going green and the desire to live simply

Which came first for you - the desire to live more simply or the 'greening' of your spirituality? This was a question posed to me by elderwonman. A very good question I might add, because it made me think. I feel I’ve always leaned towards a natural, down to earth lifestyle with concern for the environment.

Although this may not seem relevant to some, it was/is to me…

I was in my thirties when I started taking a serious look at what I believed. After much examination and consideration, I stepped away from religion altogether, having realized I did not need organized religion to walk a spiritual path. For me God was more real and accessible through the natural world that surrounded me than through church doors and doctrines. (I mean no disrespect or offense. I understand and respect the fact that religion and a church community are meaningful to many.) Perhaps this was the beginning of my spiritual greening.

Then when in my forties I took a serious look at who I was…

By the late 90’s my children were no longer at home needing my attention, It was at this time during my forties that the distinct desire to simplify and to get to know myself as more than just a mom, wife and employee become prevalent. Mind you, I wouldn’t trade the roles of mother and wife for anything, but I realized I had little identity aside from these things and I wanted to literally find myself. I also missed being at home, tending to domestic things. I wanted to return to a simpler life where my time and energy weren’t exhausted doing things I had no real interest in. I finally left my job to be at home where I took up daily meditation and journaling. My desires and what gave true meaning to my existence and mattered most to me became much clearer. They were the things that (I think) matter most to (I hope) nearly everyone; peace, contentment, loving relationships, freedom and the time and energy to devote to the people I loved and the things I cared about and enjoyed.

I like to think that the older I’ve grown, the wiser I’ve become. My propensity for all things natural has certainly grown. There’s no doubt the further enlightened I became, the more I felt connected globally and the larger my sense of response-ability became. This naturally led toward a simpler and greener lifestyle. My evolution has certainly led to an expanded awareness of society’s workings and a realization of how brainwashed we are led to become through the media’s convincing us of a false need to have and consume. Awareness has reinforced the desire to be more environmentally responsible and to simplify further. In the end I cannot say with conviction which actually came first, my spiritual greening or the desire to live more simply…the two most certainly have walked hand in hand. I believe however, that the path to authenticity led to simplicity and simplicity has turned me a much deeper shade of green.

it's all about pink

Anybody and everybody who knows me well knows I love pink...have since I was a wee child. One of my few toys was a pink bunny I called pinky. Not very original but hey, I was a little kid. It just seemed right. Anyhoo, over the years my one big "thing" was wanting a pink kitchen. For some reason, no matter where we lived I just never got around to making my kitchen pink. So, when we were planning our move back into this old house, I decided right then and there the kitchen was going to be pink. And so it was.

The quality of these photos is poor I know and they were taken prior to finishing the trim paint, but you get the gist...it's pink!
(Please ignore the litter box in the corner, lol! I absolutely have no other place for it.)

I bought a box full of assorted fabric at a thrift store a few months ago and fell in love with this one piece...wonderfully pink in nature. :) It was flowery but muted, like a watercolor painting. There was only a yard so it wasn't going to make curtains or even a table cloth. What oh what could I make? Today I figured it out!

Mamma needed a new apron!

one more small commitment

Some years back paper towels were never an item on our list of necessities. Somehow over the course of time they became one. I hate to think of the money spent and trees destroyed on behalf of my purchasing of them alone. Granted, over the past few years I have lessened the number of rolls purchased and made sure the ones I bought were made from at least some percentage of post consumer waste.

Recently I've been thinking back to the time when we actually managed without some of these costly (environmentally and monetarily speaking) products. As a result I've decided to return to my paper towel free days. We'll be using more cloth napkins at meal times and I'll be keeping a stack of clean cloth rags handy for spills and clean ups. Today I'll be taking some old cotton towels I have, cutting them down to size and hemming the edges. They'll be just the right size for everyday napkins and quick clean ups. Just one more small yet significant way I can tread a little more lightly. Being green usually helps save a little green, too. :)

What Would Mother Do? An addendum to ‘our simple life’

my mother in 1944

After writing yesterdays post I got to thinking about the inspiration behind my lifestyle.

During the late seventies and first half of the eighties, my husband and I really struggled to make ends meet. We were supporting his three children from a previous marriage. That left little for the two of us and our two children. Pay days was unpredictable in amount. My husband was an auto body repairman who was paid flat rate. That meant that when work was good, you made money. When work was slow, you didn’t. We always said it was a “feast or famine” job and that was not far from the truth.

Fortunately I grew up with parents who had grown up and lived through the Great Depression. I was raised in a frugal environment and learned a lot from my parents, my mother in particular. No matter where we were we had a wood burning stove that heated the house. I recall my mother baking the most beautiful pies in a wood stove in the kitchen, also.

My parents saved in any way they could. They raised a large garden every year. Even when my mom’s health declined and she became disabled and Dad had retired, Dad still planted and tended a garden, even canning the food himself. It was just what one did.

