Sounds like you cornered the market on old bottles, Kat!

As I was washing dishes I turned on PBS and have been listening to Pete Seeger on American Masters tonight--and clearly there is so much more you can do that is really important when you're not bogged down in stuff. The simple life his children had up in Fishkill, NY, reminds me of my summers at a cabin at Lake Whatcom in Washington, near the Canadian border. Very simple, the only running water was in the kitchen sink, via a pump; we had an outhouse, a dock, big trees, swings, lots of hikes, we were outside all of the time. My kids have been indoors so much of their lives, and it is centered around stuff. (I should note, I've actually been to Pete's house with a friend--we hiked past and said hello to Toshi who was outside. After we passed, my friend Michelle said "I don't know if you know who Pete Seeger is, but that's his cabin." (!)

Last week when my ex brought our son home after the weekend we were looking at the vegetable garden and I commented "there's a big fat toad over there," and he answered "there are always toads around here!" I realized that his little observation, expressing a "so, what's new?" attitude, was a validation that my desire to live lightly on my little parcel of land was working. There ARE lots of toads and lizards and snakes and tarantulas (and other big fancy night-time web slinging spiders) plus those creatures that more easily come and go, birds, squirrels, possums, tons of butterflies, etc.

This post has a bifurcated message--I've managed to live lightly on the land, but not lightly in the house. I have all of the appliances, but I think some of the list members are doing some of these chores with less machinery at their beck and call. Those chores take less time for me--so why am I not doing something more with my time that is free?

Gotta keep bailing out this house. Simplify simplify simplify.

SRS