Bought no new stuff today. Well, not really. By Ted's calculation we bought 2 plastic bags for 3 cents each because we went shopping unexpectedly and didn't have our regular bags with us. I guess that should count. We did resist buying lunch baggies--a staple we've relied on in the past.
The lights were a success: we sent out 4 emails to various "used ottawa" type sites. One person replied and we were about to go down and pick up his light (perfect for our basement, only $10) when Joel found an old light in our garage that we could use instead; our neighbours who recently renovated gave us another light that they hadn't used; and I bought a third light at an antique place (expensive: $85--but when one considers that this was the total cost for all three lights it's not bad). We're hoping that one of the used ottawa places gets back to us since we're still short one light.
Ted sent this quotation today "We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something that we don't have but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." Fredrick Koeing It echoes one of the points made in "The Story of Stuff": that we often mistake buying things with happiness when really all our buying, and all our stuff, is making us less and less happy.
Andre also sent this very funny Colbert interview with Annie Leonard, the writer and producer of "The Story of Stuff":
It reminded me that environmentalists could probably be a lot more effective if they were a lot less serious. Leonard is ultra-serious and earnest in this interview--I wanted her to laugh more!--but still it was fun to watch. Colbert's hilarious.
Btw, the kids have been the most amazing part of this project. They haven't questioned it at all (well, after the first half hour of utter disbelief). And (so far!) they love imagining the things they will buy at some future point but actually never ask to buy anything at all now. For most kids, this is probably normal, but for our kids, esp. Ben, this is a momentous change.
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