Some days are just harder than others. All efforts to be productive have been met with distractions and my attention span is the size of a gnat!! This is the flip-side of the beauty of working from home. While I have the latitude to work casually dressed in tank top and shorts, I also have the opportunity to walk away from my work task too easily! For instance...to spend time watching kittens!
Our wild cat, Hijack, had kittens. We thought they would be under the house but, no, she had under the neighbor's house and only brought them home yesterday! They are 6 weeks old and we finally get to see them. So, they are the center of every conversation and email between my Honey and me today. I give him updates on kitten sightings. We amuse easily! There are six of the little cuties. Their mom, Hijack, is confident enough to come to front door to demand her food but still does not let us touch her. She gets closer than before not enough to be loving. We want the kittens to be socialized with people to stop the cycle of feral cats!
I passed by the front door once and was startled to see a little orange ball of fur sitting in the food bowl eating away! This was the first sighting on the front deck. Four are on ground level taking shelter under the deck which stands 10-15 feet from the ground. The other two are on the walkway level which is 3-4 feet off the ground. How that happened I do not know. They dash under the stairs when they think we are getting too close. Today, it was so cute to see the elevated two kittens peering over the edge watching the four ground level babies playing and tussling together. Me, I stood on the deck looking down on all of them and having a grand time!
Maybe life isn't so hard today after all. Perhaps my perspective needed an attitude adjustment. Maybe a day to just enjoy the miracle of life and wonderment of new kittens is more suited to a simple life on Hacienda Hill than I first considered. Yep, a simple life means taking the time to enjoy and appreciate to simple things around you. Work will always be there waiting and kittens will grow up too quickly. Take some time today to just revel in life and appreciate the blessings around you.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Day 16 - Simply Brilliant
Life has taken a turn for the better since I've accepted and adopted the KISS concept in my guest prep.
Today, I was hanging out some laundry and had what I call 'A flash of brilliance!" I just had to share! I was putting out a load of my clothes. I use one of those mesh bags to put my dirty socks and panties in as I shed them, then throw the whole bag in the washer with my other things. No more socks being eaten by the dryer! HA! Anyway, as I hung one sock after another from the bag, I spotted a shoe rack I bought for a recent garage sale. It's one of those $3 dollar white plastic racks that sits on the floor and holds 9 pair of shoes. I decided to utilize it for my wet socks. One sock per holder and viola! I placed it on the patio table making it handy to fill with socks, which are no longer taking up valuable clothesline space. How handy is that?! Flash of brilliance!
I have found a down side to hanging clothes on the line instead of using the dryer. You know the stuff you clean from the lint filter...well, it stays on the clothes now. It's nothing but a thing for the most part but I noticed it today hanging out a pair of black slacks. The life with three long haired dogs is riddled with dog hair....what are you gonna do? Grin and get the lint brush, that's what!!!
Remember to keep it simple...KISS KISS
Today, I was hanging out some laundry and had what I call 'A flash of brilliance!" I just had to share! I was putting out a load of my clothes. I use one of those mesh bags to put my dirty socks and panties in as I shed them, then throw the whole bag in the washer with my other things. No more socks being eaten by the dryer! HA! Anyway, as I hung one sock after another from the bag, I spotted a shoe rack I bought for a recent garage sale. It's one of those $3 dollar white plastic racks that sits on the floor and holds 9 pair of shoes. I decided to utilize it for my wet socks. One sock per holder and viola! I placed it on the patio table making it handy to fill with socks, which are no longer taking up valuable clothesline space. How handy is that?! Flash of brilliance!
I have found a down side to hanging clothes on the line instead of using the dryer. You know the stuff you clean from the lint filter...well, it stays on the clothes now. It's nothing but a thing for the most part but I noticed it today hanging out a pair of black slacks. The life with three long haired dogs is riddled with dog hair....what are you gonna do? Grin and get the lint brush, that's what!!!
Remember to keep it simple...KISS KISS
Friday, August 20, 2010
Sealed with a KISS
In my quest for a more simple life at Hacienda Hill I need a paradigm shift. You see, I have always been a planner, a list maker, a map reader.....etc. The paradigm shift I refer to is in the area of...here it comes...the dreaded over-achiever. I put so much on my plate of things to do, that I moved up from a plate to a platter years ago just to hold it all. I do this to myself, no one else has the giant list of expectations of me.
Last night, my Honey brought me around to reality when I was sharing with him some things I wanted to get done today. We are having company again this weekend and I wanted to finish the window cornice boards to match my new curtains. This requires they be reupholstered. It's not a big job in and of itself but it's another job...one that isn't really necessary.
He pointed out that I had enough to do without creating new jobs. Oh, he also pointed out that I wanted to do this while trying to deal with a very painful foot. Each step is agonizing at the moment and here I was loading up my platter with unnecessary tasks. He suggested I focus on what really counts, rather than the extraneous things Ms. Over-achiever wanted to do. He doesn't call me Ms. Over-achiever, that's my name for it, but he has lived with her for a long time now!!!! Bless his heart, he lives with me, Brat Child and Ms. Over-achiever. Egad!
