Sept. No Buy

The blue fountain pen that I bought at the end of last year (I only have one everyday pen, the glass pen is for decoration and writing special things: haikus, thank you notes, etc. but it us far too delicate to survive in my pencil case) rolled yet again off the table onto the floor and the head fell off. No amount of fiddling would get a letter much less a word out on paper.

I headed for the librarie. They had cute plastic ones for eight euros, but then I spied this blue metal one with a golden flower on the cover for 31 euros. Holding it felt right. However, the first cartridge didn't work and I took it back. They were able to extract the cartridge, which was defective, install a new one, and now I am happily took notes during a phone interview to Canada.

And because of the gold flower on the top, chances of the pen rolling off the table are miniscule. Maybe, just maybe, this will be the last pen I ever have to buy, and no Melissa, you don't have to promise to replace a pen. It is just that this pen is substanial and should last the lifetime of someone much younger than myself... Each time I sit in a café writing, take notes during an interview, this pen will become more and more precious so I do hope it is the last one I ever buy.

I want it to become a treasured friend albeit it an inky one.

One of the pleasures of my no buy year, is that everything I own has a meaning, and just isn't items cluttering up my life. At the end of the year, I will buy pretty new underwear, have my friend Barbara make me a new outfit of two, and maybe add a few books to my collection, I will be more apt to buy flowers and I want to add a small olive tree in front of my house, but I still don't want to buy to buy, but keep with the addition of items to my life by conscious decisions as thought-out process that brings lasting pleasure because they are rare.