Weather: Changeable. High 70s, partly sunny, partly cloudy, with a little rain.

Stephen's Line of the Day: Walking in the Farmer's Market Stephen started to drag. "Mama, my legs are getting bored!" he complained.

Farmer's Market

Daniel spent part of the day with Stephanie, who took him to a play at the Off-Broadstreet Theater in Hopewell. Tab and Jake were busy working on some projects around the house, so Mom and I decided to stay out of their way and do a little shopping. Mom wanted to visit the new dollar store in Ewing. I'd never been there and was curious, too. We took the twins with us.

The only dollar stores I've ever seen have been rather seedy outfits that sell plastic knicknacks and cheap housewares. This one was similar, but it also sells food items: canned, packaged, and frozen. And everything costs a dollar, or two for a dollar or three for a dollar, depending on the item. I was pretty surprised to see frozen Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice meals for a dollar but, frankly, the idea of buying and eating any of the frozen items made feel more than a little uneasy. There just has to be something wrong with them, else why would they be so cheap? At least the packaged food seemed safe. Mom bought a package of cookies and a box of cereal for us to try.

We ate lunch at McDonald's so the kids could run around in the playland, and then we went to the Farmer's Market. The Trenton Farmer's Market is one of my favorite places. More than a dozen different local farms have stands there and sell all kinds of fresh produce. At one end of the Farmer's Market there is a branch of The Italian Peoples' Bakery, where we buy our torpedo rolls. There are several different butchers' shops and delis there: one that specializes in Italian meats and cheeses; another that sells German sausages, Polish kielbasi and pierogis, and imported Middle European delicacies; and yet another from which we get porkroll and summer sausage. Finally there are the little stalls where you can buy all kinds of tchotchkes and trinkets.

The Farmer's Market was bustling, as it usually is on Saturdays. The air there smelled like the strawberries that are currently for sale and the roasting peanuts from the nut shop. The Farmer's Market won't be in its full glory for another month or so, however. Then the stands will be replete with the bounty of summer: fresh tomatoes, sweet corn, and peaches.

Mom bought some rolls to make sandwiches for their return trip, summer sausage to bring back to Maine since she can't buy them there, and several hanging plants for her deck. I treated the boys to cups of apple cider (35 cents, self-serve) and watched the throngs of people buying and selling. Capitalism in action never seems more appealing than at the Farmer's Market.

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