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Sunday, July 19, 2015

Sweet Briar Cottage Journal: Simplicity

Hello dear friends!   Hope you are enjoying your summer!   Can you believe we are over halfway through July?   We're experiencing some scorching temperatures this week, well, at least scorching for us!    I have to remind myself to enjoy the summer, that it is a fleeting season and soon winter will be upon us once again.  So  I'll enjoy the sweat upon my brow and the sprawling greenness and stop longing for autumn.

IN THE GARDEN

 The Rugosa roses have winded their way up to the side of the house.
I love these little wild roses.  They never fail to grow, they're such dependable sweet bushes. My Evelyn roses are blooming too.
The camera lens kept steaming up, but you can see they make a lovely companion to the pale orange tiger lilies, that was just a happy accident.  I planted the tiger lilies there with the intention of transplanting them later, but never got around to it.  Sometime procrastinating has its benefits!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things.
~Elise Boulding~
  
SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

One of the keys to living frugally is to simplify all the areas of your life.  Get down to the very basics of what defines you.

In lifestyles:  Learn to say "no"..  Limit your children's extracurricular activities.   Don't sacrifice home life for social life.

In the home:  Get rid of the clutter.  William Morris said," Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."   Get rid of all the rest.  When someone admires something in your home, give it to them.  Let the kids inherit your treasures while you're still alive. Donate to charities. I used to have so many books, that needed dusting often, but one day it dawned on me that I'll never re-read them, so why have them?  It was quite liberating to be rid of them.  Plus, I think the floorboards are thankful for the weight off their beams.  Do you really need dozens of vases or shelves of knickknacks?  How many sheet sets do you need?  Or towels?  Bring out the things that you love that are "too good" to use.  We use our good china, linen and real silverware everyday.  Although our paycheck would tell you otherwise, we live like royalty.

In cooking:  Seek out recipes that use basic pantry ingredients.  Don't make recipes that call of obscure spices and vegetables that you have to hunt down.  Instead keep the emphasis on the freshest ingredients.  Did you know that all those fancy sauces originated when chefs needed to cover the flavor of rancid meat and rotting vegetables back in the days before refrigeration?   One simple meal I make often is potpie.
It uses the vegetables and meat scraps from the previous meal.  Almost all nationalities have a version of the potpie; the Cornish have pasties,  Mexicans have empanadasthe Indians have samosas.  It's a universal thrifty idea!

In dress:   I always say just have five outfits for everyday, one for doing dirty work, one for exercising and one for dress up. Of course I don't follow my own rules! But I do limit my clothes to what I can fit in a small cupboard.  Periodically I go through my closet and give away whatever I don't like, doesn't fit or am just plain tired of, and replace it with something that I like better.   Establish your own style that fits your lifestyle.  If you garden and can all day, you don't need blazers and high heels.   But a  variety of pretty aprons is nice.   If a big date night for you is to attend the fish fry at the fire hall, you probably don't need evening wear.

CANNING

This week I canned cabbage and the baby carrots from thinning the rows. Canning means so much more to me than just keeping the wolves from the door.  First there's the quality; everything is picked fresh from our garden the day it is processed, it's all organic, and I never have to think about how many rat droppings per million  is in it.  But perhaps more importantly, it's an act of gratitude to my Creator, for blessing me with the abundance of the earth, in doing so, I do not squander those blessings.  I guess it is a kind of  token between me and Thee.  Each spring before I plant the first seed, I always ask that the Lord bless our garden that it may be fruitful and that we may be able to feed those that need it.   We always have a bountiful garden!

CRAFTS

I'm knitting wrist warmers from the yarn I reclaimed from a sweater that I wrote about last week.  I love how they look like ferns; I'm very into earthy looking clothes.  The pattern is a free one and can be found here.     

 

THRIFTY THINGS WE DID THIS WEEK

Canned cabbage and carrots.

Harvested carrots, cauliflower, and beets (which we gave away, we grow them for the greens).

Knitted a pair of wrist warmers from a free pattern.

Got free compost for our garden from the village.

Visited the Sanilac petroglyphs for free.

