Contemplation

Today I had a great deal of time to myself, even though the girls were home all day. I spent most of the time, as I usually do, here at the computer. I spent my time in quiet contemplation, seeking and following thoughts that popped into my head. Most of them had to do with money and our lack thereof. Unless something comes of the note I put up on my fundraiser tonight, about the religious oddity I found on the basement floor a couple years ago, we are going to be in serious hurt when the end of March comes, with respect to our utilities. Heck, I don't know how we're going to go and get the baby at the end of this coming week, as my gas tank is at quarter-full and my wallet is on empty.

I spent some of the time today contemplating my monk experiment, for want of a better word. This project would be broken into two parts, as I explained before. The first part would be the establishment of the non-profit monastery, which should run about $2000 or so to put together, if I use the StartCHURCH company rather than do it all myself. That is certainly the way I'm leaning, as they would be able to get the filing of the IRS forms done more quickly and the recognition would come that much faster. Unfortunately, I would have to wait until the recognition ~had~ come before I could start the second fundraiser, as I could then give tax-exemption to all donations made to that fundraiser. That would certainly be a big selling point for the amount I would be seeking (about $40,000). ALL of that money would go directly into a bank account opened for the Order and would be used for the purposes and activities of running the Order.

What purposes and activities might those be, you ask? Good question, I respond. First, they would be the feeding, clothing, and general care of myself, the (currently) sole member of the New Order of Light Ministry (Monastic). Second, they would be the acquisition of books for the Monastery Library, which would cover such subjects as gardening, wine and beer making, comparative religion studies, cooking, survival, and living lightly upon the Earth, among other things. Why survival? Well, if a tragedy hits, in some form or another, the Order would want to be able to help those in it's immediate surroundings with food and other aid. As I'm writing this, I'm beginning to think that $40,000 may not be enough. Enough for a start, certainly, but to keep it running in an on-going fashion? Well, we'll build that bridge when we come to it. Cooking, now there are some monastic cookbooks I would really like to find and keep in the Order's Library. Twelve Months of Monastery Soups [12 MONTHS OF MONASTERY SOUPS], I think, is one, as is Sacred Feasts: From a Monastery Kitchen. From a Monastery Kitchen: The Classic Natural Foods Cookbook looks very good indeed, as does The Monastery Garden Cookbook: Farm-Fresh Recipes for the Home Cook. So much to do, so much to try! I'll certainly be much busier than I am now. It'll do me good.

I'll post more of my thoughts over the next few days. Come back for more!