Browsing category: Simple Living

I Have To Wonder, Though… Why Is SHE So Tired?

Our waking hours have been filled to the brim these last several months. There has been the usual garden and yard work, the usual housework and meals, and the usual number of hours spent on the work that brings in our income…

How We Removed an Enormous Tree Stump… or How We Saved $576

We lost several of our beautiful big pine trees during an ice storm when the weight of two days of freezing rain literally broke off the tops of the trees.

The Apple Trees in Our Meadow… Heirloom or Wild?

There are apple trees in our meadow… fourteen large trees spaced out in a long uneven row that runs almost the entire length of the meadow. There were apple trees here when we bought this land, and I can remember picking apples from these trees when I was a child…

Discovering Your “Enough”

There are indeed many good reasons to purge. It makes sense to purge when an item breaks and repairing it isn’t possible or feasible. It makes sense to purge when clothing becomes too worn or faded or no longer fits.

Some Thoughts About Grocery Shopping & Sensible Frugality

Grocery shopping is one area where big savings are possible, but I don’t think that frugality should ever be the only consideration.

Trying To Keep Heating Costs Down This Winter

Here in the northeast, we’re being warned to expect exorbitant heating bills again this year. The pessimists out there think fuel costs for this area will top even the predicted average of more than three thousand dollars for the heating season.

And That Won’t Be Fun Either

We’ve just finished with four days and five nights of almost constant rain… and almost constant warnings of approaching severe thunderstorms. I don’t remember anything like this ever happening here before, and I hope it doesn’t happen again anytime soon. It was not fun.

Keeping a Photograph… Purging the Item

Reader question… “I read in a book about decluttering and purging that a photograph of an item is a good substitute for actually having the item in your possession.”

Hanging Bags of Water… Do They Really Keep Flies Away?

In a book I was reading recently, one of the main characters was hosting an outdoor party… and his preparations for this party included matter-of-factly filling clear plastic bags with water and hanging them from low tree branches.

How You Choose To Spend Your Time

Think about how often we all regretfully say that we don’t have the time to do “something” (you fill in the blank). What we’re actually saying is that whatever this “something” is, we aren’t giving it a top priority in our lives. Not enough time… or not a priority.