Need-a-Bag Project Update 05.02.09 -- with construction pictures!

Here are some photos of the construction progress at the 441 farmer's market -- the first one is from a couple of weeks ago, and you can see it's all leveled. And then this week, there was a beautiful new permanent canopy. How is it different from the old, permanent canopy that was there a couple of weeks ago? Well, I think the old canopy was more like a wooden lean-to affair, and there was enough shade for the farmers and their produce items -- NOW, there's enough room for farmers, their produce items, and the strolling shopper who doesn't want to get sun stroke.

And sunny it is, folks, and hot. And the market was the "get me out of here, it's crowded," kind of crowded that makes we want to flee for the hills. But, I did get a couple of pints of delicious strawberries that are now in season, an acorn squash, some zuccini and yellow squash, a bunch of carrots, some onions, and some red potatoes. I'm waiting on the corn, though, which should be coming soon -- I can't wait!

And some kind citizen donated a huge stack of Winn-Dixie polyprop bags and some polyprop bags that have a plastic, two-piece handle that snaps together -- a "Grab-n-Go" I believe they're called. So great -- thank you, anonymous good citizen!

And, my mom-in-law has become a Friend of the Need-a-Bag? Project. And, I have a confession to make; I never told her about my crazy Saturday morning rompings doing the project for the almost year and a half I've been doing it. I'm a bad daughter-in-law! But, she chose to ignore my slight (wonderful woman that she is) and told a friend she volunteers with at the FOL about the project, and her friend gave us a whole slew of cool polyprop bags for the project! Yay! Thank you friend of my mom-in-law, and thank YOU, mom-in-law, for supporting your crazy DIL's obsessions.

I think we're going to have to make a sign for the drop box that says, "This is not a trashcan" because people continuously throw their used tissues and ice cream sandwich wrappers and what-not into it. It's really disgusting, and is causing more laundry work because we have to re-wash the bags that are in the bottom, next to all the used tissues and gum wrappers. More work = sad Need-a-Baggers. It is not a trashcan! It is a drop-box! Stop it!!!

And here is a lovely kitteh bag someone lovingly hand-crafted and embellished with shiny chocolate fudge syrup. You can click on it to get a close-up -- Yum!