Happy November!

It's officially fall--the leaves are yellow, orange and fiery red, we've changed our clocks back one hour, I have tomatoes, squash, pumpkin and kale coming out of my ears (thanks to my CSA), AND it's the season for bazaars. Aptly named. It is quite bazaar to see acres of tables with everything from crocheted items, to bags of fir branches and juniper, miniature stockings made of jeans, and lots of homemade fudge.

This weekend I joined my mom in her yearly tradition of bazaar shopping. I was actually appointed chaperone to keep her from spending money on crochet doilies or stained glass ornaments. I was happy to look around at all of the homemade products, but I was not going to spend any money. At the end of our hour there, my mom walked out empty-handed while I carried out a paper sack with goat's milk soap, and a jar of sugar-free fruit spread.

We are not talking about an ordinary jar of jam. We are talking about heaven in a jar. Pure, untamed flavor, sweet as all get out, giving me an emotional experience with toast. The marionberry blended so elegantly with the flavor of black raspberries. The woman selling her spreads and syrups was extremely nice and informative. She uses only three or four ingredients in her products, one of which is white grape juice concentrate for the sweetener. I chose the flavor, "Black Cap Raspberry and Seedless Marionberry" spread. It is incredible. It is the sweetest thing that I have had in a long time. I just smeared a thin layer of it onto my buttered toast, and then savoured every bite.

On a strange note, as my husband and I delivered Meals-On-Wheels this morning, we actually drove past the farm where she grows her fruit and makes her spreads! It completely took us by surprise. The only reason I noticed it, was because I had taken a brochure of the farm, at the bazaar, and really liked the picture of the log home they live in. It was even more beautiful and quaint in person, we noticed as our car whizzed past.

On a side note: There seems to be just as much and more of nature's beauty and damp, woodsy fragrance of the outdoors, as there is political tension right now! It's nice to turn off the computer for a day and enjoy this vibrant time of year.