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

Keeping it simple

This year I have not focussed as much as usual on simple living but keeping it simple still plays an important part in our life here.
We cook as much as possible from scratch, and this works especially well on weekdays and when the routine is in order. When the routine is out of whack, I succumb very quickly to cheap and nasty, but delicious, alternatives! This year I have managed to make lunch at home a lot of the time, so that is another way we're keeping our diet healthy and simple. I'm not so sure that it is always cheaper.
We've been growing vegies in the garden for a while now but this year the patch has not been as fruitful. In fact, we did much better last year planting out of soil that had been compacted and must have been sorely lacking in nutrients. At the moment, Mr S is picking the zucchini while they are small, otherwise they start turning bad the bigger they get. The strawberries grew well but I just didn't put in enough of them. Always learning!!!!
Our grapes were our biggest success and I can't wait until next year. It was really nice being able to share our produce with others. We shared with neighbours, family, friends and workmates. The only way we managed to do it was because Mr S covered the whole pergola in a net and we pulled down the plastic blinds around the sides. I think it also helped keep the insects out.
I consider my flower garden an important part of my simple living regimen. It keeps me grounded and puts me in touch with nature. I try not to use too much water and where possible we use water saved at the sink for the smaller plants. We hope to get a tank one day. We've also been saving the water used when washing the rice. Over summer I didn't get outside too often as it was too hot. As autumn comes I hope to get out there a little more.
The other way Mr S and I keep it simple is by not letting consumerism rule our lives. I menu plan while Mr S is very good at using up every last crumb in the cupboards. Yesterday he made up a couple of apple pies in order to use up the last few apples sitting woefully in the fruit basket. We both try to op shop and we both do fairly well at avoiding the mega-shopping experience. On Thursday we went to get a present for a friend at one such place and Mr S was turned off by the smells. He was right. I'm sure there was an overkill of what seemed to be plastic type smells which I had never noticed before.
So, there you have it. Our simple living journey will go on in 2016 even though my goals for 2016 do not reflect that.  We will continue to plant vegies and cook as much as we can at home. If the opportunity arises during the year, I would like to try my hand at sewing or soap-making. Other than that, I hope we can have a good life by organising our lives more effectively, making conscious choices about what we do and how we do it, and by being open to what naturally evolves day to day.

Goal checking

Mr S and I are spending a quiet Sunday at home. My energy levels have been low for a couple of weeks so I've been trying to avoid doing too much. Meanwhile, Mr S is keeping life simple as he works pretty hard during the week and needs to catch up on rest on the weekends. Hence, a very quiet Sunday for us.
It's fair to say that in the last week life has been more about doing what we can and letting the rest go. The idealist in me wrestles with that, though by now I know that I have to let nature prevail. It's very humbling and I must say, it certainly has helped me shake off my perfectionist tendencies.
I thought I'd make the most of this time now to do a quick review of my goals. This month has been busier than usual with several social appointments  so I need to keep the goals manageable. 
I'm pretty happy with how things are going. The early morning routine - on account of Mr S's work - means I get a lot done of a morning. I've hashtagged the goals which I have managed to work on and I've underlined the goals which I think I can get to in the next few weeks . 
I think at this stage I need to consolidate what I've started. If possible, I want to find an effective way to reduce screen time. If I can reduce screen time it might give me time to do some art work or read a book. Hmmm!!

GOALS 2016

Organisation

• Use Friday night to pay bills, menu plan and organise weekend and week ahead.  ##
• Wake up early. Do small jobs before and after work. ##
• Make lunch three times a week. ##
• Reduce screen time. Make screen time more intentional. Before going back to work, I did keep the TV off till evenings which was a great effort for me.## 

Health

• Drink lots of water daily.##
• Eat food made from scratch. ##
• Exercise three times a week. ## In the holidays it was easier.(Must include yoga as a way to maintain back care. Run twice a week.  Ride once a week.)  I start yoga next week!

House

• Do one cleaning job a week. (Usually does not happen. Think about how it could happen!) OK...happened twice because people were coming over!!
• Get broken window handles fixed.
• Finish setting up front room. Getting there. Just need to get rid of the rubbish and an old desk.
• Hang up pictures.

Me

• Take time regularly to indulge, relax, enjoy: read a book, create/paint, work on my family tree, visit the countryside/beach: Sitting outside of an evening, time to reflect
• Learn something new: possibly sewing or making soap
• Find a regular time each week to reflect. ##
• Go to a talk or a play (x2).
• Invite friends over or out once a month:  Keep practising those social skills which are too easy for me to overlook.    

In summary:

Organisation: very good, big improvement from 2015

Health: very good start to the year, can I keep it going?

House: The house is looking good :) :) but I really need to get on to some of those jobs that need doing but just don't get done!!!!

Me: A nice start to the year