Just What I Needed

You’re just what I needed…
You’re just what I needed…
You’re just what I needed…
Yeah, yeah, yeah…
(Just What I Needed-The Cars)

Well…isn’t this market JUST what you needed? I know it’s what I need, and it makes me so happy to always know that I have this little local market of love to fall back on, each and every week!

I had a jam packed day, today…I am in charge of Santa Land, along with one of this market’s vendors, Dave Smith, of Freshwater Farms, and I am on the planning committee of the Monument Square District’s Downtown Christmas Gala. Both are huge events. I am front and center in both. It gets very tiring, right about now, to make sure it is all coming together. Not only do I oversee both of these special events, but I also have my shop, and a little thing called, Holiday In The City, down in Springfield, coming up. Crazy. Not to mention my everyday Cosmic obligations.

I was driving home, tonight, cold, in need of food, and a warming glass of wine. I drove past a couple of our very lit up big box stores, thankful that we do have them but also extremely happy that my shopping was done, online, with ease, at this little local market of love.

I love what we represent, I love the local nutrition, the low cost of this locally grown food, I love the support from this community, and I love being a part of it all!!

You know we are just what YOU need…go ahead…place your orders, sit back, and enjoy the ease…We are just what you needed…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Holiday Reminder!!

Just as a quick reminder, we will be following the same protocol, as always, for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

The market will be open, THIS week, but it will be CLOSED, the following week, the week of Thanksgiving.

As always, customers and vendors may feel free to arrange special arrangements on the week of Thanksgiving, but the market will not be open to sales.

Think and plan ahead!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

What You're Meant To Be

Ah child of countless trees…
Ah child of boundless seas…
What you are, what you’re meant to be…
(Cassidy-Grateful Dead)

Last week found me with happy reunions, a lot of love, and an unexpected visitor who reminded me of my quest to always see sunshine, always sing my song, and always believe that whatever I touch, I do my best to make magic happen.

The reunion was with some of my West End pals that I am still extremely close with, I don’t see enough of, but when I am reunited, I feel like my family is all back, together. These people have known me since Kindergarten. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, with a whole of growing, running, playing, learning. Yes, it was a good reunion of souls.

On Friday, I was down in my Cosmic shop, and had a surprise visit from one of my aunts. She lives far away, I see her, very rarely, I don’t keep up with her like I should, but I knew she was planning a visit, I just was not sure when that would take place.

She is the kind of woman that if sunshine could come out of her eyes, it would. But, if you cross her, or someone she loves, that sunshine can change to lightening, in seconds. It was amazing that her timing came right when I was having not a great end to the week. She breezed in, gave me a huge hug, we talked, she loved my shop, she listened as I talked about my breads, the names of my breads, the hippie clothing, me, the markets that I run, and especially this little market of love.

I explained to her how it works, how we run it, the customer base…I felt as if I couldn’t stop telling her about all that I do and all that is important to me.

She was intrigued with my Cosmic cookies…I told her they were called Hippie Cookies. She looked at me with a mix of sunshine and happy tears. She reminded me of two people who would be very, very proud of what I do, how I do things, and how passionate I am about things. When she left, I looked around at my shop, the sun that filters through the stained glass window, the leftover hippie cookies, and the racks of hippie clothing…her words as she left the shop were…“You are doing what you were meant to do, Baby Girl” (Because my grandmother had given me that name and it’s what my family always called me…)

And, my aunt was right…I am right where I was meant to be, doing what makes me happy, running markets that I am so entirely passionate about.

Today is Sunday, the market is open, and I leave you with love, passion, and a Sunday recharge…all from my surprise visitor.

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Be Kind...Show Some Love

A very short and sweet market intro. for this evening…

One of my Cosmic Charlie taglines on my Cosmic Charlie Facebook page is to…

Be amazing, be kind, and show some love…this is my message to you…

The market is open, we welcome you back, and we appreciate your constant support that you give this little local market of love…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Last Call!

It’s just about closing time…

Get your orders in!!

