Love Love Me Do

Love, love me do…
You know I love you…
I’ll always be true…
So please, love me do…
(The Beatles…Love, love me do)

So, today was one of those days where I just felt the love. Love for me, love for my business, love for our little local market of love, and love for each other…

It’s days and evenings, like this, that make me so happy, and so proud to be a part of this whole local picture. Lots and lots of little things that would mean nothing to anyone else, all add up to showing me just how special these local bonds really are.

One of those sources of love is my love for our vendors. This market has the MOST amazing vendors, around!!! We have amazing products, amazing producers, amazing growers…and, amazing customers that continue to come back, each week, just to show us the love….

I open the market, tonight, with a few announcements…

*Next week will be the last to order apples…get your orders in….we now need to say a fond farewell to Volk Fruit Farm!!

*Connelly’s Maple Syrup is out of product, for now!!! Their products were taken out of stock but they will be back with their new supply, down the line…

*Champaign Berry Farm is now done with the fresh berries of the late season. BUT…you can still get your berry love on with their frozen berries!!! Put some summer love in your freezer…

*Swisher Hill Herbs is introducing a holiday seasoning blend that will be the perfect blend for your Thanksgiving stuffing!!

*Cosmic Charlie will add Cosmic Croutons to the market for the BEST stuffing….amazing assorted croutons combining all of the Cosmic goodness.

*JC Growers has started with their holiday gifts of garlic…take advantage!

*All vendors will be introducing holiday gifts/ideas/products as the weeks progress!

*Look to us for all of your local needs, your local love, and your local nutrition…

Love, love me do…you know I love you…and it couldn’t be more true!

Wrap it up!

We are approaching that last segment of time where you need to wrap your ordering up, make sure you have shopped, and followed your cart all the way to the Pay Later button!!

10pm is quickly approaching…make it work for you…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Let It Be

And when the night is cloudy…
There is still a light that shines on me…
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be…
I wake up to the sound of music
(Beatles – Let It Be)

Today was a day!!!!! Today was more than a day!!! Today needed to end, for your market manager, at 7am!! A day of multiple irritations, a day of my eyes looking like they surely had those X’s for eyes, a day when I wanted to shout things like…are you KIDDING me? Or…Seriously? Really?

Yes…one of those days that met me as my eyes blinked open at 4am. One of those days that took everything I had just to make it to the next step.

Luckily, these days are very, very, very rare for me. And, when these days DO happen, I tend to just start silently humming this song, over and over, in my head. It calms me, it makes me feel whole, again, and it makes me feel like the foolishness of the day will only be temporary.

Much like this little local market of love…this safe little haven that we have all built. I love coming to this Weblog, I love looking over the lovely orders, I love thinking of each of you, the lovely customers, placing your orders with such love and care.

You and this market are truly little lights that shine even on the days where light is very much needed. Thank you for being you, thank you for the love you put into this market, and thank you for making us part of your local love.

The market is open until 10pm…show us a bit of love, show yourselves a bit of love…make your week of shopping easy…place your orders, let us take it from there, and then just…Let It Be…calm, happy, love..

I am here for the evening…let me see those orders as they come in. Let me see the love…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Your Song

And you can tell everybody this is your song…
It may be quite simple, but now that it’s done…
(Elton John – Your Song)

Your Song…everyone has a song inside of them, yes? I like to think so. I like to think that no matter what, each of us, has a song to sing, a tale to tell, and story to share. This is what I love about people, about life…I love the history and richness and colorful songs that we all have inside.

This song always reminds me of a little dimly lit bar that I used to frequent when I lived in Los Angeles. It was an old school bar that housed a piano and a piano singer. Not the trendy piano bars of today. This was a red velvet, smoke filled, mirrored walls kind of piano bar.

I had a friend who would fly in from London, we would hit the out of the way spots off of Melrose, buried away, and discuss life, the city,life, where life was taking us. This little bar was a perfect place for inspiration. You went there to drink, to listen, to plan, and to get your own song out…because everyone has a song.

This little local market has become my song, of late. I have been singing it’s praises, all over. Along with your two assistant managers, we have all been out and about, singing your praises, getting the word out.

Recently, I have been hitting the speaking circuit with your assistant manager, Mark, from Oakview Farm Meats.

Charlene continues to sing your praises and our market fun to the physical markets and all who she comes into contact with.

We all have a song, we all have a story, and we are all about singing it out, singing it proud, and singing loud about this market.

Today found Mark and me at Urbana University. Friday, we travel to the University of Dayton for the Montgomery Food Summit. On Monday, we travel to Union County to speak to their local food council. It’s exciting times, and there is plenty to sing about!

Be excited, be proud, and get involved in being a part of this market! I cannot sing the praises of this market, enough!! I find myself talking, at great lengths, out to the masses, about this market.

Please, take a minute, find your song, find what drives you, find your passion…and sing it to the world.

