Choices...

We live a pretty simple and quiet life... David works from home now. We aren't involved in any outside organized activities. We get outside and walk or run each day. We take care of our chickens and enjoy their eggs. We enjoy meals out once or twice a week. We have one car. We are living on our savings account and David's supplemental earnings until our "retirement" age where we can start drawing from our retirement accounts without penalty.

We've always lived pretty frugally by America's standards. Which is how David was able to retire at 52 and take a year off for travel. It is no different now. We still live by a budget but are comfortable. But there are times that I think it would be nice to go out to eat more than we do. There are times when I want to be able to fund my crafting desires "right now". And I'd love to be able to eat "very locally". But our budget doesn't allow for these desires. So at times I find myself thinking maybe I should get a paying job to be able to fulfill these desires. Then I come back to reality and realize that if I spent my time working to fund these things, I wouldn't have the time (or energy possibly) to do them. Well, eating out I would. But then I'd have to exercise more to make up for the extra calories. 

So by the grace of God, I'll be content with my simple and quiet life.

Yep...

David needs to build one of these!

Adventuring with different lifestyles...

That title could be taken in a wrong way. What I'm talking about is suburban vs. urban vs. rural vs. nomadic vs. small town living. We've done all of the above!

Suburban: When our boys were growing up we lived in the suburbs of Denver and loved it! Our jaunt with rural living had me wishing that our boys could have experienced that and I was telling my oldest this and he responded that he LOVED living the suburbs as a kid. So not knowing anything different I guess it was the best for them! We lived in one middle class subdivision for 9 years, then "moved up" a bit into a newer neighborhood and my boys enjoyed it there. We did too! It was what we needed and wanted in that season. 

Urban: We lived in urban areas when our boys were babies (Denver); for a 6-month stint when Austin was a Sr. in high school and loved it both times! I loved being able to walk to just about anything we needed. Homes were older but had way more character!

Rural: When we moved back to Texas we wanted rural... and we LOVED it! We had almost 3 acres; had chickens and a garden; were neighbors with goats, sheep, donkeys and horses. We loved the quiet and how bright the stars are at night. We loved not having to keep up with the Jones' with our "yard". We loved the slow pace and the down home folks. The only reason we left this lifestyle was to venture into nomadic living.

Nomadic: As most of you know, we lived and traveled in a fifth wheel for a year. We knew that this was probably a short term arrangement for us but we loved it all the same! 

Small-town living: Where we are now. We live in a town with a population of about 6000 people. We can walk to just about anything and can actually walk to the end of town in any direction and it wouldn't be hard at all! We love the quiet, the simple, the down-home folks. We have multiple Mexican food restaurants as well as many other very good places to eat. We have a very nice HEB, hardware store, department store and lots of convenience stores. We have a town square and a library and many churches. We have big store shopping anywhere from 15-40 minutes away depending on which big store you want to shop. We've only lived here 6 months but we feel like we have enough to realize which one we really like the most. 

Which one do you think we like the most?

Travel bloggers...

My two favorite travel bloggers are back on the road! I really enjoy reading about their adventures! You might too!

Rantin n Raven (A Life Made Simple)

We had the privilege of meeting Derek, Teresa and Cassia earlier this year as they passed thru Central Texas and we are hoping they pass thru again this year!

CozybeGone

We haven't met Jer and CJ YET... but she has followed our blogs for a while when they were preparing to hit the road and now they are living their dream! They have plans for Texas and we are hoping to meet them soon!

No longer a slave to Starbucks...

I have not been to Starbucks in about 6 months... and even in the last year and a half I've been probably a total of 7-10 times. Coming from an almost "every day" habit, this is so freeing!

Today I ventured into the "big city" for a day of fun for me. I had a free drink for my birthday thanks to Starbucks so that was my first stop. I've had the Starbucks app on my phone for a while now but never used it like it is supposed to be used. When I approached the cashier, I told him that I had a birthday reward but had never used the app so he needed to guide me! It was very simple and so very cool! I even used the balance of a gift card I've had for over a year right from my phone! VERY COOL! So I ordered THE drink of the season, Pumpkin Spice Latte and my old favorite, an old-fashioned doughnut. I waited for my drink, then because I arrived early enough in the morning, I headed outside to enjoy it. It was still in the upper 70's at this time so it was quite pleasant outside.

Yea... the PSL was okay, but really not something I'd pay for these days. It almost tasted "fake". It's hard to describe but had a chemical-y taste to it. I didn't even finish it which is disappointing. But in that same breath I'm so happy that I've finally broken away from the bondage of Starbucks!

An evening of bubbles and relaxing!