The Music Never Stopped

And the fields are full of dancin’…
Full of singin’ and romancin’…’
The music never stopped…
(Grateful Dead – The Music Never Stopped)

It has been a crazy week, already, and a very locally charged night, tonight, with a lively discussion/meeting concerning the shared commercial kitchen.

Thank you, so much, to all who were able to attend!! We NEED those surveys so please email me, if you have not done so, to get your survey to fill out!!

It’s the whole local vibe that I love, that moves me, that is my greatest passion!! It’s like never ending music to me, never ending dancing…I love it!

I also love all of you, and this little local market! You all have until 10pm to get your orders in!! Keep the music going, the love going, and the local vibe going…

I will give you a last call when it’s time…don’t miss out on the fun! Order!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Brokedown Palace

Mama, mama many worlds I’ve come since I first left home…
(Grateful Dead – Brokedown Palace)

Hello, lovely local market of love customers!!

It’s Tuesday, already!! Where did the time go? It seems like I was just opening the market, Thursday night, and now we will be closing, for the week, tonight, at 10pm!! As always, I urge you to get those orders in!!

Make sure to take advantage of the last of the fall apples, begin thinking about your cold weather menu plans, the upcoming Thanksgiving menu plan…we have it all and we can rock it all, just for you and your needs.

As you all know, for over a month, I have been hitting the road for speaking engagements and presentations. Your assistant manager, Mark, has also been doing the same thing, with me, and together we have helped to promote this market, all vendors, ourselves, and how cross promoting works to everyone’s advantage. We have talked about operating as one big team, a big umbrella of local, and how each of you plays a huge role in this market’s success.

After speaking to the Union County Local Foods Council, last evening, I started to look back, over the years. All of this speaking has made me look back and reflect on both Cosmic Charlie, and this market. It’s fun to remember the early days. How time has a way of letting us find our way, build our way, guide our way.

This market is the best example of starting from the ground up, learning as we all paved the way, and watched as the market took on the life that we had always hoped it would.

How many roads we have traveled, how many worlds we’ve come since we first said, hello, to you.

Thank you, to each customer and vendor and the YMCA. As I silently went through each memory, last night, of this market, I was filled with love and pride. We could not have done it without all of you!!

Much love, and many thanks!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Take It Easy

Don’t let the sound of your own wheels…
Drive you crazy…
(The Eagles – Take It Easy Lyrics)

It’s been a super crazy week that I just ended and I am looking ahead at another super crazy week. People are always asking me how I do it? How I stay full of energy? How do I get it all done? How much more can I take on?

Well…my answer is always that I just keep on keepin’ on:) Seriously, I really don’t let myself get too crazy. I thrive on all that I do, I let my passion fuel me, I let this little market of love drive me, I fall back on my friends when I need to crash or vent, I do it all with a song in my heart, and I know when to take a time-out, I know when to take a day to hide.

The truth is, I am a born multi-task master. I groove to the fast pace. I get excited at a crazy, action packed week. And, then…I end my days, I have a glass of wine, and I smile at all that happened, was accomplished, and the dreams that keep being realized.

It’s this crazy passion, this crazy love for all that I do that helps me run this market for all of you:)

I love it, I love you, I love that we are bringing local to the next level.

Today, just happens to be an easy day for me. It’s been a morning that I am not rushing out the door to twenty different deliveries, meetings, shop, my life. I look forward to a day of sunshine, tasks, aka, my life, to get done, and a day of total recharge.

As crazy as I like my Cosmic life, I also like the rare day that I can just take it easy…

Enjoy your Sunday, Local Loves! While you are taking it easy, think about how much easier your entire week can be if you just throw us your orders…we can do it all for you so that the sound of your own wheels won’t make you crazy…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

We Have A Goal! We Want To Rock That Goal!

Hello!!

