WAUKESHA FARMERS MARKET, REVISITED

A WONDERFUL TIME at the Waukesha Farmers Market very early this morning. Near frost had all the fresh goods moist with chilly dew.

I saw a Hmong woman from Verona holding big bunches of flowers under her arm and trimming them easily at the bottom with a defty-handled, surgically-sharp oriental-style butcher knife, (easy slice-slice!) to give bouquets to her customers fresh and ready for water & vase on a return home.

I saw a new style of Indian corn pictured above, in multi-colors I'd never seen before. One of these beauties per bunch of 3 ears, tied by a miraculously-chosen fabric ribbon. These vendors were there from Elkhorn. My friend author Terry Mahoney (O'Connor) from Waukesha http://midriffmuse.com/ is presently visiting her mother and sister there. Waukesha. I asked the sellers' name, figuring Terry might know them. (Not real likely; Elkhorn is small, but not that small anymore.) They were friendly, the order of the day at the farmers market.
It was a name I would need written down for Terry, so these grandparents who were helping their grandchildren run the stand asked one of the kids to tear a sheet from her tablet, and the man scrawled his name. (above)
He is a long-time dentist from Elkhorn, now retired. He and his wife thought they knew the name O'Connor. "Didn't they have a large family?" he asked. (Yup, I think they had heard of the O'Connors..........) And the Indian corn is from a new variety of seed. Enlarge the picture and see at the colors!
I ran into old friend Carol Smart perusing the veggies. We talked at length. She looks great, as always. Bob, my former mentor, not so good, she said, but holding forth in spite of a host of maladies.

Carol is going to put on her play about her Native American doctor grandmother at Old World Wisconsin near Eagle on Nov. 8th, free to visitors through a grant. I've seen Carol's play when it was put on at Carroll College some years ago, and will likely go again, as it is good.
Also met a woman who was selling shopping bags made from pillow-ticking. With wide shoulder straps. She was from Bayview, but wasn't sure of the 3 Brothers restaurant on St. Clair. When I described it (see an earlier posting on the SRN) she recognized it immediately. Yes, it's the cream city brick historic Schlitz neighborhood tavern building with the belted globe logo turret prominently on top.
She is a recent newcomer to Bayview, she said, and will now go there for sure. "Tell Branco I said Hi."