 

Brynn provided the bubbles and Sadie provided the laughter... D and I relaxed!

In order for us to realize genuine happiness, we must be willing to court contentment every step of the way.

~Sarah Ban Breathnach (Simple Abundance)

morning...

A long, long time ago...

I was sharing a story with someone recently and I vaguely remembered blogging about it. So I had to go and look it up in my previous blog(s)... For my new friends, I've had a couple of blogs before this one... 

Sweetbriar Cottage was my very first blog and started when we lived in Colorado.

Then when we moved to Texas, I started Casa de Sweetbriar.

And evidently I had at least one other blog (but I do not remember much about it).

So I guess I have a love/hate relationship with blogging!

Movin' on...

to our new adventure! Small town living!

We've put a contract on a house in a town with a population of around 6000 people. We both grew up in small towns and before our road trip adventure lived in a very small town but came to the 'burbs of Austin to do all of our shopping and most of our dining (although our little town did have its share of great places to eat - read MEXICAN FOOD). But it's been a while since we lived in what we call a self-sustaining small town (has everything we NEED to live with no true need to drive into the big city). Our last house was only about a 20-minute drive here so we've visited often and have always loved this little town.

After much drama on an offer on a house on an acre just outside the town, we put an offer on an older home inside the city and they've accepted it! The one-acre house outside of town? We found out at the last minute that the HOA "rules" didn't allow chickens? Really? But we can have chickens in town...

We have a quick closing date (20 days!) and are having fun browsing craigslist for furniture (we have none). Yesterday we went and saw 4 items at different places/homes and bought all four of them! So we now have a couch, chair for the living room, coffee table and lawn mower! The only pieces of furniture we kept from our previous home (stored at my parents house) are family treasures - a shelving unit that was my Grandma's and a hope chest and little hallway table that was David's mom's. We also have some smaller unique items that we saved that would have been hard to replace. We got a storage unit to hold all of the "new stuff" until we can move in.

The house as far as we can see is in great shape... needs paint and "our stuff" but it has great wood floors in the main living areas... gorgeous terrazzo tile in the entry and lots of character. And we can have chickens (one of our true desires) again. It is also within walking distance to HEB, Whataburger! and several other places. Notice how I list the important things first!

We've been through the house-buying/selling process enough to know that it's not a done deal til everything is signed, so here's hoping it all goes through!

So... what have we been up to since our late November arrival in Central Texas?

• established a temporary "residence" at an RV park in East Central Austin
• tossed our arrival/departure checklists (just kidding)
• spent some time with our boys and my parents over the holidays
• enjoyed having our oldest here in Austin with the other three of "us"
• got caught up with our best friends; I've finally has some girl time and it is wonderful!
• ate some GREAT food! 

Rudy's BBQ

Frank

Fresh made tortillas from HEB

Baby A's

Chuy's

• got back into a routine
• patiently wait for our mortgagee to finish up her refinance so we can start looking for a house!

David has been spending time figuring out what it is he wants to do... as in a job. He's applied for some jobs - some he's interested in; some he's thinking he will get interview experience out of. He's been diligently working out - running and working out at the gym here in the park.

We've taken advantage of the hot tub. It's has been unusually cold here and the hot water feels wonderful! We've been experimenting with how to best warm up our tin can home against the cold temps. It's mostly warm... but we also bundle up at night!

We've also browsed homes for sale online while we wait for our monies to be freed. We are debt free and are planning on staying that way paying cash for our next home! It seems like there are a good amount in the price range and size we are looking at. 

I've knitted... 

Here are four of the 9 cowls I've made

and crocheted... 

Cameron wearing a hat I crocheted

 and cooked... 

My new favorite breakfast

and did a little cleaning here and there. I got my hairs cut... 

Simple and slow living at its best!

Style and consumerism

Now, just because I don't like buying things or shopping doesn't mean I have no style or taste! My home decorating style is what I like... not necessarily what HGTV or Better Homes and Gardens magazine says is the latest and greatest and it doesn't change that often. I lean towards a practical decorating style. Some of my decor are things I use... some are things that are meaningful to me or to my family and some are just things I like the look of. 

A lot of what I've decorated with in our RV will be used to decorate in our next sticks and bricks home. My style of decor isn't dictated by the house I live in.

My gypsy flags in our RV...

My gypsy flags in our previous home...

