Nifty and Thrifty...

A good friend, Yuka told me years ago, the Japanese equivalent of the western, "a penny saved is a penny earned" is, "you laugh over pennies and you cry over pennies..." Isn't it the truth? Ever since reading the book, "Your Money or Your Life" by Vicki Robin, I have been trying to reshape my relationship with money. I've always been a saver but at the same time, it seems I have always paid full price for everything, mostly due to laziness. Now, I've learned to have fun finding the deal and it has become a new hobby.

I made the decision recently, that I wanted to present myself in a more sophisticated way. I am in the decade of the FABULOUS FORTIES, afterall. Gone is the folkie girl of yore, thus, I have been upgrading my wardrobe. I have found fabulous deals at many a consignment shop in Seattle, lovely garments with tags still on, Banana Republic, Talbots, you name it. Another shop which I love is the Discovery Shop, which benefits the American Cancer Society, Franko Sarto shoes, never been worn, $16 bucks, the same brand 2 weeks ago $5 bucks. While I have never been much of a consumer I find I can feel good about these purchases because it is basically clothing recycling. And, further, when I am done with these items, I can put them back in the system and someone else can enjoy them!

Well, I hope I might inspire some of you to thrift. I learned from the master, my sister, Nora. The thrift is nift!

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot?

Robert Burns, the 18th century Scottish poet asked the question, "should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind....?" The translation being, "should we forget about old friends?" The answer is a hearty, NO. Old friends, in my book, can be compared to that of an old sweater, they are comfortable. They fit. They make us feel secure. After all, they know us best because they knew us as children. We all still have that little person in us, even if we are all grown up.

A dear friend that my sister and I grew up with died recently. We went as far back as 1st and 2nd grade. Lori was always there through the years, weaving in and out of mine and my sister's lives, a tapestry of memories. This past year I feel very lucky that I was able to spend good quality time with her as we would walk every Tuesday together and then have dinner afterwards. The last time I saw Lori we talked about how we both looked forward to Tuesday evenings. We talked about how precious we felt our lifelong friendship truly was. On one of our many walks, I would talk about the different poems or songs I was learning and I was able to share this one with her by William Butler Yeats, a poem about the special and unique bond of old friends.....

Though you're in your shining days
Voices from the crowd and new friends busy with your praise
Be not unkind or proud, but think of old friends the most.
Time's bitter flood will rise
Your beauty perish and be lost
For all eyes but these eyes.

July 1, 1967 ~ June 16, 2012

To my friend, in heaven, I would say....I miss you, dear friend. Thank you for your loyal and enduring friendship over the course of mine and my sister Michelle's lives. You left us far too soon.......but your laughter and your memory will live on in our hearts and minds, forever.

Rest in peace, Lori.

Simple livin'?

I am a minimalist, I think.  I feel a sense of pride in not being possessed by things and keeping up with the Jones'.  I don't like to shop just for sport; I make chicken stock out of my once a week free range bird from Met Market, after it is picked clean; I bring reusable totes to the co-op....and I don't usually like two of anything if I an get by with one. But, can I really know what true minimalism is whilst residing in the most consumer-oriented culture in the Western world?  Doubt it. Do I really live a materially minimalist lifestyle like someone in a nomadic culture would? No way. Do I know what living without means when one has no choice in the matter, i.e. living in deep poverty. I think not.

After re-reading the book, Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin, I'm realizing that I can do better; there is value in being conscious of that which we take from the earth. How am I paying nature back? Nothing is free, after all. We all need to be more conscientious of our consumption habits, especially here in America. It would serve us all if we consumed less. Everything, without question, comes from the earth. We need to be frugal in all that we take from her and she will repay us for this respect in her glorious bounty.