Grateful for Sunshine!

Bright berries!

There’s no denying that Sunday was a gloomy November day, grey and chill and forbidding. We went out into the world for a while, but before long I was more than ready to get back home again and curl up with a book, a cup of cocoa, and fire in the fireplace until dinner time. Monday, however, the postponed errands could no longer be shirked, and so it was with a glad heart that I greeted a sunny morning sky. Even if the clouds were to roll back in before noon, seeing blue sky and shadows on the ground had chased my Sunday blues away, and when David said he would join me on my far-flung rounds, we invited Sarah along and set off down the road, all three of us looking happily out the windows at the sunlit scene.

First stop, Leland: bank, post office, library. NJ’s Grocery in Lake Leelanau was next, and another post office stop in that little village before we swung over to Suttons Bay so I could visit Radio Shack and add minutes to my little flip phone. Loaded up with minutes, I took the opportunity to check out the Michigan products shop next door, where I bought Zingy Creamy Tahini Vinaigrette from the Redheads and fresh farm chestnuts that came from my Leelanau Township friend Margo Ammons and her husband. Before leaving town, we stopped to visit a horse on one of the back streets.

A new horse along the way

On the way to Cedar, where I had arranged to purchase rabbit meat from a local grower, we took one of my favorite back roads in hopes (my hope) the draft horses would be out this trip, and there they were. Then — lagniappe! — farther down the road a horse I’ve seen many times before was now joined by three new horses! We stopped to admire them, and I felt my day was already made, whatever happened from then on. And the sun was still shining….

The Bunny Hop Ranch would be worth a whole photo story. It’s a custom butchering operation out in the country, and since it’s the middle of firearm deer season Julius Bugai and his helpers had been very busy dressing out deer, along with getting started on Thanksgiving turkeys. “We’re falling behind,” I was told cheerfully. My rabbit meat came out of the freezer in neat little packages put together earlier in the season, but one of the guys offered to add me to to the crew. “We’ll give you an apron,” he told me, “and then all you need is a knife. We’ll teach you everything you have to know.” Maybe next year I should hire on, but this was my day off, the sun was shining, and David and Sarah and I were having a few hours of what felt like vacation, so I thanked the butchers and went on my way. 

Pegtown Station in Maple City is closed on Mondays, so we went back to the Cedar Tavern for lunch and shared a big plate of nachos, and then — back into the sunshine and through Maple City to detour past a major horse operation, because this, you see, is my idea of a drive in the country: seeing as many horses as possible. 

Unlike Sunday’s gloom, Monday was an inviting and cheerful day all over Leelanau County. No more bright reds and oranges and yellows of maples and popples, but somehow in the sunshine the browns of oak leaves looked very rich and warm and beautiful, so when David stopped to look over a car for sale, I strolled down the road a way with my camera. Staghorn sumac berries glowed in the light, which illuminated even nearly colorless grasses so that they looked ethereal.

We stopped once again at the library in Leland, this time for movies, and I made a quick dash into the Merc (Leland Mercantile, Leland’s grocery store since forever) for a bottle of hard cider from Tandem and some good organic carrots, picking up parsnips too for good measure, and then we were ready to go home. 

What a day! Looking and laughing, playing the radio or talking to each other, stopping to visit horses in three or four different places along the way, and going out for lunch, it really did feel as if we were on vacation all day long, and I was grateful for the sunshine, for the company of my darling and our dog, for the beauty of the countryside, and for the hard work of all the people providing good local food, not only for the holidays but throughout the year.

How strange that 24 hours can bring on such different attitudes to life! Sunday, I wanted only to huddle in my burrow. Monday, and my cup runneth over!

Oh, and I forgot to begin at the beginning. I’d been out first thing that day (well, second thing — after Sarah’s initial morning walk) to cut down a little tree in a crowded corner of our back meadow. But you will be seeing more of that in days to come, so I won't show it to you today....

This post is dedicated to Joanne Sahs in Northport, because she was disappointed I had not uploaded a new post on Saturday, and to all my friends and readers -- of books and blogs! -- in the Leelanau and Leland township libraries.

But What Were We Reading?

There is always plenty of eating and drinking when family gets together, isn't there? In my family, there is. One of my good friends sat in for me at the bookstore on Saturday so I could go next door to the Garage Bar & Grill to have lunch with my mother and sisters. My friend said she should be the one to thank me: "I got to sit here and read instead of going home to clean house!"

