10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget by the Writers of Wise Bread did, indeed, have a lot of ideas for saving money. However, many I am already doing or they did not relate to my life.
There were a handful of ideas, though, that I thought were interesting and relevant to events coming up in my life, or that I didn't know including:
- Leftover coffee can be made into frozen coffee cubes. When you do frozen coffee drinks, you can use these frozen cubes so it doesn't dilute the strength of the beverage.
- Take photos of your travel documents and send them to yourself via email. If anything unfortunate happens to the actual documents, you will save a lot of time, hassle, and money by having that information readily available.
- Stretch and strengthen your hamstrings. With more sitting, the hamstrings don't get the stretching or exercise they need. If you suffer from lower back pain, knee problems, hip aches, ankle soreness - all of these can be tied to weak and/or tight hamstrings.
- For parties (like a graduation party) - do a dessert party or serve ice cream with a variety of toppings. Limit liquids - serve lemonade or a limited number of soft drinks rather than lots of combinations.
- Accessorize events with flowers from club or warehouse stores. They are cheaper there.
As I'm looking for ways to save money, I came across the book The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan - Discover the Joy of Spending Less, Sharing More, and Living Generously by Liesl Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller. They are the founders of the Buy Nothing Project.
Some ideas that I liked from the book:
- Give creatively and often. Give freely, without any strings attached, for the pure joy of it.
- Create a gift economy group. Announce your intention and invite people to join. Host a monthly gifts-and-food potluck. Gather together a core group of givers and receivers. Have a free box at the end of your driveway. Encourage farmers' markets to do a weekly share group as well.
- Gift an item that has a simple story. Then gift yourself - something you've made (e.g., baked good with the recipe, a craft, sewn item, a trip to a museum, playing cards). Then gift an item that has a meaningful story that you no longer want.
- For every 10,000 tons of waste handled in a year, reuse creates 28 jobs (wooden pallet repair, for example) to 296 jobs (computer reuse). Landfills and incinerators create 1 job for every 10,000 tons of annual waste.
- Reuse trumps Recycling.
- The clothing industry is the second-biggest polluter in the world behind the oil industry. We are buying more clothing and wearing it for shorter amounts of time.
- Coffee grounds can be sprinkled at the base of blueberry plants.
- Make beeswax cloth wrap instead of cling wrap.
- Garden Share - invite people to come to your house once a month and bring with them perennials, cuttings, and veggie starts from their gardens to share with the group. It is like a garden plant potluck.
- Really Really Free Market in Minneapolis. There's one at East Phillips Park that's popular. People take back with them anything that they have brought that nobody has taken. (Signed up on their Facebook page.)
A few months ago, a local pastor wrote an article about a book he read - The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning - How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson.
The author talked about the importance of keeping an orderly home while still living. She said that hunting for misplaced things is never an effective use of one's time.
However, the main focus of the book was going through one's home and all the possessions within it - keeping what is necessary and letting everything else go. The goal is to make the job easier for those who will be left behind after you die. There will be substantially fewer things that need to be gone through, saving one's children or other family members time.
The other take-away from this book is the importance of sharing items while you are still alive. You can choose items that no longer serve a purpose for you and gift them to someone else who may need them.
Of all the things that will need to be gone through, photos should come last. They don't take up much space and, generally, children don't resent going through photos since they bring back memories - hopefully, good ones.
Other ideas from the book:
- Scan slides and download them onto your computer. Create a USB memory stick for family members who would appreciate the images.
- Take photos and sort them into envelopes for different people. Present them at a family gathering so everyone can take a look at them and reminisce. By doing this, "You do not have to carry the weight of all those memories by yourself, and you are less likely to get stuck in the past."
- Put in a shoe-size box small things that are important to you and have meaning and good memories of special days and happenings associated with them, but that would not mean anything to anyone else. Label it "Throw Away" - there's no need for anyone to go through the box after you die.
- Keep a small book with all your passwords in it so you can get access to everything you want on your computer. Eventually, this is also for family members to find what they need on your computer.
