Regaining my sanity

Sometimes it takes a long walk to go shopping then stopping at a favorite bakery for a pastry and coffee while listening to the person working there talk about their hard days commuting in the ice and snow to help with your sanity.

Yesterday we took the long walk to Knight’s Market, mostly to get suet for the bird feeders, but also some other stuff.

Across Spring Street from Knight’s is The Big City Small World Bakery. We often stop here when we are walking home from Sparrow Market, People’s Food Co-op or elsewhere downtown. It’s a nice break on the long walk home. Yesterday it was almost lunch when we were done at Knight’s so stopped for a pastry and coffee.

I like the vibe of the bakery. There are perhaps three tables inside and several outside where you can sit.

The selection of pastries, both in the cooler and behind the counter is delightful. The atmosphere is always pleasant and welcoming. Yesterday after ordering and sitting waiting for coffee and out pastries to be heated Daphne, who works there was telling me about the difficult commutes the past few days. People were driving like idiots and endangering lives. The she apologized for complaining. I said “No, that’s OK. I understand.” And we both laughed. Susan had been in back using the bathroom.

Whatever is on the walls is also interesting and laughably informative. Years ago I bought a fire peccary from the artist who made it and was displaying it here. He was a school psychologist who used recycled materials for art, keeping them from the landfill or being melted for the copper. Susan and I would drive by the bakery and see it with Susan admiring it every time. Then one day it was gone, and she lamented it’s absence but hoped that it had found a nice new home. Later that year I gave it to her on her birthday, which still brings a smile to both of us.

As I am sitting writing about this in the darkness of morning I realize that it is once again quite cold, 1F. Then I remember it is January. The 54F day earlier this month was the oddity, the current temperature is, or at least was normal. Yesterday on our walk to and from Knight’s the temperatures ranged from 10F to 13F and we were comfortable.

More later…