Another Market Day

Saturdays have become my favourite day of the week thanks to Banjo’s New Norfolk Market.

 

Obviously, I go for the plants – all the plants! When both Passionary Plants and C & M Market Plants are both in attendance, it’s a great day for me! (Not so much for my bank account, but whatevs!) Add Bitta Sweet Co‘s vegan treats and it’s a trifecta of joy for me.

 

That was yesterday. Yesterday was a great day.

 

On the way down to C & M, I passed by a cluster of friends who knew exactly where I was going. Deb and Russell and Christine and Sharon all yelled out, “Don’t do it Amelia!” and all I could do was shrug helplessly and stumble my way to the plant stall.

 

 

Marie (the M in the C & M) was all, “There you are, you’re so late today!”. And all I could do was look sheepish and start collecting pothos and trailing ivy plants. She, and my friends from Passionary Plants, had apparently noticed that I was running behind schedule today.

 

Swinging my two new hanging plants and with that ‘yay I have new plants’ spring in my step, I said hi to one of the pet treat vendors, whose name I MUST learn. The kind and lovely lady asked if I’d found my lost earring, which I’d asked the market organisers to keep an eye out for after losing it a couple of weeks ago. I was really touched that she remembered and thought to ask about it. The week before one of the attendants had also asked if I’d found it, calling out after me having apparently recognised me from my post.

 

That’s what makes a small town market the best sort of market.

 

 

When I made it up to see Ploy and Yo they also gave me the “you’re so late today!” treatment.

 

It seems no one understands how hard it can be to dig yourself out from under a pile of cuddly cats and dogs on a Saturday morning!

 

They’re such darlings, though. They always burst out laughing when they see me, like they’ve been keeping an eye out since sun up.

 

I found a new peperomia I hadn’t seen before and, naturally, bought it before anyone else could! It’s all variegated, so… there was nothing else I could do!

 

 

Ploy and Yo let me leave my purchases behind their market table while I visited Bitta Sweet for my Saturday breakfast. I should have taken a picture of it before scarfing it down, but I scarfed it down quick smart. Vegan orange chocolate brownie-type concoction that had me making truly obscene sounds of pleasure. I will always try to support food vendors at this market who cater for vegans, and Bitta Sweet Co are a couple of lovely ladies who have also come to recognise me on sight.

 

That’s something else I love about this market. I’m making friends with people left and right, and I’m always seeing friends. (Even if they’re laughing at me and how I’m always carrying armloads of plants!)

 

Buddy and I then went for a bit of a walk-run before taking in the market again. I like to bring him through as an exercise in socialisation and desensitisation – it’s so full of noises and people and other dogs (which we tend to avoid). He did his usual ‘wooo!’ to try and give Ploy a fright – he seems to enjoy doing that, the brat. Then we visited Canine Candy and he chose a big pork bone for his weekend treat.

 

You better believe I spoil my best Buddy, especially when he’s being such a good boy while surrounded by things that had been so stressful to him a few months ago.

 

He got ice cream when we got back to the car.

 

I ducked into the two op-shops and came out with a gorgeous purple cardigan, a stylish coat, and a new running jacket. On my way back to the car I wound up linked arm in arm with someone who may have spent a little too long at the new distillery stall and doing impromptu dance before we went our separate ways.

 

It’s not the first time I’ve been caught up in a random dance at this market. I hope it won’t be the last.