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Cultivate Simple 62: Guilty Pleasures

January 20th, 2014

Finding a balance can be tough nowadays, we’re constantly bombarded with information and advertising a lot of which is not true.
making_homemade_ice_cream 1 (1)
Also, people are very polarized. You have to be 100% in or out about absolutely everything. You can always find a blog, website, podcast, or person that will reinforce your position. Identifying with one ‘thing’ can also be dangerous because it can become an obsession.
coffee_in_handmade_mug
Our society is also flash in the pan, things change rapidly so there’s always something new and exciting to do/see/buy.

Today we talk about having a balance in your life and come of the things we do that don’t necessarily fit into the ideal of ‘simple living’.

Brian’s Geeky Corner

Use shortcut keys for performing various tasks within programs to save time. You can also use a program to assign shortcut keys for common tasks.

Books of the Week

raising the homestead hog copy

5 Comments to “Cultivate Simple 62: Guilty Pleasures”
  1. Adelina Anderson on January 20, 2014 at 8:18 am

    I love your coffee mug. Where did you get it? It is absolutely beautiful.

    Reply to Adelina Anderson's comment

    • Susy on January 21, 2014 at 10:31 am

      I got it a local farmers market, made my a local potter.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  2. DebbieB on January 20, 2014 at 1:40 pm

    Ha – Brian’s guilty ice cream pleasure gets top picture! :)

    It’s oh so true that even things that are good and healthy and innocent can become time-sucks and take the place of other things. I tend to jump into things with both feet, then have to dig myself back out to remember to do the other things that I like to do, too. I’ll start reading a book in the morning, then look up and it’s dinnertime (and no dinner started – uh oh!) Or I’ll start researching something on the internet and only realize that an hour has passed when I go for a sip of my tea and it’s stone cold. And don’t get me started on spinning yarn or weaving dishtowels – it’s only when my audiobook finishes up that I’m aware that the day has flown by.

    I really like your whole hog (ha!) descriptions of things, and the great details that you give. I know that you don’t expect people to change their habits/routines/lifestyles 180° all at once, but you give lots of information so we can incorporate little changes as we can. For instance, I’ll never grow ALL my own food, I don’t have the acreage (or the green thumb!) but I can add some fresh veggies to our menu with my little garden patch, and that’s a good change. Also, I can make changes to what I buy in the produce section, and seek out farmer’s markets. Since I started listening to the podcast (and my husband too – he really likes it) we’ve become much more mindful and savvy about purchasing tools and items that will last for years rather than saving a dollar or two now but having to replace it soon. And I’m looking at my brand new 1 terabyte external hard drive that’s backing up my files automagically (sic) at Brian’s recommendation.

    So no, you’re not perfect OR off the deep end – you’re just cultivating simple and encouraging us all to do the same, in our own way. Thank you!

    Reply to DebbieB's comment

  3. Ben & Rita on January 22, 2014 at 4:17 pm

    We just purchased several feeder pigs recently also! We’re feeding them fermented grain of rye, corn, and oats along with yogurt.

    Susy, how do you keep your oats from floating to the top when you ferment?

    Thanks for the great podcasts!

    Reply to Ben & Rita's comment

    • Susy on January 22, 2014 at 4:23 pm

      Adding a heavier grain will help. I think that mine don’t float because they’re oat groats, so they don’t have the hulls. But adding rye or the corn on top should keep the oats from floating. You could also find a plate or something that will fit down inside the container to weight everything down. Even a piece of wood cut to size with a rock on top will work.

      Reply to Susy's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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