- Write down the story behind things - like desks, other pieces of furniture, or special dishes. This takes the item from being ordinary to extraordinary.
- Ask yourself, "Will anyone I know be happier if I save this?" If not, then let it go.
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaninghad many valuable ideas and insights. It is a good reminder that doing this is "so that your children and other loved ones will not have to deal with all your stuff...And if you start early, at say 65, it won't seem like such a huge task."
The author concluded her book by saying, "One's own pleasure, and the chance to find meaning and memory, is the most important thing. It is a delight to go through things and remember their worth."
This past week I read Living Well Spending Less by Ruth Soukup.
Although there was a lot of information I already was taught or knew, there were still some new things that I learned. Below are some things that I thought were helpful:
These are some of the quotes that were in the book that I liked:
- What would happen if we took the time to actually write down our current priorities? How would our perspective change if we took just a few moments to determine what it is we want most out of life?
- If I were to die tomorrow, what would people remember me for?
- If you are discontent, consider that:
- You are reading a book (people in many countries in the world have tightly restricted access to books, newspapers, and the internet) - You are not hungry - 870 million people or roughly 1/8 of the world's population, are suffering from chronic hunger. - You have access to medicine - between 1.3 and 2.1 billion people in the world do not have access to even the most basic medicines
- You can drive - only 9% of the world's population owns a vehicle.
- You can turn on the lights - 1.2 billion people don't have access to electricity.
- You are not thirsty - 780 milllion people in the world lack access to clean water.
- You have a place to sleep tonight - 100 million people do not have homes around the world, including between 600,000 and 2.5 million homeless right in the United States.
- Find someone you can bless today.
- Living in our sweet spot means not only taking the time to discover our passions and to realize what it is we were made to do, but also being willing to take the next step.
- Taking the time to write down your vision of the future not only forces you to self-evaluate and to decide what is most important, but it also motivates you to act on those dreams.
- Do Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and resources on DaveRamsey.com
- Put your most important tasks first each day.
- Take the first 30 minutes of your day to work only on long-term goals.
- Eliminate things in your day that don't align with your priorities and are taking up time but not adding value.
- Do our choices match our calling - our vision, goals, passions, and dreams?
- Stuff isn't bad or dangerous in and of itself, but in a world where we are constantly told that what we have isn't quite good enough, the love of things can so easily consume us. The pursuit of it all...makes us forget all the things that actually matter.
- Less stuff equals more joy.
- Give your children a life filled with the things that matter most, things like faith, joy, peace, fellowship, contentment, gratitude, and compassion.
- Cut all nonessential spending for one month. Only spend on normal bills and perishable food items (e.g., bread, milk, vegetables). Everything else is off-limits.
- As I was growing up, the first and only rule of money was that we didn't talk about money.
- Only 32% of Americans actually prepare a detailed budget each month and only 24% have a long-term financial plan.
- Create a stockpile in your pantry or cupboards of the grocery staples and food items your family eats.
- Consider going meatless or two days a week.
- When was the last time you reached out to a friend to find out how they were doing, without the ulterior motive of sharing your own latest news?
- When was the last time you picked up the phone just to catch up, or dropped off a meal just because you knew they could probably use it?
- If friendships are to be a priority in your life, you have to be purposeful about making time for your friends, even when you are busy.
- Creativity is born out of limitations rather than out of abundance.
- Ways to cultivate more creativity in your life:
- Read more - the more you read, the more you know. Reading engages your brain and makes it work better.
- Reflect
- Ask questions
- Pay attention
- Play
- Brainstorm
- Rest
- Cultivate and enjoy the creativity of the people around you.
- Give of your time and talents:
- Cook or bake: deliver a meal to a sick friend, neighbor, or shut-in; volunteer to cook in a local soup kitchen or women's shelter, or send a care package to a college student or soldier.
- Good with children: become a Big Brother/Big Sister, become a tutor, volunteer to read at the local library or school.
- Love animals: volunteer at a local animal shelter, volunteer at a local wildlife center,
- Introvert: shelve books at the local library, volunteer at the local food pantry, donate blood, write encouraging notes or cards to teachers, friends, neighbors, soldiers, prisoners, or other people who may feel lonely or discouraged.
