School's Out

School’s out for summer
School’s out forever…(School’s Out For Summer, Alice Cooper)

Do you remember the absolute freedom you felt back on the last day of school? The last bell? Your escape to freedom?

In my high school, it was tradition, for the graduating class to have this song blasting on the PA system, as they made their exits, a week early, from the rest of us. We were all left, looking out the windows, watching as they fled, carefree, into their cars, to go off doing senior type things.

The rest of us felt the same sense of wildness and freedom, a week later, but just without the fanfare of ‘the song’. But, with the last bell, the last slam of the lockers, we were all off! Piled into cars, heading off to parks, parties, pools…it was summer and the livin’ was easy!

Remember that feeling of total excitement once the last day of school hit? Summer fun was right in front of all of us. Summer jobs, summer vacations, endless hours spent tanning, swimming, listening to summer tunes, bleaching out our hair, seeking out and making summer memories.

Well, it’s that time of year, again!! And, even though most of us are way out of school, I do still get that same summer freedom feeling. The feeling that summer adventure is just around the corner, waiting to happen!

Go out, enjoy your summer vacations, your summer adventures, your summer fun. Let us do the work of worrying about your local food needs! You can shop us from your phone, poolside, cabana side, vacationing…you go have the summer fun, we will make sure you are all taken care of, so you don’t have to miss a minute of it!!

Make it part of your summer ritual…click on us, place your order, forget about it all until Thursday evenings!!

School’s out for summer…go find your adventures!

Remember…it is Tuesday, we close the market at 8pm…get your orders in!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

And It Stoned Me

Oh, the water
Oh, the water
Oh, the water
Hope it don’t rain all day…And it stoned me to my soul…

(Van Morrison – And It Stoned Me)

Happy Manic Monday morning, Locavores!!

It does look like we are going to get the much needed rain that seems to keep alluding us!! Hoping it’s the perfect amount for all that everyone needs it to be!!

This is also my Monday reminder about getting your orders in!! Just this morning, it looks like people are rushing to order!! YAY!!

The week is about to get busy, you are about to get busy…take the stress out of your shopping and make sure to let us help you out!

Make the transition into the summer months an easy one, each week, by doing your shopping with us, locally.

Have a great day!! Take your umbrellas and rain boots, make your orders…tomorrow we will see sunny skies, again, but today…today we need the rain!

My Ever Changing Moods

Daylight turns to moonlight and I’m at my best
Praising the way it all works, and gazing upon the rest, yeah
The cool before the warm, the calm after the storm
(The Style Council – My Ever Changing Moods)

Life seems to always be changing, always at some sort of crossroads, always offering a new glimpse, always looking ahead. Change is essential to getting things done, making things progress, for jumping out of comfort zones.

I am the type of person who jumps into change without thinking. If I think too hard about changing things, they become overwhelming, too scary, a bit insane. I am the girl who likes change to happen now! I do not like limbo, I do not like the gray area, I don’t like a lot of maybes…I like solid, positive, do it now, kind of changes.

I like to push boundaries, I like my endeavors to succeed. For me, whatever I am involved in, totally consumes me.

Just like with this market. When Heather decided to step aside and hand me the reigns, I accepted, instantly. Never mind my fear, inside, that while I knew the on-site job of managing this market, I knew very little about the behind the scenes managing of it. But, I quickly learned, quickly made it mine, and hoped for the best.

When I decided to expand Cosmic Charlie into an actual storefront, I readily accepted the offer, while inside I was screaming…WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? But, 6 months later, I am doing just fine.

This week, I jump into another change…I take on the role of managing yet another farmer’s market in Mechanicsburg. When asked to take the position, I readily accepted…now, I am like…WHAT???? But, I will jump into it all on Tuesday, and make it all happen.

Just like in the early days with this little local market. It brought change to the canvas of our local scene. It was not always met with open arms. Heather faced many obstacles but we all had the vision that this change was needed. And, look at us now…we faced the changes!

Ever changing moods are good in all of our lives. Change takes us from our everyday, from our comfort zones, from our tried and true, and it pushes us to go a bit further in a new direction.

Just this week, why don’t we all start small by ordering an item off of the market that you wouldn’t normally ever order. Try something that you have wanted to try but were afraid to try something new. If you have never ordered, try that change, too! Make the leap into the ordering process!

Making changes is what keeps us growing, keeps us moving forward, and puts that little kick in our lives that we all need!

Go, make a change, do something new and different…just don’t forget to order!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Love Train

People all over the world,
Join hands, start a love train, love train…
The O’Jays – Love Train

So, the market certainly has become a little Love Train of sorts! Thank you, so much, to all of you, who email, message, chat with us, give us compliments. It is because of your continued excitement, support, laughter, and love, that we have such fun bringing you the local love!!

As I was groovin’ the market, tonight, and chatting with both vendors and customers, I just felt such a rush of feelings! Pride, excitement, love…it’s what I pour into this little local market of goodness. Watching each of the vendors coming in, I could tell that they all feel it, too! The same with each customer!

This market is like the little market that could. The little train that never gave up. We just kept going, quietly, determined, full of spark!! We knew that one day, through all of our hard work, we would reach the next part of the tracks. But, we still have more destinations and goals to meet. We want to continue this little Love Train journey that our market takes us on, each week.

