Coffee Days/Daze

Saturday mornings in the Summer are so precious. If you don’t get up early, you miss them altogether. On these mornings, we must always make a trip to City Market – where there is a huge farmer’s market - plus all of the regular stores there ply their wares out on the sidewalk. Tim likes to go because he is embracing fresh produce with a passion, which is fine by me. I likes me a good fresh tomato.



It began in early spring, when the market was only offering lettuces, spinach, asparagus, peas, and flowers - tons of flowers. Nowadays, it is bursting with tomatoes, potatoes, onions, corn, and berries. And always the Amish are there, with their delicious breads. I asked two Amish girls today, “do you just eat the bread as soon as it comes out of the oven?” They laughed and said they are kind of over it, since they see it so much.


If you don’t get to the market early, parking is a challenge, and Tim is a warrior. But most Saturdays this isn’t a problem because before I have finished one single cup of life-giving coffee, Tim comes in and is ready to go. He’s very kind... he never presses me. But I am aware of the fact that the parking will be horrible, the sun will be blazing and the crowd will be crowdier if I fool around too long. So usually, I am in a sleepy fog when we go.


Even though I love fresh vegetables, it’s not the reason I forsake coffee and couch and go to the City Market. It is because it’s a feast for the eyes, the nose and the soul. People, people, people, of all kinds. Musicians with their flutes, or trumpets or violins. An occasional clown. A balloon guy. The smell of fresh onions, melons. Families working the booths. The enticing, exotic spices being sold outside of Al-Habashi House, where you can get a scoop of just about any kind of spice imaginable for a dollar, or freshly baked pita bread. They also sell loose-leaf teas. Or you can go into the Italian grocery and look at the barrel of (disgusting) octopus salad! Or buy a grilled Italian sausage and sit outside and eat it. We always talk about doing this but we haven’t yet. Tim says he just would feel too guilty – they are huge and fattening.


After we have checked out everything, we head back to our car and home, where I can continue my weekend morning coffee ritual. As we were driving home this morning, we were talking about the teas and spices. They had hibiscus flowers and Tim said he had seen something on Food Network about making tea from them. All of the teas fascinated me, but I’m just not ready for them yet. I said, “I should start drinking tea, I guess. But I’m just not ready. I’m still in my coffee days.” And so I am.