Our neighbor allowed us to pick her raspberries for free.  Picked three quarts and froze them.

Bought 25 lbs of King Arthur bread flour at the bulk food store for a lot less than it is at the King Arthur catalog.

Baked bread several times this week from scratch (we had guests).

Packed our own sandwiches when we were on a road trip, rather than buy lunch.

Well, that's it for this week.  Next week I hope to get back on track with a more informative post.  This week was busy with guests and just plain being wiped out by the heat.  My hat's off to all of you that live in the southern states.  I don't know how you do it!  Well, until next time!

Jane





 


22 comments:

  1. This was a lovely post dear Jane. Your wrist warmers are beautiful!

    Have a great week ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Thanks Rainey! Hope you have a nice week, too.

      Hugs
      Jane

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  2. Hi Jane! Right on! This is my favorite post so far, and the last post was my favorite flower pictures you have posted, along with today's flowers. (I can tell it is humid there by your camera lens steaming up!) (Hot and humid here too for a couple of days).

    I've been getting rid of clutter and yes it is liberating! I really didn't have clutter earlier in life when I was raising my kids so the little spurt of obtaining excessive clutter was short! Even kitchen appliances, most are not needed and take more space to store which I don't have than I need to use the item.

    My kids didn't do organized sports until high school. We always felt doing stuff (football, kick the can, kickball, hiking) was more important as a family. I think you reap what you sow when your kids get older and they have that bond still. My girls didn't do sports, which I was glad.

    I agree the simpler the better with cooking. Good quality ingredients and used without wasting money on extra spices or side ingredients. Right now nothing is better than a sliced garden tomato with salt sprinkled on! How can you beat that great flavor! And much healthier and safer to pack your own meals when traveling. I get squeamish at what I might be eating when I eat out!
    And like you, I am always very grateful to God for what I have and appreciate it. And when it is hot and miserable out...I do keep thinking of the last winter too..ha! Andrea

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    1. I'm envying your fresh tomatoes right now, Andrea. Ours have gotten off to a late start.Looks like there will be a bumper crop, though, if they ripen before the first frost. You're right, there is nothing better than a fresh tomato, especially when eaten while it's still warm from the sun.

      Our oldest had a lot of extracurricular activities, but they were always immediately after school, and we made sure that we always sat down to dinner together. Like you, our family bond was stronger because of it. My third oldest was here this weekend and I marveled at how close he and Jamie are; they could spend all day talking. Good to know they will always have each other's back.

      Another hot and steamy one today! The crabgrass is taking over the garden. Wish we could bottle up some of this heat for the winter!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Good news for you...my tomatoes had a late start also for our climate here! And we did get lots of them also. Yes this is good weather for crabgrass! Andrea

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    3. Too bad crabgrass doesn't serve any purpose, besides reminding me that I'm not as young as I used to be, when I'm bent over all day pulling it out!

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  3. Your roses are to die for, Jane! So pretty! I am working on growing some now that we have the neighbor's cows FINALLY in the fence to stay!

    It is so hot here, too.... We usually do not use any kind of AC, but we have had to this year. Since I had the flu in the winter, I cannot breath in the humidity....

    Your wrist warmers are lovely!

    Enjoy your week!

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    1. Roses would be lovely on your farm, Matty. I grow a variety called nearly wild that's so thorny,it's guaranteed cow proof! These roses just grow there by themselves. Who am I to argue with them?

      So sorry to read that you were ill last winter. Sometimes it takes forever to get your lungs back into working order. Don't know why, but it seems these type of things hang around a lot longer than they used to. Caught a cold from our grandson, Felix, and it lasted for months. Teach me to say that I never get sick!

      The wrist warmers were a fun project. Just enough lace to make them interesting. I was so bored knitting Tatianna's sweater. All that stockinette stitch.

      Have a lovely week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  4. dear jane,
    your wild rose looks beautiful!!!! how do you use your canning cabbage? you have lovely neighbor...
    raspberries for free is a wonderful bargain..i love your wristwarmers....they are beautiful . thanks for the link.
    have a nice week,
    love and hugs regina

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    1. Hi Regina! To can cabbage you cut the cabbage into small wedges, put into your clean pint jars with 1/2 tsp. salt. Pour boiling water over them. Remove the air bubbles. Fill the jars to 1 inch headspace. Process for 30 minutes under 10 lbs. pressure.

