#simple-living — Public Fediverse posts

Wordless Wednesday: Front Porch Sitting

Today’s Wordless Wednesday post features recent photographs I took of two of my children Zaya (6) and Zephaniah (9) when they were enjoying a morning of what I like to call “front porch sitting.”

Every morning, my two little ones like to sit on the front porch on our thrifted chairs and read a book, sip tea, and watch the neighborhood go by.

💜 XO

Are your friends/family distracted at home? Get a phone basket.
https://rishidass.net/posts/phone-basket
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#technology
#culture

Work and play.
https://rishidass.net/posts/work-and-play
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#culture

What’s lacking right now?
https://rishidass.net/posts/whats-lacking
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#culture

Sunday at the library 📚

Took the kids to the public library after Mass. It was supposed to be a quick trip, but you know how that goes—going to the library is hardly ever quick with four kids in tow. 😂

Here are a few of the books the kids checked out. 📚💜

Zephaniah (9) loves Vox books. He likes to follow along with the narrator reading the book aloud.

Vox books has helped him with his reading skills, too!

Zechariah (11) always checks put at least one Minecraft book when we go to the library. This time he got four Minecraft books! 😄

He loves playing the game and creating so many designs. The books help him learn new ways to build and create.

I spotted this one on the “New Books” shelf. The little cowgirl riding her horse caught my eye.

Zaya and I watch a lot of the Canadian TV show Heartland, so I thought she’d love to read this book.

Silly Zhen (13) found this book in the nonfiction section of the children’s library and she thought it’d be a funny read. 😂

When Zaya (6) saw the illustration of Bob Ross on the cover of Rima and the Painter, she immediately grabbed the book and excitedly showed me the book.

“Look, Mommy!” Zaya said to me happily pointing at the Bob Ross illustration. “It’s the painter we watch on TV!”

💜 XO

Action over outcome.
https://rishidass.net/posts/action-over-outcome
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#culture

Just play the game.
https://rishidass.net/posts/play-the-game
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#culture
#gaming

Just brought in the very first plum harvest of the month, and there is truly nothing quite like the satisfaction of eating something you grew with your own hands. All the patience and tending through the season pay off the moment you taste fruit fresh off the branch. I hope everyone gets to experience this kind of simple joy, and hopefully, you all enjoy plums just as much as I do 🍑🌱🌱

#Gardening #HomeGrown #FruitGrowing #SimpleLiving #Nature #Outdoors

Mixed feelings with this one. Why did she shop so much before? Why does their new life still seem high-consumption to me? Why is the old hermit so teleological about everything, WHY does his son think bringing him a tractor is going to help? I do love that the old man brings in assorted foliage when he wants to make tea. It's something I do every day myself ... >>

Re: Das einfache Leben als wahrer Luxus - Die ganze Doku | ARTE

https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/115490-012-A/re-das-einfache-leben-als-wahrer-luxus/ #minimalism #simpleliving

What is philosophy for?
https://rishidass.net/posts/what-is-philosophy-for
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#leadership
#culture

What makes a day good or bad?
https://rishidass.net/posts/good-and-bad-days
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#culture

Can you stay the same?
https://rishidass.net/posts/stay-the-same
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#leadership
#culture

Broken sunflowers still bloom 🌻

In the springtime, Travis and I discovered volunteer sunflower sprouts growing in between the sidewalk.

I’m pretty sure the sunflower seeds were left behind in the wintertime by the birds and squirrels when I put up bird feeders.

So, we gently moved the sunflower sprouts to our garden bed.

We managed to “rescue” six of the eight sunflower sprouts we found in the sidewalk. All six of the sprouts recovered from transplant shock and grew strong and tall.

But as many gardeners know, sunflower stems can still be fragile, especially during storms or when pesky squirrels are rummaging through your garden. 😏🐿

The beautiful thing about sunflowers, though, is that they are resilient plants.

Despite nature’s challenges, sunflowers will try very hard to keep growing, even when broken. Sometimes they just need a little help.

This is something I have learned this gardening season.

I was able to save one broken sunflower plant by trimming down the stem and placing it in a vase of water.

The sunflower still bloomed, and the bees loved it!

Another sunflower plant with a broken stem (thanks squirrel! 🐿😏) Travis was able to make a stick-based cast for it.

And the other day, that sunflower bud still bloomed!

It makes me happy that even though a couple of our sunflowers experienced hardships, we were still able to give the flowers a chance to complete their life cycle. 🌻😍

Despite being broken, the sunflowers served a great purpose by attracting the bees to our garden to pollinate our food plants (like our peppers 🫑 and tomatoes 🍅).

And perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned from broken sunflowers that keep blooming anyway. 😉🌻🙏🏽

💜 XO

Sleeping fewer hours and overworking aren't a badge of honor.
https://rishidass.net/posts/overworked-and-awake
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#leadership
#culture

August library book picks 📚

My August library book picks are Texas Rain by Jodi Thomas and Virgin River by Robyn Carr. The reviews for both books seem to be good, so I thought I’d give them a try.

Both novels are set in a small town. I love small-town romance novels, especially those set in the South, since I’m originally from Tennessee.

Texas Rain is a historical romance novel, which is another fiction genre that I enjoy reading.

Virgin River is actually a TV series on Netflix, but the previews of the show don’t look interesting to me.

I’ve heard that the books are quite different from the show, though, so that’s why I checked out the book.

