Farmer's Market, Art Show,

The Marco Island Farmer's Market every Wednesday morning yields me more treasures than I can carry. A large market basket, purchased a couple of years ago, saves many turtles lives by limiting the amount of plastic bags need to get my bounty home. It fills up nicely with grapefruit, green beans, and onions from Immokalee, local golden citrus honey, handmade soap, fresh tomatoes. I fill it until I can no longer carry it, and then it's time to go.

My last stop is always at the flower vendors. I love flowers and gardening, and always have fresh flowers in the house. Last week I purchased some roses, beautiful and with exotic coloring. Unwrapping them at home I was dismayed to find they came from Quito, Ecuador. Ecuador? Isn't the purpose of a local market to support and encourage local produce? To provide an outlet to help support local farmers? To help ensure continuation of our local food source? The roses were so beautiful, but they didn't hold up well at all. Less than a week later I've got only three. Of course they didn't hold up, after being cut, packaged, flown, drive, sold, driven again, and now on Marco. This week I bought an orchid for not much more, and the tag said it was grown right here in Collier County. I'm looking for local, and I hope you do, too!

The Marco Players are opening "A Bench in the Sun" this weekend. The Players intimate theater in Town Center Mall continues to improve and to provide Marco with great local theater. They sell out fast, so if you'd like to see the play contact them early!

Marco Island professional artists continue to meet for Table Talk on a monthy basis to share knowledge, information, and inspiration. We met yesterday and had our usual good lunch at the Marco Island Yacht Club. The Club was so busy that we had to give up our usual spot in the Bridge Room, but even though conversation was a little more difficult we still came away refreshed and inspired! Most of the artists are doing OK despite the economy and we're agreed that a slowdown is a great time for improving our skills. It was fun to see how Judy prepared a new "board" and Joyce's new work! Others brought information to share and items to discuss. You can meet most of us on the Esplanade tomorrow, Saturday, where we'll be displaying our work as part of the Left Bank Art Show. Come along and see for yourself!