As far as my clothing style... it's a mixed bag too! I am not a dress-up kinda gal and my lifestyle doesn't necessitate fancy dresses or heels. I cringe whenever someone says "I couldn't carry that style off" and want to ask them "who says?" Or the fashion gurus say that you can't dress a certain way once you reach a certain age. Granted... I don't have a job that dictates I have to dress a certain way... and I love the freedom my "job" as a homemaker gives me to dress in a manner that is comfortable and to my liking. I do enjoy watching TLC's What Not to Wear every once in a while and sometimes like the way the "victim" dresses BEFORE more than after they are "transformed" into WNTW's fashion beauty. I enjoy dressing in a way that pleases my husband, but also wear some things that he cannot stand! =) And he still loves me and is attracted to me! But you will rarely hear me asking other women if what I'm wearing looks okay!

So what does all this have to do with simple living? For me it's not about changing my decor or clothing on a regular basis... therefore, I am not purchasing new-to-me items often. Even when I do feel a need for a change in my home, it's usually moving furniture and items from room to room. When it comes to buying new household items or furniture it's usually to replace something that has broken or for one reason or another cannot be used any longer or I have a new hobby (like canning supplies). I enjoy being resourceful and trying to use what I already have. My loose rule for clothing is if I buy a new piece of clothing (and most of these are bought at thrift stores), a like piece gets donated. It's very easy in the RV as we have very limited space for our clothing.

I recently came across a blog post that continued my thinking on consumerism and simple living... Contentment and the Zen of Granny. When I think of my grandparents' homes, they were wonderful places to be... not the most fashionable at all but I loved being there. I love this part...

She enjoyed keeping things pretty but didn’t put undue pressure on herself to be fashionable. Most of her decorating was about keeping things clean. Interestingly enough, keeping things clean is referred to as decorating by the Sidetracked Home Executives, if memory serves . This is super easy for us to emulate … we can stop caring about whether our homes look like the ones on tv or in the magazines and think about whether our home is clean instead! Doesn’t sound all that exciting I know, but I think it’s more satisfying, if for no other reason than that it is possible to do! Most of us don’t have the means to have the homes featured in magazines.

 

Simple living vs. consumerism

In Finding Joy, there's a story about a New Yorker cartoon portraying a man running toward the end of the rainbow only to see a pot of baked beans there. The author mentions whenever she thinks of striving for something "more" she reminds herself it's time to stop and remember there's beauty in the ordinary and it's right here!

She goes on to tell of visiting an old dear friend whom she hadn't seen in a while. 

"His sense of graciousness and ritual was as I remembered. I had mentioned that I wanted only fruit and tea for breakfast, and I arrived to a neatly set table with an orange and apple on a plate beside a knife, a mug and a newspaper on the same green tablecloth I had sat at twenty-five years before. I also saw the same bookshelves, the same tables, the same dishes and the same couch as before. In a passing moment, a painful image flashed through my mind of the thousands of dollars I had spent on such items over the years and how little they mattered. How peaceful it was to be with him in this uncluttered home. I hold that image in my mind as I struggle to detach from wanting more things."

She describes me in describing a time in her life where she went through a period of buying lots of new and pretty and useful things in a compulsive way. 

"I would buy something and then after I had enjoyed it for a little while, I would start thinking about the next thing I would buy." 

We had the money (although at one time a lot of it was regretfully bought with credit)... and looking back, the point isn't to be able to save the money and have it to spend later, but to be able to be generous with those in need. What the author did to break this cycle was to intentionally look around her and acknowledge that what she had was beautiful, paid for and whatever other quality it had. 

"Again, and again I need to quell my restless mind and remind myself, This is enough. What I really seek is more love, more peace and more free time."

I still struggle with consumerism.

the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable; also : a preoccupation with and an inclination toward the buying of consumer goods.  ~Merriam-Webster dictionary

I no longer have a desire to buy a lot of stuff I don't need. I used to shop for entertainment... which led to buying things... things we didn't need. Oh sure, I enjoyed them when I got them home and I did use them but thinking about it now... how many gorgeous coffee cups do I really "need"? I can only use one at a time. And even when I have guests, are they there to enjoy a pretty coffee cup or my company?

Shopping is no longer a favorite pastime for me. I still enjoy thrift shopping and grocery shopping most of the time... but it's a different kind of enjoyment. I enjoy cooking and baking and we live within a budget... so it's a challenge to me to shop for good food within a budget. I love the thrill of finding something in a thrift store or garage sale I've been "needing" and paying few dollars for it. When we sold everything in preparation for our RV lifestyle, we knew we'd most likely buy another house eventually and we knew we'd furnish it with thrift store and garage sale finds that we love. And it's something that both David and I enjoy doing. Scouring thrift stores is a whole lot more fun to us than walking into a furniture store and buying a whole new living room "set". And yes, we've done that before. Although if you know me it wasn't a "matching set". =)

When it comes to buying gifts for others... I'd much rather not give anything if I cannot find something I know they need, would love and/or use. Long ago, we gave up the notion to give something just to give something or out of obligation or guilt. If we cannot find that "something" we try to find other ways to make someone feel special and loved (homemade goodies, a meal out or a donation to a charity that is meaningful to the recipient). But at times I still struggle... I don't want anyone to feel like we don't love them and some people connect value with gift giving and receiving. 