Before I open the market, I wanted to say just a few reminders…

*If you place an order…make sure you receive a confirmation!!!! If you don’t receive one, email me!!!

*Our first winner of the Market of Love playlist, tonight, was Jodi Compton!! She was so excited that she screamed in the lobby!!

*A new drawing will be held for another winner of the Market of Love playlist!! Get your order in to be the next in line!

*Humberto Nieto (aka Laura) won the Cosmic Coupon Of Love!!

So, with that, I bring to you another opening of another market week! We are here for you, bringing you the love, making the goodness all happen, enjoying our local Love Train…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

In My Life

There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain…
(Beatles – In My Life)

Certainly, you can tell that in my life, I revolve around music. All kinds, at any given time of the day. Music speaks to me, soothes me, motivates me!

Growing up, I had music all around me. One set of grandparents introduced me to bluegrass. The other set of grandparents introduced me to big band/jazz. In happier times, my parents listened to all kinds of 60s/70s music. In unhappier times, their music stopped. I grew up on all kinds of music, and I can still close my eyes, listen to a song, and tell you exactly where I was, what I was doing, how I was feeling at that given moment.

I grew up in a neighborhood that had boys playing in early garage bands. We all cruised around in muscle cars, stereos blaring. Teen dances, swim clubs, summer camps, endless crushes, endless tears….they all had a song.

I began sneaking out to concerts when I was really just very young. I fell in love with The Grateful Dead after my first concert. I have wanted to be in a band, run with a band, be the muse that the band sings about, since I was about 14 years old.

Music…I love it all….and, it is what gives me the inspiration to write this Weblog from our little local market.

This week marked the first week of our Market Love Playlist drawing!!! I took all of the customer names, wrote them out, put them in one of my most treasured vintage tophats, and had my daughter draw a name.

The winner is….Jodi Compton!!!

I hope you enjoy the tunes as much as I enjoy weaving them into this little Weblog of love…

Thanks for always being a great support in all of our markets, Jodi!!! Enjoy the tunes…

Next week…another chance to win!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

The End!

This concludes the market ordering for another week!

Thank you so much for your orders and we will see you at order pick up, on Thursday!!

If you missed out, make sure to get your orders in when the market reopens on Thursday evening!!

Have an amazing week!! Thanks for the local love!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Last Call!!

It’s 8:15 on a Tuesday…that can only mean it’s the local last call!!

If you still want to order, please proceed to the market, and then to the check out!! We don’t want anyone to miss out on their local goodness!

You now have 15 minutes…make it work!

I left the market open a bit longer, this evening, to accommodate your needs!

If You Get Confused, Listen To The Music Play!

Wildflower seed in the sand and wind
May the four winds blow you home again…(Franklin’s Tower, Grateful Dead)

Today was the Tuesday that felt like a Monday that seemed like it was just Friday. Confusion!

My big weekend away quickly melted into the day that found me needing to get what seemed like a million things started, executed, accomplished, and planned. Nothing like coming out of a weekend of sheer bliss to the confusion of a frantic weekday.

I am sure you all had the same confusing day by mixing it all up into a Monday kind of Tuesday. So, I am here to act as your four winds that will blow you home. This is the ending day of the market. It will close at 8pm. We don’t want to have customers still thinking it’s Monday, and then go and miss ordering…

Let me be your music that lessens the confusion. Believe me, your week will get a whole lot more confusing if you have no order, nothing to pick up, and then you have to worry about doing the dance to get it all done, elsewhere, without the ease, the goodness, the local love.

And…if you order, you get your name entered into the drawing as the customer who wins the first ever Local Love Playlist!!!

And..as Cosmic Charlie, I am offering another Coupon Of Love to my customers!!

So, listen to the music, and let the four winds blow you safely home, to us, your local market…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Being Kind and Showing The Love

Strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hand,
Everybody’s playing in the heart of gold band, heart of gold band…(Scarlet Begonias, Grateful Dead)

The title of this weblog has to do with the kindness of strangers. The banding together of the community spirit. The communal brotherhood that emerges when you need it.

I just got back from my weekend away at a music festival. Whenever I slip behind the gates of a music festival, set up camp, and greet my yearly friends, I feel an almost immediate friendly connection. A weekend away, amazing Grateful Dead music, a beautiful farm surrounding the grounds, and strangers who become friends, all weekend long.

Once the festival is over, and everything is packed up, you hug your friends that you will not see until next year, you shout goodbyes to your weekend neighbors that you shared laughs, coffee, wine, food with.

As you begin the drive back out of the gates, down the winding drive of the beautiful farm called, Maggie’s Farm, you take one last look back, smile, and also become a bit sad to see the empty stages, all of the tents coming down, and knowing that at the end of the lane, reality waits to take you back to the everyday.

I always feel so lucky to be a part of such a kind, loving rich fabric of friendship.

Just like at this market…strangers meeting, customers and vendors becoming friendly, trust and bonds are built.

It makes me happy to also see this kind, loving rich fabric of friendship and respect so strong even in our everyday, through our market.

As we start the week, as we start the summer, as we place our orders, today and tomorrow, let the theme of being kind and showing some love lead your way…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Land Of The Free

…Because Of The Brave…

Remembering those who gave the supreme sacrifice…

Today, during all of your fun and merriment, make sure to take a bit of time to reflect on Memorial Day…

I hope that you all have had an enjoyable weekend…will be back with my Monday weblog, later…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam