April is the sweetest month

April is the sweetest month here in Nova Scotia. Ha! Fooled ya. It could be though. Today is windy, cool but sunny. Ron pointed out the glorious sickle moon to me this morning when he brought me coffee in bed. Hoagy and I walked down by the bay. We saw the dead fawn in the ditch. I had phoned the highway folks and they told me they'd come and take it out of the ditch and then the Natural Resources guys would come and pick it up. The guy told me that they often try and "pass the buck". But they didn't. Now the yearling is just his rib cage and his lower legs and his head - oddly exquisite as he becomes settled in to his new spot.

So what is going on here? I want a place to write down what I am thinking and planning. I got rid of the games on my laptop so I will be forced to work on my writing but also so I can make clear what it is I am trying to do. On Saint Patrick's Day I decided that I would buy no personal clothing for a year. So that is number one. It is odd - I am not a big clothes hound but I feel it already. Of course, I have plenty of clothes - I keep thinking of letters that went between the family members of Henry VIII and himself - they were always begging for clothes. Nobody - not even royalty had more than two sets of clothes and they wore them for years and years. What is the matter with us? So no new clothes. And no coffees that cost more than a buck fifty. What else? Oh yes, a desire to not do Christmas anymore. At least not in any way like I have been. I am a Buddhist first of all and secondly even if I was a Christian what does all this consuming have to do with it. So - I will send out a letter shortly to my family and close friends saying this I think:

Dear Ones, I have decided that it is not a good idea for me to carry on with the usual activities of Christmas due to the fact that I am trying to be less of a consumer so as this may affect you I thought I should bring you in on my plan. I will give small gifts (probably books) to my grandchildren and step-children at a gathering on Children's Day ( a Buddhist celebration that falls on Dec. 22 usually) and for the rest of you all I will contribute some dough to a well-deserved cause. I imagine that it would be fun to choose a different one each year and as I know Dad likes the Watering Cans one that will be my choice for 08. I really do not want any Christmas gifts from anyone and that includes Everyone. Let those of us who are close together in miles get together for a feast and enjoy what is truly precious on this planet and that is each other's company and for those of you who are farther away from me I also plan to take up the bizarre and ancient practice of writing letters.
love, your daughter, mother, grand-mother, step-mother, sister and friend,
Jan


So three things:

1. Don't buy new or old clothes for self for one year.
2. Don't pay more than $1.50 for a coffee.
3. Make Christmas less consumer driven.

I will add to this list as time goes on of course. Why have one otherwise. Jeesh.