I am here, this morning, as not only your market manager but also as your representative on the Local Foods Council of Champaign County AND I have now recently joined forces with the grant writing team of Amanda Douridas (OSU Extension), Laura Haverkos (Second Harvest Food Bank), and Lori Garrison (In Good Taste Catering)…

We have, over the years, been working toward a goal in Champaign County that would also benefit surrounding counties. The goal seemed so far reaching, a few years ago, it seemed to pie in the sky, it seemed out of our grasp after going to tour the dream of all dreams….AceNet in Athens, Ohio.

What is this goal? Why is she writing this in a Weblog? What does she want us to do?

I am going to make this short, to the point, and urge you to consider helping us out, if this applies to you.

Our goal is a shared-use COMMERCIAL kitchen. A kitchen where time would be rented by vendors/anyone who needs a commercial kitchen setting to process their products.

Many vendors are out of luck when it comes to many products that need to be prepared and processed in a commercial kitchen. Or, they are forced to travel to OSU, use that facility, taking time, travel, money, and hassle.

We came to you, two years ago, asking you to fill out surveys. That was met with a lot of…meh…plus, we had nothing to show you, nothing in sight.

Well, we now have received the first step in the grant process. This grant gives us the money to do our research, collect information, submit, and take all the next steps, quickly, in writing the proposal for the last step of the grant…the big enchilada…the grant that will give us the means to establish the….drumroll…SHARED USE COMMERICAL KITCHEN.

BUT…we need your help….if this is something that could be of use, to you, either as an established vendor, someone who would like to become a vendor but need the kitchen, OR, if you know of someone in need of this kind of set up…let them know that they can come and get more information…

Tuesday evening, 6pm, The Depot Coffeehouse….sponsored by your friends of Champaign Locally Grown…you favorite LOCAL market!!

Free coffee!!! Also, sponsored by Champaign Locally Grown, a bit of information from your very fun team of grant writers, the emcee of the evening will be your favorite market manager, AND…ALL OF THIS FUN FOR ONLY ONE THING THAT WE ASK OF YOU…

While you are there, you fill out a painless survey!!! Yes, you will need to fill it out, hand it to me, have your coffee, listen to the quick chat, and be on your way…it is IMPORTANT that we get the surveys!!!

I must stress that we are NO LONGER in just the dreaming stage. We are in our first level, research needed grant phase!!! It is all happening!!! Even if you can’t yet see it…we can see it behind the scenes!!

Vendors…if you cannot be at the meeting but need to fill out a survey, email me, and I will have copies at Thursday’s market!!*

Here is the blurb that also went out in the newspaper…

OSU Extension and the Champaign County Local Foods Council has received a grant to investigate the use of a commercial shared-use kitchen in Urbana. We need to find out who will use the kitchen and what it will be used for. Please join us for an open discussion to plan the use of the kitchen on November 11 at 6pm at The Depot Coffehouse in Urbana.

As part of the grant, we are also offering a social media marketing workshop. Please hold the date February 5, 2015 from noon – 4pm. It will be held at the Community Center in Urbana.

Please help us…we need you, we need your surveys, we need your help…again, this is all very exciting because it is all really happening!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Get Your Herb On!

Swisher Hill Herbs
Introduces SHH Herbs Stove Top Herb Stuffing mix. Enough Seasoning mix to stuff 14 to 16 lb. turkey or you can make 4 smaller portions of Herb stuffing, either as a stove top or bake it in the oven. $3.50 per 2.2 oz. pkg.
Purchase any product from Swisher Hill Herbs this week and receive absolutely free, a sample of our new Herb Stove Top Stuffing mix! You will receive enough Herb Stuffing mix to make one meal (4 cups) of stuffing plus the recipe. Serves 6
Thanksgiving Specials for Virtual Market week of November 7-13
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Swisher Hill Herbs offer special pricing on selected items for your holiday dinner!
Regular Price Special Price
Apple Pie Spice $2.75 $2.50
Pumpkin Pie Spice $2.75 $2.50
Hot Mulled Cider mix. $2.75 $2.50
Spinach Dip $3.00 $2.50
Plan ahead for those
Turkey leftovers?
Mediterranean Minestrone Soup $4.00 $3.50
White Bean Chicken Chili $3.00 $2.75