- Outdoorsy: volunteer at the local park or work in a local community garden.
- Serve in love in your home:
- Offer genuine encouragement and know what's going on in their days.
- Show grace - forgive and forget without harboring a grudge or resentment.
- Be generous - give freely and generously of your time, energy, and resources. Take care of the home and cook meals. Help out without being asked and without expecting anything in return.
- Slow down - if overcommitted, then be intentional about eliminating the things that don't need to be done so you can have more time to just be.
- Have fun - laugh and play games with your family. Go for walks or bike rides. Spend a day at the beach. Do something completely unexpected, just for fun.
- Make a list of three areas in your life where you could stand to be more generous.
- How many hours a week or month do you spend volunteering or doing service work? Make a plan to volunteer or serve some time in the next month.
- Write down three goals for making improvements in serving those people closest to you. Give the best of yourself to your spouse and children.
QUOTES
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of the intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch,
or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you lived here. This is to have succeeded." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"Contentment makes poor men rich. Discontentment makes rich men poor." (Benjamin Franklin)
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (1 Timothy 6:6-8)
"The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not our circumstances." (Martha Washington)
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." (Romans 12:9-10)
"People are most successful when they are in their sweet spot. Your sweet spot is the intersection where your passion meets your greatest strength." (Ken Coleman)
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." (Romans 12:6-8)
"Things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things that matter least." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
Add these quotes to the purple book of quotes that I keep:
"Have nothing in your houses that you don't know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." (William Morris)
"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13)
"We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like." (Dave Ramsey)
"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5)
"A bargain ain't a bargain if it is not something you need." (Sidney Carroll)
"I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home...I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby." (Nancie J. Carmody)
"You aren't really wealthy until you have something that money can't buy." (Garth Brooks)
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." (Winston Churchill)
During the past couple of weeks, I read Soulful Simplicity - How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More by Courtney Carver. I found this book insightful with a lot of practical ideas for streamlining one's life in multiple areas so that a more authentic life can be led.
There were some key things that I found interesting in the book and wanted to remember:
- One of the reasons we keep our lives so complicated is so we won't have to listen to our inner voice telling us what we need to do to make our lives work better.
- Getting rid of everything that doesn't matter allows you to remember who you are.
- I was too tired to make it to the gym, and when you feel like crap for long enough, you start treating yourself and everyone around you like crap.
- Take a look at your pain points, your suffering. It may be a chronic condition or disease, or maybe it's something else like a strained relationship, the stress of overdue bills, general fatigue, or just a sense of "something isn't right." Use any of them or all of them as a catalyst for change.
- I changed my diet, paid off my debt, decluttered my home, cleaned out my closet, quit my job, created work I love, downsized from a big house to a small apartment, deepened my relationships, owned my introvertedness, became soul-centered, and took my life back.
Playing games as a family is something
we want to do more of in 2021.
- If your heart isn't in the game, permanent change doesn't stand a chance.
- You have to do things you don't want to do so you can do things you want to do and have the kind of life you really want.
- 3 things that had the greatest impact on the author's health: eating greens and other real food; walking, and sleeping.
Healthy meal I made recently.
- Make a list of 10 things you don't want to do that you know will help you. Choose one thing from your list that you can put into action immediately.
- Whom do I envy and what do I lie about? Author Gretchen Rubin suggests that the answers to these questions might reveal things you need to change in your life.
- Clutter attracts clutter and calm attracts calm.
- "Just in case" ownership of things. When you think about things you own, think about the following sentence and complete it: "I'm keeping this just in case ______________." One reason the author gave is that someone is afraid they won't have enough. Think about these questions: "Does this really matter to me?" or "Am I holding on for the right reasons?"
- Instead of going shopping, think of other things you can do. For example, take a walk, do yoga, call a friend, make a smoothie, sleep for an extra hour, write, meditate, or send a thank-you note.
- Dave Ramsey said that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and 90% are buying things they can't afford.
