Checking Out The Stuart Heritage Museum And Stuart's Market On Main

My friend Mark (seen in the photograph on the left), sister Susan (wisely sitting in the shade in the background), and I checked out both the Stuart Heritage Museum and the Market on Main this past Sunday afternoon. The Heritage Museum is housed in what was originally The George W. Parks Grocery and General Merchandise Store, built in 1901. It is the oldest commercial building in Stuart, Florida and is now the home of 10,000 artifacts from the 1880s to the 1950s. I remember years ago, when I was walking through the Elliott Museum, a sister institution located near Stuart Beach, I was wearing a twin lens reflex camera once owned by my Grandfather Spillard. One of the volunteers walked up to me, admired the camera, and mentioned that the museum would love to have it when I passed away. And in point of fact, it would fit in perfectly with the exhibits at the Heritage Museum. Hopefully they will not get their hands on it anytime soon.

We also checked out the Market On Main, located in Flagler Park, just to the west of downtown Stuart along the St. Lucie River. I was pretty surprised to find that all of the parking spaces in front of it were filled, considering it was so hot and humid, and that last time Susan and I stopped by we had our choice of spaces. Fortunately, heading back out the way we came, a space opened up. There are, of course, produce booths at the market, but also booths selling food, boat charters, home-made products, baked goods, and artwork, among other items. Mark bought a drawing from a very jolly man, who remarked on Mark's Detroit Tigers t-shirt, mentioning that he was originally from Michigan and also a Tiger's fan. Susan and I, as usual, were just lookers at the market. Between us we have so many paintings, posters, knick-knacks, photographs, and what-not to fill 10,000 rooms. I just dread even thinking about paring down all that stuff and have no intention of adding to the pile. Mark, on the other hand, is still young and has many more years of collecting assorted junk before starting to get rid of it all. Is that what they mean by the circle of life?