About This Blog (And About Me) FAQ
Q: When did you first start Choosing Voluntary Simplicity?
A: I sometimes think that Choosing Voluntary Simplicity started itself… beginning with the drastic lifestyle change my husband and I made nearly eleven years ago. The reason for that change was a tragedy that abruptly made us face how short life can be and also how easy it is to remain “in a rut” just because the changes you want will be difficult. It took months of soul-searching before we could admit (even to ourselves) that we both felt trapped in a career that was not fulfilling to us. We yearned for less stress and especially more time together to enjoy the already simplistic life we had created at home. The hard part was walking away from the security of the thriving business we had built and into a very uncertain future… it was a very out-of-character decision for practical, security-minded people like us, but we have never regretted our choice.
Then early in 2007 our life changed again. I was confined to bed for nearly four months because of complications from a previous back injury. As you might imagine, those days and weeks, filled with pain and enforced immobility, dragged on and on and seemed like they would never end. I was determined to find something that would fill those long hours, and I decided to categorize the hundreds of hosta and garden photographs that were just sitting there on the hard drive. I had also been gathering all the information I could find about the various plants I was growing, and I started rewriting that information and matching it with the photographs. Someone suggested I use a blog format, so I did, although the “blog” at that time existed only on my own computer.
Eventually in late May and early June, when I was finally able to be up and about for short periods each day, I realized I now had even stronger convictions about what things in my life were important and what things in my life were not. I was amazed at how appreciative I felt about EVERYTHING, especially the “everydayness” of life that (like most people) I had previously taken somewhat for granted… the blue of the sky, the colors of the plants and the flowers, the sunshine… they all seemed so vivid… and my relationship with God, the people I loved, our simple lifestyle, and my home were especially precious to me. After months of not knowing if I would be able to walk again, even limited mobility made me feel so very grateful. And as I became able to add some simple, everyday chores back into my life, just being able to do something productive again was a pleasure too. The present version of Choosing Voluntary Simplicity grew out of this gratefulness and appreciation for the NOW of my life… and my wish to share the how’s and why’s of our simple lifestyle, as well as all the joys and blessings that this kind of lifestyle brings.
A more simple answer to the question of when this blog began is that I uploaded the first post online on June 4, 2007. :o)
Q: Who are you?
A: My name is Shirley, I am very happily married, and I am also a proud mother of sons. The close and loving relationship I have with my husband and my sons is a source of great joy to me. We live in northern New England in a very rural area, complete with rustic stone walls, narrow dirt roads that are sometimes impassable during “mud season,” and an abundance of gorgeous mountain scenery.
By choice, we have always lived close to nature and opted for the simple way of life, so the philosophy of voluntary simplicity and a conscious and deliberate spiritual lifestyle was a natural for us even years before I knew there was a term for it. This blog is a reflection of my principles and beliefs and the way we live, including my enjoyment of nature, my gardens and plants, and the wild creatures that are all around us.
Because of a severe allergy, I bake and cook from scratch almost everything we eat, so I also share information I have learned about avoiding soy. It’s a good thing I actually like cooking and baking.
I have always loved being around and caring for animals. In the past we have had chickens (including many of the fancy breeds), guineas, geese, ducks, goats, rabbits, pigeons, doves, and an enormous pig who was my husband’s special pet. I especially love birds and raising the helpless, featherless babies. Currently we have a goat, doves and pigeons, two talking cockatiels, a super-smart, super-talkative Amazon parrot, and two tiny lap dogs just bursting with love.
I love to read, especially very long family-type sagas that extend over generations, biographies, and history. I knit (mostly afghans), crochet (not so much), and sew (mostly slip covers), although I always would prefer weaving baskets to any of the three. I enjoy making soap and doing other old-time projects. I also like simple antiques… not the fancy stuff, but the dishes and furniture that ordinary people used every day. I have a collection of both new and old pig statues and an assortment of antique china heads… also a few cookie jars of cows with an attitude… although I’m not actively “into” collecting.
Q: What ideas would you like people to take away with them from this blog?
A: Mostly that being frugal and living simply are choices that will give you a better, happier, more productive life. I’m always surprised to realize how apprehensive some people are about embracing frugality or simplicity, and I want to show by example that it is possible to live well… and normally… by living the version of frugality and simplicity that is the best fit for you.
Q: Who reads this blog?
A: According to the site statistics, there were just under 150,000 page views in August 2009. The site was visited by people from 166 countries and territories, including Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaidjan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts & Nevis Anguilla, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Samoa Islands, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
It truly stuns and humbles me that so many people from so many countries are reading what I write. I am so grateful to the amazing number of people who have taken the time to write personal messages to me. Thank you… I appreciate them all so much… and I would love to hear from you too.
