had! Today I got red beets, golden beets, green beans, pattypan squash (after seeing Robyn’s recipe for Stuffed Pattypan Squash, I snapped it up!), onions, tomatoes, banana peppers, bread and butter pickles, dilly beans, and a little loaf of zucchini bread. Yum!

I asked the guy selling the golden beets whether the greens tasted different from the greens of red beets. “I dunno,” he said. “I don’t eat the greens.” I gasped in mock horror at him, and he grinned and said, “Hey, I eat the good part!” I’d go so far as to say that there’s no bad part of the beet, or at least not when Eric’s cooking them; I’m a complete convert, and anybody who doesn’t like them should withhold their final judgment until sitting down and dining with us for an evening. Eric, when I told him, snorted that the guy was throwing away free vegetables by not eating the greens.

Trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the day now. Gabe’s “napping” (har-de-har-har) at present, and Sam, disappointed that no friends are currently outside playing, is reading a book. I’d thought about going down to the bike races I mentioned in the last entry; might do that when Gabe’s “nap” is over. Eric’s going out with coworkers to celebrate a birthday and a friend’s leaving the company tonight, so it’s just me and the boys.

Speaking of Sam and playing outside, I was musing on our walk back from the market, as Sam raced a half-mile ahead of us on his bike. I really, really wish that there was a park near us that didn’t require crossing a very busy street to get to it. In one direction, within very easy walking or riding distance, are three perfectly lovely parks that Sam could get to on his own - I mean, less than a mile away - if I trusted him to cross the one major street between our house and there. In the other direction is another park (much smaller) and an elementary school playground, but there’s yet another busy street in the way.

Realizing that not every kid Sam’s age could be trusted to go to a park by himself, I have faith that Sam would be fine to do so on occasion for short periods with just a little more prepping. It’s a moot point, though, because as fast as cars whip up and down those streets, paying little attention to pedestrians and cyclists as they do so, it’s not Sam’s abilities that I’d bet against. Very disappointing.

5 Comments »

Trackback This Post | Subscribe to the comments through RSS Feed