Sometimes it takes someone else to get us to slow down long enough to realize we are at warp speed doing extraneous things that tie us in a knot and we need to just STOP! So, in the name of striving for a simple life on Hacienda Hill, I am making myself scratch things off the To-Do list and just look forward to having our friends in our imperfect though albeit comfortable home. I will nurse my foot, feed my guest, and enjoy their company. I will thank God for home and hearth, good friends and stress free fellowship. Remember the KISS theory ...Keep It Simple, Silly!
Last night, my Honey brought me around to reality when I was sharing with him some things I wanted to get done today. We are having company again this weekend and I wanted to finish the window cornice boards to match my new curtains. This requires they be reupholstered. It's not a big job in and of itself but it's another job...one that isn't really necessary.
He pointed out that I had enough to do without creating new jobs. Oh, he also pointed out that I wanted to do this while trying to deal with a very painful foot. Each step is agonizing at the moment and here I was loading up my platter with unnecessary tasks. He suggested I focus on what really counts, rather than the extraneous things Ms. Over-achiever wanted to do. He doesn't call me Ms. Over-achiever, that's my name for it, but he has lived with her for a long time now!!!! Bless his heart, he lives with me, Brat Child and Ms. Over-achiever. Egad!
Sometimes it takes someone else to get us to slow down long enough to realize we are at warp speed doing extraneous things that tie us in a knot and we need to just STOP! So, in the name of striving for a simple life on Hacienda Hill, I am making myself scratch things off the To-Do list and just look forward to having our friends in our imperfect though albeit comfortable home. I will nurse my foot, feed my guest, and enjoy their company. I will thank God for home and hearth, good friends and stress free fellowship. Remember the KISS theory ...Keep It Simple, Silly!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Day - 14 Light of my Life
I am the self-proclaimed Energy Sheriff here at Hacienda Hill. I have carried this badge-less title for years. I want a badge! LOL It is a thankless job but someone has to do it. Actually, I would be rolling in the dough if I had even a nickle for every light switch I have turned off that someone else has left on!
At this moment in time there are 44 light bulbs used in our home on a daily basis. Yes, I counted. Bear in mind, that in multiple bulb fixtures, we do not have bulbs in every available space. For instance, the master bath fixture over the mirror has space for 8 vanity globes, we have 8 in place but only use 2 of them. The other 6 are unscrewed just enough not to come on. The overhead light in here does not even have a bulb in it so it was not included in the light count. There are several light fixtures in our home where we cut back on bulbs in actual use, so 44 is a conservative number. Imagine, 44 bulbs used daily times 365 days a year...that's 16,060 bulbs in use, spinning the meter....boggles the mind. Screams out for an Energy Sheriff, doesn't it?
Ceiling fans and free standing fans are a constant source of aggravation for an Energy Sheriff. Make note of the following: Fans cool PEOPLE, not Rooms! A fan spinning in an empty room is cooling no one! Fans cool people because they move the air over our skin. No people in the room, no skin to cool. Fans running without people to cool are merely spinning the meter needlessly; major pet peeve for an Energy Sheriff. Leaving the room for even a short while, turn the fan off! It only takes a second to turn off and another second to turn back on once you return. If that sounds like too much trouble for you, maybe you should read the light bill over once more.
We had family/guest last weekend. The 7 year old boy asked why the TV wasn't on when they came in after a day of playing tourist. I explained I wasn't watching TV so there was no need for it to be on. He looked at me like I was crazy. Some people need something on all the time, TV, radio, something to fill the air space around them. Me, I need quiet. I play some upbeat music while cleaning house to get the juices flowing. Housework just seems less like work to me when good music is playing but I do not need noise all the time. I think too much for that. I have plenty of things going on inside my head to keep my mind occupied, I do not need external noise. If you do, then play them but monitor whether or not you are leaving them on when you are not paying attention to them. Picture yourself as the Energy Sheriff of your home and walk around turning off all extraneous energy wasters. Your peace of mind and your checkbook will thank you for it.
Phantom energy users are those things that use electricity even if they are not running. The clock on the stove is an example. You can literally walk in the dark through our living room and kitchen area just guided by the number of little red and/or green lights on the various objects using phantom energy! The internet is on whether the computer is in use or not, so the boxes governing that are blinking, the microwave and oven have the timers/clock lights on, the power surge protectors that everything is plugged into has their little red lights on, the laptop has a white light that blinks all the time it is plugged in, DVD player, digital converter box, antenna rotor and TV even have lights on all the time. The cordless hand-held phones each have blinking lights, the clock on the coffee pot is on all the time....all running on phantom power whether in use or not! Egad!! It looks like a landing strip at an airport walking through here in the dark! We can reduce that some by turning off the power strips.Others we are simply stuck with, making it all the more important that we conserve where we can!
