Junk-mart, Jam, Joy, Joplin

I thought that my gentle readers needed an updated picture of the Lilac Thicket.  As I leave and come home each day I marvel that somehow my secluded niche looks different.  I suppose it could be the careful tending that the yard is now enjoying. 

Or it could be the flower baskets that hang from the eaves and smell lovely as one steps onto the porch.

It could be the coleus babies that have been tenderly planted around the bird bath.

Yes the pink flowers in the flower basket in the backyard are certainly inviting and pleasant to see. 

But honestly I think the entire abode seemingly smiles with joy and love because the Professor has come into it's life.  He seems to bring his special touch to the Lilac Thicket and that makes all of us more peace filled and contented. 

Yes my gentle readers, I think that even Rosie Roo-Roo has enjoyed the attention of the Professor with her evening walks and his companionship while I am hard at work.

The Professor and I went to the Farmer's Market this morning and it was quite a bit smaller than it normally is but we did come home with some treats.  Strawberry-Banana Jelly is to die for.  It was $5.00, but I will enjoy every tasty drop of this home-made jelly. 

The farm fresh eggs were $3.00 a dozen.  Yes that is much more then the mass produced eggs one purchases in the grocery but have you ever tasted eggs from a chicken that free ranges?  'nough said! 

This treat Gooseberry Jam was $3.00 and the Professor wondered if our Gooseberries tasted anything like the Gooseberries in his Guyana.  You see the spoon?  The answer is yes, Ozark gooseberries are definitely better that Guyanese gooseberries.  Any good Missourian could have told you that!

I have a bread maker, and have had it for 8 years or so, never used it. But I think with these wonderful jams and jellies we purchased today that I should learn to use it because these deserve homemade bread!

The Professor was lamenting the high prices at the Farmer's Market.  Frankly I don't mind spending extra to buy locally produced food products.  The taste is so much better and to support our local growers and producers is a concept I really like.  In Europe they eat locally produced foods and many restaurant's menus reflect produce that is available in the different seasons of the year. I am willing to pay a little more and really enjoy my food and help my local community.

I am slowly learning that in order to help my community and my country grow strong again, I need to rethink some of the choices I make.  I don't always want to buy something because it is cheaper.  Sometimes quality is worth the higher price.  I am not going to become a zealot because my pocketbook is NOT bottomless but I want to begin to think quality and not quantity.

The Professor and I decided we wanted a charcoal grill.  We did a little shopping around and found a really cheap one at "China-mart" (Wal-Mart).  It looked cheap and was made in China, we then decided we wanted an American made grill.  Do you know how hard it is to find American made stuff?  At Lowes' they had an Aussie Walkabout grill.  We couldn't figure out if it WAS American made.  We asked and the staff didn't know and we forced the issue and they did a little research, it was made in Tennessee, so it came home with us.  My thought is a store could really make a name and rep for itself if it advertised with little American flags on it's products that are 100% American made.  I think consumers would embrace those products and make better choices to benefit the USA.

Well my beloved readers another month of this glorious year has begun and I will ask you to please pray for those in Joplin Missouri.  The images of the destruction really upset me.  All over this metro area and I am certain all over this wonderful state of Missouri, fellow Missourians are working to help our Joplin residents clean-up and eventually rebuild.  The Professor is all ready to go down there and help and I know his church is organizing something.  I pray that something like this NEVER happens again but I know that it will and the next time it could be me.  Prayers my glorious readers, prayers!