Somewhat by way of introduction

I have written and re-written this introduction several times in my head but it still is having a hard time making it to my fingers.

I have wanted to write a blog for years but I wasn't sure what to write about. This morning, it woke me up rather early and urged me to "just do it." So here goes.

Like Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," I have finally realized that my heart's desire wasn't going to be found in the unnatural glitz of the Emerald City. Sure, it's a nice place to visit, but I don't want to spend my days and nights there. So, I've come to the rather mundane-sounding conclusion that "there's no place like home." I live in a good place--a good place to shop, a good place to work and a fairly adequate place to get nourished and entertained. It may not be all-inclusive, but it's a good start. 

I live in Manchester, Michigan. Sometimes called the "Center of the Universe." Well, it is true for me. I have lived in the same house for almost 32 years. My four children were all raised here, and one of them was born here. Two of them still live here. My two grandchildren are growing up in Manchester, too. I work and shop and volunteer in this community and at the end of my day I retreat to this place I call home. I also walk a lot around the town (no, that's not my profession) because I don't own a car. I don't feel deprived because if I need a vehicle, I can usually arrange with someone for a ride to wherever I need to go. 

I am pretty committed to a simpler life for my family. When I was a little girl, I used to read the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Back in the 60s, when life was a lot simpler, I already yearned for the good old days described in those books. OK, since then I have thought a lot more about the hardships the pioneers faced and I'm somewhat grateful for the more modern conveniences we now have. But I think the pendulum has swung too far the other way.

Before this so-called recession, my husband and I both used to have good-paying, professional type jobs. Together, we made what seems to me now like an incredible amount of money, even though it was fairly modest by most standards. And we complained constantly that we didn't have enough. In 2002, he lost his job and was out of work for almost eight months. It was a tough time for us, especially when he ended up having cancer surgery shortly after he finally started a new job that already paid about half of the one he had lost. 

We eventually recovered, thanks to my income and a VA disability pension; however, in 2006 I realized that my career was going pretty much nowhere. In a salaried position, I worked 60+ hours a week at what ended up being more like minimum wage. Working for ever-larger corporations, I had no control over my destiny, but at the same time I never felt like I was free from the demands of my job. I was cranky when I got home. After 30 years, our marriage was also going pretty much nowhere. When did we have time to nurture it? 

After much soul-searching I left the security of a job where I had earned the respect of the community, if not of the corporation for which I worked. I was lucky to find a part-time job that seems just about perfect for me. But by now we are making way less than half of what we would be making had we been able to stay in our respective jobs.

So yes, our "Simple Life" is somewhat by necessity, but mostly it's a conscious choice we've made. We have fewer possessions than most of our friends. We eat at home a lot. We don't go to a lot of expensive events or take exotic vacations. But overall, we are happier than we've been in a very long time. And we don't feel necessarily deprived, either. 

In this blog I'm going to try and take a lighthearted look at living more simply. I'll chronicle some of my freecycling adventures (and misadventures). I want to learn more about Community Supported Agriculture and becoming more of a localvore in terms of how we eat. One choice I've made that may seem incongruous at this juncture is that I make an effort to choose and cook with whole, organic, and local foods, as well as natural cleaning products, even though they may be more expensive than what is commercially available. I figure I'm saving enough money in the things we *don't* do, that I can make some concessions this way. I will share what I'm learning about local living and maybe you will decide to learn along with me. 

Marsha