Stationery stores are magical places.  Not big chain stores, I can’t imagine getting excited about going to Staples, but small independent stores that reflect the owner’s personality.  Indigo and Chapters have pretty good stationery departments now that I think about it.

When I work I always need to have a notepad beside me.  I’ve tried those virtual sticky notes but…

My favourite is a pad with squares rather than lines.  No idea why, I just like the grid better.  In France I discovered a 5 x 7 pad made by Rhodia and have been using them for about 10 years.

I ran out of my french stash in the fall and went looking for something to replace it with.  There’s no real thrill in going to Staples but I figured it would be the best place to look.  No 5 x 7 pads with squares.  I couldn’t find anything so settled for 8 x 10 with squares.

The paper was not nice.  I hadn’t realized how lovely French paper is, smooth, thick, a joy to write on.

Rhodia notepads in Toronto

Yesterday I went into Marlborough’s on Bloor West and discovered…

Rhodia pads!

Yes, the exact pads that I’d been looking for.  And other French paper, pens and inks.

If you’ve ever been to a papeterie – a stationery store – in France you’ll recognize Marlborough’s.  If you haven’t then it’ll be like a little french interlude.

There are pens and pencils to lust after, wonderful textured papers, cards, paints, file folders, diaries, journals, envelopes, toys, inks, always something you didn’t know you needed but really can’t live without.  I plan to be a regular.

Marlborough’s
Bloor West Village
2346 Bloor St West
Toronto ON M6S 1P3

416-767-9121

Rhodia links

• Rhodia Drive
• Rhodia Drive on Facebook
• Exaclair Inc – the US distributor of Rhodia – has a list of online retailers

We arrived at about 9 am and I was amazed at the number of people there.  I had thought that we’d be early and it wouldn’t be too crowded.  It opens at 6 am; a little too early for me but obviously not for a lot of other people.  Some of them were already having burgers and fries when we arrived.  Breakfast?  Lunch?

It’s a big market, kind of like a tiny village with streets – and booths instead of houses.  Too big for me to look at every booth.  A lot of booths that I really didn’t want to see.  Stuff I call ‘market tat’. 

My goal at a market is to buy local.  I don;t really want to buy the same stuff that I can get in a supermarket – unless the price is incredibly low.

There were lots of strawberries.

And beets. mmmmm

And peas and carrots and garlic and new potatoes.  Even some very early corn.  It was delicious. 

We had corn and pierogies and beet greens for dinner.  I haven’t had pierogies for years.  Don’t know why not. 

The Keady Farmer’s Market is open from 6 am to 2 pm on Tuesday from May through September.

It’s at RR 4 Tara, about 15 km southwest of Owen Sound.

Worth a visit.

The system is now holding its annual book sales. Throughout the Summer and into the Fall, several branches will host book sales.

Come on out and see what bargains you can find.

The book sales run during regular hours.

There are some great books on sale at the following libraries…places, dates and times below.

Seaforth: Friday July 25th, 10:00 am till 5 pm.

Blyth: Tuesday September 9th, Thursday September 11th, Friday September 12th, and  Saturday September 13th. The Blyth library is in the Blyth Theatre Festival building. Their book sale covers parts of 3 days.

Clinton: September 19th right through until September 27th.

(Incidentally, this is now the town where Alice Munro had her home for many years)

Wingham: Thursday November 6th to the 9th. This sale gives you a chance to buy   books in November.  A good time to look for gifts in the birthplace of that famous Canadian author, Alice Munro. Libraries are a wonderful place to buy books. No one will hover around trying to get you to part with your money…the prices are right…and by purchasing a book, you are helping the library – as well as getting a bargain. And take your children, because quite often there are games for sale as well as childrens’ books.

If the book sale is your first visit to one of the county libraries, rest assured, it will not be your last.

You can read a little about the history of the Huron County Libraries here.

Happy book hunting!

It’s not big as markets go but I like it a lot.  I bought baby beets, strawberries – more about them on another post – cookies from Janice Grootendoorst – we call her the cookie lady, she makes amazing cookies, and banana and carrot bread – 2 separate breads- from Tanya Pisani.  Delicious.  Yet another reason to visit her in Maxwell.

And for something not food related … there’s always someone with free kittens.  There were two kittens this week and they were a bit older than usual.  They had to go in a carrier because they kept climbing out of the pen so they could explore.

The Flesherton Market runs from May to October on Saturday morning.

There are a lot of markets in Grey County and in Bruce County.  You can find a farmers’ market near you at the Grey Bruce Foodlink site.  An excellent site.

Today when I went to the post office in Goderich I was surprised to see that there was something on in the square.  Usually I’m pretty good at spotting notices for things like art and craft fairs but I’d missed this entirely.

I didn’t count booths but there are a fair number of exhibitors and a good variety of stuff for sale.  The only thing I bought was a fridge magnet even though I saw other things I liked.  Guess I wasn’t in shopping mode.

