Never as alone as I'd like to be

So it was all kinds of fun to wake up this morning to the sound of Brad pounding on the kitchen counter. Which means one thing. He's killing bugs. For some reason, the George Foreman we used Monday night did not attract bugs for 36 hours. After I had scrubbed it. It was drying on a clean towel when it was discovered, and this morning there were dozens of little nasty ants all over the towel, the countertop, the sink, and under the sink. Blech! I'm seriously considering calling the exterminator. It's just a fact of Florida life, though. Rainy season equals indoor bugs.

In other news, I have located the elusive Chef Boyardee single-pizza pepperoni kit. Walmart.


Our mail has been messed up since we moved into our house nearly two years ago. Apparently the mail folks can't figure out how there could be more than one household of Bresslers, so we get Ralph and Chris's mail constantly. Still. Now we're getting mail that just sort of sounds like our name. No, there is no Edith Ressler here. Not even close.


Today I FINALLY remembered that Thursday is Farmer's Market day in downtown Fort Myers. I have been unemployed and free for nearly four months of Thursdays, and I remember only now. Need that gingko to help the memory. I went today and was pleasantly surprised! It's right near the river (look past the park for the boats)...


...and under the bridge. Novel idea! I wondered how the vendors would fare in the summer sun. It was warm as always but not stifling, thanks to the shade.




I picked up some onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Maybe next time I'll get there before noon and there will be more to choose from. It's not the same as up north, where the Michigan cherry-pickers have just driven in for the market. Some of the stuff here is packaged in "Grown in California" bags (celery), making me wonder if someone raided the Publix dumpster this morning. But I'm going to choose to ignore that and just pretend it was charming.

In other news, I'm still working on the shell wreath. The tacky glue is great but takes forever to dry, so I can only do one layer of shells and then have to wait a day. Should be finished tomorrow, hopefully. We have family night here, featuring my red sauce in a pasta casserole and also lasagna. We'll also be celebrating Jeff's birthday.

And on Saturday, I'm going to a craft show! I cringe at the word "craft", as it conjures up images in my head of Americana/checked stenciling/chickens/words spelled with K that shouldn't be (kute krafts). Those things are all fine and great and if your kitchen is chicken-themed, I'm sure it's very sweet. However, I consider myself a bit of a renegade and wish there was a different word than crafts. But I guess it's what I do-- what else would you label the category that includes my shell wreath, failed floor cloth, homemade purses, etc.?

So the point of all of that is to say, I'm thinking about making stuff and selling it. We had a couple over for dinner on Monday and Ashley and I just clicked. She's crafty, creative, resourceful, clever, and it wasn't long before our conversation turned to hobbies (shell wreath station set up in the living room didn't hurt). She makes jewelry and quilts and other stuff, and after she saw my homemade bags she said I should be selling them. Some of you have said that as well, and I've considered it but haven't had any concrete guidance as to how to do that. So Ash and I talked about what to sell, where to sell, etc., and are considering signing up for a craft show in November. And while I'd like to sell purses, they're time-intensive and I'm not sure how apt people are to spend $40 on a purse. I could be wrong. I'm now thinking about making kitchen-y things-- cool aprons, hot pads, embellished towels, and calling it something like Kitty In The Kitchen, or In the kitchen with Kitty. (Kitty is the nickname I'll assume when I'm old enough to pick my own nickname. I'll also squint my eyes when I smile, just like Kitty on That 70's Show.) I already made a bunch of hot pads as I needed them for myself. I bought a package of washcloths from Target and sewed them up just like my grandmother does. Best hot pads in town, and versatile-- they're absorbent so they sop up messes, and they go in the washing machine just fine. I'm thinking about naming the things I make after the people that they make me think of, like Grandmother Mary Liz's Hot Pads, with her picture on the tag. Which makes me think... I could ask all of you what your favorite thing in the kitchen is, or to send me a picture of you in your favorite apron... see, my little mind just gets a-going.

So what do you think, honestly? I think I'll have a better handle on things after we go to the craft show on Saturday. There I'll see if there are a hundred apron vendors, etc. But what's your opinion? Is there money to be made there? What do you think of the kitchen-stuff idea? Please share.