I’m currently watching Ransom Canyon on Netflix. The romance drama is inspired by Jodi Thomas’ novel series.

However, when I discovered the show last summer, I didn’t know it was based on a book until halfway into watching the show.

I almost checked out the Ransom Canyon, but it’s really hard for me to get into a book after watching the show/movie it was based on. (That’s why it’s been taking me what seems like forever to finish reading Outlander. 😫)

So, I decided to give Texas Rain a try instead. It’s the first book in her Whispering Mountain series.

What are you reading this month?

💜 XO

Play your natural game. It’s easier.
https://rishidass.net/posts/play-your-natural-game
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#leadership
#culture

Relaxation isn’t just for weekends and holidays.
https://rishidass.net/posts/real-relaxation
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#culture

A guy revealed the 12 simple things that make men happy and it’s 100% accurate

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/12-simple-things-that-make-men-happy-ex1/

Don't just manage emotions. Transcend them.
https://rishidass.net/posts/dont-manage-emotions
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#leadership
#culture

Make your bed.
https://rishidass.net/posts/make-your-bed
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving

Do you keep yourself overworked and awake? I hope not.
https://rishidass.net/posts/overworked-and-awake
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#leadership
#culture

Enjoying the view

We had appointments and errands to run in the city, so we stopped by Michigan Central Station to take a break at Roosevelt Park in Detroit.

The kids were amazed by the view of the historic train station from the park, and it reminded me how much Roosevelt Park has changed over the years.

I really like the new walking paths and seating throughout the park, especially the swings.

I enjoyed seeing people walking, riding bikes, reading books, playing catch, and simply slowing down to enjoy the afternoon.

I wish I had taken more photos, but honestly, I was feeling a little anxious after my annual doctor’s appointment. Now I’m waiting for my lab results, along with the biopsy results from an unusual spot I found on my skin.

I just needed a quiet moment in the park to slow down and let my mind rest. 😌

💜 XO

It’s all coming together 🌻

I’m decorating my front porch with my new thrifted folding tables. ☺️

Groceries and thrift store shopping day

I found some great thrifty finds for under $24! ☺️

Sunflowers and tomatoes 🌻🍅

A new sunflower bloom 🌻 and blushing tomatoes 🍅

The last thing you want to do is react.
https://rishidass.net/posts/being-proactive
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#leadership

Is it possible to live without challenges?
https://rishidass.net/posts/life-without-challenges
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving
#leadership

Can you enjoy the experiences without pursuing them?
https://rishidass.net/posts/dont-pursue-experiences
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving

You don’t have to “do” anything to *be* at peace.
Peace *is* your default state.
You can only choose poorly.
https://rishidass.net/posts/your-default-state
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving

The Patina of Wear

“Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.”

—Francis Bacon

The folding bridge table in the photo is over eighty years old, and I have owned it for more than twenty of those years. During that time, it has served as an extra table for entertaining, a game table and even a fire screen.

But its usefulness is only part of the reason I keep it. The table came from the historic building where my husband and I were married. It dates from one of my favorite eras and is painted in the warm autumn colors I have always loved. It definitely shows signs of wear, some of which I’m sure I have contributed to. That has never bothered me.

I have always valued things with a history. Nicks, scratches, and faded places don’t diminish an object in my eyes. They make it more interesting. They suggest that it has been used, appreciated, and woven into someone’s life.

At one point in my career, I worked for a company that sold handbags and briefcases made from beautiful Italian leather. Customers sometimes questioned whether the leather would scratch. Yes, of course it would scratch. It was leather. We called the marks that appeared with use “the patina of wear.” Over time, the leather softened, deepened in color, and became more distinctive. Those signs of use were not flaws; they were what gave the piece its character.

Perhaps the same can be said of many of the things we own—and even of ourselves. Wear is evidence of living. A dining table bears the faint marks of family meals. A favorite chair softens to the shape of the person who sits in it. A well-read book develops a cracked spine and turned-down pages. These objects become familiar companions, carrying memories that something new simply cannot possess.

I have never felt that everything in my life needed to be new or perfect. In our current climate, I am even less inclined to discard something simply because it is worn, outdated, or no longer pristine. We are encouraged to replace rather than repair, to update rather than appreciate, and to see signs of age as reasons to move on. But every object we throw away must go somewhere.

I grew up in a small town that had what was then simply called the town dump. Residents brought their trash and added it to a large, ever-growing pile. Occasionally, the pile was plowed over, as though covering it somehow made it disappear. I found myself thinking about that dump the other day. What eventually happened to it as the pile continued to grow? It had to go somewhere. Trash does not cease to exist simply because we can no longer see it.

That memory has stayed with me. I feel a responsibility not to add unnecessarily to the mountains of things already discarded. But my attachment to older possessions is about more than environmental responsibility. I genuinely enjoy living with things that are familiar, useful, and connected to my past.

My bridge table is not perfect. Its surface is worn, and its age is evident. But it has survived for over eighty years and continues to find a place in my home and in my life. Its wear tells a story—of the historic building where we were married, of the people who used it before me, and of the many ways I have used it since.

I don’t see its imperfections as damage. I see them as its patina of wear: evidence of a long and useful life.

Peace be with you.

You’ll learn more from sitting in silence every day for a few minutes than you ever could from a book, podcast, or video.
https://rishidass.net/posts/sit-in-silence
#philosophy
#mentalhealth
#simpleliving