If you’re in the Goderich area this weekend it’s worth dropping by the square.  If you’re incredibly organized you could do some Christmas shopping!  The show runs today, Saturday, and Sunday.

Maybe a lawn tractor is an agricultural vehicle.

Now it’s part of a complex.  Still a great place to go. 

The best booths are the local producers.  I bought fiddleheads from a Mennonite who wanted to know how I cooked them.   "Steam them and then add some butter, some white vinegar, and some pepper – it’s the way my grandmother always did them."  He said that sounded good, he hadn’t thought of vinegar.  I asked him if he liked  fiddleheads.  "Not really" he said.  "I just pick them and sell them."

I was born in Saint John, for me fiddle heads are spring.  Fiddleheads, new potatoes, and Atlantic salmon.  It’s a spring dinner. It’s tonight’s dinner.

There was also rhubarb, another sure sign of spring.  I’m not a rhubarb fan.  It makes a gritty coating in my mouth.  Yuck.  Everyone I know loves it.  No accounting for tastes!

Lots of people selling bedding plants, – flowers, vegetables, and herbs.   

Someone selling apples which seems strange at this time of year.  At least there were lots of varieties.  Remember when the only varieties you could find were Macintosh and Red or Golden Delicious?  Nice to see the old varieties back.  and to see some of the newer varieties. 

Oh, it looks like these are Macs and red and golden delicious. 

Of course it wouldn’t be a market without the stuff.  Clothes, shoes, sunglasses, T shirts, kitchen stuff, cell phone accessories, you name it, there was a booth.

At Marten Arts Gallery I fell in love with a bowl.  A stunningly beautiful sculptural bowl called "Metropolis" by Dan and Nisha Ferguson.  It’s not a utility bowl, I don’t think you could serve salad in a bowl with a name.  It’s a bowl to spark conversations, a bowl to dream about, a bowl to aspire to.  You can probably guess that a bowl with a name is not cheap, it’s $548.00.  A tad pricey for a bowl but not for a piece of art.  Unfortunately I don’t have $548.00 to spend on art right now.  I’m thinking of making a begging bowl for the blog.  What do you think?

We had coffee at the Little Inn a few weeks ago.   Actually, it wasn’t cheap either but it was lovely sitting in front of the fire in the parlour, reading the paper and sipping coffee and hot chocolate. The best hot chocolate I’ve had outside of France.  Someday we’ll go for lunch – reading the menu makes me hungry.  Doesn’t this sound tempting – "House Smoked Salmon Sandwich Seven grain bread, beet root splash and caper berries, Winter greens salad, citrus dressing"? Is there a required course at chef school – Menu Writing 101?

This time we had lunch at The King’s Bakery Tea Room and Cafe (it’s for sale) next door to the Little Inn.  It was raining so we couldn’t sit outside but we had a table next to the window in the back room cum gift shop.

I had a sausage roll and salad – the theory being that the salad calorically cancels the sausage roll. It was a perfect sausage roll.  Flaky pastry with a subtly seasoned sausage filling.  I love sausage rolls.

I think next time I’ll go by myself so I can do more ’shopping’ and visit ‘my’ bowl.  Until the May 24th weekend the best time to go is probably on the weekend or on a Friday.  A  lot of businesses aren’t open the rest of the week.  Things seem to open at about 11 am. 

Barbara and David raise elk – featured on the reeds’ menu as elk burgers.  Delicious, succulent burgers.  They’re for sale at The 100 Mile Market.  I bought some and plan to barbecue them this weekend (they’re frozen).

What else did I buy?  Sundried Tomato and Garlic Sheep Cheddar from the Montforte Dairy, an addictive cheese.  Delicious summer sausage in a delightfully irregular shaped casing.  Portobello mushroom – mmm.

If you’re anywhere in the Collingwood Owen Sound area plan to visit.

The 100 Mile Market
55 Trowbridge St W
Meaford ON N4L 1V4
519-538-1522

Hours:
Thursday 9 – 6
Friday 9 – 7
Saturday 9 – 6

If you’re near Goderich and you’re looking for something to read go and see Christine Ferguson at The Book Peddler.  She claims to have the largest selection of previously-read (used) books in the area and I think she’s right.

There are thousands of books by hundreds of authors but here’s a good thing – they’re all sorted by genre and author.  No great scary piles of books on the floor threatening to topple and crush you at any minute.  And, Christine knows where all the books are so if you can’t find what you’re looking for, she can.  As long as she has it.

Another good thing is that the books are all in terrific condition.  No mould.  I know, this seems like a strange thing to say but I’m really allergic to mould and there have been used books store in my past …

And the best thing .. you get to meet Christine and talk about books.  From now on when I’m near Goderich I’ll go to The Book Peddler to buy books.  and talk with Christine.

The Book Peddler
34 West Street
Goderich ON N7A 2K3
519 524 5224

Monday to Friday 10.00 to 5.30
Saturday 10.00 to 4.00

Open 7 days a week in July and August.