What Constitutes a Good Life?

I've been thinking about what it takes to live a good life in retirement. My husband is considering his options for after he reaches retirement age and has been concerned about whether or not we will have enough income. It doesn't help to see all the guidance that claims one will need enormous amounts of money in retirement accounts and that Social Security won't be enough.

My concerns about the environment, too, led me to look at My Make Do and Mend Life, again. One of the comments on her October 13th blog entry led me to Shannon Hayes' writings. In her book, A Homespun Mom Comes Unraveled, she talks about people using their purchases to "vote for the kind of planet and society they wanted to be part of." She also discusses what she calls "radical investing," which really speaks to my issues with the idea that one needs to have a large income in order to live a happy life. For us, that means that we have reduced our cost of living by eliminating our debt, purchase only what we really need, and that we take care of what we have. We have also set aside an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses, regularly add to savings (including a dedicated fund for property taxes and house insurance), keep track of where we spend our money, budget for regular expenses (including "mad money" we can spend as we wish), and we try to make gifts and some of the things we might want.

While we do have my pension, which was built up by an 8% contribution from my income and a matching amount from my employer, since I worked for a public university, my Social Security income will be reduced, even though I paid into the system there in other jobs. There is a movement to have that law changed, but I don't feel I can count on it happening. (The law was set up to prevent public employees from "double dipping," even though people who work for corporations can have the same type of set up for pensions through their employers and get the full amount of Social Security for time they paid into the system.)

Beyond the pension and Social Security income, we have a small amount in annuities, which will provide additional funds, and we have medical insurance coverage. Altogether, however, our totals are well below what the "experts" say is necessary. Given the fact that we have been tracking expenses, I have calculated we will be fine, even though that is the case.

We will continue to vote for a planet and society that cares for the earth and other people, as well as ourselves. As with the choices we made that enabled us to create a certified wildlife habitat with our suburban property, we consciously decide what is most important to us. That does include the idea of downsizing in retirement, as well as continuing the practices that have allowed us to live well on considerably less per year than the experts see as necessary.

What do you think? How do you vote with your purchases?

Until next time, I wish you peace.

(Note: I provide links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply affiliation by me with any site.)

Celebrations, Visits & Living Life

It has been quite a year, so far. The wedding was beautiful. Everything fell into place, and the weather cooperated. The wedding party was composed of all the attendants the bride and groom had hoped for, including the grandchildren as flower girl and ring bearer.

Since then, we have had a few visits with the grandchildren, including a few days while their parents were in town when they stayed with us. Grandpa got to have them help him feed the birds and there was the obligatory fishing trip. We are looking forward to another couple of visits before they return home with their other grandmother.

The garden has been going through its paces. We have milkweed growing and hope to entice some monarchs to our yard. The lilies, both day and tiger, have been blooming profusely. In addition, we have a volunteer trumpet creeper that is blooming and will, we hope, attract the hummingbirds. (We do have feeders, but the volunteer is a nice addition.) The gooseberry bush produced an enormous amount of berries. The cherry tree was also prolific. Now the raspberry bush is beginning to set fruit.

I have slowly been putting my studio to rights. I've made some progress since the picture above, but not enough to call it done. One thing I am trying to organize is specific projects with the hope that it will help me to tackle them sooner. In addition, I have been thinking more lately about mending, both to take care of items and get more use out of them.

I've been reading a lot about the latter at pages instituted by Jen Gale. She has a blog at My Make Do and Mend Life. She had a Facebook page associated with a decision she had made to blog about mending for an entire month. While I was unable to fully participate in mending during that time -- it was right in the middle of the preparations for the wedding -- I did follow it and was able to contribute some, I hope, helpful tips. Now, I am thinking more about the issue, especially in light of my continued interest in downsizing and not having more than I need. I expect I will talk more about the subject in future posts. For now, it seems enough that I have finally gotten back to the blog.

I hope you are having a wonderful season. Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.

Sprung into an Empty Nest

The last month and a half have been surprisingly busy. Our youngest decided he was ready to move out. The move was accomplished by the middle of this month, though he still has a few things here that he needs to clear out. Once that is finished, we will be remaking his room into my new studio, and my current studio will become a dedicated guest room. It means I will, hopefully, finally be able to have all of my studio tools in one place, though some materials will need to be stored elsewhere.

In addition, he and his fiance have finally set the date for their wedding - in June of this year. That brings another set of challenges. Obviously, there is the scramble to get all of the details taken care of, but I have not had to be involved in most of that beyond giving advice, especially on where to find information. However, I do need to find an outfit, and prepare our home for guests! Our older son and his family will be traveling back to town for the wedding and a short vacation. They will be staying here part of that time. As mother of the groom, of course, my outfit is supposed to complement that of the mother of the bride.

