Spend More

Here's how our weekend went:
Friday, Mr. Dewey and I did our errands in town - with a goal of eliminating trips near the mall between now and 2009. That evening we met some folks (including Mike and the boys) at the church and helped set up for the Ten Thousand Villages Crafts Sale that has been held here for the last 11 years. Our friend, Lisa, was in charge, and she had everything organized so well!

After that was done, Mike, the boys, Lisa, Mr. Dewey and I went up to Rico's for pizza and cards. Then it was home for hot buttered rum toddies before the fire and bed.

Saturday was cold and fresh, and the boys had a great time sledding. Check out the blog banner for a picture of Ben heading down the hill behind our neighbors' house. (We got a few inches of snow here last Thursday night, and it stayed cold enough that it stayed until Sunday morning.) They would go out for a while, come in and warm up with hot tea or cocoa, a little drawing, a little computer time, and then back out. I baked fruitcakes. Bunches of them. All three ovens were going from about 11 am until I pulled the last batch out at 7:30. During that time, Mr. Dewey got a chance to work out and do some computer housekeeping, while Mike did some reading.

Dinner was Rico's pizza again (it's just that good, folks!) and a movie, and some quiet time before bed. We needed it after watching Jurassic Park with the stereo cranked!

We had breakfast on Sunday and then all went to church, followed by lunch at the Southern, before Mike and the boys headed home to prepare for their week. It was a perfect weekend, and it felt like a holiday. It was a holiday! We celebrated family and time spent together, and I don't think it could have been better.

And that brings me to this: the "holidays" are upon us. What will you spend? You can spend your time at the mall, and your money too, or you can spend your time enjoying family and community. We've chosen the latter, and have enjoyed this time of year immensely.

Below is a great video, put together by a group called Advent Conspiracy. I just learned about it, thanks to my friend, John. He's such a rabble-rouser that he even asked a heathen like me to be secretary at his church! What a joy that's been!

Anyway, the video says what I've been trying to say for years: that consumerism is a disease that robs us of our lives. The good news is that it is the easiest thing in the world to cure! All you have to do is stop buying things that no one needs. But no need for me to blather on about it. Watch the video. It reminds me of the words to a song written for John Denver years ago. "I guess he'd rather work out where the only thing you earn is what you spend."



And remember, you don't need to be a Christian to act like one.