Comments
Comment by Lisa:
I always felt sort of a “kindred spirit” when I read the articles so well written on your website. Now I know why. I too, love old American pottery, birds (well, all animals…including my two little ankle biters!!), knitting, and literature about how families in early America lived. Because of my husband’s job (one for which I am truly grateful, indeed), we cannot relocate out of Miami anytime soon. But I do long for the day when we can get a little place out of the city and into the quiet where I can have a few chickens and a little veggie patch of my own.
Thanks for sharing so much. You give me inspiration and ideas while I await my day to live out in the country again!!
Comment by Anna:
I wish you were my neighbor. We would be friends!
Comment by Jared Danst:
Nice to meet you! I’ve actually been reading your blog for almost a month now and decided that today I’d actually leave a comment to tell you how much I’ve been enjoying your writing. You write about the things that are becoming more and more important to me and I really appreciate your perspective. Thanks!
Comment by Darlene:
It sounds like you’ve really been through some bad periods but you’ve used the experiences to make positive changes in your life and outlook. I admire that. I’ve been through bad patches myself and I’m a little ashamed to say that I let them make me bitter for a while. I’m coming out of that now and I think I have to credit this blog as part of the reason. You’re right, some things in life are important and some things are not. You give me hope.
Comment by Sree:
Hey, the new look is great!
Comment by Laura @ move to portugal:
Hi Shirley, your blog tag line is what I’m searching for and your blog is a constant source of inspiration to me. I know things won’t happen overnight but I will get there.
Thank you for your excellent writings.
Laura
Comment by Shirley:
Lisa, it does sound as though we have a lot of interests in common. Thank you for taking the time for write and for such a nice compliment.
Comment by cj:
from a young wife still in college. i enjoy reading your articles because it cuts the amount of research and work i have to do on my own by at least 75%.
thanks, your experinces and knowledge are helping others.
Comment by Shirley:
Thanks for such a kind message. I am glad you are enjoying the blog.
Comment by Simpleton:
Shirley,
Your site is great. It has pushed me and my spouse closer to semi-retirement. We must live now and appreciate each moment. Thanks
Comment by Dayle Ann:
I just commented under your entry on one of the hostas (it confirmed the identity of an old hosta I have). I am so happy that my search brought me to your site. I now have it bookmarked and will be returning often, both to read new posts and to catch up on old. Very much of what you write parallels my own life. I grew up in a place and time where living simply was the norm, and I early made the choice to maintain that in my life. It is so much less stressful! And, as things turned out, having these skills and mindset made all the difference when an undiagnosed illness took away my ability to work and made me an invalid. I lost almost everything. I was eventually diagnosed with Lyme disease, by then chronic. But I have been lucky: I found a physician who is expert in treating chronic Lyme, and with aggressive treatment, I am now leading a reasonably normal, though very simplified, life. I had to give up my career as an environmental analyst, but the result was the opportunity to pursue another love of mine: art.
Thank you for sharing your story, and thank you for creating such a remarkable blog that touches on so many of the truly important things in life.
Comment by Barbara:
I have always felt that it is the simple little things in life that we take for granted, and often don’t appreciate.
I am a novice gardenener from Northern New Hampshire. Unfortunately because of health problems and other distractions in my life, I got started late this year. As I was surfing the web this morning for information on growing bleeding hearts, I stumbled across your blog. And I am so glad I did. You have so many interesting articles here, and so much to read. So I will bookmark your blog in my favorites, and when I have more time I will return to read more.
Your blog is a wonderful inspiration, thank you for sharing Shirley
Comment by Sanu:
Your website information is so close to Buddhist teachings and I really enjoyed my visit. I wish you all the best! Keep up the good work.
Comment by Rita:
Hi Shirley,
We have a red raspberry patch that is very prolific in a good year. We freeze the whole raspberries and also make freezer jam, but my daughter prefers seedless jam. Do you know a technique or have a recipe for making raspberry jam without seeds?
Comment by Dorothy:
I really enjoyed what I have read from your teaching on saving tomatoe seeds. I am an old lady who lives in the country and am just learning about a “blog”. My daughter and I live together with her two children and we are attempting to earn an income with it. I can really relate to your health issues as I have a few on my own that I am dealing with. The Lord is good and he meets our needs.
Any advise you wish to share would be appreciated. Your site? is just great. I will be reading many of your articles.
Thank you.
Comment by Lynda:
I just happened upon your site today searching info about Hosta seeds and hope to check it out further. I also agree with your philosophy. I feel like today’s society takes people away from self-sufficiency and being in touch with what is “real”, a connection to nature, growing our own food, appreciating contentment from simplicity. Perhaps there is a movement, a bit to awaken from the materialistic pull of this modern world and see the richness of embracing some of the old ways and letting go of ambition, spending our lives collecting “things” or being driven by power and prestige. Kudos to you for helping to enlighten others!
Please leave a comment!