In addition, the grandchildren will be staying for the summer with their other grandparents. That means we will be able to spend more time with them over the couple of months following the wedding. So, I have been trying to plan things we can do with them that they will enjoy.

In the meantime, spring has been starting to make an appearance here. Our forsythias have begun to bloom, as have the hyacinths and daffodils. The lilacs are budding, and the grackles have arrived en masse. We have been talking about what to plant in the garden and are adjusting to being empty-nesters.

All told, it hasn't left much time for working in the studio, though I have done some organizing in preparation for the move to the other room, and while I have been working on my book, I haven't taken time out to blog. It may be hit and miss here for a while, for which I apologize in advance. I hope you will continue to check in, and I will try to get back to a normal schedule as soon as possible.

Until next time, I wish you peace.

Choices

I've been thinking a lot about deliberate downsizing and the changes we make in our lives as we grow older. Many of my family members have cut their home sizes and reduced their possessions in the process. It is something I am seriously considering, both as a retirement option and in the recognition that I will never be able to do or use all the materials I have purchased through the years.

It has become more apparent to me recently that there are some things I will no longer be able to do. I need, instead, to concentrate on the things I can do and find ways to have some things done by others. In addition, I need to let go of some things that could better be used by other people. Making these kinds of decisions can be really difficult. They signal not only the choice of one path over another, but also acknowledge the probable end of some dreams and hopes.

Have you ever had to face these kinds of choices? How did you handle them? Are you happy with the results?

Until next time, I wish you peace.

Celebrating the Feast of St. Francis

Today is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. As a lay Franciscan, I take the idea of living simply very seriously. I believe that we need to "live simply that others may simply live." I also believe that living lightly on the earth is one of the best ways to ensure that my grandchildren will continue to enjoy a world in which there is astounding wildlife and spectacular wild spaces. It is my hope that more people will attempt to do so and we reach a point where all people have freedom from want; from fear; and from pollution.

What does living simply look like? One view is articulated at A Franciscan view of living simply. It can be as simple as making changes in how one makes purchases or as encompassing as a complete change in lifestyle. For example, the Global Catholic Climate Movement - Feast of St. Francis presents some ways to have an impact on the climate. Many people are making the choice to reduce the size of their dwellings, as evidenced by the Tiny House movement, which I talked about in Thinking of Space.

I hope you will consider what you might do to live more simply.

Until next time, I wish you peace.

Surprises & Milestones

We had a short vacation, which allowed us to go to some local preserves. It was special to see not only summer vegetation, egrets and a family of ducks, but also a pair of swans.

On another note, while doing research for a book I am writing, I read a book called Quilts in the Attic: Uncovering the Stories of the Quilts We Love by Karen S. Musgrave ((c) 2012 Voyageur Press (c) 2012 Text Karen Musgrave; MBI Publishing Co., Minneapolis, MN). There was a chapter on Ruby Short McKim, who designed quilts for the Kansas City Star, among other things. Today, her granddaughter, Merrily McKim Tuohey, maintains a website dedicated to her grandmother's work: McKIM TUOHEY STUDIO, and one with Ruby's entire 1931 book: 101 Patchwork Patterns. I thought you might enjoy having the links.

The other thing that I have been doing is sorting through craft supplies to pull out things I will probably not use. Now, I have to decide what to do with them.

To my surprise, too, I discovered this is my 100th blog post. It seems like a milestone that should be recognized. Perhaps it is enough to know that it is and see where that takes me.

Until next time, I wish you happy surprises, peace and all good.

(Note: I provide links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply affiliation by me with any site.)

Revving up Creative Juices

I was reminded of our trip to the Seattle area in 2013 while browsing through some "Quilt Sampler" magazines. We happened to be out there when Keepsake Cottage Fabrics was one of the featured shops. Oddly enough, I hadn't known about it until I got into the shop and picked up the Spring/Summer 2013 issue of the magazine. (It was already on my list of things to see, of course.) We also made the trip to the Public Market and Undercover Quilts, which is above the Pike Place Fish Co.

I am also fortunate that I have access to a lot of really nice quilt shops in my area like Top Shelf Quilts, Countryside Village Gifts, Thimbles, and B&J Sewing Center and much more. Of course, I have reached a point where I am no longer purchasing much of anything, since I need to use what I have and want to use more recycled materials. I have a lot of "Works in Progress," that are either already begun or planned with materials set aside for them.

Another thing that I have begun to think about (and I apologize to all of you who don't want to hear it) is getting ready for Christmas. Because we have a large family party and I continue to give gifts to all of the children through high school, I have to think about it early in the year. We have had three new babies join the family in the last two years, which is just about evening out the list after taking off the older children who have graduated from high school. At any rate, my gift list includes close to two dozen people. We are also going to have another new baby in the family next March, which means a baby shower fairly soon after Christmas. The nice thing about the need to plan for all that is that it gets me out of summer mode and into creating, again.