Dad (sometime in the 1940's)

Mom was a wonderful cook and loved to bake as well. Her pies and cookies became well know throughout the local area. She was often busy baking, taking in orders from the town folk for her delicious pies and cookies. Mom was somewhat of an entrepreneur that way. As children my sister and I would tag along into town as she peddled homemade aprons to the workers at local restaurants. Later, she would sell her crocheted items on consignment at a downtown gift shop.

Growing up I watched my mother make meals from what others might consider nothing. We never, ever went hungry. I learned that as long as one has staple items in the home a meal can always be mustered up. It may have been a pot of beans, a pancake dinner or potato soup, but our bellies always got filled. If fresh fruit was abundant, one might even find a blackberry cobbler as the main course on the supper table. I didn’t say our diet was always balanced, but we never went hungry.

The funny thing is, as a child I never realized we were “poor”. My mom refashioned hand me down clothes to fit us. Butter, cottage cheese and sour cream were all made at home with milk from our cow. On the front porch my twin sister and I took turns cranking the handle on the butter churning jar. It didn’t occur to us this was work.

When a hog was butchered, mom used every little piece and part. I learned this when I came home from school one day and as I entered the kitchen, saw a boiled pig’s head sitting on the kitchen table staring at me! Once I realized this is how she made souse, by trimming all the excess meat, I could never eat pickled meat of any kind. I can tell you however, that my mom made the best pork sausage I’ve tasted to date. Growing up I thought sausage just tasted like that regardless, so the first time we had store bought, to say I was disappointed was an understatement. Over the years I’ve tried to replicate hers by adding seasoning to plain ground pork sausage, but to this day, it’s never quite the same…but sage is essential.

My mother passed away in the spring of 1980, just six weeks after my daughter was born.

She had been ill a number of years and despite the emotional pain of her absence, I was not sorry to see her suffering end. Through the years of raising my family and making ends meet through difficult times, I could always think back to what my mother might have done. I guess you could say she stayed with me, guiding me in the art of getting by.

So, even after disposable diapers were introduced, my babies wore cloth. That was never a conundrum; you only had to buy them once and when no longer needed, you passed them on to another mommy or used them around the house as cleaning rags. Even back then in the 70’s and early 80’s it just didn’t make sense to spend money on something you threw away…even when many a time I had to hand wash the diapers.

My parents instilled a lot of good values in me and taught me how to get by. I can count on one hand the number of store bought toys I had as a child, but I never felt deprived. Books were free at the library and as children used to do, we played outside games when weather permitted and otherwise, used our imaginations. I learned to sew by making my doll baby clothes from patterns my mother made. I learned to cook by watching my mother in the kitchen and asking lots of questions…she didn’t like anyone helping her at the stove. I inherited that tendency I must admit. Everyone knows I’m boss in the kitchen and to stay out of my way. : ) My mother inspired me to learn crochet work. She was an avid crocheter but didn’t have the inkling or patience to teach me, thus I taught myself.

Mother kept a clean, orderly home despite the number of children and grandchildren coming and going. She instilled that value to some degree in me. I remember her saying, “There are many reasons a person may be poor, but there is no excuse for being dirty, even if that means you have to haul water from the creek.”

As a teenager I thought the grass was greener on the other side, as they say. My big dream was to move away from the rural life and live in an apartment in the city when I was grown. I thought my parent’s ways were old fashioned and country life was boring.

Isn’t it funny how life can bring you back to your roots and what’s real and good and true?

my parents & siblings in approximately 1959 (?)
My twin sister & I are the youngest. That would be one of us with finger up nose.

our simple life

I am one happy gal today! After four days missing, calls to neighbors and the dog warden, walks through the woods and feeling sad, Shadow returned home this morning! He didn't act hungry, just tired. With no idea where he was, we are simply rejoicing in the fact that he is back.

The beans are soaking for tomorrow's pot of chili, the recycling bin has been emptied and sorted, my housework caught up and now Coop is out mowing the lawn for the first time this spring.

Rhonda Jean at Down to Earth has asked her readers to blog about how they live. Since I have time, here we go. I know I've blogged about our life more than once, that is pretty much what this blog is about, but if this post is repetitive on certain subjects, please forgive. :)

My husband and I made a choice a few years ago to give up what I call the hamster race . We were living to work rather than working to live, running in circles like hamsters on a wheel, getting nowhere really. We would occasionally reflect back on simpler times when we had less materially, but were happier.

Funny, but neither one of us was getting any younger either and I really did not want to leave my children to have to deal with settling our estate and financial situation when we left this earthly plane. We had a business, a home and too many debts. Finally, we chose to get back to basics. After looking at our options and figuring out how we wanted to spend our lives, or perhaps better said, how we didn't want to spend our lives, we closed the business, liquidating everything we could to pay off as much as we could. After a very long attempt at selling that failed, we let the bank have the house. This was probably the hardest thing we’ve ever done. Until you’ve done so, letting go of your old way of life, your stuff and your home can be very difficult even when it’s your choice to do so.