- When you need to buy things for your things, it's time for fewer things. Get rid of stuff instead of accumulating more things to store it in.
- Redefine success.
- After a while, I wasn't saying no because I was so busy, I was saying no because I didn't want to be so busy anymore.
- Do a 30-minute practice of writing, yoga, and meditation each morning. Before doing anything for anyone else, take care of yourself first.
One of the views on a recent walk I took.
- A morning routine should boost your health, happiness, kindness, and inspiration.
- Instead of measuring ourselves by what we get done, let's measure by how we treat people and how we engage in our work.
- Prioritize love and health.
- Work with people who want my best, not my busiest.
- If I spend too much time online, I start feeding unhappy, dissatisfied, and disconnected from the real world.
- Take digital sabbaticals.
- You don't need an impressive title, big car or boat, or big business to live a beautiful life and be a beautiful person.
- The secret to havign it all is recognizing that you already do.
- We can better serve the world when we have time to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting mindlessly.
- Reclaim the lost art of lingering by creating for thirty minutes. Draw, color in an adult coloring book, and do something creative.
- Sentimental items can be the most challenging to release, but remember that less isn't none.
- Our hearts know that our real treasures are not in the attic or contained in any physical thing. Our hearts know that real treasures are smiles, tears, moments, and people.
The girls with the dogs by
our Christmas tree in 2020.
- The simple yet sometimes hard truth is that your children don't want your stuff. They just want you.
- I don't want my legacy to be my storage containers of stuff.
- When I go, I want to be remembered for how I loved while I was here.
- Take pictures of your sentimental items or write about the reason you saved them.
- Grief is the price we pay for love.
- I created a lifestyle that is meaningful to me so it doesn't matter what other people think. I know what matters. This is my soulful simplicity.
- Let go of the stuff that reprsents your past: the tent you never use, the boxes of things you are saving just in case.
- Let go of the items you think others people may want someday. Instead of guessing, or assuming, ask them, "Do you want this?" If the answer is yes, give it to them. If the answer is no, let it go.
Books to Read:
- Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
- Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey
- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
I recently read What the Amish Can Teach Us About the Simple Life - Homespun Hints for Family Gatherings, Spending Less, and Sharing Your Bounty by Georgia Varozza.
Having been raised by parents who grew up during the Great Depression, there were many ideas in the book that I already knew. My parents were great role models in how to live simply and frugally, yet not feel like you're living in poverty. They created a life of joy and meaning and centered it around family and the beauty of nature. Of course, they also were very religious so that also was a key component in our lives.
My sister, grandma, me, dad, and brother celebrating my birthday.
My mom made a cake from scratch which was always the highlight.
It looks like I was six years old. So, this was in June 1972.
Some things that resonated with me from the book:
- We see [the Amish] ordered existence and a deep sense of belonging their quiet and peaceable lives - and we yearn for these same things in our own families.
- The Amish way of life highlights the family. There is never a time when a person is considered a liability, no matter if young, old, infirm, or disabled in some way. Each person is loved, honored, and welcomed in the family circle.
- Some ideas for doing a family fun night:
=> bird watch
Sandhill cranes that Sophia and I saw on August 16, 2020.
This is part of the gathering of 49 cranes.
=> take a walk in the park or hike on a nature trail
=> ride bikes
=> visit the library
=> enjoy a backyard cookout
=> pick a book to read aloud together
=> fly kites
=> make homemade pizzas
=> make your own sundaes. Have plenty of goodies to sprinkle on top
=> play group games
=> enjoy a classic movie
=> make birdhouses or bird feeders and put them in the yard
Two new feeders we added this summer.
