community – Ahuva’s Blog

Local Farmers’ Market

Many of the towns in our area have a day designated for the local farmers to bring the produce to town. After all, New Jersey IS The Garden State. I’ll tell you right now – I will put out NJ tomatoes against ANY tomatoes in the world – ours are the BEST. Our town has been doing this for several years now on Fridays. The hours have stayed the same, 11-5, but we now have the market from the first Friday in June through the last Friday in November (or maybe it is even the first Friday in December). The vendors have increased as well.

Besides the great farm produce (and it IS great – at least 5 different farms come in, including organic produce), we have bread, cheese, fish and a knife grinder. 🙂 I think it was last year when the food trucks began appearing. The smells are fantastic and make you buy even more because you get so hungry! Now there are specialty dog biscuits, clothes, vinegars, sometimes one of the NJ vineyards comes by, jams, nuts and spices. For several years there was a mushroom vendor as well, where I learned about many varieties I’d never seen before. And of course the pickle guy, with fantastic pickles (I like half sour) and pickled everything else. Sometimes there is even live music (a mixed blessing 🙂 ).

But perhaps the BEST part of the market is seeing all my friends and neighbors. I’d been at the doctor’s office (checking up on that pesky kidney stone) in the morning. I headed from there to the market. As I waited for some place to park the car, I chatted with my neighbor from down the block. When I headed to the stalls, I saw the doctor and her receptionist. I heard someone call my name and it was my friend from the other side of town (we’re due to have dinner together this week). Then *I* saw someone and called a name and my favorite veterinarian turned around. I have NEVER been to the market without encountering someone fun. I used to love to bring my dog up there too, because there are doggie water dishes put out by many of the stalls. We often end up with a stuffed bread (mozzarella, spinach, garlic) for dinner on a Friday. Or fresh cheese, bread and sun-warmed tomatoes. It is such a wonderful community event, and positive in so many ways. I think that it might have had a rocky start this year as we had so many wet Fridays (I was too wimpy to brave the rain – for all I know they may have done great 🙂 ) but the last few Fridays have been spectacular. It’s a wonderful way to end the work week – walking up to the market, seeing friends, and coming home with delicious goodies!

OOTD20150925

There are times when the world sends you a message. Everything aligns and it’s very clear to you what you must do. Your question is answered. I got such a message the other day, the end of Yom Kippur.

There’s a lot of back story to this so it maybe yet another tl;dr. I am affiliated with a congregation where I pay dues, celebrate all my life events, all my family and many of my friends are there and it is “my” congregation. But on the High Holidays, for many many years, I davened elsewhere, at a only-for-the-High-Holidays congregation. Long story why, but I did and my son and I loved it there. Not only did we belong, we were integral to the functioning. But as many things do, it ended. No more congregation. My son and I went to “our” congregation for the next HH. But to our dismay we found although we loved being with our friends and family, we did NOT like the liturgy, not at all. What to do? So we went to another HH congregation that used the liturgy we preferred. We had no friends, no family there. Just each other. It was okay. Not great. But we had each other so we continued. This year my son lives in another state and could not come back for the holidays. I went alone. I was lonely. I GO to services in part to “belong”, to feel a part of the community. This year I was lonely and realized it wasn’t working for me. I had a few choices. “My” congregation. The congregation in town where I know lots of people and they use the similar liturgy but…. not so fond of other things. The minyan congregation – a break-away from the in-town one where I probably know a lot of people. I sat at services and missed my old congregation. Really really missed it. Trying to figure out what to do, where I should turn.

So where’s the world-message? I had a friend, Victor, at our HH congregation. Victor taught me a lot about prayer, customs. He too was integral to that congregation. We’d not seen him for years. He’d been in very poor health. I searched his name and found his obituary. Four years ago. Sigh. It’s the first time, however, in all these years that I actually took the action to try to find him. Then, just before the holiday started I stopped at the store for some bread and there was Lucille – another integral member of the HH congregation. That’s two messages coming through the ether.

I went to the morning services and the one person I knew there since my childhood did not come. 😦 So the one bit of ‘family’ I was anticipating wasn’t there. I sat on my porch in the afternoon and debated returning for the closing services. A woman walked by, turned back, walked up my walk. It was Susan, also a member of the HH team. 🙂 We chatted and laughed and reminisced and agreed we missed the “old team”. She was going to the minyan service. On impulse I asked “can I go with you?” She said of course! And off we walked. When I walked in, there was yet another member of the “old team” – Alice. Susan had told me Alice would be there. The message, however, was WHERE Alice was sitting. She was next to my very good friend Amy!!!!! They were sitting in front of my friend Judy. As I sat down, and looked across the room, there was Pam. *smile* The liturgy was familiar and friends were there. I was HOME. I was so happy and so comforted. For me, it completed the holiday.

The world sent its message. It was very clear. It’s time to move to the minyan and find the community and comfort I used to have. I don’t have to be told twice. Isn’t it satisfying when you find what you sought? Thanks, world!!!

Grace O’Clock

I used to post about Grace McDunnough regularly. I made a point of making it to her regular gigs. I love to sit and listen to her melodious voice, her excellent song selection and to listen to my friends chatting. Then life got more complicated and it got harder to get to the regular weekend shows. So I’m always thrilled when I get to hear Grace during the week. This past week offered up another such treat. The word went out that Grace was performing and I could make it!!! I find her voice so pleasant. I like to get lost in the sound. (Yes, it’s true, I’m very partial to female vocalists I’ve noticed. Check out my iPod: Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Laura Nyro, Maria Muldaur, Jennifer Warnes, Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and more. But you know I like to rock it on out too. I’ll spare you THAT list.)

I had an additional pleasure this Grace O’Clock. Oh – for those of you who might not know, the Grace regulars refer to Grace’s performances as Grace O’Clock. *smile* I think that has a warm sound to it. Anyway, this time besides the usual pleasure of Grace and friends, I made a NEW friend. Another Grace “regular” was there – a blogger whose blog I enjoy tremendously. I IM’d a hello. Of course, being somewhat spacey, sigh, I confused THIS blogger with another. *grin* How humiliating. But I DID manage to redeem myself and get my people straight. We had a lovely chat about virtual worlds and real life and building and even cats (another favorite topic of mine). I was pleased and flattered to be friended.

For me, it’s often these little moments that are the times that make SL so precious to me. Music, friends, conversation. These are the experiences that tie us together and forge community.