Our preferred way of life did not happen immediately even then. We moved around for a few years, but finally settled where we are now, where it feels like home, living a much simpler, much happier and much more self sustaining lifestyle. We still work hard, but the difference is, we are not working for a paycheck now, we are working to live the life of our choosing.

Coop’s retirement income is $941 per month. This is the amount we live on with the only exception being the occasional etsy or ebay sale. According to U.S. Federal guidelines, our income is more than $2000 below the poverty level. I guess by American standards we’re poor folk now, but I know that "poor" is more a state of mind than income. I have a saying I keep posted on my refrigerator that reads, “The happiest people don’t own the best of everything but make the best of everything.” That would describe us quite well.

According to our standards we live well, eat well (in fact much better than when we had more to spend) and sleep well. So, how exactly do we live? The answer is this; simply, frugally, creatively and sustainably. Our objective is to be as self sustaining and debt free as we can be, according to our ability and means, and to live naturally and organically, doing as little harm to the environment as possible.

This comprises raising our own organic plants and produce each summer. Eggs and milk are purchased from nearby Amish folk. We are planning to raise our own chickens in the near future. We do our primary shopping once per month, making our rounds to find reduced priced goods and purchasing in bulk when we can get a significant savings. Coop is always eager to bargain for a better price and you’d be surprised how often he gets it. Recently we came home with over twenty pounds of organic beef for just $2.25 a pound. (yes, we still eat meat...I know, I know) We purchase staple items (flour, sugar, oats, etc.) from our locally owned bulk food store which very fortunately is within a few miles of our home.

I love my life at home. A day in the kitchen may be work to some, but I spend the time with a happy heart. I stew bones for soup broth rather than purchasing it, and save dried bread and crackers to make my own bread crumbs. Purchasing convenience foods is not an option for two reasons; they are more expensive and are often full of all kinds of unnecessary and less than beneficial ingredients. Since I do my own preserving there is rarely a need to purchase canned vegetables, relishes, pasta sauces, etc. There is always food on hand so meals are planned around what we have on hand and there’s no need for more frequent trips to the store.

Very seldom do we venture away from home unless it is necessary, except for the occasional trip to see our kids. When we do go out, we plan ahead and combine errands to avoid unnecessary trips. We freecycle, recycle, reuse and barter when we can. Most of our clothing and household items come second hand from local thrift stores. We maintain what we have so we don't have to replace items any more than is necessary. We still own the same old vehicles we did over a decade ago. We still use the same lawn and garden tools we have for more years than I can recall.

Virtually nothing is spent on entertainment. We have a TV which is generallyfam turned on in the evenings for Coop’s benefit. I read, browse the internet, crochet or partake in some other type of creative endeavor. In the summer months we often find ourselves outside star gazing. We tend to be homebodies, so we don’t do a lot of socializing outside of family. However, evening card games with the neighbors are commonplace in the summer. Summer also brings family and friends together around a fire now and then, sharing food, friendship and roasted marshmallows. : )

Our days here in the country are made of numerous small acts that define who we are. The steps we take to live as we do are what matter most because those steps are what allow us to live as we do. I have learned through the years that living close to and in accord with the natural world is essential for my sense of well being. I need to feel the earth and the countryside is where I thrive…away from the noise, glare and congestion of city living.

I guess all in all our simple life is about living the best life we can according to our vision, not the ideals of others. It’s about being less dependent on the outside world and more responsible for ourselves. It’s about taking back our lives, living in the now instead of striving towards some unsustainable, unrealistic or fictional future.

In the end, I guess one could say that to “live well, laugh often and love much” is our motto. This is what brings us contentment and satisfaction at the end of each day.

Thanksgiving 07

it's official, we have a winner!

First off, let me say once again Thank You Everyone for your participation and all the nice comments left in response to my blogaversary giveaway.

This morning all names were placed in my favorite pink bowl and my husband Coop was given the green light to draw a name. The winner... World's Greatest Mommy. Sarah is mom to five and if anyone can use a little stress reduction in their life, well, 'nuff said. If you're a mom you understand. :)

CONGRATULATIONS SARAH!!!!

Now, this was just so darn much fun that I can hardly wait to do another giveaway! So, stay tuned!

Free Shopping Tote from Earthbound Farm Organics

Earthbound Farms is giving away free shopping totes.

Yep, it's true. To get yours take the quiz here, get 9 out of 10 questions right, and they'll send you a free reusable (and recyclable) Earthbound Farm shopping tote that you can use to reduce environmental waste whenever you shop. (If you get stuck, just follow the links to pages with the answers you're looking for.)



Offer good for US and Canadian residents only, while supplies last. Quiz must be completed before Midnight PDT, April 30, 2008. One bag per mailing address. Bags will be shipped to recipients in June, 2008.