=> write letters to grandparents or loved ones
=> make a family flowerpot. Each person chooses one annual flowering pot to put in the pot
=> stargaze
=> enjoy a family campout
=> as a family, write and illustrate a story
=> create a family newsletter and send it to your relatives
=> go through your photos and talk about family history
=> grab some magnifying glasses and go on a backyard bug safari
=> go to an animal shelter to pet the cats and take some dogs for a walk
=> go on a treasure hunt. Write clues that lead to other clues. Send participants all over the house and yard in search of treasure you've hidden
- create family traditions
- celebrate special moments
=> birthdays and holidays
=> well-earned grade
=> first and last days of school
=> getting caught doing an act of kindness
=> a goal or achievement realized
We got a French silk pie (Olivia's favorite pie) to celebrate the
plantings of two public gardens that were part of a 4-H leadership project
she led on August 22, 2020.
=> first day of a new season
- build community
=> start a new church activity or ministry (or through a volunteer organization)
One of the public gardens that Sophia, Olivia, and I
planted with volunteers on August 22, 2020.
=> at each church or club gathering, learn the name of one person you don't know
=> organize "card showers" where people send encouraging cards to shut-ins, the elderly, people who are sick or injured, and people who are struggling
=> make a sunshine box for a family or individual who could use a bit of cheer and encouragement. Sunshine boxes consist of small wrapped gifts with a card that explains the recipient is to open one a day
=> organize a neighborhood spring yard cleanup. Plant some pretty annuals to brighten the neighborhood
- Plan a weekly or monthly menu and stick to it. When you buy your groceries, you'll know what items you need and how much to make the meals you have planned
Salad using items in the refrigerator and tomatoes from the garden.
- Consistently spend less than you make
- If you spend less, you'll need to earn less, which means you'll have more time to spend with your family and work on meaningful activities
- Pay off unsecured debt as quickly as is feasible
- To the greatest extent possible, shun all types of debt. If you have to borrow, don't borrow the maximum you're able to.
- De-clutter
- What we have has nothing to do with our worth. We worked to meet our needs, and our goal was well-being, not making money or having more possessions. And because we weren't in the habit of always wanting something new, we weren't as distracted by possessions.
Yesterday, I heard "The Great Realisation" by Probably Tomfoolery - first on the radio while driving to take Cooper to the vet, and then I watched the video at home. Each time I was captivated by the message of what life was like before the virus and what it has been like since.
The story speculates what life will be like once a cure for COVID-19 happens. Will people go back to their old ways or will they want to stay with what life has been like?
Have there been positive changes in your life because of COVID-19 and the stay-at-home orders?
This video is worth taking a few minutes to watch.
Here is the written version of the story:
Tell me the one about the virus again.
Then I'll go to bed.
But my boy, your growing weary,
sleepy though about your head.
Please! That's ones my favorite.
I promise, just once more.
Ok, Snuggle down, my boy,
though I know you know full well,
this story starts before then
in a world, I once would dwell.
It was a world of waste and wonder
of poverty and plenty,
back before we understood
why hindsight's twenty-twenty.
You see the people came up with companies
to trade across all lands.
But they swelled and got much bigger
than we ever could have planned.
We'd always had out wants,
but now it got so quick.
You could have anything you dreamed of
in a day, and with a click.
We noticed families had stopped talking.
That's not to say they never spoke,
but the meaning must have melted
and the work-life balance broke.
And the children eyes get squarer
and every toddler had a phone.
They filtered out the imperfections
but amidst the noise they felt alone.
And every day the skies grew thicker
till you couldn't see the stars.
So we flew in planes to find them
while down below we filled out cars.
We'd drive around all day in circles,
we'd forgotten how to run.
We swapped the grass for tarmac,
shrunk the parks 'till there were none.
We filled the seas with plastic
because our waist was never capped.
Until each day when you went fishing,
you'd pull them out already wrapped.
And while we drank and smoked and gambled
our leaders taught us why.
It's best to not upset the lobbies
more convenient to die.
But then in 2020,
a new virus came out way.
The governments reacted
and told us to all to hide away.
But while we all were hidden
amidst the fear and all the while,
the people dusted off their instincts.
They remembered how to smile.
They started clapping to say thank you
and calling up their mums
And while the car keys gather dust
they would look forward to their runs.
And when the skies less full of voyages
the earth began to breath
And the beaches bore new wildlife
that scuttled off into the seas.
Some people started dancing,
some were singling, some were baking.