      We have the nicest neighbors. We all share our garden bounty. My husband does a lot of work for her, such as paint her trim, mow her grass,etc. as she is elderly. It's getting to be a very nice neighborhood, as some of the crabbier neighbors are moving out and much more pleasant ones are moving in! Ha! Sometime it takes us hours to walk the first block, as we are so busy visiting. Not so good for the body but wonderful for the soul!

      Hope your heatwave is over. Ours is sticking around. Guess we are getting summer after all!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  5. Oh my, what a gorgeous little climbing rose! I love it, and it suits your beautiful home perfectly. Love those wristlets, too. I've only made fingerless mitts, but I may try these as they are gorgeous. Thank you for including the link.
    "We use our good china, linen and real silverware everyday. Although our paycheck would tell you otherwise, we live like royalty."
    I believe that! And you've given some great advice here. We have begun the process of downsizing, but it seems the account is a bit lopsided as in my things are given up more easily than my husband's...lol.
    Have a wonderful week!

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  6. Those little roses were growing under the steps. When we redid the porch, we put wires up so they could grow upward. They are very dependable.

    The wristlets are very easy to knit and only took one evening. Love projects like that. They're very handy too, since often the sleeves are too short on my winter coats. I'm at the awkward height were I'm almost to tall for average clothes, but the talls are too long. Another reason why I don't wear pants!


    I always say the pretty cost the same as ugly at thrift stores, so why not have the best? An Irish linen tablecloth that we purchased at a garage sale is cheaper than plastic placemats at the dollar store. Years ago we bought a set of silver plated silverware from a garage sale for $10. The owner didn't want to be bothered polishing them. We use them everyday so they don't tarnish very much. We're big believers in living graciously.

    I know what you mean about husbands and downsizing. Periodically I go through my things and give bagfuls away, but when I ask my husband what he has its always just one or two items.And we won't even talk about his garage. We call it the black hole of Calcutta!

    Hugs
    Jane

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  7. I always love reading your posts Jane. I learn so much and they make me giggle too. I've been trying to remember to make packed lunches when we are travelling. Not only thrifty but I think that they taste so much better too. Your pot pie looks so tasty, I must have a go. Thanks for sharing the free mitt pattern. I'll look it up now.
    Happy thrifty days,
    debx

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    1. Thanks Debby! We have to remember to pack lunches because in these rural areas, you might not find anywhere to eat. Besides, I love peanut butter sandwiches, so it's a good excuse to eat them. Pot pies are fun because I get to use my piebird. They don't taste as good without them, you know? Have a lovely week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  8. I was chuckling over your recommendation for paring down the clothing inventory--I go through my closet at least twice a year and cull, but I buy more at the charity shops. Right now, I'm tired of my several paint encrusted outfits, so picked up an assortment of T-s for 25 cents each--most of them way too nice for painting.

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    1. Sometimes you can get some pretty nice things for a quarter, Sharon! I held a garage sale recently and some of the ladies were actually fighting over the clothes! Since I use a discerning eye when thrifting, the all had labels like Talbots, Ralph Lauren and J. Jill. They couldn't believe that they were getting them for twenty-five cents. Never told them that the most I paid for them was four dollars. Within two hours all the clothes were sold.

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  9. Your photos are lovely, and so is your blog. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  10. Hello Jane, what a lovely and very informative blog you have. I will I'm sure really enjoy going back through all your posts. What a wealth of information you have freely shared. Thank you so very much. Blessings Gail (from Australia)

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    1. Thank you so much, Gail! Your comment has been a blessing!

      Jane

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  11. Gostei muito da flores. Gostei de aprender mais sobre simplicidade.

    Boa semana!!!
    Beijinhos.ჱه° ·.
    ❤˚° ·.

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    1. Olá querida Ines! É sempre maravilhoso ouvir de você!

      abraços
      Jane

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