My latest hobby has proved very fulfilling so far. I find myself drawing parallels between glass blowing and other things throughout the day. As I roll a piece of gum around in my mouth and mold it into a ball I am reminded of spinning a glass marble in a graphite mold. Making something tangible, [...]
Yesterday was my first day learning how to make borosilicate glass art (i.e. learning to “blow glass”). I have been looking for a visually creative outlet that produced something tangible. Things like welding, whittling, rustic furniture… were along the lines (i.e. a “craft”) of what I was looking for, but I never felt like they [...]
The next time someone says they don’t understand you; that that they think you’re weird, or that you want to take this “voluntary simplicity” thing too far – send them this… Best. TED. Ever.
We’ve had a LOT of interest in our place. Everyone who comes agrees that the property itself is off a postcard, and the workshop and observatory are huge pluses. However, there has been concern from a couple of visitors about the fact that this is an old farmhouse. Though I certainly understand and respect that [...]
One thing became abundantly clear when I started getting to know people who grew up in the countryside: They are often extremely talented at problem solving. This is especially true when it comes to solving a problem with little or no money. I am a creative problem solver in many ways (at least that’s what [...]
Today, I said goodbye to my Kubota 43hp 4×4 tractor with all its implements, including a backhoe! I have worked through some feelings around this sale. It’s sad because I loved that tractor and used it all the time, but it’s good to know it will help me get one step closer to being debt free. My life looks [...]
I realize we haven’t posted much lately so I wanted to give a quick update on a few things. Company, Travel and Friends We have had a lot of company over the last couple of months, and I was out of town for work an entire week. We have really enjoyed our time spent with [...]
According to the dictionary, Ambivalence is a noun that means: 1. uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things. 2. Psychology . the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, [...]
The following guest post comes from John Jackson, author of ‘A Little Piece of England: A Tale of Self-Sufficiency’, which tells the tale of how the he and his family, living in a sliver of countryside in London’s commuter belt, worked to become self-sufficient. I approached John about reviewing his book and agreed to participate [...]
This post is not “really” designed to piss off every single possible demographic in our small, but appreciated, readership. It is meant to remind all of us, myself especially, that the next time we’re pointing our finger outward we should be doing it in front of a mirror… To The Liberal Foodie Crowd: I hate [...]
Everett writes about voluntary simplicity. This blog catalogs his search for "the good life" as he tries to strike a balance between work and play, freedom and responsibility, simplicity and comfort.