How do you get yourself motivated?

Wishing you, as always, peace and all good.

(Note: I provide links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply affiliation by me with any site.)

Looking to the Future

According to the National Association of Home Builders (Housing Facts, Figures, and Trends for March 2006) the average square-footage of a single family home in the U.S. increased from 983 sq. ft. in 1950 to 2,349 sq. ft. in 2004. In my research for my master's thesis (on Sustainability), in 2002, I found that in 1940 the average was 750 sq. ft. By 1970, the average was only 1500 sq. ft., so the Baby Boomer generation grew up in homes that averaged between 750 and 1500 sq. ft.

According to Emma Johnson, (Forbes The Real Cost of Your Shopping Habits), "In 1930, the average American woman owned nine outfits. Today, that figure is 30 outfits — one for every day of the month."

Obviously, I am thinking about these things, in part, because of the issue that I mentioned last time I posted - downsizing. However, it is also due to the greater issue of our impact on the earth. In yesterday's news, there was a report of the finding of a possible second "earth," that may have life on it. This is the first time anything like it has been located in our space exploration, and it is 1400 light years away. (In other words, if we could travel at the speed of light, it would take 1400 years to reach it.) Yet, I heard, to my horror, a newscaster suggest we might be able to move there when we can no longer live here. My belief is that we need, instead, to figure out how we can live on the planet we have.

The other night, PBS aired a program called Humanity from Space. It chronicles the development of man, the technologies that have changed the world and how we interact with one another, and explores our potential challenges to survival.

All of this took me back to the message of Pope Francis about limiting our needs that I mentioned in my post Living in Harmony. We would solve a lot of our problems with that simple prescription. One of the current advocates of this lifestyle is Joshua Becker, who has a blog called "Becoming Minimalist." His self-identified Most Popular Posts are a good place to start in determining how to go about doing so and why.

I hope that you will explore these ideas and see how they would impact your life.

Until next time, wishing you peace and all good.

(Note: I provide links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply affiliation by me with any site.)

Thinking of Space

Last week there was a segment on the news about the buying patterns of new home buyers that suggested people are going back to the pattern prominent prior to the recession. That is, the report said people are buying homes that are quite large. When I looked at the information available on the Census website Characteristics of New Housing - 2014, I found that the average size of new single-family homes has been increasing without any apparent impact from the recession. The site gives the average square footage of homes from 1978 through 2014. Over that time, they increased from 1650 to 2506 square feet.

As someone who grew up in a house that was approximately 2500 - 2900 square feet with ten people around the dining room table every night, I can attest to the fact that one can live comfortably in 250 to 300 square feet per person. I never felt I could not find a place to be alone if I wanted it nor did I feel lonely if I wanted to be with people.

Part of the reason I have been thinking so much about this has to do with my intention of downsizing in the next few years. Another is my sense that we, as a country, need to think about our use of energy and materials. Someone pointed out to me recently that "Mother Earth" will be fine no matter what we humans do about climate change, but we humans won't be so lucky. Along the way, we are also taking other species with us.

There is another movement in the country, and apparently, around the world, towards building homes that are minimal. According to many of the people in the Small_house_movement, tiny-house-nation: the-tiny-house-movement, Tiny House Talk and Tiny House Community, tiny houses are 400 square feet or smaller. The majority of these appear to be movable, since many communities have restrictions on house size. Many of the articles I have seen on these homes indicate that the exterior views play a large part in making the homes feel comfortable, while the inhabitants have also scaled down the majority of their possessions to fit the space.

While I cannot see myself moving into a "tiny house," in part because I anticipate moving as a couple and also because I do entertain my family several times a year, I can see the logic in downsizing to a space that is significantly smaller than the 1760 square feet we now occupy. It will require rethinking what I actually need to have available to me and how much space to allow for every activity.

How much space do you feel you need? Why?

Until next time, I wish you peace.

Living in Harmony

My break from the studio was punctuated by a flurry of activity in visiting, and our granddaughter providing a reminder that she had been here:

We got the chance to have several days together, sharing meals, stories, reconnecting with old friends, and getting lots of hugs. After they left, I was able to return to the studio and begin working, again, on the quilt. Some of the pieces are now up on the design wall:

Last week, the Vatican released  Pope Francis's latest encyclical: Laudato Si: On Care of Our Common Home. While it is a long document, it is worth taking time to read. In it, he addresses the impacts of continued disregard of the evidence of climate change, as well as suggesting how one can make a difference. Since he considers not only lifestyle changes but political and community actions, it presents a variety of ways one can influence the state of the entire world for years to come.