We'd grown so used to bad news
but some good news was in the making.
And so when the found the cure,
and were allowed to go outside,
we all preferred the world we found,
to the one, we'd left behind.
Old habits became in extinct
and they made for the new.
And every simple act of kindness
was now given its due.
But why did it take a virus
to bring the people back together?
Well, sometimes you've got to get sick,
my boy, before you start feeling better.
Now lie down and dream of tomorrow
and all the things that we can do.
And who knows, if you dream hard enough,
maybe some of them will come true.
We now call it the Great Realizations
and yes, since then, there have been many,
but that's the story of how it started
and why hindsight is twenty-twenty.
We're in the process of using up what we have in the cupboard during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today's recipe uses a couple of cans of beans as well as some fresh ingredients.
When I saw the pin on Pinterest for a Mediterranean Black Bean and Garbanzo Bean Salad, it leads to Yummly. However, the entre recipe doesn't show up. After I made the salad and looked back later at the Yummly website, I realized there is a link for the full directions.
We liked the flavor of the dressing, mint, and parsley combine with the different textures of the beans and onions. I think adding the feta cheese, avocado, and red pepper would definitely add more texture and flavor to the salad. I would use all these ingredients the next time I make this salad.
Ingredients Salad
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup diced red onion
feta cheese, optional but delicious (I didn't see this ingredient in the link, so didn't include it. I would next time)
1 medium avocado, chopped (I didn't see this ingredient in the link, so didn't include it. I would next time)
1 red pepper, chopped (I didn't see this ingredient in the link, so didn't include it. I would next time) Dressing
2 cloves of minced garlic
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
In a large bowl, dump in rinsed and drained black beans, garbanzo beans, diced red onions, and chopped red pepper. Add in avocado.
Pour in fresh lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and garlic.
Then add chopped mint and parsley.
Gently toss to combine, making sure to incorporate the dressing in the bottom of the bowl.
Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld together.
Toss gently. Sprinkle feta on top if desired. Serve and enjoy!
I'm working on my list of books to read on Goodreads. This week I read Living Without Electricity by Stephen Scott and Kenneth Pellman. The book focuses on how the Amish live without electricity and also explains how they have created ways to light their homes, heat their homes, be entertained, communicate without a phone, and get around without a car.
The authors explain that the Amish value simplicity and self-denial over comfort, convenience, and leisure. So they try to discern the long-range effects of an innovation before deciding whether to adopt it.
Amish home in Southeastern Minnesota.
Olivia visited the business here when
we were in the area camping in May 2018.
Some interesting facts from the book:
- While electrical power was available to many city dwellers in the early 1900s, the majority of rural North Americans had no access to current until the 1930s or 1940s.
No power lines leading to the house is
one sign that an Amish family lives in it.
(Taken in May 2018.)
- Most Amish believe that the number of devices that can be operated by a battery or generator is limited, and that careful use of such items poses minimal risk to community values.
- An old-fashioned pitcher pump provides cistern water for washing in the kitchen. (As a side note: I remember visiting my Uncle Walt and Aunt Beulah's farm in Illinois and they had a water pump like this inside their home.)
- Windmill towers topped by large, flower-like fans...are often used to pump water into elevated storage tanks and to fill water reservoirs near or under the house which are tapped by hand "pitcher" pumps. (Side note: My uncle and aunt had a windmill and outdoor pump as well. I remember using it when we would visit them.)
Windmill that Olivia painted in 2016
for a customer.
- Wood-burning water heaters [and] gas and kerosene water heaters [are used by the Amish]. (We have a gas water heater at our farm.)
- The Amish hang their laundry on clotheslines year-round. In some communities, very long wash lines attached to large pulleys extend from house to barn. In Lancaster County, the clothesline often runs into the wash house. This allows the person doing the laundry to hang up the wash inside and convey it out through a door. In wet weather, clothes are placed on wooden racks inside or hung on lines in the basement or another room. A drying rack often is positioned above the cookstove.
Clothes drying on lines at an Amish farm.
(Taken in May 2018.)
- Wedding festivities last all day.
