A Market Full of Gratitude

Sabine:

• I am grateful for a day with no appointments
• I am grateful for the market we have on a square close by. I love the food and the weekly chats I have with the people that sell me my food. Sometimes, like today for example, it’s the only real life conversation I have all day long.
• I am grateful for the warm weather. I’m simply obsessed with having the windows open. As I have no patio or else it’s my way to let summer into my apartment.
• I am grateful for the things I’ve got done, not the most important things, but I got something done.
• I am grateful for yummy ice chilled cherry Schorle (juice+water=Schorle)
• I am grateful for the excellent dinners I have, and that I get to choose from all the amazing food I got at the market. Today it was a fresh roll with red herring salad (a thing from the north that my aunt used to make) and Taramas (a fishy dip that is just plain amazing on a fresh roll). And a piece of cake. There is a bakery that has spelt-rye-bread and cakes to die for.
• I am grateful for the delicious berries I have in my fridge.
• I am grateful for the idea to give myself a layman Thaimassage with a Thai balm on my lower legs. Esp. after having missed my Monday appointment this week.
• I am grateful for being okay with having a slow week with lots of movies. I’ve been training hard, and I needed the rest.
• I am truly grateful for having this as a topic to keep me on the positive track or at least get me back on it again. Esp. today after I thought a few minutes ago: You didn’t do much anyways today, you might as well skip it for today. And then I sat down, did it anyway and I am grateful for finding so much to be grateful for!

Amber:

Wow!  Great day!  I love food so I would be thrilled to have such an amazing market close by to use often.  One of my favorite things about being in Ottawa a week last Summer was to be able to wander the streets downtown in the market area to ponder over what to eat that day.  Fun!  Also, glad you were able to hold on to the positive track because of this group.  I’m finding the same.

Adrienne:

Oh I love the Byward Market! It’s one of my favourite places to wander around. It’s in my bones. I’ve spent a lot of time in Ottawa. I have a Soul-Sister who has lived there since we were in University. We had many a wild night dancing around that market ha! We danced all the way to Canada Day! In those days, everyone in their 20’s was doing the 70’s til 3 am! Oh, Nelly. I had this fantastic pair of lime green velour pants.

Then, by stroke of luck, my Homeopathy college was also in Ottawa. We “aged’ together into cool pubs, and really interesting restaurants. Probably the best Lebansese food I have ever eaten comes from a small family restaurant in Vanier. And THEN, when I moved back to Ontario, I joined a clinic in Carleton Place, so weekend visits grew into BBQs by the pool with her beautiful family.

These are such great memories. Thank you. She and I have just reconnected after a few years of time and distance – Hamilton is far from Ottawa, pooh. I am ever so grateful for her in my life, and this conversation reminds me to keep her close. I mean, I do this. It’s a side effect of moving around a lot. I have really deep friendships, that’s who I am, so when I see these people, or talk to these people, it’s like it was 5 minutes ago, BUT it feels so much better to keep them close. Good friends are good friends for a reason. They feel awesome.