Lent: Enough

So how are you coming with joining me in “get ready, get set”?  Are you feeling a bit more ready for Easter than last week at this time?  Is the thankfulness and preparation for celebrating seeping into your life yet??  Its starting to kick in around here. 

We’re cleaning up the Valentine’s Day decorations, changing over the mantle to something more springy (green – that will carry us through St. Patrick’s Day and Easter without a major change again) and putting away the Valentine’s dishes, glasses, napkins and other stuff.  The wreath on the door will change today too (stop by and see it, if you like)

I’m starting to think about my plans for Easter --- how I’ll make it special for all of us here, what I’ll do to celebrate and remember.  But I’m very struck by today’s calendar challenge for Lent:  40-50% of  all food ready for harvest NEVER gets eaten.  Now, some of that has to do with harvesting problems, industrial issues with planning and efficiency etc.  But some of that has to do with not finishing what’s on my plate and not eating leftovers before they go bad in my fridge.  Some of that 40-50% is my personal responsibility (and yours --- although probably you’re better about this than I am)  And, frankly, I’m worse when it comes to celebrations. 

At celebrations I always want there to be a feeling of plenty.  I usually can add a few people to the celebration at the last minute without over-stretching the food.  That says something about my planning for the celebration.  Yes, it makes it joyous – but wouldn’t it be joyous without so much wastefulness?  What if I didn’t over-do the food?  Would we still celebrate just as much?? I think yes. 

So my personal challenge this year is to plan Easter a little more carefully.  I’m trying to take into account “how much is enough?” and stay within that boundary.  That will still be “plenty” – but it won’t be “too much” and we won’t contribute to that 40-50% of food that never gets eaten in our world.