I have a problem with her (I must confess). The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. She did everything right and never did anything wrong. She probably thought it was a disgrace to get out of bed later than sunrise. Never a hair out of place. Always kind and never a wrong word. And I’m sure […]
Our current house is half the size of the previous place we had up north, and at first I struggled to fit everything in. So I began to see the need to declutter. Life here in our peaceful valley is also slow and simple. It has helped me to rethink my values and priorities. It’s […]
People often ask me why I choose simple living, aka minimalism. It’s not always easy to explain, particularly to those unfamiliar with the concepts. It’s even more challenging when I explain that my journey began with a bottle of vinegar after I discovered that my daughter had stopped using chemical cleaners. Cleaning with vinegar and […]
One day, while watching an old Andy Griffith episode my 6-year-old grandson piped up with a question. “Why don’t they want that man to sing, Nonna? He sings real good!” That man was Rafe Hollister who, with his golden singing voice, had entered, and won, the singing contest held by the local Ladies’ Society. But […]
Before we left for the mission field, we had to downsize our belongings. But I decided to bring along three essential books. A medical book and what I call my hard times cookbooks. These cookbooks, especially during our first few years here, were lifesavers for me! Reading recipes in Italian was beyond me until I […]
Our materialistic obsessions. How did we get them? Picture perfect homes, beautifully furnished, and nothing ever out place. I can’t help but wonder: How did we get here? I recently read a post about wall lights that are installed after construction, with their cords dangling down the wall. The point was to hide those cords. Because […]