April 22, 2017, Globe, AZ- This Earth Day will long be remembered, to the core of my being, if for no other reason than being welcomed by a new, and wonderful, friend, as she and her employer were trying to get set up for their busy Saturday.
I thought SunFlour Market was open at 8, but as the owner-chef, Willa, pointed out, the shop opens at 9. It helps to check the website. No harm, no foul- I was given a heaping plate of the most savoury biscuits and gravy I’ve ever had, and stayed out of their way, while set-up continued. I will be a semi-frequent visitor to this unassuming gem, over the next few months, at least. It may well be that I become a regular, starting in August, but that’s to be decided in a month or two.
Kathy and Willa welcome their patrons with lots of love and good cheer. As another example, a young couple came in, for a salad breakfast. The ladies fussed over the vegetables, for a good twenty minutes, making certain only the best produce went onto the plates. The husband pronounced their meal, ” Some of the best food I’ve had, in Arizona.”
There is also a mini-Farmers Market, Saturdays, 9-1,from October-May. The summer market is in Globe, 23 miles, and 1,000 vertical feet, to the east.
I spent a couple of hours in Globe, as well, given that another devoted friend has recently moved to the copper-mining mecca.
John and I went to another well above-average restaurant, The Copper Hen, for a reasonable, and well-appointed, dinner. The fare is Mediterranean (Italian and Greek), with the hours being definitely European. (There is a 2 1/2 hour break, between lunch and dinner.) Rooster and hen motifs abound, but this is not a chicken-oriented menu. The beef, ham, fish and vegetarian dishes are every bit as wonderful.
In between the two visits, I took a 1 1/2 hour drive over to Safford, an agricultural community, in the Gila River Valley. The region was having its first ever Multicultural Festival. It was a small, but heartfelt, effort, and I certainly hope it is repeated, fo ryears to come. I focused on two events: A martial arts demonstration, by a dojo of local youths and a talk on African storytelling, by an Arizona State University professor.
This mighty girl did break the slab, in three blows.
The presentation on African storytelling clarified several peoples’ misconceptions about why many African-Americans communicate, in the manner they do. One example is that Africans, traditionally regard timeliness as “in its time”, rather than “on time”. Another is that the African worldview sees no dichotomy between spiritual and physical.
Below, the presenter, Dr. Akua Duku Anokye, reads a short passage from an African folktale.
Here is a slide, explaining the gist of her talk.
I must have some of this, in my gene pool, as doing things “in their time” means more to me than “being on time.”
All good days come to an end, to make way for other good days. The sunset over Globe bore witness to that truth.
With these bounties, I am refreshed and ready for a Sunday of yard work and around-town tasks, then a solid work week. I will return, to Superior at least, on May 6. Have a great day, one and all.