Besides having reading friends, I come from a family of readers. That, I think, has already been established. My mother and sisters brought books with them on their trip and found books in Northport, but during our time together we were talking and laughing and eating and drinking. Later, in our separate beds, we pulled out our books to read ourselves to sleep, tired out from sunshine and fresh air (perfect weather!) and good food and drink and talk.

I finished The Checkered Years: A Bonanza Farm Diary, 1884-88, by Mary Dodge Woodward, and passed it along to my mother, who had finished a book and needed another. I am the firstborn of my mother's three daughters, and I was born out in Dakota -- South, not North, but I knew my mother would enjoy reading about North Dakota farm life in the 1800s and be glad her Aberdeen experiences were milder. Here is the farm where Mary Dodge Woodward lived outside Fargo. I would not trade my old northern Michigan farmhouse for the windswept Great Plains.

Salmon one night, cherry bratwurst and linguine with pesto the next, roast chicken the third -- we ate well during our little reunion. For a peek at dessert, visit my brand-new blog, "From My Paris Kitchen," and tell me what you think! My family inspired me!

A Few Local Farm Friends

Approaching the farm market in Northport

Friday mornings are a bit like holidays in Northport. That's when producers of local fruits and vegetables and meat and eggs, vendors of local bread and honey and jam and such, gather around the old Depot down by the marina, and everyone turns out with market baskets and shopping bags. 

I wrote the Bare Knuckle Farm people a check early in the season and have been drawing down on my credit. 

That would read "Northport" and "Michigan" if I'd gotten the whole sign

Here is just a tiny sample of beautiful things at their tent this morning.

The bread lady's line is always long. I got fooled because she was facing into the park rather than out onto the parking lot this time, but she'd been so busy when she arrived that the croissants hadn't even made it into the counter display.

As has become almost a weekly habit, I bought beef and bacon from the woman selling meat from pasture-raised livestock but didn't get a picture of her tent. If you squint through the bread lady's line, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the meat tent in the background. I didn't make it to the Idyll Farms tent this morning, knowing I can buy their goat cheese tomorrow across the street at Motovino at the end of the day.

My total expenditure this morning was $55 (including $18 deducted from my BK credit), and I feel great about the way I spent that money. Look at all this great, wholesome food (you can't see the meat because it's on top of the ice and underneath the vegetables): Swiss chard, fresh tomatoes, a couple of eggplants, sweet little cucumbers that look like "watermelons for Barbie," as someone remarked last year; bread and croissants; beef and bacon:

Everyone loves market day!

Last week, uncharacteristically, I missed market day in Northport, because friends with a share in a CSA down toward Cedar were out of town and offered us the chance to pick up their weekly portion. It had been a couple of years since we'd visited Jim and Judy Schwantes at Sweeter Song Farm, and the place and people and customers and ambiance were as wonderful as ever. 

 There were lovely, big, flat green beans that I cooked up with with ham the next day. Delicious! We also got one of the biggest kohlrabi I've ever seen, radishes, carrots, lettuce, beets -- what else? Oh! There, on the board below, you can read what each family's share included last week:

I like the little note in the bottom right corner saying that if there's anything in your share you don't want or can't use you should put it on the "Up for grabs" table, where anyone who wants to can help themselves. Great idea, isn't it? I also love seeing the chickens walking around in the sunshine, clucking happily.

After picking up the CSA share at Sweeter Song, we decided to visit another farm, down south of Cedar, to try their Mexican menu. We'd heard good things about it and were not disappointed.  

Hydroponic farming would not be the way I'd go -- I'm much too interested in soil -- but the greens we saw growing at Cedar Sol Hydro Farm looked beautiful, and my taco salad was enormous and delicious.

Summer bounty in Leelanau -- what can be better? 

Will there be more farming books coming in the UPS truck today? I live in anticipation!

Arts & Crafts & Foods -- & Books (As Always)

Today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (it’s already started!) a holiday arts and crafts bazaar is taking place across the street from Dog Ears Books, upstairs from Lelu Cafe. With over 20 vendors participating, there’s a lot of variety in their colorful offerings. I was there early this morning as people were just setting up their booths.

Right at the top of the stairs I found Madeleine from Idyll Farms setting up a table of goat cheese. Ooh, that rich aroma!

