The Simple Life

Be it fresh bread from the oven, the intricacy of a sunflower or observing the delicate wings of an insect, living simply, allows you to enjoy such moments.  From time to time, I get a bit off track and find myself caught up in this mad rush, instant access lifestyle the world seems to be living in right now, but for the most part, I like to take each day slow and easy, savoring each and ever moment for what lesson can be learned from it.  Of late, I have just about given up on shopping, I have enough yarn and fabric to last the rest of my life I think and going in the store just temps me to buy more.  I need to use up what I have already.  Shopping fills a void for some, the same as eating does, and I have used both activities as a pacifier from time to time in my life but contentment seems to rule these days.  Content to sit on the back porch, listening to the different bird calls, and watch them fly from limb to limb.  Or grab the hoe and weed in the garden.  Such reward for this work.  I would rather dead head my roses then stand in line at the store.  As we have aged, Emery and I both find our home to be such a place of solace and contentment.  A haven, a bit of heaven on earth.  Its a wonderful feeling.   So many of our friends reach our age and go out and buy a new house, bigger than the one they had, a new mortgage to pay off in their 60's. Even if its a small mortgage, its still a mortgage.  Then, after 5 years goes by, we hear them complaining about too much house work, too much yard work...they really didn't need a bigger house, now they want to downsize, get something simple.  Get rid of the things they don't need to be burdened with.   Its sad to listen to them tell their tale of woe. 
They wished they had just stayed debt free and if they felt they had to move, move into something smaller, not larger.  Something with no mortgage, lower cost to maintain.  They had bought...too much house.  No matter how old we are, we are subject to moments of peer pressure and the idea we need to keep up with the Jones',    Too bad the Jones didn't live a simple life, one not measured by what they own.   We need to invent a new Jones family !