How the love of simple living was borne in me.

The Old Mill,  Hahndorf

It struck me suddenly the other day that my interest in simple simple living (after all, I do a modified version, a simple version, if you like, of what I see others doing) while inspired by bloggers and all, may not be borne out of the world I thought it was. Yes, I learn about simple living from others around me who choose to take the road less travelled. Yes, I am drawn to doing things differently. Yes, my introversion probably finds the simple life more attractive than the hullabaloo of modern living. But the other day, I recalled my time travelling to De Smet in South Dakota, many years ago now, and realised it was probably borne out of my love of the olden days. You see, Laura Ingalls of Little House on the Prairie fame lived in De Smet!

I love Amish stories (modern tales but reminiscent of the olden days), old family sagas, Janet Oke's "Love Comes Softly" series and many other books of that draw you into a life long past. I don't have a bucket list but, if I did,  I  might put on it: dress up in a dress form the 1800s and wear it around all day, bonnet and all!

I think I loved the old way of being. Remember The Waltons and the way they gathered together of an evening and went off on walks to the pond. People walked along tracks in the woods, breathing in fresh air,  rather than waiting in a sea of traffic surrounded by metal and fumes. Jon English died this week which took me back to Against The Wind when life was very simple and even harsh. It  was the time of one roomed huts and horse and cart and not much more, but still there was plenty of love and camaraderie to be found.

I love seeing the old and the beautiful when I am out and about. Whenever I've travelled I love seeing old buildings.the simple ones, the ones where people made their homes and gathered together day after day. Mr S and I got tickets to see the Lost Trades Fair in Kyneton over the Labour Day weekend. We are really looking forward to it. I picture myself walking up and down the dirt paths, admiring the skill of true craftsmen and women and getting a little lost in the beauty of it all. I fancy it will be a little bit like stepping back in time....

Of course, simple living does hark back to the olden days. The two are definitely related. Yet, long before the words "simple living" were spoken, I do recall my interest in the alternative way of living evoked in stories about the past. I watched Little House on the Prairie and wished there was an actual house just like the one in the show, where you could go and stay for a week.

So there you have it. What I thought was an interest borne out of my awareness as an adult is more than likely something which was inspired by stepping back in time, a love of the old way of doing things, romanticised perhaps in all the stories I have read!

Lost Trades Fair 2016

Another half-hour blog!

 Well, I write this blog as I begin my annual holidays. The weather is cool and refreshing after a scorching 41 degrees yesterday. I feel good. Rested. Relaxed.

Today I got my bike. Yes, finally, after a year of 'planning' to do it. I must say it is beautiful and I can't wait to go riding. We don't really have anywhere to park it. So for now it goes in the bathroom!

We had our Christmas gathering last night. It was lovely getting together with close friends. Mr S and I were busy beforehand preparing food. I can now add (successful) potato salad and gingernut log to my repertoire. I also made a rather bland gluten-free quiche using brown rice for the crust. It actually turned out well but just needed more seasoning. Everyone was in good spirits. They're an extremely gracious, caring bunch of friends. They live quite some distance away so, whilst we don't see them frequently, we really appreciate the time we do have together.

I enjoyed decorating the house. I must admit the Christmas tree is not done and our front rooms were out of bounds i.e. in a big, big mess. In the past I would have been embarrassed and critical of myself but it's good to see that with time I'm getting better at keeping things in perspective, and I'm not as hard on myself.

I don't like giving gifts where it seems to be unnecessary. I tend to be critical of those who want to give gifts to me, and also expect me to be delighted when I'm actually thinking of  clutter, landfill and simple living. I feel I have more than enough. I think my reasons are valid but I happened to read an article last week via Organising Queen that managed to alter my thinking.  It didn't change my values and principles but it helped me see how I might receive gifts more graciously from people who are gift-givers and helped me to appreciate their way of being/giving.

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My half-hour is up.

I look forward to my week of sleep-ins and rest. I look forward to watching TV or going online without having the burden of work preparation. I'm also wondering when  and where my first bike ride will be.

May your week be cheerful and to those preparing for Christmas, may you find Christmas spirit in what you do.

Goals: Reading a book

One of the small delights in recent months has been getting back to reading books. Back in January I had made a list of goals for the year but reading a book was one of the more indulgent goals and one I didn’t think I would get to.

Well, I’m here now to say that I have got to it and I enjoy every moment. I must say that I have not read lots of books. In fact, I’ve only read three. I loved going back to China one hundred years ago when reading Keys to the Kingdom, by A J Cronin, with that delectable feeling of being carried away to a faraway land. Sheer delight!! I’m now reading End the Struggle and Dance with Life by Susan Jeffers. It’s my bible. It helped me get out of an enormous rut years ago and has helped me immeasurably dealing with social anxiety in my day-to-day life. I also read Herman Hesse's Siddhartha which was so easy to read and got me thinking about my own spiritual journey.

I don’t necessarily get to read a lot each week. I just try to grab a spare moment to get through a few pages.

It’s interesting how life’s little happenings conspire to bring about something bigger and better.

"I realised I would like to read again when I was decluttering  books on the bookshelf. I only keep books that resonate with me and my life and that still speak to me after years of sitting on the shelf and not being read. I decided that it would be great to read those books again.

"I have started picking up Mr S on the way home from work. It usually takes him more than two hours to get home. This means waiting at the train station, sometimes longer than expected. And there we have it – the perfect opportunity to get another chapter read!!

"One of my goals for 2015 was to reduce screen time. I have made (tiny, tiny) inroads towards that and reading is one of those ways.

So, I look forward to more book reading (you know, not the digital kind) and I can’t wait to get through my current one and experience the joy of selecting the next one.