Groce Me're and Project Genesis

My maternal grandmother worked at Moskins Drug Store in Englewood, New Jersey for many, many years.  The cosmetic reps loved her and would hand her bags of samples of every color and new product available; so each weekend she would come visit us with shopping bags loaded down with cosmetics, nail polishes, razor blades, brushes, stockings, toothpaste, soaps...you name it.

Ida Chavinsky Malone Puff MacFarland (yup, married three times)  The original Groce Me're.

My dad had a knack for creating new words and usually in several languages and he christened our grandmother with the name "Groce Me're" (grossa mear).  It was a combination of the abbreviated english word for grocery (Groce) and the french word for mother (Me're).  This was his way of teasing her about the grocery bags laden with treasure she would carry and bring each weekend.  A child of the Depression, she threw nothing away and repurposed everything.  She would recycle her brown paper bags from the local market to use and she was never without her net bag for fruits and vegies.  She was the original bag lady. 

You see men and women at local markets all over Europe with net bags like these.

About a week before the Deepwater oil leak, I had decided to begin carrying my own bags like my grandmother.  I would bring my own like she did when grocery and variety store shopping rather that utilize the petroleum based plastic bags found everywhere.  Yes, I know many are biodegradable, but you are still looking at years before that type of garbage truly breaks down.  I just wanted to contribute less to our existing landfills.  Would this bring an end to excess waste in the world...NO.  But it would bring an end to MY excess waste and that is a start and perhaps another would do the same and so on and so on.  (side note:  this is not about "going green" a commerical phrase that I cringe when I hear...already overused by corporations and activists as a populist label.  So, I'm not going "green", I'm going a "little common sense". ) With so many wonderful little bags out there, you can't help but want to do this. So I keep several in my car for grocery use and when I'm junkin. They come in handy for so many things.  Do I forget to use them, sometimes, but this is part of my retraining my way of living gently with the earth regarding throwaway items and garbage.  The Deepwater leak brought this to the forefront for me and I had no idea that I was setting the stage for my commitment to Project Genesis.  So I challenge you to do the same.  Utilize and reuse the nifty little bags that are out there rather then the plastic bags each time you shop.

Love these bright lime green Publix bags.  They fold flat and take up no room at all and hold lots of items with ease.  I have several in my car.

A personal favorite of mine.  A HUGE grocery bag (large enough to carry a small child in) from the local supermarket in Vincenza, Italy.  I purchased and carried back two dozen bottles of olive oil for work colleagues in this bag. 

Every girl needs a kicky black bag and this one gets a lot of use too.

About half the size of a man's wallet, I keep this little fold up bag in my purse. You would be amazed how often I use it.

The same bag opened up.  It is a huge, nylon bag that holds a lot of items.

My favorite bag of all.. Mood Fabrics from Project Runway.  This bad boy is big, black and screams let's create something.  Even bought one for my sista...she is crazy about Project Runway as much as I am.  As Mood Fabrics touts on their website, "Be the envy of everyone - get your reusable Mood Fabrics canvas bag now!  Whenever I go to Hobby Lobby, Michaels, JoAnn Fabrics or any other fabric/yarn/fiber shop, I bring this bag with me to haul home my fiber treasure.   

For those of you who want to create your own netted bags, here are links to both a knitted bag site and a crocheted bag site.  I've already obtained two skeins of soft cotton yarn in sea witch reef colors to knit a netted bag for my use.

Free pattern for a Crocheted Net Bag can be found at Suzie's Stuff.

This is an easy pattern and crochets up quickly.

Free knitted bag found at "I Live on a Farm."

Knitted out of soft cotton, this bag has a solid bottom.

So, I've become a bag lady, a Groce Me're if you will.  I like this reuse of bags rather then throwaway plastic ones and I encourage you to do the same.  Whether you become part of Project Genesis or not, our mother earth and perhaps your mother will be proud.  Blessings to you and all you love. Sea Witch