I have a tendency to forget my grocery/library/canvas tote of enormous proportion whenever I need it. Thus, I beg the sales clerk to let me just put the things back in the cart--unbagged-- and let me put them loose in my trunk (unless I purchased so little that it can stick in my--still giant--"mom-bag"). They give me a look like I'm insane but let me go for it.
This is fine most of the time, but once in a while I long for ready-made cheep reuasbles (string bags would be great: I have yet to finish many a linen knit or crocheted one. They're all in unfished heaps around the house) for produce shopping. I want 3 daikons but where to put them? Next to the apples (also unbagged)? Let them cuddle with the soaking wet spinach that is dripping on everything else because I couldn't bear to bag it in plastic (and yes, forgot my totes yet again).
My brainstorm leads me to etsy. Etsy.com for those of you who don't etsy. I've got to find someone more industrious than myself who would practically donate these items for use and reuse at grocery stores. ...Like a library, but for bags at the grocery store. They lend, we borrow and return. Sounds fair? And Good Samaritans all over the world (who have free time) could knit/crochet these babies up. I'm talking about those knitted bags that are all net-like and hole-y. Perfect for produce. And Good Samaritan Sewers could whip up canvas bags for those who don't want to piece-meal things into their trunks or who are being even better--they're walking or biking or carpooling and there's no where for all those groceries or what-have-you to mingle about!
Genius, no?
I've also created my avatar for immortalgeisha.com. I hope it looks good. Translated as "Autumn Fox" it is Kitsune-Aki (my screenname)...may be sort of fitting. In mythology, there was a sly fox who lived amongst the kaiseki, but covered her true identity and red fur with magic and a mask (or a heck of a lot of geisha make-up?). She was trying to find her true love who was a aristocracy assigned to the shogun (no wonder she couldn't find him!). It ended tragically; her mother-in-law noticed the red fur from beneath her yukata coming back from her bath... I guess she didn't have time to paint on her eyebrows as well! LOL
For my Kitsune Aki (I'm red-haired and I have quite a nose...not something you'd see on most people who wear kimono or yukata), The scenery is obviously Autumn and has that colorscheme, but the geisha has red hair... maybe she was thought to be inhuman because that shade of coloring didn't coincide with the myths and fairy tales of Ancient Japan. ...Her eyes are green too, she has a longer nose. But her eyebrows have been shaved off and are painted on (just like everyone from that period!). Underneath her painted red lips, she probably has blackened teeth to further her attractiveness! www.immortalgeisha.com is more about the history of geisha (you'd be surprised at what you don't know) and the intricacies, history and metaphor of kimono and kitsuke. A glimpse into a luscious metaphor for living that we don't get in Western Society.
Go green and eat Japanese-style at home for 2 weeks. You'll feel better, you'll be doing more for your environment (it's about fresh, seasonal produce and meats, fish & poultry with minimal cooking to best bring their real flavour out), and you'll spend less time in the kitchen and more time living green! I don't mean Japanese Restaurant-style. I mean home-style: soups, rice, little meals quickly prepared with few ingredients and offered with condiments. Japanese "comfort food."
Isn't going green comforting too?
