Lights, Camera, Dinner, (and my dirty laundry)

Denman Island's Fire Dept., braved the cold rainy weather to hang the lights on the community Christmas tree. (Pardon the raindrop on the lens) OK, so there were no carolers or even spectators, but the tree will be enjoyed by all. Only the General Store owner had pity on us and had hot coffee waiting afterwards. It was also the evening of the Annual Community Christmas Dinner. The dinner is free to all islanders and is a long standing Christmas tradition. It's quite a social affair with Santa showing up with presents for all the good children of the island. Apparently he used the newly lighted tree as a landing beacon. Friday night, all the community merchants stayed open for Christmas shopping. One even offered up some libation at the half way point.

My Sis & Bro-in-law dropped in for an over-nighter this week and donated a stove to our kitchen. The old stove will be freebee to it's next owner. They were also the first guest we've had since adopting Boo Radley, our feral kitten. In Boo fashion, he made himself scarce and laid low until the strangers had left. Once assured that the dangerous guests had departed, he resumed his rightful spot in the middle of the dog bed.

Shhh, listen closely and you can hear the fat lady warming up backstage. Every man, woman and child in America is in debt $140,000. (And that's not even taking into account credit card bills and mortgages.)
Add it up: current debt and deficit, promises for those big programs, pensions, veterans health care and wars. The total comes to $43 trillion. That's where the $145,000 bill for every American, or $350,000 for every full-time worker, comes from. . A Debt that will grow over 2 trillion dollars over the next 10 years just financing war efforts. This is no low interest loan we're talking about... So, why would I care up here in the great white Canadian North? Just because America has one foot in the bottomless, dark pit of debt and the other on a banana peel, why should Canadians care? America spends $1.9 billion more a day on imported clothes and cars and gadgets than the entire rest of the world spends on its goods and services. Like many other countries, the Canadian economy is tethered to the American Consumer... the greediest, spend today, pay tomorrow consumer in the world... and the times a-coming that the loan will have to be paid. When the time comes we better be ready to cut the cord or risk being dragged down with them.

Speaking of laundry... We've been sourcing products that will work with our designed grey-water system and have been using Costco's U.S. made product... amazing what can be done with tofu isn't it? See http://www.ecos.com/ Finally, there's a reasonably priced product on the market that doesn't surcharge people that want to use enviro type products. In 2008, a Canadian Company will launch it's own line... http://www.winningbrands.ca/ Hopefully, it too will be cost competitive... and it will be distributed though Canadian Tire.