This Week's Need-a-Bag? Update

I really shouldn't be blogging right now -- I should be studying, since I totally tanked on my last Age of Dinosaurs test (gah!) -- but it's been unusually busy at the library, considering it's homecoming weekend and we totally trounced Vandy. C'mon students and alumni, don't you have some post-game celebratory drinking to get to? But no, I've been busy helping people -- which is fine because I love that part of my job -- but it has left me no time to crack a book or even read this month's issue of Psychobabble Today.

Anyway, I just wanted to report about our latest farmer's market adventure. DG and I got there at roughly 8:10 am, stuck our stuff on the picnic table and then started handing out tote bags. When the person said, "I already have a ton of those," (but of course had none with them), we handed them the cute little half-sheet of literature we printed up last night; on one side is DG's commentary about the problem with "too many tote bags," and I had some facts about plastic grocery bags on the flip-side. I put a .jpg version with this entry to give a sense of what we are trying to do.

After the farmer's market opened we set up the remaining bags on the picnic table along with the literature, and DG put the drop-off basket just outside the main gate. Then we parted ways to run through the farmer's market to do our shopping. She's more attuned to the need to get to each table fast so you can get the best of whatever; I sort of meandered and ended up chatting with a lady I had met through mutual friends years ago. She was selling pineapples so I picked one out to bring home and I learned the secret to telling if the pineapple is ripe: Sniff the bottom of the pineapple and if you get a strong whiff of pineapple-y goodness it is ready to eat. In addition to the pineapple, here is my complete list of items purchased:

• Zucchini
• Eggplant
• Field Peas
• Corn

I didn't want to get too much more than that because I just don't trust myself to cook a ton of food without it rotting in my fridge, first. Unlike DG, I'm still relatively new to this buying local food thing and am taking baby steps. Luckily there were choices of vegetables that I knew would get eaten at our house.

And, irony of ironies, I forgot to bring a tote bag from home and so used one of Need-a-Bag's many fabulous items.

After shopping and talking with DG's mom, we left the bags and stuff on the picnic table and went off in search of more bags (and more coffee). We ended up picking up something like 18 more bags at thrift stores and yard sales. Plus we each got some shoes and a couple of styling briefcase thermoses -- I am using mine right now and am quite happy. At 10:30 we picked up the stuff and went on home.