A Woman's Perspective

It's been too long since I've had this blank blog page before me, the keyboard at my fingertips, feeling such power and freedom with the knowledge that all you loyal followers will read whatever I, Lauren Christine Fitzgerald Flanagan, choose to express! Ah, the World Wide Web!

Okay, so it's a rainy day and I've been inside a little too long. Actually, not true either. I'm prattling now (if you don't know the word: look it up; it's my new fave, probably because I do it too much!). Focus, Lauren, focus...

Denny, Big D (switched from Lil' D since he's a beast now), and I just returned from my favorite place here in Montreal: Jean Talon Market. The only way to give you an accurate image is to call it a farmer's market, yet it's so much more...Open all week long, every day, one stop shopping. Now that Spring has come-- and with it asparagus, tomatoes, leeks, rhubarb, and the like-- the market is booming. It's enormous, and there are outdoor vendors set up as in any farmer's market, as well as permanent stores selling local meat, cheese, beauty products, grains, bulk, produce, you name it. Any herb, plant, or flower is also there to purchase, along with other gardening supplies. Amazing. I can never get enough. After strolling through, studying cheeses I've never heard of and seeking out Quebecois produce for about an hour a half I feel like I'm just getting started... but King Dennis usually lays down the law and hurries me along.

I was recently able to show off this favorite spot of mine to a very special visitor... Momma Lolo herself (Lois, Denny's mom, that is)! She arrived the 1st of May, Dennis' 9 month birthday, accompanied me while Denny was away on his outdoor extreme camp, and was then here for a week after Denny returned. What a blessing! To see Grandma and Grandson reunited after too much time apart... words don't do it justice. She marveled at his smile and flirtation skills (wooing every person who is willing to look his way), watched him learn how to crawl, was here to guide us and snuggle with him during his first real sickness, and even allowed us a date night on her last night in town: what a woman! We tried to spoil her as best we could (especially on Mother's Day) by showing her our favorite spots, feeding her crepes, and drinking red wine and some local beer. We had an awesome time together, and are now anxiously anticipating all the time we'll have in good ol' Fountain Valley beginning in 18 short days.

As to not overwhelm you all with a 17-page blog, I'll save the stories of my growing passion for social justice through the way we eat and cook for another day. In the meantime, if anyone has any good bread recipes or tips, leave me a comment! I've been teaching myself to make our bread that we eat, and it's a learning process...

Thanks for reading; happy Spring!