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Why is it the more I try to head towards simple living, the more complicated it gets?
I have been trying to move away from disposable paper items and while that is a wonderful idea, I am beginning to think things get complicated first.
I made that first batch of tinkle cloths, and while there was enough to last just over a week, me being me thought perhaps more would be much better. After all having enough for almost two weeks would be wonderful... Right?
Then there was the wish to have cloth napkins. I had cut apart an old tablecloth that wasn't being used and got 15 made, but was that enough? So this month I went through my fabric and found smaller Christmas fabric pieces, and a cotton plaid fabric that wasn't big enough for anything really clothing wise and made another 14 napkins.
Now I know this will actually simplify my life eventually and also be cost effective, but right now it seems that living simply is a touch more difficult than I thought. Is cutting down on paper products actually a way to simplify or is it more of a cost cutting endeavor?
Is decluttering really simplifying, or is it just ridding the house and myself of things that I no longer find useful? Is cooking every day a way of living simply, or is it something that I need to work on by doing a couple of days batch cooking a month.
We always look back at our parents/grandparents and think how wonderfully simple their lives were. But were they really? I can remember my mother scraping wax off the floors when all of us kids were in bed, because there was too big a build up on the floors and she had to wax them the next day to get the shine back. I also remember her polishing the hardwood floors and the sound of the floor polisher late at night.
I can pretty much count on one hand the number of times we had food delivery, Mom cooked every night that I can remember. There were times I got home from school late and had to make my own meal because Mom and Dad had taken my brother to his hocky game. Thank heavens for eggs and hot dogs. Ate a great many meals using those items along with cheese.
I can remember her sprinkling clothes and getting them ready to iron the next day. She ironed almost everything, even my bras.
The more I think of life growing up the more I realize what seemed to be simple living really wasn't in the term I think of. It might have been simple for me, but not for my parents. At least unlike my grandparents Mom did not have to cook on a wood stove, we did not have to heat water and fill a tub for baths and dishwashing. Meals were hearty but simple and budgets were followed to the letter.
However simple living right now to me means using what I have to the best of my ability. Sewing by hand when I can, learning to weave to make my own fabric eventually, learning new skills to depend a little less on stores, and taking advantage of every day to be thankful for what I have and what I can do to slow down the pace of everyday life and enjoy the moment. Now that last is something I need to work on a bit harder.
Everybody have a wonderful evening.
God bless.
Everybody have
We try to live a simple life, but it does often require a lot more work than living a 'modern life'. I like being creative, though and making the best of what I have. The treadmill of consumerism doesn't really allow for that, so I will carry on doing my best to live a simpler life.
ReplyDeleteWe look back and think simple - but you are right, it wasn't so simple. They worked hard. It is a lot of give and take getting into it.
ReplyDeleteI look at simple meaning more wholesome, better for our health, less intrusions (electronics), just enjoying what has been given to us. Nature is the best gift.
I agree that past ways of living weren’t simple for most people and they did work hard. My definition is a life that minimizes the work of routine maintenance , we use what we have and pass on what we don’t, and is gentler on the environment than average.
ReplyDeleteMom, born in '23, would disagree. Make what you use and use what you make. Cloth napkins last years. 20 minutes work once use 100s of times? She thought life is much harder for us adult kids with all this crap/appliance we use that require cleaning/storage. She had just enough pots/pans/plates/silverware for one meal and open shelves in the kitchen corner they went straight to after wash/dry. Water heated on the woodstove (until late 1960). 1 chore daily x5 (bake, sew/mend, laundry-by hand etc). Time for tea w/friends, family gatherings. Homes/apts in the Netherlands were and most still are very small.
ReplyDeleteWe immigrated in '61 and by the late 60s we were a family of 8 in 1500 sf. Hubby and I had a hard time finding our "small' current home in 1991 and it is 1650sf. I don't know anyone in a home "this small". And we have empty space even after all these years.
I've never been much for paper towels (thanks Mom). I might use 1 roll/year and that's generally to degrease cooked bacon/sausage. That I haven't gotten past yet. Paper napkins? Probably been 30y since I bought a pack of 100 and half are still there. We've used cloth and they last 10+ years? How many seconds work per use???
Mom would say "the less you own, the less you work". :-) Thanks Mom!
You now know someone in an even smaller home. Ours is just 1100 sq ft. We do have a basement though so that adds some storage space. My husband and I have been decluttering as we are thinking of downsizing by moving to a smaller home or a condo near one of our sons.
DeleteNever ever have I understood why a basement isn't sq footage. How big? You use it so why doesn't it count????? I know people who claim a smaller home but the full basement doubles it.
DeleteOur home is 600 sq. ft. It was our ‘cottage’ until my husband was let go at age 51 during the last downturn. No jobs to be had for his age or in his field. Career ending. No jobs for anyone for quite awhile. We’ve made it work. Both retired, now. It is tight living, though. We have a basement but it’s not liveable, just some storage. No garage but two sheds.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching my Grandmother iron sheets. No, thank you! I don’t iron unless it’s absolutely necessary.
It seems to your efforts to simplify your life will pay dividends in the long run. The cloths can be used for a long time, and decluttering definitely makes for less work in the end run. I know decluttering made the house much easier to keep clean, especially when I was in the process of selling.
ReplyDeleteLife was not easy for my parents either when I was young. The woodstove was gone by the time I started school, but we didn't have running water until I was nearly finished high school. Or we did have running water...we ran and got it. Mom grew a massive garden every year, it kept her busy and to a lesser degree, her children. She also helped Dad with the fall harvest, not only running meals out to the fields, but often driving the truck. Winter was a little quieter, as we had no cattle or horses, but there were trips to town running us kids to our activities.
I don't know if we can ever have enough cloth napkins. If I find some second hand that I really like I will buy them and dd them to my stash. I don't buy paper plates, but was recently given some and I must say they have been really nice to use and less dishes.
ReplyDeleteHi Jackie, such an interesting blog and so interesting reading your comments too. Made me think, my father had a large veggie garden, as all the Dads did back then. All we have growing is a plot of rhubarb. Our home is rather small, about 700 square ft I think, and is a double unit, joined with a neighbouring home
ReplyDeleteMy idea of simple living is to be organised and be able to lay my hands on what I need when I need it. To have enough food to get us through the week, enough money to get us through the month, preferably with a bit to spare to put into savings and enough time to spend doing the things I love when the urge takes me.
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