Marjorie Farrell is so creative, there's no telling what new items she'll have from year to year:

Local photographers Sharon Kalchik and Karen Casebeer always have beautiful, tempting tables:

The maple syrup lady! Margo! She's here, she's here!

Sally Coohon from Dolls and More was getting a helping hand from her husband, Bill. I don't know what Bill thought he was doing here, but it looks like he's impersonating a reindeer!

The holiday bazaar is sponsored this year by the newly formed Northport Arts Association, the same lively, enthusiastic, idea-driven bunch who brought us Leelanau UnCaged in September. Carrying over from previous years’ bazaars (sponsored by a different group) is the idea of donating a portion of money from sales to the Leelanau Children’s Center.

With the sale on Waukazoo Street this year (instead of over on Mill Street – a different world!), I’m hoping Northport shoppers will keep in mind that today is also Small Business Saturday. Did you rush off to the big box stores yesterday? Today’s the day to think small and to think local.

Unlike giant chain retailers, my little bookstore doesn’t raise prices and then knock them down to make you think you’re getting a bargain. My new books in stock are full price, because that’s what fits the reality of my small town business, and my customers generally understand that and want my continued (modest) success. I sell my book bags for nine dollars apiece, which may seem high at first, but when I tell people, “You’re not just buying a bag – you’re supporting an independent bookstore,” they make no further objections and often turn to their companions to say proudly, “I’m supporting an independent bookstore!” The majority of my stock is used books. There are a lot of bargains to be had here throughout the year. There are also some very special treasures.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Whenever you purchase locally, goods or services, you are supporting your community, and that means local jobs and support for local families -- and kids! 

P.S. I’ve set up a new blog for my meditation drawings and will post them there from now on instead of here.

New “Kids,” New Looks, New Scenes and Old

Thursday morning David and I had breakfast at one of the new restaurants in Northport. The North End, located in the former Eat Spot building on the corner of Mill and Third Streets, features a local and nautical theme in its decor and good, fresh variety on the menu.


Most of the people having breakfast on Thursday were eating outdoors at cafe tables in the back garden. We chose a cozy corner inside, and there are also picnic tables in the front garden area. North End is open for breakfast and serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., along with pizza a couple of friends swear, with its fresh ingredients, is the best in town. (We’ll have to try that soon.) Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and until noon on Sunday.

Since Bill and Nina Collins bought the old Grandma’s Trunk building on the northeast corner of Nagonaba and Mill, for quite a while now the home of the Pennington Collection, there have been a lot of upgrades. Most recent improvement is new landscaping along the Nagonaba Street sidewalk--shrubs, roses, peonies and more. The focus, as I overheard when passing by, is on plants that won’t get too tall and won’t need excessive amounts of water. The new garden border wasn’t finished yet on Friday morning, but already it was looking good.


Friday morning is, of course, farm market day in Northport. Mario was at the market with a new, bouncy puppy (I’m guessing golden retriever), but I took no photographs this time—too busy planning and executing my shopping! Bread and almond croissant from 9 Bean Rows, snow peas from Bare Knuckle Farm, granola from the Northport Promise, basil and cucumber from—can’t remember, but he was the only one who had fresh basil, and I was glad to see it, because I didn’t plant any myself this year (massive oversight). The Bare Knuckle folks still have the most beautiful radishes and carrots I’ve ever seen anywhere.

On the way back from the market, which came after stops at the bank and post office, I treated myself to an iced latte from Brew North--my first visit to the coffee house this year. I know, I know! How can that be when it’s right across the street? Bur the barista couldn’t place me, either, though my bookstore is just across the street in the other direction. That’s how work-focused those of us in business can get in the short, busy summer season. Here was something fun, though: old photographs on the wall included a couple of 106 Waukazoo Street, long, long before anyone ever dreamed it would someday house a bookstore and an art gallery.



Here are a few other scenes from Brew North.



And here, back at the bookstore, is that delicious, buttery, flaky almond croissant before I made it disappear. Sarah looked on longingly--and so patiently that she was rewarded with a few crumbs. We had already started our day earlier at home with outdoor exploration, gardening and laundry. As David used to say, memorably, “We can sleep in the grave!” Summer! I come awake in the morning already planning my busy day, because when you own your own business, there’s such thing as clocking out.