Postcards from the Edge; Beyond the Farmer’s Market

   Majorca (courtesy housetrip.com, tripextras.com)

it all started with a simple straw handbag:

Per Merriam-Webster: penchant for: a strong and continued inclination

Isn’t it funny how one’s quest for seemingly the simplest of items seems to carry one, well, um, away?  I’m not going to say here that I’m just confirming my own personal hypothesis, (and heart’s desire) of a lifetime or anything — I’m not even going to state it here for fear of getting into big trouble, but……….

Part of what I love about observing, wherever I go, is the local state of marketing.  You already know that I am obsessed with farmer’s markets, here, there and everywhere.  I have been known to nearly drive off the road when spotting a new venue of natural beauty.  Lately, I have been busy ooogling Wightman’s Farm, right around the corner from me, where their acreage is particularly striking right now.  I have literally been driving by and frequenting this place for my entire life, and yet, I have just recently discovered how beautiful it is – the plantings on the hillside are an oasis to enjoy.

Anyway, my field of vision does go beyond the farmer’s market.  I have a penchant for seeing what merchants of all kinds like to offer, how offerings change with the times and  the fickle consumer’s cause and effect transitions the state of affairs.  It is of great interest to me to observe how merchants chase the disposable income dollar – whether that quadrant of the economy is growing or shrinking and in response to, well mostly, how the youth’s dollar is “trending”.

In this regard, I’m not in denial, I’m not .  I realize that at this point, I am not anywhere near the radar screen when it comes to designers and retailers who are desperately chasing down business.  It’s all about “emerging markets” – at home and abroad and the emerging markets are those defined by the young gen-x-ers or whatever they are know as today.  Wherever big money is being made – in tech or in finance, well that’s where the lucrative spending occurs, no?  Well, in spite of the fact that I don’t exist on this radar screen at all, I still like what I like………

So, my big Question of the day is:  When you are searching for a simple thing, and your search takes you, well, elsewhere, as to a different continent, and over and over again, is there some subliminal messaging going on here?  And, shouldn’t one follow all strong subliminal messaging?

I was in New York last Saturday, roaming around and doing a few “important” errands…….hmmmm.  I went into a lovely little shop on the upper east side as I was on a quest to find, what I thought was a most obvious choice –  a summer handbag, and of the straw variety- and preferably on sale.

I’m not a big handbag person – to me it’s just a tote to throw all of your essentials in – keys, phone, wallet and a pink lipstick.  That’s all I need.  But to me, summertime has meant, carrying forward from my own formative years, a “straw handbag”.   When I was growing up, we always switched to a straw bag in the summertime and this is one of those things that has stuck with me – and I know it’s idiosyncratic and sillily nostalgic, but……..  It’s just part of the celebration, isn’t it?  What says Summer better than a beautiful straw bag and a pair of great sandals?  (Back then it was Etienne Aigner – and, as I worked in Epstein’s, I always got a nice one with my discount.)

Nowadays, it’s really hard to find a nice straw handbag and this remains one of the few rituals I like to continue as part of  my otherwise ordinary, if not boring wardrobe repertoire.  But, can you find a nice one anymore?  And, better yet, can one be found on sale? 🙂  And, do you have to go, um, abroad, um, to find a nice one – meaning one with a unique personality, one of subtle and somewhat classic character?  (You see where I’m going with this, don’t you? – all things converge in the middle? no, all things do, actually,  converge in Europe, my ancestral, and, yes, soul-home)

Anyway, I was wandering and I happened into a tiny shop to inquire.  A handsome and obviously sophisticated young man tried to help me.  Did he have any to show me?  We got into a nice conversation about how hard it was to find nice straw handbags anymore and he dropped the following line on me:  “I really don’t know, my Mom used to always get hers when she went to Majorca in the Summer.”  Well now…….. Hmmmmm, I thought, is he really saying there are no straw handbags – and I mean “good” ones in New York? Once again I instantly felt myself to be in the wrong place at the wrong time – as in, on the wrong continent. I should always follow my instincts……..

 Ibiza (courtesy gfsspirit.com)

I know Ibiza is one hotspot in Europe (why I had never heard of Ibiza until I read about it in a Rosamund Pilcher novel in 1987 is another of life’s mysteries), along with Ile de Ré, Sardinia and lots of other “Europeans don’t want anyone to know about” hot spots and islands.  But, had I ever considered Majorca?  My interest was piqued enough and I went home to think.  This was after I tried out Calypso, Barney’s and other bastions of handbag happiness along the way.  I was sure that Calypso was good hunting ground.  If not in St. Bart’s, where, I said to myself.  No results!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Inspiration-g4-c1-Europe.html

 Sardinia (homeawayUK.com)

 

 Ile de Ré (courtesy visit-poitou-charentes.com)

ah hah!!!!! here is a place for me!

 (courtesy telegraph.co.uk)

Anyway, you know I get fixated on some silly minutia now and then – and today is no exception.  (and today being the most sparkling of days here in NJ – yes, it was actually preferable to stay in NJ for the 4th this year – yikes, that sounds scary!) and I am heading to the farmer’s market very soon).

Seriously, though, I wonder if this was and is, the only obvious answer.  I’m not looking for some “amazonian” solution to my problem.  And, as in so many ways where life imitates art, could it be true, then, as stated by Kathleen Kelly in You’ve Got Mail, that American retailing is symbiotic with ” You, with your theme park, multilevel, homogenize-the-world mochaccino land.”  Looking across the landscape at the Dollar Stores, Costcos, Price Clubs and conglomerated-market gigantic box store phenomenons which all make me cringe,  I might have to try to go out and disprove this today.  I will try.

Well, this is what extreme and gorgeous high pressure does to me.  I am giddy with this weather (could you tell?)

I’m off now, to enjoy a day in NYC – sparkling in July like no other – this is a rarity and a gift and I’m meaning to enjoy it and fully.  Today, I’ll actually take this as my first choice, in spite of what I’ve just written – 🙂  I’ll try to remain a little bit “grounded” for the rest of the day.  But, rest-assured, I am parking all of these venues on my bucket list, yes, I am. In fact, I’ve concluded, as many gone before me have already done, that those Romans (of the Empire) knew exactly what they were doing way back when.  And so, perhaps, it is my mission to follow their road, as I have sworn to do of the other, the Silk Road…..

‘All roads lead to Rome’ – courtesy Logan Thompson

 blue skies, nothin but blue skies do I see  (Willie Nelson)