The market, a beep & call and neighbours...

20-21Oct 

Its a cool fall morning, so I decide to walk down to the Market today - we’re short on fresh veggies, I want to do some fishing for supper and Carman has finished the pecan tarts that Dj and Matt got him. Carman is still sleeping and may want to come with me, this time, so I catch up on email, do some laundry and tidy up around the estate while waiting for him to wake up.

Carman ambles into the south wing around noon, looking...well, tired. Too much time under the covers I think. I ask him if he’s up to a trip to the market today, and he says sure, then sits down with a coffee, opens his iPad...and I suspect I’m going alone. An hour later, he says he just wants to shower first, so I explain that the market is only open until 3 so I’ll take him next time. I don my runners, vest & jacket, throw the buggy over my shoulder (thanks to the strap from an old gym bag), and off I go.

It’s a 2km walk and by now (1:15) the cool, clear morning has given way to cloud cover and a bit of humidity...it will rain soon. After the first km I am loosening my scarf and drawing zippers down and things heat up within the confines of my vest and light jacket. No, not a hot flash this time, just warming up from the walk!

Toronto Tree House

The street market is busy, even as a few vendors are down to the last boxes of produce at their stalls. Inside, it’s shoulder to stroller, slow going, shutter bugs everywhere (blocking traffic), tourists sauntering slowly and aimlessly (not allowing passing on either the left or right) and old friends catching up over coffee at counters, or just having a reunion in the middle of the aisle where they’ve happened upon each other. Market traffic! Much more fun than that out on the street, where you dodge cyclists and texting pedestrians while navigating the orange cones of construction.

I score some lovely sea scallops and fresh Atlantic (the best, not farmed) salmon at the fish monger, then some veal sausage next door from the butcher and tuck these safely into the small cooler bag I’ve stowed at the bottom of the trolley bag (with an ice pack to keep them company), then head for the bakery.

Market view along Front St.

A combination of butter and pecan tarts; a great deal on Portuguese custard tarts (there are only 4 left so she packs them all in the box and only charges me for the 2 I requested) and I have dessert for lunch tomorrow when Jill, Tony, and Janet come to visit. On to the veggie stalls...for my favourite - broccoli (Carman thinks I’m trying to turn him green with the stuff), some raspberries and fresh ginger. On my way to the cash I spy some “Giant Greek Figs” and imagine them sliced on harvest grain toast points with chèvre cheese and a drop of honey, just enough to hold them in place...ok, I’m sold!

It has rained while I’ve been inside the south building, leaving the streets freshly washed. As I cross Front St. to the north building I spy a few jewelry vendors and decide to have a quick look.  I spy a few pairs of earrings I like and chat with the vendor Maria Lopez for awhile about her work with sterling silver, glass beads and Swarovski crystals. I select a pair of earrings that have been rolled in gold and are formed in the shape of an infinity sign. My parents sent me some money for my birthday and I think the funds are well spent on infinity!

A creature of loyalty, I return to the spots I’ve purchased veggies from before...some rainbow carrots, assorted sweet peppers, baby potatoes, and I’m eyeing the apple-sized radish, thinking how sweet they’d taste when oven roasted, but decide I have enough for the next few days and pass on them. Inside the north market I seek out the herb stall for some mint, parsley and rosemary and head for the egg-man. On the way out the door, I overhear one of the vendors up-selling a customer, “How about some nice home-baked beans to go with that?” and I’m stopped in my tracks. Carman and I both love home-baked beans (we often joked about having them with toast for a romantic dinner when the kids were all out, as none of them enjoyed them). I relieve the gentleman of two small tubs and am ready to drag the trolley full of goodies back home.

A great late afternoon snack is in order once I have everything put away so I make Carman some harvest grains toast points, then add some pineapple cream cheese (his fav) and apple slices on top, a few raspberries, some chunks 18 yr old cheddar and then make up the afroementioned fig treats for myself (he hates figs, dates, raisins, etc. even though he likes plums and grapes, so I don’t get why he won’t try fresh figs...but, more for me). Now on a rainy Saturday afternoon, what’s the best beverage to go with this lovely treat? Carman enjoys an apple juice on the rocks and I decide on the last glass in the bottle of a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, ahhh...

A Beep & A Call - At 10:35, Carman is watching MI-5 on his iPad, while tuning in from time to time to some show on the TV and I am quietly reading, when my phone dings, indicating I have a test message. It’s from Brad, which makes me happy, as we haven’t chatted in a few days but I do a double take when I see the text, and it goes like this:

Jess just got the call!!!!!

What?

For real?

Does she need a ride?

Yes seriously

I think her and Bonnie are on their way

OMG that’s wonderful

They told her to get there ASAP, they have a match

We text a bit longer back and forth and he tells me that Bonnie’s son is still there so will drive them to TGH, then at his suggestion I text Jess to see if she wants us to come along, or if she needs anything looked after. It goes like this:

Need a ride anywhere?

Ahhhhhh

Wayne is driving us there right now!!!!!!!!!

Want us to come over?

It’s ok

I’ll be fine

This is nits

Nuts

Can’t breathe

Don’t stop breathing just yet!

At hospital

Good start, go to emerg, then you’ll likely go to 7th

I’m in emerg now

Emerg*

Good girl - you’re doing great so far!

Once admitted, they assured Jess nothing would be happening that night, and even sent Bonnie home for some rest. So we all did our best to get some sleep.

This is a story worthy of it’s very own blog, so I’ll write more about it later. At this point, I’ll tell you it was an adrenaline, emotion filled 3 days for all of us. Ultimately, the lungs didn’t go to Jess but that’s a bad news/good news story too...so keep watching for the details in Monday’s blog!

On Sunday, our former Carmen Cres. neighbours, Jill & Tony and Janet are coming for lunch - and at 12:17 I receive a text saying they’re on their way. It’s about a 6 minute drive from their hotel, so we should see them in about 15 minutes, allowing for traffic. Close to an hour later they finally arrive, having had a bit of a tour in the area, GPS played havoc with them. We live on a “Place” and there is also a “Terrace” and a “Street” with the same name. The good news is they found us and arrived with a cooler full of goodies. Jill’s homemade turkey soup, assorted sandwiches, cheeses, crackers, sweet potato chips and pretzels...we couldn’t eat it all if we tried!

We gave it our best shot and enjoyed a great visit - lots of news and laughs to share. As Jill put it, we were neighbours by accident and became friends by choice! A very good choice I’d say  :o)

Thanks Jill, Tony & Janet for the lovely lunch and a great visit!

Jill, Tony, Me (in mirror) Carman & Janet