Show Some Love:)

You have just a little over an hour left…I am taking a break from supervising the packing to remind you to order!!

You know you want the love, we want to give you the love, so get the groove line going!

I will be watching…make me happy!! Show the little market of love how much you love and support local!!

The countdown is on….

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Short and Sweet!

My message is brief, tonight, because I am crazy with trying to get my Cosmic co-ed in the final stages of packing for her departure, tomorrow morning! She is going for a semester of studies in Italy….so jealous of her:)

Anyway, the house is cluttered in suitcases, electronics, paperwork, etc…

So, my message is short….it is Tuesday, the market closes at 10pm, get your orders in!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Bittersweet Symphony

‘Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, this life…(Bittersweet Symphony-The Verve via The Rolling Stones (bloody legal battle)

Still in my music love fest of my 90s music obsession. Yesterday, I found myself humming and singing this song, over and over, as it just seemed to fit the day, the time of the season, my mood.

We are in a holiday weekend. The holiday weekend that marks the passing of summer. Also known to me as the saddest holiday around. I am a girl of the summer. Summer is where the fun is, summer is where the sun is, summer has signified freedom and carefree days for as long as I can remember in my life.

In my Cosmic world, it begins to mark the end of my market season out in the physical farmers markets. The sun begins to shine a bit differently, the shadows begin to take on a different look, the leaves begin to look a bit sad as the wayward ones begin to fall to the ground.

The ending to this summer is no different than most of the summers of my years. It’s been an amazing run, Cosmic Charlie exploded all over the place, I celebrated my fifth year in operation, this month, and I show no signs of stopping. But, I am also ready to go back to my normal crazy pace vs. my insane crazy pace. My shop is calling my name down in Springfield, it will soon be time to introduce the Cosmic soups of the season at The Depot Coffeehouse, the season will take on a the beauty of shimmering jewels as the leaves and the sun unite. My friends will all get to see me, again, life will take on the easy pace that fall brings.

So, yes…bittersweet…the hello/goodbye. The anticipation of the next summer. The mental prep for an upcoming winter.

But, the sweetness in all of this is our little local market of love. No matter the season, no matter the weather, no matter the month…we are here for you bringing you the seasonal local goodness that you have come to love, trust and depend on from us.

As your local physical markets all begin to close up for the season, in the next month, remember to just continue your local shopping with us. We are the constant in the ever changing seasons.

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Heading into Fall

Joe and Charlene of Swisher Hill Herbs have sent their fall promotional for all things herbs, mixes, dry soup blends and seasonings!! Plus they are full of holiday gift ideas…what? Holiday time? It will be here before we know it!

Thanks, Joe and Charlene!!

Here at Swisher Hill herbs we are gearing up for fall and the holidays. Football Friday night, Football Friday night! Windy days and coId evenings just scream sitting down to a hot bowl of Nana’s chili, White bean chili or Mediterranean Vegetable Soup or how about a quick meal of Sloppy Joes, simple with SHH Sloppy Joe Mix. You can make great hamburgers or small sliders with SHH meatloaf mix. (We follow the Meatloaf recipe only use 3 lbs. of hamburger make into patties grill, broil or cook them in the skillet. Tacos are easy to make using our South of the Border Seasoning or South of the Border Dip Mix. Check out our full line of dried herbs, spices and seasoning blends. We blend and package all of our products and they all are salt free! Why no salt! So you can add it or not!
I know it seems early to be thinking about the Holiday Season!!! But if you are going to make fresh vanilla has gifts using SHH vanilla beans, the process takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete. We have just stocked a fresh supply of vanilla beans. How about holiday baking? We have Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie Spice for all your holiday pies and crisps. You will need cinnamon for snicker doodle cookies and gourmet baking delights.

Help!

When I was younger, so much younger than today…I never needed anybody’s help in any way…(Beatles – Help)

Help! That is what I think of when I think about this little local market of love!

I am the last person to ask for much help. I am a control person. I am a yes person. I am high energy. I learned from my grandfather, many years ago, that you just wake up, face the day with a smile, do your work in a pleasant manner, work hard, work smart, and then put it all to rest.

My grandmother was also a non-help asking force in my life. She taught me that I needed to count on my own strengths, save my money, keep money aside for a rainy day, don’t be a weakling, work hard, call it a day, and pour a cocktail.

The two of them, combined, were a tough force, and so because of them, asking for help is still a concept I have to ponder:)

But then enter into a week like I have had, or like many of you have. I have been baking like crazy, my orders and venues continue to accumulate, I have a daughter who is ready to take off to Italy for the fall semester, I have everyday tasks on top of my never ending business, I have friends that like to see me, and I have a store front and markets to make sparkle!!

The Italy thing has had me on pins and needles AND it has come with a few glitches involving the consulate, a missing passport/student visa, etc. Not to mention a 20 year old that is all about the adventure while I am following her around with my “mom” list of concerns.

Ok…so here comes my point to all of this…HELP!! It was so nice to have an order (I have an order, each week) at the market, this week, waiting for me for when I was finished handing out orders. My Cosmic co-ed called to say she was making dinner and rattled off a list of menu items. I had them with me from the market AND the fridge was stocked with different items from last week. Totally a huge help!!!!

See…this is what I continue to talk about with this little local market of love. Even if you don’t think you need help, if you find it hard to ask for help, or even if you have it all together without a care in the world…it is STILL nice to have the help of shopping in one place, from the comfort of your computer or smart phone, putting it all to rest, and then just picking it up, stress free, and inexpensively, and healthy, and with a smile!!!

That is a bit of HELP that I totally support!!!!

Tonight, I open the market to your crazy week where you just may want a bit of help…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Hello!!!

Just your little local market manager flying in to tell you that it is Tuesday evening, you have until 10pm to get your orders groovin’ and then the market will once again close for the week!!

So many of you have ordered…I want to see even more of you!

Make me smile, make me sing…go do your thing!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Market Fun!

Berries are back from Champaign Berry Farm! They won’t be here, long, so join the market fun and race to get your berry order on!

Wonderwall

And after all…
You’re my wonderwall…(Wonderwall-Oasis)

I have a love of early 90s music, and I have had it on overload, all week. I had a huge love and crush on the Oasis bad boys. I played this cassette over and over and over. Who knew that this song would come to mean so much to me and my life. Or come to describe this market in my mind.

Some, or most of my weeks are crazy. This week seemed even more crazy and busy than normal. Amazing amounts of baking, obligations on all boards I am on, tasks that needed my attention, all mixed in with making sure that all markets, venues, events, and my shop were taken care of.

The kind of week that made me both kick it hard with excitement but at the same time let sheer exhaustion set in. When I hit that wall, I just sort of stop and sink…and it’s just at that point that I think all of the people and friends who are near and dear to me feel that I need them to swoop in, give me a sign of love, and swoop back out. They sense that I need to reconnect or just be given a moment of out, just to recharge.

I got random texts that made me smile, random running into old pals that offered hugs, an amazing gift from a lovely Bread Head, a long afternoon on a lovely front porch with one of my most treasured friends in this world while we had wine and discussion on all things. When I feel at my most overloaded moments, I need these wonderwall moments.

This little market of local love is our local wonderwall for you. You are busy, your are tired, you get overwhelmed, and it would be easy for you to just do the easy way out, load up on fast foods, processed foods, snack foods, just to keep you going.

BUT…guess what?? You could just as easily and a whole lot healthier,and easier on your wallet, sit down, recharge, enjoy a quiet little space of time, and shop our market. Make it your get away time from reality. Make it your recharge time with your market friends. Make it your wonderwall.

We all need those moments of help. Those moments where you turn, and that person or wonderwall is waiting to help. Use us, depend on us, let us help you build your local wonderwall.

