Portal to Suburbs, Amish Markets, and an Orchard

On Friday, I took a 30 minute trip just across the border to Maryland.  In some ways, it was one of the shortest trips I've taken during this past five months of heavy duty car travelling.  In some ways, I felt like I had fallen through some sort of portal into a far away land.  

On my way to my sister's house, I stopped at the Amish Market.  I say "Amish Market," and you might think of covered wagons or big barns.   But this Amish Market is open Thursday through Sunday in a suburban strip mall in Germantown, MD.  Inside are various places to buy mostly food:  donuts and bakery; pretzels and meats wrapped in soft pretzel bread; meats; veggies; candies; deli items and fried chicken; dairy--and a furniture section.

I bought a variety of items:  food for lunch and dinner, treats, and a few items to take back to my seminary apartment.  Then I went to my sister's house, where we spent the afternoon working on our computers (she was working from home and I was working on teaching and school work) and eating.

My nephew is in high school, but not driving on his own yet.  Maryland has much stricter laws about teen drivers than the ones that were in force when my sister and I were teenagers decades ago, so we drove him to the gym and picked him up, and later, we drove him and his friends to a football game.  It was very interesting to be the adults in a car of male teens listening to them puzzling out this new school year, this new football season, their place in various sports teams, this place in their lives.

We came back home to have a wonderful dinner together, and when my nephew returned, we had a good chat.  Then I headed up to bed while my sister and nephew waited for the delivery of pizza, wings, and fries.  Yesterday morning we went to an orchard, and then I came back to seminary, loaded with fruits and veggies.  We didn't pick our own, but the farm store had plenty for us to buy, including some less than perfect items for a huge savings.

As I look at all that I bought, I do wonder if I need to adjust my food buying.  But I've always bought as if I'm buying for a huge family.  Not much of it goes to waste.  I'm good at keeping an eye on fresh food and transforming it into something I can freeze before it goes bad.

This morning I walked to Wegman's to pick up a few dairy items and a bouquet of autumnal flowers, which were much more affordable than the ones I've found at farmer's markets.  I am set for the week for food, flowers, and treats.  Now I need to get back to the work that's coming due in seminary.  Happily, I'm looking forward to that work.