One area of concern for me is the location of the thermostat for our A/C unit. It is across from the front door!! This time of year makes it almost impossible to keep the wooden door open because it causes the A/C to kick on. It feels the heat from outside before any other area of the house and BAM! A/C kicks on regardless of how cool the house actually it! Poor design there. The view from my desk is cut off when that door has to remain closed.
There is more involved when we work to conserve energy than helping our light bill but that is a major issue in our hot Texas summers. Every little effort helps and makes a difference. It requires a mindset change to start being the Energy Sheriff and your family may get very tired of hearing about it ( mine did & do) but we are all responsible for life on planet earth and the things we do today impact the issues our grandchildren will deal with. A simple life is one where we control our environment, rather than it controlling us! Step up and make the changes necessary to be in charge, become an Energy Sheriff, be tough now to be happy later!
At this moment in time there are 44 light bulbs used in our home on a daily basis. Yes, I counted. Bear in mind, that in multiple bulb fixtures, we do not have bulbs in every available space. For instance, the master bath fixture over the mirror has space for 8 vanity globes, we have 8 in place but only use 2 of them. The other 6 are unscrewed just enough not to come on. The overhead light in here does not even have a bulb in it so it was not included in the light count. There are several light fixtures in our home where we cut back on bulbs in actual use, so 44 is a conservative number. Imagine, 44 bulbs used daily times 365 days a year...that's 16,060 bulbs in use, spinning the meter....boggles the mind. Screams out for an Energy Sheriff, doesn't it?
Ceiling fans and free standing fans are a constant source of aggravation for an Energy Sheriff. Make note of the following: Fans cool PEOPLE, not Rooms! A fan spinning in an empty room is cooling no one! Fans cool people because they move the air over our skin. No people in the room, no skin to cool. Fans running without people to cool are merely spinning the meter needlessly; major pet peeve for an Energy Sheriff. Leaving the room for even a short while, turn the fan off! It only takes a second to turn off and another second to turn back on once you return. If that sounds like too much trouble for you, maybe you should read the light bill over once more.
We had family/guest last weekend. The 7 year old boy asked why the TV wasn't on when they came in after a day of playing tourist. I explained I wasn't watching TV so there was no need for it to be on. He looked at me like I was crazy. Some people need something on all the time, TV, radio, something to fill the air space around them. Me, I need quiet. I play some upbeat music while cleaning house to get the juices flowing. Housework just seems less like work to me when good music is playing but I do not need noise all the time. I think too much for that. I have plenty of things going on inside my head to keep my mind occupied, I do not need external noise. If you do, then play them but monitor whether or not you are leaving them on when you are not paying attention to them. Picture yourself as the Energy Sheriff of your home and walk around turning off all extraneous energy wasters. Your peace of mind and your checkbook will thank you for it.
Phantom energy users are those things that use electricity even if they are not running. The clock on the stove is an example. You can literally walk in the dark through our living room and kitchen area just guided by the number of little red and/or green lights on the various objects using phantom energy! The internet is on whether the computer is in use or not, so the boxes governing that are blinking, the microwave and oven have the timers/clock lights on, the power surge protectors that everything is plugged into has their little red lights on, the laptop has a white light that blinks all the time it is plugged in, DVD player, digital converter box, antenna rotor and TV even have lights on all the time. The cordless hand-held phones each have blinking lights, the clock on the coffee pot is on all the time....all running on phantom power whether in use or not! Egad!! It looks like a landing strip at an airport walking through here in the dark! We can reduce that some by turning off the power strips.Others we are simply stuck with, making it all the more important that we conserve where we can!
One area of concern for me is the location of the thermostat for our A/C unit. It is across from the front door!! This time of year makes it almost impossible to keep the wooden door open because it causes the A/C to kick on. It feels the heat from outside before any other area of the house and BAM! A/C kicks on regardless of how cool the house actually it! Poor design there. The view from my desk is cut off when that door has to remain closed.
There is more involved when we work to conserve energy than helping our light bill but that is a major issue in our hot Texas summers. Every little effort helps and makes a difference. It requires a mindset change to start being the Energy Sheriff and your family may get very tired of hearing about it ( mine did & do) but we are all responsible for life on planet earth and the things we do today impact the issues our grandchildren will deal with. A simple life is one where we control our environment, rather than it controlling us! Step up and make the changes necessary to be in charge, become an Energy Sheriff, be tough now to be happy later!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Days 7 & 8 - Time to Enjoy
Day 7 was another busy day. Did some prep cooking for dishes for the weekend. More getting ready for guest. Which arrived safely last night! Yah! Poor Honey was so tired and up way past his bedtime. He's a Trooper, tho. He wanted to wait up for our guests.
You should see the looks my brother, Michael, gives me when I tell him to stop wasting water and safe it for the herbs! LOL Let's just say conservation doesn't cross his radar on a regular basis and he thinks I'm a bit nuts. He's a little brother, he's entitled to his opinion no matter how wrong and stupid it might be!!! LOL
Day 8 - So far, nothing I have prepared for meals has met the approval of young guest. Boy, will he get hungry this weekend...LOL Our hounds, Nikos, Chelsie and Pan Dulce are soaking up all the extra attention. Guest heading to Sea World today. Me, I'll be preparing for our stint to host Parent's Night Out for the church kids Saturday evening. Honey is at work. He has more OT tomorrow before PNO (Parent's Night Out)...bummer to be him Saturday evening!!. He will be one pooped Papa!!!!