Shopping and buying are in the forefront for me right now because of the season. We haven't done a whole lot of shopping yet. We have bought a few gifts online and I'm making some gifts as I do every year.  It's not that I'm in a "scrooge mood"... God has just been revealing to me over the past few years but a lot this past year about how blessed we are... as is! It all goes along with my "being in the moment" and being grateful for what we do have and we have an abundance! 

to be continued...

Coconut oil...

I first read about coconut oil 4-5 years ago and became very intrigued. I don't remember what directed me to it, but once I started reading about the uses and benefits of coconut oil, I knew it was something I needed to use and consume! I've always loved the flavor and scent of coconut... here's some of the ways I use it.

Homemade deodorant

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
4 Tblsp. coconut oil
10 drops of essential oils

This time I only had about 1/8 cup of arrowroot powder so I adjusted the recipe by half.
 

Ingredients

I experimented with scent using a combo of these essential oils

Mixing it up

Finished product

I just scoop it out with my fingers and rub it on. The deodorant gets really hard in cold weather, but it melts really quickly once you put your fingers on your underarm skin. I initially tried this in the winter in Central Texas... and knew the real test would be in the summer. I went thru a Texas summer of 100 days of 100+ degrees and it worked very well! It's not an antiperspirant so it won't keep you from sweating... just from stinking!

Moisturizer for my face and body 

- I keep a small jar in the bathroom.

Sunburn soother 

Hair conditioner 

Homemade soap

 

In the kitchen...

add to smoothies

in sauteeing and roasting (especially good with sweet potatoes)

for popping corn

in baking

in coffee (an easy way to get some in; it gives coffee a hint of coconut)

There are many benefits to using and taking in coconut oil. If you google it, you will find many articles on it. Here's one to start with... Health Benefits of Coconut Oil.

Change is in the air...

I've heard (and I'm sure you have too) that the only constant is change. We experience a change in seasons faithfully every year... but not only a change in seasons but changes within seasons. We've been experiencing the changes in nature with the coming of Fall... And we've experienced the newness of it over and over as we've driven south. One of our favorite drives recently was thru South Carolina. I know that SC is not a "known" beautiful Fall place but it was gorgeous! And we are so blessed to be able to experience it!

Change is in the air for David and I too! We are headed back home soon! Actually we are headed that way right now... and will be there before Christmas... Well before Christmas. Our extended stay in Wilmington took the wind out of our sails so to speak. We'd been missing home before our blow out accident and that was just what we needed to put our priorities back in the place they belong. In my last post I talked about being tired of chasing the dream life and stopping to building one... Well, I heard a song on the radio recently during our drive... It's an old Ronnie Milsap song... Smoky Mountain Rain... One line in it is "I've had a change of dreams I'm comin' home".  That pretty much says it!

One thing we've struggled with is feeling somewhat "obligated" to our readers... when you share an adventure with the public, other people who have similar dreams say they are "living vicariously thru you"... so being the people pleasers we are, we don't want to let those people down. But then we start talking about not living our lives for others, but living the life that we are meant to live and what is pleasing to God. We can only hope that our adventure inspires and gives our readers courage to do what it is they dream about.

I started this blog a little late in the game to reflect on how I see this adventure and how it changes me... While the traveling adventure may be coming to a close, I hope and pray that my life is always an adventure. So for the time being, I hope to continue blogging here about our new adventure (whatever that may be). 

My simple life...

What is the simple life? It's different for everyone. This is what's cool about it! You GET to define it yourself! And from my experience it changes with the seasons of life.

For me right now, it's

...homecooked meals
...few possessions; "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." ~William Morris

...being in the moment

...limited choices... in food, clothing, books
...being passionate about what matters and the time and energy to do what matters
...consuming less and experiencing more

...being resourceful with meals and decor and needed items

...creating over buying
...less go, go, go and more contented stay
...less "have to's" and more "get-to's";
...less noise and more quiet 
...being in nature... often

...making my body healthy by an active lifestyle vs. working out at the gym

...appreciating the little things
...being debt-free 
...no shopping mall "therapy"; more get outside and enjoy God's creation
...using natural beauty and personal health products

Hoping to infuse more of

...less internet; more creating and connecting
...less trying to please everyone; more trying to please God
...less "dependence" on big grocery stores; more contentment with simple food
...less reading on a screen; more reading books