A Year in Review

Good morning, Friends!

I am happy to report that this Saturday we celebrate the first anniversary of Simple Life on Hacienda Hill. We will be out doing work for our ministry over the weekend, and I won't have an opportunity to send out the post then, so we are having an early acknowledgment. I have to say, the year flew by!

Simple Life was conceived to log our progress in change after I saw the need and felt overwhelming desire to make life more simple, go back to the basics, live a greener lifestyle and breath in more peace.

Since last summer, we have made changes that bless us everyday. Life in the world is crazy enough and we have no control over any of it. BUT, we can control the environment in which we live inside our homes, our sanctuaries. No, we can't twitch our noses and have our humble abode turn into a MacMansion, nor would I want to! I have lived in a 6000 sq foot monstrosity  and I have lived in a single car converted garage apartment which was basically 2 1/2 tiny rooms. The size of your 'house' has little bearing on the size of your 'home'. Simple Life deals with our homes! 

In our quest for a greener, more Simple Life, I stopped using the electric clothes dryer a year ago and still love it. I immediately saw the difference in our light bill, what's not to love there? I enjoy the breaks from the office to hang out the laundry in the fresh air. With my limitation of time in the sun, our clotheslines are under our back porch roof. It has little bearing on drying time and I am protected. It's been a win-win deal as far as we're concerned. Can't you just smell those fresh sheets now?

We have de-cluttered and pared down so much already but 'stuff' multiplies like rabbits and that is an ongoing process. We are still working on our mental de-cluttering...talk about processes! LOL Old ways of thinking can jam up the peace in your home as much as anything else! Just because you've always done something the same way doesn't mean its the best way. Likewise, just because your opinion has always been one thing doesn't mean it's the only way either! De-cluttering our minds of old worn-out excuses and justifications and behaviors is more important than throwing out knick-knacks.

On the practical side, we are about to have to replace our old original A/C system. It's 20+ years old, not every efficient, thought it does still cool the house, it just have to work too hard to do so. Wisdom dictates we replace it before it goes out on one of our 100+ degree days! We are shooting for an energy efficient and allergy sensitive system. Gonna reduce our 'energy footprint' on the earth and help me breathe at the same time.

Over the past year I've come to understand that living a Simple Life does not come overnight and you have to work at in the beginning. Most of us grew up in a time of postwar parents loving the modern conveniences and those of us 'boomer babies' were ingrained believing we deserved them. I'm all for technology, though it is often the bane of my existence, but new and advanced does not always translate to 'better'. I grew up watching StarTrek; I don't want my meals to be wrapped in a pill. I want real food, cooked by real people, and served on a real plate (no paper for me-thanks - think of those trees and landfills!).

I want my hands in the dirt, growing things without pesticides, to feed my family. Can you picture Jesus sitting under a tree with a Big Mac in a styrofoam box? Not hardly. God gave us good things to eat and man turned them into fat-laden, genetically engineered, nutrition-free and emotionally addicting toxic fares in a foam box that will not decompose no matter how long it lives in the landfill. I have composted for years and you can see the quick turnover from  kitchen veggie scrapes to useable soil in no time. Is it the easiest way to go? NOPE! But it is a back to the basics, greener and healthier lifestyle de-cluttered of old mentalities and ways.

That's our Simple Life on Haciendas Hill. It's more peaceful and rewarding than I thought possible. Isn't that worth working for? Hope you'll hang around to see what the next year brings! Happy Birthday, Simple Life! 

Small Victories Add up!

I just received an email from our electricity provider with my next light bill and I'm doing the happy dance in my office chair as I write this...it dropped another 25%....yes, that's right, 25% from the last one that was on the way down, too!

***Do not adjust your screen, all the bouncing is just me!***

I LOVE it when a plan comes together! It's the stuff "Planners" live for. Whoo-hoo!!

Hanging clothes on the line, not using dryer - CHECK
Layering clothes and blankets rather than turning on the heat - CHECK
Full-time Job as Electricity Sheriff - CHECK
Using gas cook-top instead of the electric one - CHECK
Leaving TV off reducing power consumption & noise pollution during day - CHECK
Making sure ceiling fans are turned off in empty rooms - CHECK
Utilizing Natural light over electric light - CHECK

These things add up and the light bill goes down! 

I have to say, for me, it is worth any effort and small sacrifices we make. I know everyone is not about to leave the heat off and there have been days when I KNOW my Honey was tempted to turn ours on. Add another layer of clothes and you can be toasty inside a meat locker. LOL We do not get the kind of winter weather some do, so a few days of extra padding is practical for us where it would not be up north. My hands hurt in cold weather and we've had several cold mornings lately. I type all morning long so they are hanging out there, hurting. Last night I bought a pair of gloves at WalMart for $1.50 that are thin enough on the finger tips I can still type but thick enough over most my fingers and hand to make a difference. $1.50....do you realize how much money that $1.50 will save me in the long run? That's a trade-off I can live with. I had to try on several pair to find one that would work for me, but the effort makes a difference far more valuable than the $1.50.

Thanks for listen as I rejoice in my small victories! I hope you will be encouraged to look for ways to build opportunities in your home for small victories of your own.