Oh, I discovered a new perk to hanging the clothes out. Since my clothesline is under the back porch and my dogs are fenced in on the back porch, the wet clothes seem to keep it cooler for them. I was afraid it might make things more humid but the flapping of wet clothes in the breeze actually makes it better! That's probably the best I can do for conservation and simple living this weekend. As the self-appointed energy sheriff I have been biting my tongue and trying to be a gracious hostess. However, I am enjoying the company so I can bite my tongue a few days. Family time is precious and a few extra turns on the old light meter isn't worth blowing that over!
See ya on Monday. Till then, think green, fresh and clean and energy efficient! Compost something!!!!
You should see the looks my brother, Michael, gives me when I tell him to stop wasting water and safe it for the herbs! LOL Let's just say conservation doesn't cross his radar on a regular basis and he thinks I'm a bit nuts. He's a little brother, he's entitled to his opinion no matter how wrong and stupid it might be!!! LOL
Day 8 - So far, nothing I have prepared for meals has met the approval of young guest. Boy, will he get hungry this weekend...LOL Our hounds, Nikos, Chelsie and Pan Dulce are soaking up all the extra attention. Guest heading to Sea World today. Me, I'll be preparing for our stint to host Parent's Night Out for the church kids Saturday evening. Honey is at work. He has more OT tomorrow before PNO (Parent's Night Out)...bummer to be him Saturday evening!!. He will be one pooped Papa!!!!
Oh, I discovered a new perk to hanging the clothes out. Since my clothesline is under the back porch and my dogs are fenced in on the back porch, the wet clothes seem to keep it cooler for them. I was afraid it might make things more humid but the flapping of wet clothes in the breeze actually makes it better! That's probably the best I can do for conservation and simple living this weekend. As the self-appointed energy sheriff I have been biting my tongue and trying to be a gracious hostess. However, I am enjoying the company so I can bite my tongue a few days. Family time is precious and a few extra turns on the old light meter isn't worth blowing that over!
See ya on Monday. Till then, think green, fresh and clean and energy efficient! Compost something!!!!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Day 6 - Dragging My Bootie
Well, I am happy to say all the new drapes were ironed and hung by 12:30 this afternoon! Yay!! I didn't even have to stay up late last night. In fact, I went to bed at 9:30, so I was bouncing out of bed early this morning. This is the good news.
The bad news is that I have been basically worthless the rest of the day! I've had a sinus headache for three days and it is knocking me around. I managed to get dinner in front of Honey but that's about it. Dinner and a shower...whoo boy!
So now that the drapes are up, the old upholstery fabric on the cornice boards has got to go! I have loved it for all these years and I still find the fabric delightful. However, it does not go with the new drapes at all. I have the new fabric; bought it two years ago, too! Love it! I'm think recovering the cornice boards will be a great project for me to do with my brother's girlfriend, Jennifer, this weekend....a bonding thing, don't ya know! LOL Four hands are better than two, anyway! Hope she's crafty!
So, tomorrow has shaped up to be a busy day with a lot of To-Do's to catch up on. I'll send Demon Child out to play so I can work undisturbed. The little brat!! I'll tell you a story about the day I realized Demon Child lived within one day...but not this day. I am pooped and ready to sleep off this headache.
P.S. Still loving the clothesline and hanging things out to dry.
The bad news is that I have been basically worthless the rest of the day! I've had a sinus headache for three days and it is knocking me around. I managed to get dinner in front of Honey but that's about it. Dinner and a shower...whoo boy!
So now that the drapes are up, the old upholstery fabric on the cornice boards has got to go! I have loved it for all these years and I still find the fabric delightful. However, it does not go with the new drapes at all. I have the new fabric; bought it two years ago, too! Love it! I'm think recovering the cornice boards will be a great project for me to do with my brother's girlfriend, Jennifer, this weekend....a bonding thing, don't ya know! LOL Four hands are better than two, anyway! Hope she's crafty!
So, tomorrow has shaped up to be a busy day with a lot of To-Do's to catch up on. I'll send Demon Child out to play so I can work undisturbed. The little brat!! I'll tell you a story about the day I realized Demon Child lived within one day...but not this day. I am pooped and ready to sleep off this headache.
P.S. Still loving the clothesline and hanging things out to dry.
Day 5 - One Step Forward, Three Steps Back
On my quest down the road to living a more simple lifestyle, I fell into a pothole! Oh, I still contributed to my compost pile and I worked to not waste water and energy. My failings were in conserving my own personal energy and using my time wisely. Tossing my 'To-Do' list aside, I fell off the main road and onto a rabbit trail of extraneous work. SO much for simple!