If you are a market customer, I am now singing the praises to you…our loyal customers are out in full force, this week, but you know what…we have an AMAZING amount of new, first time customers!! Our family grows, expands, sings their songs.

It is Monday evening, you have time to sit and make this your ONE STOP, EVERYTHING STOP to shop for the week!!! We now offer it all…for you…we can do it all while you are out singing your song…

A few things to point out….

Frozen red raspberries have been added by Champaign Berry Farm!!

Lovely carrots have been added by our End Of The Road Farm!!

Gift boxes have started to make the scene for your holiday gift buying!!

Give us a look, sing us your song, join in the local family…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

You Really Got A Hold On Me

I don’t like you, but I love you…
Seems that I’m always thinkin’ of you
Smokey Robinson – You Really Got A Hold On Me)

I was up earlier than usual, this morning, with the time change and my baking schedule, but I was flipping through playlists, deciding what would be my backdrop for the morning of baking, and decided on The Beatles. I love their cover of the song lyric that I chose. And, the first line really made me think of this little local market of love…

We don’t just LIKE this little market, we LOVE this little market. And, for me, your market manager, I am ALWAYS thinking about this market, about you, the customers, and the vendors, about the products, and how we can make you all happier, make you feel the love even more…I am a constant thinking machine:) And, my main concern is that everyone is happy, everyone loves us, and everyone makes us their first thought for local shopping!!

I have a friend who is one of my most favorite people in the world. We spend a lot of time, together, through our friendship, through our business dealings, and through an event that we chair. She is younger than I am but we met through business, we grew through business, and we became friends. Our friendship works on many levels despite our age difference or maybe because of it:)

Anyway, we try to meet up, often, outside of businesses and work, to have a glass of wine, or dinner, or just unwind and touch base. The other night she came to my house. It had been a busy day for me, I was whipping up a quick dinner for both of us because we sometimes forget to take the time to eat during our manic days. She had not had a good day and she knew that she could unleash to me but after I let her go on and on, I stopped her and asked her why she liked coming to my house. She named off the welcome feeling she gets, the candles, the music, the cocktails, the food, the feeling of calm. I simply smiled at her, and she knew that it was time to just forget her day so that we could have a few laughs and then I sent her on her way.

Friends mean the world to me. Friends are my family, my people, they guide me, inspire me, fill me with happiness. I try to reflect all of that right back to them.

After she described how it feels to come to my house, I started to think about this market and how I hope that this is the feeling that you all get when you become part of this little local market of love…

I hope that you feel inspired, full of love, full of happiness, and that our market becomes your main source of local shopping, local nutrition, and local awareness.

It is impossible to just like this market, once you get to know this market. Chances are you are going to LOVE this market, you will begin to ALWAYS think ABOUT this market, and you will make us your one stop, your favorite stop, your stop filled with LOVE…

It’s Sunday…think about those orders…the day is young and full of time to plan…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Moving In Stereo

Life’s the same, I’m moving in stereo…
Life’s the same, except for my shoes…
Life’s the same, you’re shakin’ like tremolo…
Life’s the same, it’s all inside you…
(The Cars – Moving In Stereo)

Well, you know there’s nothing I love more than a good memory song. I don’t think the backdrop of teenage life, in the late 70s, could have been complete without the beat of The Cars.

Driving cool cars, while listening to The Cars, doing cool things. Some of my deepest friendships and bonds were made back in those days. It’s fun to think back to a carefree time when you were first getting a taste of freedom, forming the teen friendships that, unknowing then, would form some of the strongest friendships you would carry with you.

After high school, my whole core friendship circle, plus my West End gang, well, we all went in different directions, different colleges, different choices in life, different paths to walk. Who knew that later in life, we would all be able to rekindle and reconnect via a little thing like Facebook.

I still meet up with so many of them, some are far some are near, but when we are all together, it just takes one beat of a song, an opening lyric, a familiar tune to make us all look at each other, flash a smile, and then just know…just remember. We don’t even need words. The song just moves us in stereo. The backdrop to our friendships.

The same with this little local market of love…it has been the backdrop to so many paths. It has become an umbrella to all things local in our community. It has become our friend, and our step to a better way of eating, of keeping it local, of forming the bonds between vendors and customers. The process has been very moving to watch.

We just keep right on rocking and rolling with the market. We keep forming those local bonds. We just keep moving in stereo…from one week to the next, we make the path an easy and fun one. Give us a try or continue with us, as you have been…life is never the same once you become part of our little local market of love…

We open the market, tonight, and urge you to take advantage of some items that will be leaving, quickly, due to the seasonal changes, weather, and temperatures. Look at new items, look at old favorites…think about what you want or need to stock your pantry with. We can do it all for you…we can move you in stereo…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Last Call!

Time got away from me!

So, you have until 10:15!! Go, hurry, just do it!

