top of page
Writer's pictureHilda Van Netten

To Market, To Market

When I was scrolling through today's photos, I noticed that words play a big design part in many of them. I wondered if I could find quotes to accompany the words in each photo?


Here goes:


Food:


“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold,

it would be a merrier world.”

J.R.R. Tolkien


Look at all of those marvellous vegetables!



It's been months since we visited Peterborough's farmers' markets. We started with the Peterborough Regional Market which is in the lower level of Peterborough Square. There are a lot of new vendors there since we last visited. The market was buzzing with activity.


From the picture below, I am going to choose the word "five" as in $5. And, the quote is from one of my favourite recent reads: The Hunger Games.


“Peeta, you said at the interview you’d had a crush on me forever.

When did forever start?


Oh, let’s see. I guess the first day of school.

We were five.

You had on a red plaid dress and your hair...

it was in two braids instead of one.

My father pointed you out when we were waiting to line up."


Your father? Why?"


He said, ‘See that little girl?

I wanted to marry her mother,

but she ran off with a coal miner.'"


What? You’re making that up!"


No, true story.

And I said, 'A coal miner?

Why did she want a coal miner if she could’ve had you?'

And he said, 'Because when he sings...even the birds stop to listen.”


Suzanne Collins




Four local potters have formed a collective and they take turns attending this market. Today, I met the artist who created this beautiful bowl. Cathy Allen. She puts an unbelievable amount of work into each piece: throwing the pottery, painting, carving, and painting again and then firing.




Preserve:


“Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you've read it several times?"

Mo had said...

"As if something were left between the pages every time you read it.

Feelings,

thoughts,

sounds,

smells...and then, when you look at the book again many years later,

you find yourself there, too,

a slightly younger self,

slightly different,

as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower...

both strange and familiar.”

Cornelia Funke




These two darlings were exploring the Peterborough Farmers' Market with their dad and grandpa. I asked their dad for permission to take a picture of them. They wore red plaid dresses, like in the Suzanne Collins quote above. Their dad said that they asked to go to the market every Saturday. He was hoping they would always do that.




Sweet:


“Many boys will bring you flowers.

But someday you'll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower,

your favorite song,

your favorite sweet.

And even if he is too poor to give you any of them,

it won't matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does.

Only that boy earns your heart.”


Leigh Bardugo


A basket of sweet potatoes, one of red onions and one filled with Huckleberry Gold potatoes made their way home with us. The boy who took the time to learn my favourite sweets went home with me too.



Happy:


It may take you a minute to find the "happy". Maybe that's the way it should be, art reflecting life.


“When one door of happiness closes, another opens;

but often we look so long at the closed door

that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”


Helen Keller




We were elated that both farmers' markets seem to be thriving. They both exuded a sense of community and excitement. Growing food to sell at farmers' markets is not an easy lifestyle. Throwing, painting, carving ....... and painting a bowl a second time ..... is the furthest thing from mass production and not a quick way to monetary riches. Making sure that two little girls in red plaid dresses receive their weekly fix of lemonade from the young man at the farmers' market might not be thought of as manly. But to us, it seemed like meaningful lives were being lived in both markets this morning. And, you can't put a price on that.


“Here's to the crazy ones.

The misfits.

The rebels.

The troublemakers.

The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.

They're not fond of rules.

And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.

Because they change things.

They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world,

are the ones who do.”

Rob Siltanen







20 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page