We are having guest this weekend and next, so you know the extra stuff you do when all that comes around. As if that wasn't enough to fill my time and expend all my energy, I decided I just HAD to make new drapes for the living room. Huh? Yep, I jumped into making new drapes with only two days before guest arrive, a grocery list not yet purchased, laundry not finished, bathroom to scrub, floors to mop, common areas to dust, etc..... No simple life for me and I have no one to blame but myself!
In my defense, (and lord knows I need one) I wasn't exactly starting from scratch with this project. I purchased the materials needed two years ago right before I injured my hand and required two surgeries. So, with my hand in a cast, my friend, Mina, came over and helped me cut out the fabric and lining panels. Over time, I have managed to get several sets pinned together. This made the idea a little more practical....but just a little.
The hardest part of the whole process has been the ironing! Remember, this fabric has been folded and stored for two years! Sadly, my inner perfectionist, Demon Child, will not let me ask for help in the ironing. I tossed about the prospect of having Alyson, my neighbor girl-12, come over and help with the ironing. But, NOOOOO...Demon Child reminded me that I would just have to keep stopping to show her what I wanted, she would be too slow, she would talk me to death, she wouldn't get the seams to lie flat...yep, Demon Child made sure I did not let anyone help so my work would take longer and wear me out more. Normally, I enjoy ironing but Demon Child made sure I didn't this day!
So, my Friends, this is why I lost ground today in my journey to a more simple life at Hacienda Hill. One step forward, three steps back! Here's to better days and forward progress!! The new drapes do look pretty tho!!
We are having guest this weekend and next, so you know the extra stuff you do when all that comes around. As if that wasn't enough to fill my time and expend all my energy, I decided I just HAD to make new drapes for the living room. Huh? Yep, I jumped into making new drapes with only two days before guest arrive, a grocery list not yet purchased, laundry not finished, bathroom to scrub, floors to mop, common areas to dust, etc..... No simple life for me and I have no one to blame but myself!
In my defense, (and lord knows I need one) I wasn't exactly starting from scratch with this project. I purchased the materials needed two years ago right before I injured my hand and required two surgeries. So, with my hand in a cast, my friend, Mina, came over and helped me cut out the fabric and lining panels. Over time, I have managed to get several sets pinned together. This made the idea a little more practical....but just a little.
The hardest part of the whole process has been the ironing! Remember, this fabric has been folded and stored for two years! Sadly, my inner perfectionist, Demon Child, will not let me ask for help in the ironing. I tossed about the prospect of having Alyson, my neighbor girl-12, come over and help with the ironing. But, NOOOOO...Demon Child reminded me that I would just have to keep stopping to show her what I wanted, she would be too slow, she would talk me to death, she wouldn't get the seams to lie flat...yep, Demon Child made sure I did not let anyone help so my work would take longer and wear me out more. Normally, I enjoy ironing but Demon Child made sure I didn't this day!
So, my Friends, this is why I lost ground today in my journey to a more simple life at Hacienda Hill. One step forward, three steps back! Here's to better days and forward progress!! The new drapes do look pretty tho!!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Day 4 - We're in Hot Water
Day 4 isn't over yet but I stopped mid-dishes to write. Yesterday I mentioned my time in an African village. One water well in the whole village. Woman and children carry jugs, buckets anything they can to the well for their daily water. While we were there, we were given a small dishpan with a couple of inches of water to bathe everyday. Hair had to be washed with the water in a water bottle. It can be done. All this made a huge impact on me and it was months after we returned before I could take more than a two minute shower. Today, I am up to 5 minutes...and that's IF I wash my hair. The conditioner needs 2 minutes.
In our country neighborhood here, we are on community water. It is very hard and full of minerals. It takes very little time for build-up to take its toll on the dishwasher heating element, so I wash dishes by hand. I do not mind it at all. Having had hand issues the last couple of years I have enjoyed the hot water soaks. I start out with only 1/2 a sink of water. Have you ever paid attention to how much water we waste while waiting for the water to heat up??!! EKK! I now save that running water in plastic bowls and use it to water my herbs! No waste there. If I heat up more water than I need for my afternoon tea, I save that water, too. You will be amazed at how much water we waste in everyday activities. With my 1/2 sink of water I let the plates and saucers soak while I do something else. Then I wash them, placing them in the other sick to rinse all at once. I put in any glass dishes left to soak while I rinse. Again, waiting for hot water, I save it in bowls and rinse the dishes in the hot water over the soapy water so all the new hot water refreshes it, rather than waste it. This is what I was doing when I stopped to run over here to share my Green cleaning tips.
I was hesitant to pour out the hot starchy water left from cooking pasta the other night, so I looked online and, lo and behold, there were ideas for recycling that! Who knew? It can go on the compost pile if nothing else, once cooled of course. I frequently steam veggies in the rice cooker while it cooks my rice. Water used to cook veggies can be saved for soup stock. Pour the cooled veggie water into an old ice cube tray and then you have stock to add to other dishes in serving sizes! One lady said she used her starch water from pasta or veggie to cook her homemade bagels, then uses the leftover water from that to mix up homemade tortillas. That's recycling, friends! You can also use the cooled veggie water for your plants. Think about the vitamins we would be passively giving our animals if we used veggie water for them!
