A blog about finding balance in your life, connecting with who you are, and creating a lifestyle where you wake up each morning eagerly anticipating the day ahead.
If you’d been driving past our house at the right time last night, you could have almost reached out your car window and shaken hands… with the bear that was trampling down the tall stand of day lilies and ferns at the edge of the road.
Have you ever noticed how many of the same people who are trying to promote a simple lifestyle make frugality into a negative concept…
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…
“From your experience, what would you say is the biggest obstacle that people have to living a simpler, truly fulfilling life?” A reader asked me this question a few days ago, and I think my answer would have to be one word… “inertia…”
We had a few minutes of minor excitement here yesterday morning when the FedEx delivery person bent down to leave a package, suddenly jumped back and screamed.
I am fairly certain that we have never dug a hole of any size here on this property without encountering at least one boulder-sized rock. It’s a given… we dig a hole, we dig up rocks. Except for those two times when we dug up something else…
The stress of always being in a hurry drains your spirit, distracts your mind, and prevents you from focusing on what is really important. It fools you into wasting time in areas that don’t reflect your values or your goals.
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.
Reader question… “Would you share your thoughts about the cash envelope system versus the use of credit cards? I read today that any use of a credit card is irresponsible and that anyone using a credit card will end up spending more money than if they used only cash.”
I was opening a bag of frozen organic broccoli last night when I noticed that the serving size listed on the bag was four florets… and that the two-pound bag supposedly contained twelve servings.
The photos are my own. Some illustrate the post... others show our surroundings and the things we love about our version of simple living and voluntary simplicity. I welcome links to my blog or to any of my articles, but please do not copy my photos or content. —Shirley
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