It’s Sunday, I am taking the day off, I will see you all when I check the market, tonight.

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam
(Your Wonderwall:)

Look Of Love

So…along with back to school, we also begin to see a shift in the upcoming seasons. While we still have summer weather, we do have to say goodbye, sadly, to some of our short lived lovelies…

One of those looks of love is sweet corn. The sweetness that we wait for, comes on strong, and then leaves us almost as quickly. This is our cue to bid a sad farewell to the sweet corn of this season, and our vendor, Brad Gregg of Gregg Farms!! He will be back, next year, but for now, he is done…Thanks Brad!!!!!

Another goodbye takes place with a vendor who was new to us but has always been a great customer!! Grace Grows Green now needs to take a bow and enter into her new life stage with kids entering school and her new journey into the work force. Thank you for the amazing products, Grace Grows Green!

Our cookie bakers of Gingersnaps will return in the fall! The duo has been busy with life changes, career moves, and a bit of travel…we will he happy to welcome them back!!

I think I have covered all of our wayward and MIA little local vendors…

I now also want to give a shout out to ELM Tree Essentials, our little local soup maker!! She opens the market, tonight, with her newest creation….patchouli soap!!!! Cosmic Patchouli to be exact!!! I know, how exciting to have a soap named after me!!! Her products are amazing, patchouli makes my heart sing, and I can hardly wait to purchase!!

We are your year round, always here for you, local market of love!! Once you get to know us, you never want to leave!!

We have everything to make you fall in love with us…..locally produced meats, dairy, eggs, produce (in season, only), spices, herbs, garlic, jams, jellies, flour, maple syrups, sorghum, baked goods in all forms…we are your everything stop and shop…

We are your Local Look of Love..

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Tiny Dancer

Looking on…she sings the songs…
The words she knows, the tune she hums…(Tiny Dancer-Elton John)

So, it’s that time of the season, again….it’s back to school time!! Back to school time always holds nostalgia for this market manager. I remember the thrill of the shopping for back to school clothing…for me, it was the 70s/early 80s, and I was all about the bell bottoms, rainbow prints, feathered hair, and heavy lip gloss.

From the first day of Kindergarten, to the first day of senior year in high school, I can totally remember each back to school outfit, each painful first day photo (some years were golden, other years were….what was I thinking??) I remember school bus rides, assigned seats, lunch boxes, book bags, boy crushes, fading summer tans, and friends…friends were everything. Friends were the end all be all of your existence.

I remember when I was old enough to grab rides to school with the West End boys, we would pile into cars, crank up the tunes, sing, talk, laugh, and speed off to school. I was usually the only girl because my neighborhood was all boys. I didn’t see it as a hardship but I did see it as a foundation for all that I share with guy pals, now. When I was with my guy pals, the world made sense, there was no girl drama, and I always felt like I held a special girl place in a guy world.

On our drives to school, we cranked the classic tunes. I remember one fall morning, riding to school, Tiny Dancer blaring, and my guy friends all giving me that nickname.

Those close friendships, close bonds, we all still share them, today. We may not be in the West End, any longer, but that was our local hangout, back then, and it built our paths for the rest of our lives.

It’s important to build those local paths with friends. It is important to know how important your local ties are. Just like in this little market where we strive to build local bonds, daily and weekly, it’s important to know that you have those ties to lean on.

I open the market, tonight, to a new school year, and to local ties….I also open this market to you, the stressed out, micro managed parents. Let us worry about your weekly shopping while you worry about open houses, meet the teachers, sports, dance classes, meetings, supply shopping…you have so much to worry about so why not let us be your local friends. The friends you can count on to get the shopping done.

Enjoy your back to school week…enjoy your memories of your back to school all those years ago. Go, be the tiny dancer while we make your shopping week easier…

Order, be local, love local…let us give you the local that you love…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam
(aka Tiny Dancer)