Forgotten dreams revived

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There is simple pleasure in spending time tearing up little bits of paper with a grandchild. Nothing need be said.... it's the joy of simply being together that matters.

There is satisfaction in seeing fruit of the season sitting on a table ready for anyone who wants some. It will be even better when I again see vegetables that are taken right from my own back yard.

There is happiness in a bag of hot chocolate mix I put together myself instead of buying a box of already mixed stuff.





There is something satisfying about looking at an item that is ready for the trash truck and coming up with a useful purpose for it.

Or maybe the other way around. There's something I need? I come up with an alternative. Sure, I could have bought a plastic container that would last a long, long time. It wouldn't have as much meaning as one I make myself from something I have laying around.

People must think I'm crazy giving up my quilting income when the cost of absolutely everything keeps rising. Gas prices keep going up (I think) which means that food prices, clothing prices, and just about everything else is going to cost more because of transport costs. Electricity and gas are higher, water is higher, rent is higher..... and so is unemployment.

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It's simply not fair! The American dream of owning a home, having a decent paying job, and living comfortably depends on the price of gas. Or does it? Exactly what is America's obsession with so much stuff? We want cars, boats, tvs, and very big houses. Big houses mean much more room for all our accumulation of stuff. Run out of room for our stuff? Get a bigger house. Along with the bigger house comes bigger costs. Utility bills get higher to heat the extra space. Tax bills get higher to pay for the extra space. Cleaning and organizing time is longer for all the extra rooms. We must work more hours to pay for more which leaves no time for actually enjoying all our stuff.

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Instead of starting out with a small house everyone wants to start with the biggest house they can get. Even taking the chance of loosing their investment later because it's more than they can reasonably afford. I'm so thankful I had the good sense to buy a small house when I bought this one. I had a choice of other houses. The real estate man and the mortgage company said I could buy a much, much bigger house but I chose this one because it was small. I wanted a house that would still be mine if the economy got bad in the future. Wow, was I psychic or what? Truthfully, I was really worried I might have a major illness and couldn't work. What would I do then to keep a roof over our heads?

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I had such big plans when we moved out of a homeless shelter and into our own home again. That was 27 years ago and another story. 27 years??? Geeze, so much lost time! This house was perfect for the plans I made. I wanted to be as self sufficient as possible in a city environment. I wanted solar electric and solar hot water. I wanted a garden and lots of storage space for preserving my harvest. I drew up plans for everything. Heck, I even had plans on how to catch rain water to use.

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I got caught up in the race to keep up with the Jones' and none of it ever got finished. Hmm... that's not the only reason nothing ever got finished. A lot had to do with muscle power. I had the ideas but not the muscle strength to make it happen. I could never find a handyman who believed as I did. I wasn't looking for romance.... I still grieved my husband who had passed away. I wanted a simple friend who believed in the same dream. I would share my skills of canning or sewing in exchange for his muscle power to dig and construct things.

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My dream has just taken a lot longer to get started than I originally planned. A few months ago I gave up my quilting income so I can finally start doing the things I wanted to do so many years ago. It's time for me to get back to the things that really matter in my life. There are lots and lots of people who share the same vision.

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To simplify and enjoy life again.