Not only can we make an impact in water conservation but also the energy it takes to cook food by recycling the water/stock while it is still hot from the initial cooking like the pasta/bagel/tortilla lady. She knocked out a lot of things at once saving water and energy. Making double recipes at one time saves on energy, too. Plus we get the benefit of having prepared food for another meal handy. I always make a double batch of rice and can use it in a variety of ways for days. I save left over mashed potatoes for potato pancakes. Leftovers can be exciting and new simply by serving them a different way. I do not like to serve something two days in a row or serve it without making it look new and different. Recycling our food sources is just plain smart! Pleasing our family with new creative dishes is love on a plate!
Bye for now, it's tea time and then back to finish the dishes before my water cools off!! P.S. tea bags go into the compost pile, too, ya know!
In our country neighborhood here, we are on community water. It is very hard and full of minerals. It takes very little time for build-up to take its toll on the dishwasher heating element, so I wash dishes by hand. I do not mind it at all. Having had hand issues the last couple of years I have enjoyed the hot water soaks. I start out with only 1/2 a sink of water. Have you ever paid attention to how much water we waste while waiting for the water to heat up??!! EKK! I now save that running water in plastic bowls and use it to water my herbs! No waste there. If I heat up more water than I need for my afternoon tea, I save that water, too. You will be amazed at how much water we waste in everyday activities. With my 1/2 sink of water I let the plates and saucers soak while I do something else. Then I wash them, placing them in the other sick to rinse all at once. I put in any glass dishes left to soak while I rinse. Again, waiting for hot water, I save it in bowls and rinse the dishes in the hot water over the soapy water so all the new hot water refreshes it, rather than waste it. This is what I was doing when I stopped to run over here to share my Green cleaning tips.
I was hesitant to pour out the hot starchy water left from cooking pasta the other night, so I looked online and, lo and behold, there were ideas for recycling that! Who knew? It can go on the compost pile if nothing else, once cooled of course. I frequently steam veggies in the rice cooker while it cooks my rice. Water used to cook veggies can be saved for soup stock. Pour the cooled veggie water into an old ice cube tray and then you have stock to add to other dishes in serving sizes! One lady said she used her starch water from pasta or veggie to cook her homemade bagels, then uses the leftover water from that to mix up homemade tortillas. That's recycling, friends! You can also use the cooled veggie water for your plants. Think about the vitamins we would be passively giving our animals if we used veggie water for them!
Not only can we make an impact in water conservation but also the energy it takes to cook food by recycling the water/stock while it is still hot from the initial cooking like the pasta/bagel/tortilla lady. She knocked out a lot of things at once saving water and energy. Making double recipes at one time saves on energy, too. Plus we get the benefit of having prepared food for another meal handy. I always make a double batch of rice and can use it in a variety of ways for days. I save left over mashed potatoes for potato pancakes. Leftovers can be exciting and new simply by serving them a different way. I do not like to serve something two days in a row or serve it without making it look new and different. Recycling our food sources is just plain smart! Pleasing our family with new creative dishes is love on a plate!
Bye for now, it's tea time and then back to finish the dishes before my water cools off!! P.S. tea bags go into the compost pile, too, ya know!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Day 3 - A Whole Lot of Nothing Going On
Sunday's are good days! Breakfast with Honey, church, lunch with Honey, mandatory Sunday afternoon nap......light dinner with Honey, a little mindless TV and now headed to bed to read a while before more sleep. What's not to like?
We are not one of those families that fill every minute of the weekend with frenzied activity. We need and want time to just 'be' with one another and relax. Honey had to work some needed OT this Saturday so that makes it all the more important that we take time to veg at home in our grunges with as little activity as possible. A simple life begins and ends with those we love and nothing is better than quality time doing nothing together. At least that's how we see it here at the Hacienda.
For the most part, we all create our schedules. If there is no room for doing nothing together, maybe things need to be re-examined. Remember, living the simple life means we control our environment rather than being controlled by it. Maybe being more selective about what we do or do not allow into our lives and schedules would scale down activity to allow room for quality nothing time.
In 1998, I was one busy girl. I had a full-time job, I was the wedding coordinator at one of the largest churches in Austin, I was taking my Ministry studies, and I was training for my first mission trip to Africa. I already had dropped out of the church choir because there just were not enough hours in the week to do all the things I was trying to do. Life was closing in on me and the faster I peddled, the further behind I got! I knew I was at a crossroad in my life and decisions needed to be made. I felt in my spirit that God kept telling me to wait, not make any important decisions until after the Africa mission trip. I was too busy to make decisions anyway....LOL
In Africa, everyday life is far different than that of the average American. They do not rush around trying to keep a crazy schedule, appointments or march through their day by the dictates of the clock. In fact, it took some getting used to by those of us on the team. They were not getting in a rush no matter how much you want them to. Life moves at a leisurely pace with time made to interact with friends being a priority. Clothes were washed in a washtub of water they had to carry in buckets and jugs and heat over a fire. Meals were cooked over a small fire inside the reed fences around their mud huts covered with thatch cut by the river. Clothes worn usually did not create what we would call 'an outfit' and rarely matched anything else on their person, yet they walked hand in hand with their friends, laughing and sharing. No electrical power or running water or TV's to be had but life was lived, babies were born, old people died and were mourned.
