Saturday, November 1, 2014

Her Uncomplicated Life


Sometimes living off grid and not being dependent upon this fragile economy sounds appealing. I know a lot of people are heading this way these days. The world is in turmoil and many want to be prepared in case the economy crashes. This one couple live a very uncomplicated life and wrote about it HERE. I thought I would repost it. I very much enjoyed reading their simple life and I think you will also ~

This afternoon a friend of mine was complaining about her heating system not working, and I sure understand that. It's going to be cold here tonight and the thought of no heat on the first cold night of the season is not a pleasant thought at all.  She was telling me that things seem to break in threes for them. Last month, it was the dishwasher and right before that, the garbage disposal.  I felt her pain but then got to thinking, well, actually Emery and I started talking about our rather uncomplicated lifestyle.  

You see, we don't have a heating system to break down. We heat with wood, so our investment would be the wood stove, and they outlast most people and our wood comes from downed trees, which in this area, there seems to be an abundant supply. People are always contacting us to see if we want to haul away their already cut down trees.   Our air conditioning system consists of two window units, not some fancy system that one service call can cost more than one of our units.  No dishwasher to break down; we don't have one. No garbage disposal to break down; we don't have one. We have a compost pile and chickens that love food scraps. We do have a washing machine but no dryer to break down; we have two poles and four lines.  

We don't have much that could break down and cause us to pull out our hair with worry or reach deep into our pockets. There are no expensive clothes to take to the dry cleaners or worry about ruining. It's quite a relief to not be faced with all the "what ifs" of home ownership. Our house is simple, and there isn't much Emery cannot fix himself. We even own an older car, so that he can work on it easily. The simple life, or what I have come to refer to now, is our uncomplicated life, is just that.   

We aren't even worried about our electricity going out during a storm. We are set with candles and kerosene lamps. We can even cook on the wood stove if need be.  Most of the year, something is growing in the garden and the chickens are good layers. So we could always eat, even if the stores were closed. No debts; we own what we have. It makes life easier. So today, on this cool autumn day, I am thankful for a life that is easily lived with joy and contentment. Uncomplicated by owning lots of stuff.

Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is 
to eat and drink and find enjoyment in 
all the toil with which one toils under the sun 
the few days of his life that God has given him, 
for this is his lot.
Ecclesiastes 5:18

Comments (14)

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This sounds a lot like my life. I have no dryer, wood heat, no credit cards, a tiny, run down house that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg, I homeschool, we have spring water that runs even if the electric goes out, kerosene lamps and a generator, 3 gardens, I make my own medicine, chickens, we butcher our own meat...the list goes on. She is a wise woman, in my opinion. :)
1 reply · active 543 weeks ago
God put the first man and woman in a garden and was told to "replenish the earth and subdue it" and then after the curse, "in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." It seems He intended lives like this couple and your life for us: Debt free, hard working, and not a lot of earthly possessions! "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." We can do this in the city also. It is just much noisier and hectic.
I often wonder if I am leaning too much one way or the other....we are commanded to work with our hands & have something to share with others; then we are told to seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness & all these things we need shall be added to us ( by God!). God called the rich man "a fool" because he had done nothing for the kingdom. Truthfully, even off grid, we can live like kings in this country, compared to the poor in other countries. Personally, I think laying up our treasures in heaven involves helping others in the name of Jesus. It's a constant struggle to remember I am a steward of God's possessions & everything I have is His. The more frugal I am, the more I have to share or give to the poor. It's very Biblical to give to the poor & I know we should do that quietly...the Bible says God will reward us openly. (Matthew 6). I still am amazed how you manage to post daily Lori! God bless you ...the fellowship here is good! Love & prayers, in Jesus, Cynthia
1 reply · active 543 weeks ago
Great thoughts, Cynthia! Yes, it is something we always need to be aware of and not get sucked up into the trappings of this world and freely help others and those in need. I could actually post 2 or 3 posts a day when I feel well! I have MANY in line already to go but I don't want to weary people. :)
I am plugged into electricity! When the hydro goes off so do all my appliances, water pump, lights - can really do very little without electricity. We do have geothermal heating, but can't even use that without hydro. Every appliance today is computerized and when they break - no easy fixing. We are encumbered by things we don't need, things we can't fix and things that serve no purpose. We have no debt to be sure, but still need that electricity for functioning around here. I am just thankful for that electricity bill !
1 reply · active 543 weeks ago
I am thankful for my electricity bill also, Maria, and my running water and central heating and all the other modern conveniences we are blessed to have in this day and age. I always just love to read about people who live without many of them. The woman in the post does have electricity and running water, however!
We heat with wood, raise our own meat and eggs, and also have kerosene lamps for backup lighting. I garden each season, canning and freezing the surplus. I do use a dryer in the winter, but a clothesline when weather permits. I cook hearty meals for my family and bake goodies often. I too feed the scraps to the chickens. It is a great feeling to know your family could survive for awhile if needed. Our grown sons also hunt wild game and that is a grocery extender. I feel sorry for those who have not learned or been taught a self-sufficiency lifestyle. Oh, and by the way, I work outside the home five days a week, eight hrs a day. I thank Jesus for the strength to do each day what must be done. Someday I am going to find a way to be home all the time and do some "fun stuff".
1 reply · active 543 weeks ago
Wow, you are truly a superwoman! I have never had a ton of energy. Some women are definitely blessed with it like you.
I regularly invite greed into my thought-life. I'm sure I've mentioned this before in a comment or two. I am in So Cal and I want a nice house in a nice area. I don't need a nice house. I set the thoughts aside for awhile and then they come back. I think the phrase for it is "affluenza". Good for this family for having such a content and grateful spirit. They rejoice in their riches.
thanks Lori
Lori this is a wonderful post. I think we can all do things to make our lives less complicated. I will be featuring your post in this week's Home and Garden Thursday,
Kathy
Michelle Gills's avatar

Michelle Gills · 522 weeks ago

This might be a silly question, but I live in Kansas. When its winter time, my clothes would not dry outside because the would freeze ;) What do folks use to dry their clothes during the winter months without a dryer?
1 reply · active 521 weeks ago
I've heard the term 'freeze dried' clothes, usually the air is dry enough that the moisture will evaporate. There are also folding laundry drying racks. A friend of mine used these in an apartment in northern VA with 1 or 2 kids. I have one that i use, but have found that if I just hand things up on plastic hangers (not metal so they don't rust) then they dry pretty quickly. Hang them off door frames, shower curtain rods, off furniture etc.
I hope to someday have a life like this. :)

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