One of the perks of working the graveyard shift, as my hubby does now, is you get off
work at 7 am and can be the first ones to drop by the flea market, garage sales, and the
Farmers Market! In fact, the latter did not open until 8:30 am – so we had plenty of time
to stop by the flea market and browse. The flea market opened a couple of weeks ago,
and my great downfall is a lady there who sells used books. I almost ran past her today!
I've got such a pile of "to-be-read" books beside my bed that I just refused to let myself
add to it.

Instead, a chatty gentleman who had some handmade jewelry tempted us. The shirt I
wore today is a lightweight cotton shirt from India, with an Oriental dragon beautifully
embroidered across the front. (The bargain table at Second Hand Rose!) The jewelry
maker admired the dragon, while I admired a little onyx salamander wrapped with silver
wire to make a pendant. The husband, a bit tired and creaky from work, couldn't resist a
copper bracelet. Say what you will – we find that they help with our aches and pains.
We got the bracelet, and the salamander.

They serve a little breakfast at the flea market, but we had already set our hearts and
tummies for fresh doughnuts and coffee from the little shop tucked into the back of the
local grocery store. It is always a bad idea to go food shopping when you are hungry –
especially at the Farmers Market! We thought we might get a couple of likely things,
like a loaf of bread, and maybe avoid having to go back to the store before we headed
home, too.

Doughnuts in hand, we headed to the park where our local farmers market is held.

It was a mild 80 degree morning, the grass was green, and the shade under the trees was
just right to relax and sip coffee while the hub bub of people setting up booths and just
beginning to gather to shop slowly grew. Musicians tuned up instruments on the gazebo,
and drummers gave a first few thumps. It is always a good idea to be early to the market
– the good stuff goes fast! With experience, you'll come to know who has your favorite
produce and goodies and can be first in line.

When we lived in Lincoln, NE, there was a small group who sold the most delicious
variety of organic salad greens. They were often sold out in the first hour of the market!

Even before we got to the tables, I could smell the faint trace of fresh green things on the
breeze. My nose led me to a table with a great pile of big, beautiful leeks. Almost hidden
beside them was bok choy and Swiss chard. I purchased one of those irresistible leeks,
and a bit of the bok choy and chard as well.

You often find far more than "just" produce at a farmers market. Crafts and cooked
foods, as well as musicians and performers, often make an appearance. We bought
homemade peanut brittle at a table covered with beautiful hand sewn quilts and other
home needs, like oven gloves and hot pads. Another crafter offered hand made "halos" –
reminiscent of crowns for the May Queen – and yet another had unique handmade
jewelry.

While my husband visited with the artists, I wandered away - I had seen a man walking a
greyhound! We had a nice visit and I enjoyed a few minutes with one of my favorite
dogs. How I wish we could have a dog – but the land owner says no dogs inside on his
nice, new carpet, and the winter is definitely too harsh for a hound to remain outside.
Besides, I know that any greyhound of mine is going to end up sleeping on the bed and
stealing the most comfortable chair in the house besides.

Two tables offered up tempting baked goods. From the first we chose garlic herb bread
and green chili bread. Since we have moved to the Southwest, it seems that everything
can be had with green chilies in it! I've taken quite a liking to them. The second group of
bakers tempted us into a piece of homemade mushroom-spinach quiche.

A young man with a small table explained that he and his girlfriend had just moved into
town. Their new home and garden offered up just a few, sweet young greens for salads –
arugula, and green and red leaf lettuce. We bought all three bags! He assured us they had
just planted and have plans for an extensive offering later this summer.

Home grown organic oils, herbs, and treats filled another nearby table. We found an
Indian snack – Sev Gatia – tasted a sample and bought a bag.

With all these greens in my bag, I fairly danced over to a woman whose whiteboard
advertised organic eggs and tomatoes. Early as we were – the last of the tomatoes were
already gone! I did gather a dozen eggs, and then gossiped about chickens for a moment.
The lady farmer told me, smiling, "you don't make any money off of them" - but she has
just been keeping them for so long she doesn't know how to stop! I have already
concluded my poor hens will have to lay some 200 or more dozen eggs before they've
paid me back for the initial investment, but they have charmed and entertained me so
much that I already plan to buy more – even though I have been told that three to ten hens
would surely keep the two of us more than supplied with eggs. After all, some of our
friends are looking forward to enjoying the extra eggs. My own memories of the
goodness of eggs "hot from the hen's ass" for breakfast has me in glowing anticipation of
our first laying. Making money off the chickens is really not the point at all. Grin.

We were almost ready to go – but at the last table we discovered bags of sprouts –
including my favorite, sunflower sprouts! We bought one bag and then as we walked
away, discovered that I was planning to put it in salad, the hubby was thinking I'd put it
in stir-fry. He trotted back for a second bag!

The hubby and I regrouped at a shady table and savored the quiche while we did a quick
inventory of our finds and decided on a menu for the next week or so.

The salad greens and sunflower sprouts, with a couple of bunches of radishes from my
own pathetic attempt at a garden will make a big fresh salad. Much better than the sad
bagged iceberg we have been eating all winter. (Before you yell about the iceberg –
please remember my husband has gout and can eat only limited amounts of the dark,
leafy greens). Since we missed out on the tomatoes, we'll buy them at the grocery store
on our way home. (Over heard while shopping – a seller saying this was the hardest
place she has ever gardened – and it has taken her ten years to reach this point – I feel
slightly better about my poor garden)

The garlic herb bread begs a big meal of spaghetti – we'll get the rest of our needs for
that on our way home, too. We can't decide quite what the green chili bread inspires, so
we leave that for later. Perhaps something at the grocery store will catch our eye.
(Indeed, it did. We added avocados and cream cheese to make one of our favorite
sandwiches)

The bok choy, leek and more of the other greens will also make a nice spring stir-fry. We
just finished up the rice at home – so we decided to buy some of the crunchy noodles to
go with the stir-fry for a change. Some fresh mushrooms and a green and red pepper will
be just the extra touch of color we need to make the stir fry complete.

Some fresh, juicy looking red plums tempted me once we got to the produce section of
the grocery store. The cherries, one of our favorite fruits, were tempting as well, but
really a bit too high priced, I thought. We ran into a couple of folks we knew at the store
and visited for a few minutes, enduring a little teasing about this being our second trip to
the store in one early morning – then it was time to head home.

Blessedbe