Today has been chilly and rainy all day, but we were out of meat and ibuprophen for my achy neck, so the delicate flower hauled out the umbrella and took off to the market. My first stop was at the stall of my teacher friend to ask her where I might buy small wire cutters and wire for beading. She left her stall and walked me down the street to a small hardware store, in the rain. I didn't find what I was looking for, but what a sweet heart.
My next stop was inside the market to buy chicken breast, some pork and some bacon. When I went to the bacon counter the man began to wave his arms on either side of his head and saying the Lithuanian word for six, because the last couple of times I was there I bought six slices. While he cut them, all the time shaking his head and saying six, I noticed that he had sause in the other counter. I asked for a slice and told him my mama made it. He looked quite surprised and said "Mama?" I asked him the name of it and he told me. I tried to say it after him, and then told him that in the US it is called sause. He laughed, threw up his arms and yelled "I love you!" The meat aisle got a good laugh out of it. I guess I'm growing on him.
Del reminded me that when we lived in Lexington, Virginia back in the 70's I always used to look at some of the old gals there and say I wanted to grow up to be a character, but feared I didn't have what it took. In Lithuania, I think I may have some character potential, or maybe they just think I'm a crazy American.
The highlight of my day was discovering the fresh vegetable vendors have arrived. I bought a whole tote full of things - lettuce, radishes, parsley, spring onions and something that tastes like a mild turnip but is all white and elongated rather than round like a turnip. I know it isn't a parsnip. One lady was selling little bunches of a leaf I didn't recognize. I asked what, in Lithuanian and handed her my dictionary, but she demonstrated no glasses and finally pulled off a leaf and insisted I taste. It was the strongest garlic flavor I ever tasted, but there was nothing that looked like the beginning of a tiny bulb at the root end. I wonder how it would taste in a stir fry? I'll try it tomorrow. The last thing I bought was a branch with tiny green leaves that seems very important here. You see it for sale everywhere, and people walking down the street frequently have a branch sticking out of their totes. Maybe they are just glad to see anything green after winter.
By the way, have I confessed that Del and I have become little old people that people stand up and offer seats for in the bus? Even really old people do that for Del because of his cane, but at least it's only young people in my case. I still think of us as people who should stand up for old people, and we still do, but these days they are pushing 90. And when we were having lunch yesterday, Brook, a sweet girl, said so ernestly, that she and Darius have been so impressed with the way we have not let the weather stand in our way and are always out and about no matter what. I told her that we had lived through, though with much moaning and complaining on my part, 18-19 Ohio winters, so we could handle anything. She said that it was different when you have a car. To be honest, I would have to admit that I do go out in weather I would not have gone out in at home without a car being involved. If we were out of meat, I would made Del walk or done without. There is always a cheese sandwich or peanut butter.
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