Growing up on the edge of Broad Ripple did not stop us from shopping downtown. While there were IGAs, A&Ps, and Standard groceries, drug, dime, and variety stores nearby, major shopping was done in the heart of the city.

My dad drove a green International Harvester pickup truck years before doing so was cool. On Saturday mornings, he would pile us into the cab and head to the City Market so my mother could be left in peace to bake brownies, cakes, and pies for the next week.

City Market in those days was packed with stands selling produce, meats, cheeses, and baked goods. Dad would pull into the adjoining covered parking garage (no longer there), and as soon as we hit the door, we were free to wander. It was a safe place to explore and head to our favorite stands. I loved the floral booths because they would let me go through their trash to pick out the cast-off flowers. I could usually make a small bouquet, which I carried while catching up with my dad.

After purchasing the usual honeydew, coffee cake and several kinds of cheese, we always ended at Constantino's fruit stand. We grew up visiting this stand religiously. There was always an extra FREE apple, orange, or peach for children on Saturday mornings. This generous retail gifting was part of the Constantino ladies' style for more than a generation. Eventually my pre-school son found his way to the fruit stand for his handout.

Once our marketing was done, we loaded the brown shopping bags into the back of the truck and headed for home. My mother was always as eager to receive all that we had bought at market as we caught that first whiff of sweet smells from the kitchen. With Saturday morning rituals complete, life was good.