The lesson God wanted me to get in Africa was that I needed to simplify, simplify, simplify! Lesson learned. I came home with a new appreciation for a simpler life. It changed my perspective forever. I set about eliminating all but the most basic and important activities from my routines. I made more time to be with people I loved. Then, as now, we do not have all the toys that some families think necessary. We are not chasing after the latest and greatest technological devises, we do not have fancy phones that do everything but your laundry and we are not slaves to commercials showing us things we can not live without. For the most part, we DO live without them and live well. There is still a long way to go to get to the point I seek in simplicity and minimalism in our possessions but I am looking forward to the journey.
We are not one of those families that fill every minute of the weekend with frenzied activity. We need and want time to just 'be' with one another and relax. Honey had to work some needed OT this Saturday so that makes it all the more important that we take time to veg at home in our grunges with as little activity as possible. A simple life begins and ends with those we love and nothing is better than quality time doing nothing together. At least that's how we see it here at the Hacienda.
For the most part, we all create our schedules. If there is no room for doing nothing together, maybe things need to be re-examined. Remember, living the simple life means we control our environment rather than being controlled by it. Maybe being more selective about what we do or do not allow into our lives and schedules would scale down activity to allow room for quality nothing time.
In 1998, I was one busy girl. I had a full-time job, I was the wedding coordinator at one of the largest churches in Austin, I was taking my Ministry studies, and I was training for my first mission trip to Africa. I already had dropped out of the church choir because there just were not enough hours in the week to do all the things I was trying to do. Life was closing in on me and the faster I peddled, the further behind I got! I knew I was at a crossroad in my life and decisions needed to be made. I felt in my spirit that God kept telling me to wait, not make any important decisions until after the Africa mission trip. I was too busy to make decisions anyway....LOL
In Africa, everyday life is far different than that of the average American. They do not rush around trying to keep a crazy schedule, appointments or march through their day by the dictates of the clock. In fact, it took some getting used to by those of us on the team. They were not getting in a rush no matter how much you want them to. Life moves at a leisurely pace with time made to interact with friends being a priority. Clothes were washed in a washtub of water they had to carry in buckets and jugs and heat over a fire. Meals were cooked over a small fire inside the reed fences around their mud huts covered with thatch cut by the river. Clothes worn usually did not create what we would call 'an outfit' and rarely matched anything else on their person, yet they walked hand in hand with their friends, laughing and sharing. No electrical power or running water or TV's to be had but life was lived, babies were born, old people died and were mourned.
The lesson God wanted me to get in Africa was that I needed to simplify, simplify, simplify! Lesson learned. I came home with a new appreciation for a simpler life. It changed my perspective forever. I set about eliminating all but the most basic and important activities from my routines. I made more time to be with people I loved. Then, as now, we do not have all the toys that some families think necessary. We are not chasing after the latest and greatest technological devises, we do not have fancy phones that do everything but your laundry and we are not slaves to commercials showing us things we can not live without. For the most part, we DO live without them and live well. There is still a long way to go to get to the point I seek in simplicity and minimalism in our possessions but I am looking forward to the journey.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Day 2 - Walking the Line
Today was a good day. Last evening I went and purchased the materials to create my user friendly clothes line. Tho he was dead tired, my Honey did the manly thing and installed it for me anyway. I am the proud owner of a new laundry drying facility with more than 4 times the line space than before and the best part....I can actually reach it!! Yippie! Actually, we ran a 50' line through four different points of attachment to the beams under the porch roof. Since it is really just one long line in an odd trapezoid shape, I can lower the line I'm putting clothes on by putting the clothespin bag on it. As I add more clothes, it gets more and more handy. Then I move the bag to the next side and the filled one raises up and the new line lowers. It is too cool!
I washed a load right before I went to bed, then hung it out early this morning. Something very organic about all that. My cousin, Terry, said I might not be so enthused with it this winter but let's face it, our winters are mild and we do not have a lot of rainy days. Cold wind dries clothes just like hot wind. I prefer cold weather, so I'm not anticipating much trouble with winter.
Admittedly I hung my 'unmentionables' on hangers on the utility room yesterday but now that I have all these new lines they can be hung where my nickers can't be seen flapping in the breeze! LOL!! Did a trial run with Honey's manly man undergarments...works like a charm.