See you after the market closes!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Tuesday's Gone

Tuesday’s gone with the wind…
I tell you, Tuesday’s gone, oh she’s gone with the wind…
(Lynyrd Skynyrd – Tuesday’s Gone)

Yes…Tuesday is just about gone for this week, for this market…so, if you have yet to order, you have until 10pm. Please think about what you may need, and how we can make your life easier AND about how you can easily eat entirely locally, just by using our little market of love…

At this point in the season, the month, I am always drawn back to a point in time, in the very late fall, when I was in high school, and we would all travel out to field parties or park parties or parties in the woods. When lines of cars would travel out to the middle of nowhere and as each car would park, and unload passengers, and stereos or a lot of times even a band because yes, in our big circle of people, we had our own house band of sorts, the fun would begin. The local kids having local fun.

The band was a legend at our high school. In fact, they still gather, at special times to perform. They would perform at dances, parties, there was even a time when downtown buildings, in our town, would rent to them. Epic.

Anyway, at one such outside party, I remember a house deck, the band, and a dedication to your’s truly, with this song. We listened to a lot of Lynyrd Skynyrd, loved the fall season, celebrated the last of the warm evenings before the season would disappear, and basically, just loved what our local surroundings were, back then.

In our own way, we were the local faces of our West End, of our favorite hang out spots, of our town. We were proud of where we came from, of our growing up, and of each other. We had a brotherhood/sisterhood of local love.

I bring with me, now, to this little local market, that same pride, that same local awareness, the same pride in watching this market grow up.

We are here for you, we celebrate you, and we celebrate all that we take from our local surroundings…

We are open until 10pm, talk to me, order, do it all before Tuesday, is in fact, gone…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Groovy Tuesday!

Hello, lovely local market customers!

My day started extra early, today, with a very long 8am meeting, followed by bread deliveries, and then finally, my shop!

All I have for you, at this point, is to get your groove on, get your orders in, and make it a happenin’ Groovy Tuesday!

Think about your needs, think about all of the fall dishes you are wanting to prepare. Think of the herbs, spices, late season produce, cuts of meat, eggs, dairy, breads, assorted fish…jams and mustards to accompany all of this, along with a type of maple syrup, honey, or sorghum!

Don’t forget the teas, coffees, granola, baked goods, and flour, for morning or all day needs.

Let us help make you groovy!

But, to be groovy, you need to order!
Make me happy!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

The Blog!

I get a lot of compliments about this market Weblog, I get a lot of questions about how I go about writing it, gathering inspiration, the music…what made me center each Weblog around a song…

This Weblog, according to messages, emails, and people stopping me, has a bit of a following even by people who are yet to even be customers. (Hey..it won’t bother me if the followers go ahead and order…lol…but, seriously, we are just happy to have your attention!)

I have stated, shared, and remembered much of myself and tied it to music.

Music has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. I had one set of grandparents who would often pack me up, when I was young, and take me on their weekend camping trips. Great times. Great memories. As soon as my grandfather would get home from work on Friday afternoons, my grandmother and I would have had everything packed, and ready to roll. They would pack my little bicycle, my vast Barbie collection, and off we would go. They would meet all of their camping friends, and the fun would begin. Campfire food, open spaces, usually kids that I would meet, freedom to run, freedom to ride, freedom to swim…but the common thread was always music. There would always be some sort of local, to that area, band that would perform. All kinds of music. But it was the early thread that now ties me to music festivals, camping, my love of live, outdoor music…

Growing up, as you know, in the West End, of my town, we were a free kind of bunch of kids. The West End encompassed an area with many separate neighborhoods, our school, our woods, our open roads. When we were young, we could bike around, stop at any house, hang out with older siblings, listen to their music, their garage band ramblings, we had local radio to play our favorite tunes, we had house parties (once high school hit) and we would haul very large speakers out onto the roofs of houses…music…it was needed and it was the backdrop for my growing up.

Bands, lyrics, shows…I started following the Grateful Dead…I snuck off to all kinds of concerts, shows, and events.

Some of my favorite people used to DJ at a local college radio station:) I still have confiscated albums with big large marker WUSO going across them…

Anyway…music speaks to me, I think in song, I have modeled two separate business ventures after my favorite groups….The Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones. I put music into all that I do.

I still go off to festivals, attend live music shows, live my life as if I was in each song that I love.

When I became the full market manager, here, back in March, I also took on this Weblog. I needed to make it my own, so of course, I decided to incorporate the music vibe…

When I write each Weblog, I usually have had something happen or I have come across or my love of the community that I want to express. A lyric will always pop in my head to use. Once I am set on the topic and the lyric, I put that song on replay….over and over, while I write.

My hopes…In my music dreamland is that the songs and lyrics help you to build a playlist in your head. Or to hum them as you read. Or play them as you read or reach for them after you read.

Most of all, I hope that each Weblog takes you on a short musical escape that you follow until the end and then you see where I have taken you…

So, there you go…the Weblog and your market manager…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam