Field Trip! To Roanoke City's Farmer's Market

The plan for today's excursion was pretty basic: hit the City Farmer's Market for winter squash. I was pretty disappointed with my CSA share this past week - the one squash I got was spaghetti squash, and while that's fine, and I'll make spaghetti, I wanted the good stuff...

And since I was going to be there, I figured I might be able to pick up some bread from On The Rise (no, they don't have a website, darn it!), and maybe sightsee a bit and share that with you...(the details of the food are over on Nana Sadie's Place if you're interested)

Here's the historical marker for the Roanoke City Market:

I've gone to the Farmer's Market for years, and today was lucky to find a variety of vegies I'd been missing in the CSA share. It's really a large marketplace, with lots of crafters as well as the farmers.

And this is the Market Square building rebuilt in 1922:

You'll find artsy shops and a food court inside - lots of variety - and on the front of the building is one of my favorite little shops "Seeds of Light." Unusual clothing, books, beads - it's just a fun place to spend time (I'm not alone, the place is usually packed and today was no different).

One of my most favorite crafters on the market is Enchanted Forest Soaps:
Of course, I'm partial - Enchanted Forest belongs to my friend Lynette - her soaps are sold here and on the Salem Farmers Market, too, by her family members. She has a lot of lovely "flavors" but my favorite is a lavender lemongrass (she uses real French Lavender!!). I sent other flavors (Red Clover was one) to Margene in her contest prize package...You know? As sensitive to fragrances as I am, I have no problem with Enchanted Forest soaps.

Then another of my favorite places to stop is with artist Cheryl Dolby at Healing Woman:
I failed to get a decent shot of her BMW - it's totally bejeweled and goes by the name B Dazle! You can see photos at her blog linked above...just look for the car section - it's worth it! Her art extends from wall sculpture and sculpted jewelry to encaustic wax journals to boxes (there's one of those I'm eyeing) - she is truly a gifted artist of woman-centered art - angels, goddesses & crones.

She also writes. Today I picked up a copy of this:

Woman Within the Web is a novel that speaks to women in mid-life.

My own piece of Cheryl's art is Renaissance Woman, gifted to me by a special "second Mom" some years ago:

Do you think perhaps I adore Renaissance Woman more for her coloration (the amethyst?) or the fiber Cheryl used in her creation? :)

The day was beautiful, sunny and pleasant, but by the time I'd arrived home it began to look as if the clouds were moving back in. They're calling for showers tomorrow.
(sigh)