owning less

A few bits and pieces from some blogs I visit . . .

"Eliminating the excess from our lives was all that was on our mind 

and with it came a sense of freedom by owning less." 

{from: Our Simple Life}

"Voluntary Simplicity.  I guess it means different things to different people.
To me it means living more deliberately but it doesn't involve deprivation or sacrifice,
 it simply means shunning things in my life that don’t add any value.
Voluntary simplicity is often a higher-labor yet slower-paced life,
one that bids you to stop and smell the roses."
{from: Living Deliberately}

"It’s been a season like no other
and sometimes it takes awhile to find your balance again,
but soon, very soon."
{from: A Collection of Days}

"I've learned editing, purging and simplifying is very satisfying to me.
 I've learned that giving stuff away feels good.
I've learned it would be much simpler if I didn't buy it in the first place.
I've learned to only keep what I truly love.
I've learned that life is full of seasons and just because
something worked for me in one season doesn't mean it still does."
{from: Lemon Lane}

{photo: L.A.H. at Letchworth State Park}

farewell

Saying goodbye to this home after 33 years

is one of the hardest things I have ever done
{I thought I was ready - turns out "not so much"}

grandma mary

It doesn't get much better than this . . . 

  

six o'clock

Coastal Living Magazine June 2014 

{a few quotes from their editor, Antonia}

The best time of day at the beach is 6 p.m. 

There’s a whole other level of awesomeness.

The temperature has dropped, the air is cooler, most everyone has gone home, and the beach is empty. There is a quiet lapping of the water, as though even the ocean has finally exhausted itself and just wants to hang out.

You stretch. You breathe a sigh of contentment. You draw slow circles in the sand with your hand then sweep it clear and start again.

You're too relaxed to think about packing up to leave. You stay a little longer. The shadows are getting a little longer too.

You sit back to enjoy the last rays from your chair.  This is when I appreciate the beach the most – the day is done; it’s hard to leave.  Six o’clock is when I realize how much I love the beach.   

 photo taken from my beach chair at 6 o'clock on a random winter day

from cambodia to america {2}

Amanda says ;

. . . with 48 hours travel time, 2 bottles of baby tylenol, some hilarious vomiting episodes, a near quarantine from the CDC & one missed connection behind us, we are finally enjoying the land of Grandmas & race car shopping carts. [phew!]

from cambodia to america

What a blessing to have our grand babies here for a whole month

and then . . . they are moving to British Columbia

I think that the person the Talstras will miss
most of all is dear, dear Ming Kohm
{Yay-Yay to Cedar and Ezra}

When Cedar was born our Wine-on-Wednesday Friends 

gave the Talstras a Pea Pod travel bed. 

It still gets a lot of use . . .