Tis The Season

To be thrifty. Yes, it's that time of year when people drag all their crap out of the house, strap on a fanny pack, and try to earn a weekend's beer money.

The garage sale. A delightful way to spend any Saturday morning. I'm not certain, but it felt like today kicked off the official garage sale season. This morning Ezra and I set out with Carine and Dustin with a list of targets to hit. I didn't have anything specific in mind, I just wanted to get a feel for the whole garage sale scene, learn the etiquette, and attempt some bartering.

From the get-go, it was clear that I am an amateur with a lot to learn. And Ezra wasn't helping any. He made a beeline for the Fischer Price Village (pictured above) and declared "MINE" in a loud voice. I told him we were trying to play it cool, that he had to feign disinterest. To which he responded: "MINE!!!!" Thanks, buddy. Well played.

In the end, we came home with the village and a set of Lincoln Logs. All for 5 bucks. A small price to pay for tantrums averted.

Carine came away empty-handed but Dustin scored some kitschy travel souvenirs from decades past, including a cool little Jamaican doll and a weird Asian backscratcher. Hoping he'll send me a picture to upload.

Next week I will definitely have to bring my camera. It's astounding what people try to sell. I think the best thing we saw on display was a couple's framed wedding photo from the 80s. Hilarious. I should have asked how much but I already knew the answer.

Priceless.

The Post Consumer Project: Game ON

Happy Earth Day, folks.

Here's where the fun begins. As of today, the rules apply. And the rules are as follows: for one year, we will refrain from buying or receiving anything new. This of course applies to non-essentials. We do need to eat. And drink wine. For the exceptions, see the sidebar.

This year-long commitment will be both a challenge and a sacrifice, but we hope to achieve a few things along the way.

Perhaps the most obvious aim of the project is to lessen our environmental footprint. One way to do this is to drastically cut back on the goods we consume. There are too many "things" in this world being manufactured, packaged, shipped and sold to consumers with little consideration for humanity and sustainability. We live on a planet with limited resources. By sharing, trading, foraging, salvaging, rescuing, and scavenging for used goods we will not only redirect these things from the landfill, but also cultivate a relationship and open a dialogue with our neighbours, friends, family, and members of our community. This is a huge step in the right direction.


DIY is also a big part of this project. Cutting off our access to consumer goods will motivate us to get creative, and learn how to do more things for ourselves. We will be learning how to sew, knit, embroider, can, and make our own cosmetics and home remedies from scratch. This is the survival instinct kicking in, and the recognition that we've lost valuable knowledge from our elders that is worth the effort to reclaim.

There is also the hope that through this experience we will undergo a spiritual transformation, or at the very least, an improvement. This project is about making a conscious effort to buy nothing. But maybe one day we will wake up and discover that it isn't a sacrifice at all. That it requires little to no effort. Still, these are habits we are working towards changing. Can we take it one step further? Can we really wake up and see that we have everything we need, and always have. Can the wanting and coveting be quelled? I can only imagine the stillness and peace of mind this can bring. Elusive as it is, it's a goal worth pursuing.

Birthday In Pictures

The hardest part of today was getting Ezra to put on some pants. The easiest part? Indulging every birthday whim...



Malta Park


Grace let's Ezra test drive her bike. But only because it's his birthday.


Culinary Adventures Part 1


Culinary Adventures Part 2


Ride in Dad's car with my cool shades.


Toy Store! (Note: Ezra wasn't really into the gift we had in mind. Instead, he goes bananas for a recycling truck. What's a parent to do?)


Good decision.


Good decison, aerial view.


Not pictured: Culinary Adventures Part 3, a.k.a. Ezra throwing forks at innocent bystanders at Vesuvio's pizzeria.

Happy Birthday Mr. President

OK, so he's more like an impish dictator who orders me around, but for the purpose of a catchy title, I'll call him El Presidente. These days, the operative word of this now two-year-old is "MORE". More Atulfo mango. More dill pickle. More rehearsal cake. Rehearsal cake, you ask? Yes, this is me. Scared to death that the train cake will be a moistless (not a word according to blogger), inedible, and crumby mess. I watched two videos on frosting techniques today. Remind me to get a life.

Anyhoodle, this one's a rambler. I'm halfway into a 2007 bottle of Cab Franc and if you know me, you don't even have to ask from where. And boy oh boy they were right. 2007 really was a magnificent year. Wish I had the discipline to age some bottles in my wine cellar. Heh. That would be the closet.

It's 12 minutes past midnight and I've just finished hanging some hand-sewn streamers and the Japanese chiyogami birthday banner that took me countless hours to make. Not very flashy but warm and charming I'd say. The felt ball garland is on my to-do list and that should jazz it up some.



Thank goodness Ezra's birthday falls just before April 22nd. We can justify buying him a big ol' present, right? Acutally, here is the special gift we've selected: a model of my dream home. Adorable, yes? This will perhaps be the last non-essential shopping we do for the next year. So glad it's this, and not something mundane like oven mitts.

You still here? Yeah, so am I. Just sitting here quietly celebrating two years of momhood. Trying not to grow too misty eyed whilst reliving my 18 hours of labour and every single deliberate breath that pushed my son closer to this world. He belongs to it now, and every day I struggle just to leave him be. Leave him be. Leave him be. This is a kind of mantra. Leave him be. And he will become. What he will be. This is my hope.

Damn, here come the tears.

Happy birthday, sparrow. Love Mama.

Le Chandail

Earlier in the winter, I picked up this little gem at the Value Village 50% off sale. I know what you're thinking. 50% off? Isn't it already cheap as sh-t? Yes, I'm that person. Instead of paying a whopping $2.99 for this sweater, I had to sharpen my elbows and fight throngs of pushy bargain hunters to get it for $1.50.

Hand knitted and adorable as it is, there is just one problem. Ezra won't wear it. He has a particular aversion to THIS SWEATER. Is he embarrassed to wear it? Have the Leafs played that badly this year? Don't answer that.

It finally dawned on me that he is comprehending everything we say. And now I regret reading him this story.

He is so totally a Habs fan now. Merci Roch Carrier. Maintenant j'ai un p'tit Rocket Richard.