10 More Ways to Tell That You Are Living Simply

When you live simply, you do thing differently. You are an island of calm and control in a stormy ocean of out-of-control, hedonistic consumerism.

Here are some other ways to tell that you are living simply.

10 Ways to Tell That You Are Living Simply

1. Your idea of an exciting evening is waiting for your can's lids to ''POP'' after taking them out of the canner.

2. You are older than 12 and still ride a bike on a regular basis.

3. You have to explain to people that you home is sparse because you are a minimalist, not poor.

4. You know how to cook, and like it.

5. You value time more than money, and relationships more than things.

6. It feels better to get rid of stuff than it does to acquire more.

7. Diogenes, Saint Francis of Assisi, Henry David Thoreau, Gandhi, and Marie Kondo are familiar names.

8. Your garden is bigger than your outdoor entertainment area, and might actually BE your outdoor entertainment area.

9. There is no need for off-site storage space for extra stuff because you don't have any extra stuff.

And finally,

10. You aspire to have the environmental footprint of an average Bangladeshi, and you actually know what that is - about 2 acres as opposed to 20 or more for most everyone you know. 

How do you tell if you are living simply?

Minimalist Memes

Me: 2024 is not very funny. I need some humour.

The Internet: Can I suggest some minimalist memes?

Me: Yes. Let's do that. The world needs more funny. And more minimalism.

I laughed at this selection of minimalist memes because they are simple, straightforward, relatable, and with an understated delivery. 

I like that minimalist memes find their strength in simplicity and the truth they convey at a glance.

I hope you enjoyed these, and had a laugh, because all we really need is each other, and to share some mirth together on a regular basis.

That is my kind of minimalism. 

Ha, ha, ha.

Do you have anything funny to share with us? Or minimalist? Or funny minimalist?

Grow Potatoes

The Potato Harvest by Fritz Boehle

Bill Mollison, a pioneer of the permaculture movement in the 1970s, offered simple yet profound advice:

"Grow potatoes."

Permaculture is a design system and philosophy that aims to create sustainable and regenerative living systems by mimicking nature. Developed by Mollison and David Holmgren, it's based on the following principles:

Permaculture Principles

1. Observe and interact with nature
2. Catch and store energy
3. Obtain a yield
4. Apply self-regulation and accept feedback
5. Use and value renewable resources and services
6. Produce no waste
7. Design from patterns to details
8. Integrate rather than segregate
9. Use small and slow solutions
10. Celebrate diversity
11. Use edges and value the marginal
12. Creatively use and respond to change
    
    

Applications of Permaculture

• Ecological design
• Sustainable agriculture
• Regenerative agriculture
• Agroforestry
• Eco-friendly architecture
• Community building
  
  

Mollison emphasized the importance of growing potatoes as a staple crop in permaculture systems due to their high yield and nutritional value. He often referred to potatoes as a "superfood" and encouraged their cultivation in permaculture designs.

I used to be a couch potato. 

Now I grow potatoes!

Sometimes the answers are as simple and doable as that.

Beautiful World

''When I first open my eyes upon the morning meadows and look out upon the beautiful world, I thank God I am alive.''

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The view from my bedroom window is the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning, and it never fails to bring me joy.
In these uncertain times, I feel fortunate to be exactly where I am.
I am vital, I am alive, and despite the chaos in the world, my current surroundings fill me with gratitude for life.
Wishing you all health and happiness, dear, gentle, simple living readers.
Life is short, so let's make the most of it with what we have, where we are, in this moment.

"Be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life." - Buddha

Seven Years of Homegrown Garlic: A Garden Success Story

Our garlic will be curing in the garage for a couple of weeks.

We're thrilled to celebrate a major milestone in our garden: seven years of growing our own purple garlic! 

This year's journey began last October when we planted our garlic cloves, and after a long wait, we finally harvested them about a week ago.