- Fellowship meals follow each bi-weekly church service.
- An important part of Amish life is informal visiting. Families often visit one another without advance notice, and it is common for unexpected guests to stay for a meal.
Olivia and I stopped at an Amish bakery business at someone's home.
There were many visitors there that day as evidenced by the buggies.
We could hear singing inside the home.
(Taken in May 2018.)
- Women and girls usually sew, quilt, knit, embroider, cross-stitch, or do other kinds of needlework.
- Checkers, chess, Parcheesi, and even Monopoly are among popular table games.
- Amish children act out farming practices or horse-and-buggy trips. Baler twine serves effectively as reins, and a wagon as a buggy.
- Though musical instruments are strongly discouraged among the Amish, some families enjoy singing together without accompaniment.
- Many Amish participate in circle letters, in which people of similar interests, occupations, or situations (such as widows, teachers, or harness-makes) correspond with one another. Typically, a person receives a packet containing letters from each person in the circle. The receiver takes out the portion he or she had written for the last round and adds a new letter, before sending the whole batch to the next round.
- One of the weekly newspapers in the U.S. is the Budget. The letters include reports on weather, visits, illnesses, accidents, church services, births, deaths, and marriages.
- Convenient transportation tends to make it easier to yield to temptation. With a car, you can go wherever you want, whenever you want .This is especially harmful to young people.
Following a horse and buggy at a safe distance.
(Taken in May 2018.)
- The Amish point out further that cars are often objects of pride and can become status symbols. The feature of style, speed, comfort, and convenience...are in direct opposition to the Amish values of nonconformity, simplicity, self-denial, and humility.
There was a section about different types of lighting systems including natural gas and pressure lanterns. It reminded me of learning how to use propane gas lights in a cabin. It was a bit unnerving at the beginning using them, but I became more comfortable once I used them more.
Another section of the book discussed cooking with propane gas and how some Amish are permitted to use bottled gas and can cook on gas ranges like those used by non-Amish people. This is no different than what I use right now. My parents had an electric stove upstairs and a natural gas stove in the basement in the laundry room. They would use that when they did canning and when we had company and needed a second oven or stove to make food.
Since moving to our farm in 1995, I've used propane and a gas stove. I like that there is immediate heat versus the gradual-heat-up of an electric stove.
I had to laugh about the refrigeration methods used and how they sound like what we do sometimes: "The most conservative Amish groups use only natural refrigeration for food items. In cold weather, setting perishables outside or in unheated parts of the house suffices." I can't even count the number of times we've done this same thing. We have an unheated mudroom that we have put things in as an extension of our refrigerator.
One of the things that was difficult for me to see was a picture of a horse hooked up to a device to pump water. The horse had a wooden circle it would walk on to generate the power for the water pump. They also use horses like this for powering a washing machine or turning a lathe. I thought it would be a sad life for a horse to have to walk around in a circle for a prolonged period of time.
These horses, thankfully, were not hooked up to devices to pump water.
This Amish farm had a variety of large horses and young foals
who were enjoying galloping in the pasture and
relaxing and watching people.
(Taken in May 2018.)
There was a chapter about doing laundry. There was a picture of a wringer washer. My parents had the same exact wringer washer as is pictured in the book. The difference is that my parents plugged their washer into the wall to use it while the Amish would use a gasoline engine, compressed air, or a hydraulic pump. I remember getting my hand stuck in the wringer part when my mom stepped away from the washer momentarily. It really hurt. Thankfully, none of my bones broke when that happened.
The chapter also described hanging clothes inside in wet weather and outdoors in all other types of weather. I remember my parents doing laundry and hanging up clothes outside. My mom typically would do this. However, when my dad was on summer break from being a school social worker, he enjoyed hanging up clothes outdoors as well.
My mom asked me sometimes to help. The "rules" were that personal garments (underwear) were hung on the line under the deck out of neighbors' view; and the other clothes were hung on the lines that extended from the house to the trees (east to west). The wind from the north and west would blow the clothes and give them that fresh outdoor scent. The only thing I didn't like having line-dried were towels.
