I'm a woman. W-O-M-A-N

We took Benjamin to the St. Jacob's Farmer's Market yesterday for the first time.  Why was it only the first time when it is open all year round?  Every time I go I get amazing deals on produce and wonder why I don't go more often.  Yesterday we received 3 free boxes of romaine lettuce and got great deals on strawberries and grapes and plants for the garden.  If I was a really great blogger, I would have taken pictures to post, I`m still trying to remember.  But it was fun.  Joel wore Benji in the baby carrier and we successfully navigated the throngs of people that were there.

And I love summer Joel.  The Joel that doesn`t have to study on Saturdays and has time to spend garage sale shopping, gardening, house renovating, or just spending time.  Love it.

We`ve decided to try the garden again this year.  We pretty much have a forest for a backyard and the only spot that gets full sun is right in the middle of the backyard.  Last year was pretty much a bust (3 tomatoes and 1 zucchini) so why we decided to try our hand at it again, I don`t know.  Oh wait, I do.  It`s the song that Joel sings from the childrens songbook about the prophet telling that we should have a garden that makes me think we should try it again.

So on Saturday the City of Waterloo gave out free compost.  Better be free since we donate to it all year long.  A task that I gratefully handed over to him this year.  I had the joy of going last year and was blissfully unaware of what it entailed.  First of all it was raining.  I thought that it was kind of a drive through thing.  Like I drive up, and they have some guys there that hand you your three bags and then you drive off.  Not so. I drove up to join the throngs amassed to get there free compost from the giant piles of dirt. Luckily, I had my mini pink shovel and some garbage bags in the car.  Unluckily I was wearing my strappy sandals.  In the rain.  And was the laughing stock of my fellow compost picker-uppers.  Not the kind of laughing like, aw, isn't that cute, she had no idea let's help her out kind of laughing.  Nope.  Definitely point-and-laugh and think man-we-are-glad-we-are-smarter-than-her kind of laughing.  So me, my pink shovel, and strappy sandals made it home with three bags of compost.

This year Joel loaded 10.

My ode from last year...

I conquered the rain and much and picked up compost in three garbage bags
With my pink shovel and strappy shoes without even getting a snag
Filled my bags, put them in the trunk, turned around and then
Stood on top of the pile and smiled because I'll never do it again

Cause I'm a woman
W-O-M-A-N
I'll say it again
I'm a woman
W-O-M-A-N

In case you are unfamiliar with the song - 
I'm a WOMAN video