Garlic has the longest growing season of anything in our garden, but it's also the crop that lasts the longest in storage. 
In fact, last year's stash lasted until recently, making it a staple in our pantry.
Just as we ran out of last year's bulbs, the scapes on this year's crop were ready to be harvested. 
Scapes are milder than the cloves are, but still pack a delicious garlic flavour. We chop them into small pieces, store them in a 500ml canning jar in the freezer, and use them as needed – which is often!
The scapes bridged the gap between last year's harvest and this year's, and now we have beautiful, purple-streaked bulbs to replenish our stocks. 
Currently, they're curing in our garage on chicken wire, out of direct sunlight, and will be ready for long-term storage in a couple of weeks.
The largest bulbs will be reserved for planting next year's crop as autumn approaches, continuing the cycle.
Growing our own garlic has been a total success story, and we're excited to see what the future holds for our garden. 

Happy gardening!

About Purple Garlic 

''Purple garlic, also known as “creole garlic,” is a type of garlic that has a purple hue to its outer skin and sometimes even the cloves themselves. It is believed to have originated in Central Asia and has been cultivated for thousands of years. This type of garlic tends to have a slightly milder flavor compared to white garlic, making it a great option for those who find the taste of traditional garlic to be too intense.''

- Chef's Resource

No Sheet Sherlock

 

I have enough top sheets, but not enough fitted bottom sheets for my bed. Have you ever wondered what happens to those fitted sheets? Do they run away with socks?
All clues lead me to believe that bottom sheets wear out before their top partners because they get more wear and tear on the bottom.
I wasn't sure what to do about it, as my thinking sometimes gets caught in a rut. 

I've always had a fitted sheet for the bottom of any bed I've ever had, so my brain told me I needed a fitted sheet now.
Then, I stumbled upon a bed-making competition online! Who would have thought this was even a thing? 
These exciting (and totally functional) competitions are popular in the Asian hospitality industry.
When I watched the video, I instantly noticed that the bed maker used a flat sheet as a bottom sheet. What a concept! 
Why had I never thought of this before? I'm not quite sure. 
Proof that it's sometimes necessary to think outside the box and consider our resources and how we use them.
Since then, I've been successfully using my ample supply of top sheets as bottom sheets on my bed. 
I guess I didn't need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure that one out, but I did need to see the problem from a different, more resourceful perspective.

Takeaway: Before buying, take a moment to reassess your existing resources. You might just find that a little creativity can replace a purchase, leading to a more sustainable and fulfilling life.

Carbon Footprint of War

Industrialized consumption and industrialized warfare are two sides of the same coin.  

We can't have one without the other. It's a package deal. 

They get insane profits from endless war, and we get McJobs, cheap TVs, and the choice to heat, or eat.

What I want to know is what the carbon footprint of WWIII will be.

"The stark figures," The Guardian reported in 2021, "are supported by Brown University's "Costs of War Project", which in 2019 said the US military was "the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the world". 

Do all concerned eco-politicians really want to go net zero? 

Electric tanks anyone? 

If they performed as dismally as the electric cars they expect us all to buy, they might as well just surrender right now.

Or are the sacrifices only for the little people? You know, the ones that are called up to fight in all the endless wars.

Why should we be banning gas stoves, farming, and internal combustion engines, when we could just ban the industrial military complex and the wars it enables, encourages, and needs to survive?

Why aren't we banning industrialized state murder, for you know, the climate emergency. 

Or is it not that much of an emergency? Because you aren't acting like it is when you plan on sustaining one of the largest GHG sources indefinitely.

Which kills more, the war machine, or climate change?

A fringe benefit of ridding the world of the scourge of the industrialized murder complex, would be to help keep millions of innocent civilian victims alive, which is also a priority, isn't it? 

It should be.

The war industry and the industrial consumer complex, even if we do nothing at all, are doomed to failure in the upcoming years.

Here is why. 

The growth in global oil production is approaching its end, before a terminal decline sets in.

Neither industrial war nor industrial consumerism is desirable, or sustainable, and therefore, their days are numbered.

As Albert Einstein told us, WWIV will be fought with sticks and stones.

That should lower warfare's carbon footprint (and death count) considerably.

"Military carbon emissions have largely been exempted from international climate treaties dating back to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol after lobbying from the United States."

- Democracy Now