What I thought was insightful was the concern about using a machine that allows one person to do a job that used to require several people to do that job. The Amish aren't in favor of that because, although it does save time, it prevents a sense of community from developing.
Another Amish farm and greenhouse business
that Olivia and I visited.
(Taken in May 2018.)
Near the end of the book was the statement, "The Old Order Amish are not against change, but try to carefully determine which changes might adversely affect their church and community." I think this thoughtful approach to life is with merit. What if each person carefully considered how the decisions they made would affect themselves, their families, community, and world? What a different world we would live in.
During the month of April, I will be writing Monday through Saturday; and will exploring crafting, holidays, recipes, travel, and other items I've pinned on Pinterest. Each post will focus on a different letter of the alphabet. Today, I am focusing on the letter "D" and will be looking at myIdeas for the Winter Doldrums board.
There's a pin on my Beating the Winter Doldrums board with an image of decluttering 40 bags in 40 days.
This concept has been promoted on the internet to do in conjunction with Lent, which is happening now and goes through Easter (April 21st this year).
I started to do this informally back on Ash Wednesday which was on March 6th. So, as of today, I should have 25 bags either donated, recycled, or thrown away. I only have 9 bags done so far, so I'm a bit behind.
My goal this weekend is to go through my home office and get rid of fabric and craft supplies I no longer need or will use. That will easily catch me up to where I need to be.
During our outdoor time this month we went...outside to see the beauty of the huge snowfall on March 2nd. I always enjoy seeing how snow sparkles.
There sometimes are bird prints in the snow.
The trees look almost magical with their frost-covered branches against the blue sky.
The frost on the branches almost looked sharp.
The view from the street of our farm looked so remote and like something I'd see up north. It's been a joy to watch how the trees have grown so much since we've lived here.
The sun was shining so brightly and made the ice on the branches sparkle.
The snow was so high that it almost reached the top of the woven-wire fence.
The pathway from the barn back to the house was very narrow. The snow is heavy and high, so it is difficult to shovel wide paths. Thankfully, the days are getting warmer and the sun is moving closer to us so the snow will be gone by the end of the month.
There was a bunch of crows that have been hanging around at the farm. They enjoy sitting on top of the pine trees next to the driveway. They get a great view of the pasture and farm.
The most inspiring thing we experienced was...spending time outside on March 2nd trudging through the east pasture. The snow was very deep, so it was quite the workout lifting each leg high and putting it down into the snow.
Yet, the reward was feeling like I was in the remote Northwoods - all alone except for the horses.
While out in the pasture, there would be a periodic gentle wind that would nudge the snow from the trees - creating a "snow shower."
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)...how the horses are able to handle such extremes in temperature.
This year, the temperature plunged to below -50 degrees windchill. During the summer, temperatures and "feel like" weather will be well into the 100+ degrees.
I think the Spring and Fall are the favorite times for the horses. They gallop and spend more time outdoors (rather than choosing to spend it in the barn), and finding food is much easier to do.
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting...nothing at this point. By March 31st, all the snow has melted and we are looking at some serious flooding - especially in our west pasture.
The ground has not thawed yet and between the snow and rain, the pond is increasing in size. The horses can't reach this pasture since their walkway/path is under a good couple feet of water (at least).
It is hard to do much of anything outside since we can't dig yet. We have to let things dry out like they are on higher ground here.
Thankfully, around the house things are relatively dry. They are just brown and dull in color compared to the start of the month with the brilliant white snow and beautiful blue sky.
I added nature journal pages about...daily observations that I see from the house as I look out, when I'm outside, and/or when I'm driving. I'm continuing to keep track of the birds I see and noticing how they are starting to change as some early birds are making their way back north. I am dreaming about…days when I can see the lawn furniture. Underneath the snow, there are two outdoor chairs and couch. I've never seen the snow this high before.
Even the picnic table is piled high with snow.
A photo I would like to share...when I was outside on March 2nd taking photos of the snowfall, an eagle flew from the east pasture, through the backyard, and right overhead. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen!