I can see where this will require a little planning ahead.....no last minute, "oops, gotta throw that in the dryer for a little wrinkle reduction" or "I've got nothin' to wear". Must plan ahead but that's ok, I usually do anyway. Have ironing board, will go wrinkle free! Ironing relaxes me and I enjoy the instant gratification of seeing the changes from wiggly to clean lines. Hanging the shirts upside down really allows them to dry with little to no ironing needed anyway. Whoo-hoo! My Honey irons, too! He's a champ!
Benefits: fresh morning air in my lungs, no electric power used to dry clothes, Honey shares my master plan for simpler life, shirts waving in the breeze made me smile
Flip-side: I can't see out into the back yard from back door or my office area when clothes are on line. I have to take 4 whole steps to look out LR window - LOL
I washed a load right before I went to bed, then hung it out early this morning. Something very organic about all that. My cousin, Terry, said I might not be so enthused with it this winter but let's face it, our winters are mild and we do not have a lot of rainy days. Cold wind dries clothes just like hot wind. I prefer cold weather, so I'm not anticipating much trouble with winter.
Admittedly I hung my 'unmentionables' on hangers on the utility room yesterday but now that I have all these new lines they can be hung where my nickers can't be seen flapping in the breeze! LOL!! Did a trial run with Honey's manly man undergarments...works like a charm.
I can see where this will require a little planning ahead.....no last minute, "oops, gotta throw that in the dryer for a little wrinkle reduction" or "I've got nothin' to wear". Must plan ahead but that's ok, I usually do anyway. Have ironing board, will go wrinkle free! Ironing relaxes me and I enjoy the instant gratification of seeing the changes from wiggly to clean lines. Hanging the shirts upside down really allows them to dry with little to no ironing needed anyway. Whoo-hoo! My Honey irons, too! He's a champ!
Benefits: fresh morning air in my lungs, no electric power used to dry clothes, Honey shares my master plan for simpler life, shirts waving in the breeze made me smile
Flip-side: I can't see out into the back yard from back door or my office area when clothes are on line. I have to take 4 whole steps to look out LR window - LOL
Friday, August 6, 2010
Day 1
Changes are coming....some by choice, some by necessity and some are just forced on us. Yesterday, I discovered my clothes dryer had stopped drying mid-cycle the day before and a load of bed sheets were quite soured for it. You just cannot leave semi-wet clothes in the dryer in south Texas in the summer! Ewww. My Honey tried to diagnose the problem and fix it but to no avail. The sheets had to be rewashed, of course, and the load I had just washed had to be hung outside.
We were married four years before Honey told me he liked his jeans hung outside to dry. Likes the feel of them. Not having an official clothes line, I have utilized the fence around our back porch and a line hung under the roof of the porch. The line is too high for my 5' 3" frame, so fence, it is! The fence is to keep the dogs in. I successfully managed to get both the load of clothes and sheets dried yesterday afternoon thanks to the never ending hot Texas afternoons. I am investing in a more user friendly clothes line this weekend. Clothes were hung to dry for a long time before electric dryer came around anyway. I rather enjoy it. One step closer to a simple life on Hacienda Hill.
A while back I read that using dryer sheets can make your towels less absorbent. I did the test to see and it was true. So every three washes or so, I have been hanging the towels out to dry anyway.
Benefit: less electricity used, no immediate money spent to repair or replace dryer and I get more exercise stretching to reach the line!! What a deal.
We were married four years before Honey told me he liked his jeans hung outside to dry. Likes the feel of them. Not having an official clothes line, I have utilized the fence around our back porch and a line hung under the roof of the porch. The line is too high for my 5' 3" frame, so fence, it is! The fence is to keep the dogs in. I successfully managed to get both the load of clothes and sheets dried yesterday afternoon thanks to the never ending hot Texas afternoons. I am investing in a more user friendly clothes line this weekend. Clothes were hung to dry for a long time before electric dryer came around anyway. I rather enjoy it. One step closer to a simple life on Hacienda Hill.
A while back I read that using dryer sheets can make your towels less absorbent. I did the test to see and it was true. So every three washes or so, I have been hanging the towels out to dry anyway.
Benefit: less electricity used, no immediate money spent to repair or replace dryer and I get more exercise stretching to reach the line!! What a deal.
Welcome to Simple Life on Hacienda Hill
This blog is to chronicle the transition we will be making back to a simpler life. I determined to reduce all the chaos in my world. The chaos closed in on me one day when I felt smothered by all the 'stuff' we possess. The stuff seemed to possess us rather than being possessed by us. A giant light bulb went off over my head and I took a stand…a stand to reclaim my life by eliminating the 'stuff' smothering me. Since that day, I have worked, admittedly not always as consistently as I would like, to pare down our belongings, reduce the clutter and take steps to return to s simpler way of life. To say I have made a great deal of progress would not be true. For every one thing I discard, I uncover three more! EKK, layers and layers of stuff……
Oh, just so you know…Hacienda Hill is my name for our humble abode. We live on a hill in south
So, if you have ideas and suggestions, PLEASE feel free to send them. Here's to a simple life on Hacienda Hill.
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