I found several sections especially interesting. For example, on lifestyle changes:

“211. . . . . A person who could afford to spend and consume more but regularly uses less heating and wears warmer clothes, shows the kind of convictions and attitudes which help to protect the environ­ment. There is a nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily actions, and it is wonderful how education can bring about real changes in lifestyle. Education in environmental responsibility can encourage ways of acting which directly and significantly affect the world around us, such as avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings, using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices. All of these reflect a generous and worthy creativity which brings out the best in human beings. Reusing something instead of immediately discarding it, when done for the right reasons, can be an act of love which expresses our own dignity.”

“212. We must not think that these efforts are not going to change the world. They benefit society, often unbeknown to us, for they call forth a goodness which, albeit unseen, inevitably tends to spread. Furthermore, such actions can restore our sense of self-esteem; they can enable us to live more fully and to feel that life on earth is worthwhile.” 

As well as:

“222. Christian spirituality proposes an alternative understanding of the quality of life, and encourages a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption. We need to take up an ancient lesson, found in different religious traditions and also in the Bible. It is the conviction that “less is more”. A constant flood of new consumer goods can baffle the heart and prevent us from cherishing each thing and each moment. To be serenely present to each reality, however small it may be, opens us to much greater horizons of understanding and personal fulfilment. Christian spirituality proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with little. It is a return to that simplicity which allows us to stop and appreciate the small things, to be grateful for the opportunities which life affords us, to be spiritually detached from what we possess, and not to succumb to sadness for what we lack. This implies avoiding the dynamic of dominion and the mere accumulation of pleasures.

“223. Such sobriety, when lived freely and consciously, is liberating. It is not a lesser life or one lived with less intensity. On the contrary, it is a way of living life to the full. In reality, those who enjoy more and live better each moment are those who have given up dipping here and there, always on the look-out for what they do not have. They experience what it means to appreciate each person and each thing, learning familiarity with the simplest things and how to enjoy them. So they are able to shed unsatisfied needs, reducing their obsessiveness and weariness. Even living on little, they can live a lot, above all when they cultivate other pleasures and find satisfaction in fraternal encounters, in service, in developing their gifts, in music and art, in contact with nature, in prayer. Happiness means knowing how to limit some needs which only diminish us, and being open to the many different possibilities which life can offer.”

And on community work vs. political action:

“232. Not everyone is called to engage directly in political life. Society is also enriched by a countless array of organizations which work to promote the common good and to defend the environment, whether natural or urban. Some, for example, show concern for a public place (a building, a fountain, an abandoned monument, a landscape, a square), and strive to protect, restore, improve or beautify it as something belonging to everyone. Around these community actions, relationships develop or are recovered and a new social fabric emerges. Thus, a community can break out of the indifference induced by consumerism.”

The press conference at which the encyclical was launched produced a document that is also worth looking at. Vatican Press Conference - Presentation of "Laudato Si - On Care of Our Common Home" -June 18, 2015. (To read it in English, one needs to scroll down.) I found the section on the science extremely informative.

My own preferences for action tend towards lifestyle changes and spreading the word to others. In that light, I wanted to suggest a few other sites to check out. These businesses present a variety of ways in which materials can be fully used and ways to provide jobs and income.

Reuseworks is a non-profit that conducts worker training and uses waste and discarded materials for its products.

Rpreservedcom is a business providing upcycled and vintage items.

The Knittin' Kitten is a shop in Portland, Oregon that buys previously owned but not used craft supplies from estates and people who are downsizing and sells them both in their shop and on Etsy. They also create some art and craft pieces for sale.

I am sure that there must be a variety of other businesses and community activities addressing these ideas. I invite you to add any of which you are aware to the comments.

Artist's Voice

A couple of my friends recently moved, downsizing in the process, which reminded me of my need to declutter and reduce my possessions. My hope is that, when my husband retires, we will be able to downsize, too, but right now we have too much stuff for a smaller house. In light of that, I was intrigued by a method I saw demonstrated recently and the book written by its inventor: Marie Kondo: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. While I don't agree with some of her recommendations, I do believe her method of sorting through one's possessions warrants a try. So, I borrowed her book from the library and plan to attempt the process. (Thankfully, she states that doing it "quickly means about half a year.")

As part of my work on getting ready to set up a shop, I have also been thinking about what success looks like to me. I finally came to the conclusion that it encompasses three things: creativity, a flexible schedule, and supplemental income. Since I have health issues that are exacerbated by stress, it is crucial that I maintain a calm atmosphere and not try to do too much. To that end, I realized that I need to limit my work on the business to part-time. While that means I cannot do as much, it also means I have time to explore other interests and be available to my family as needed. (For example, I am also doing research for a book I want to write.)

I also recently purchased a copy of The Worldwide History of Dress as a reference book for clothing styles throughout the world. While it does not have quite as many examples of contemporary clothing as I had hoped, it gives details about many cultures that I know little to nothing about. For that reason, it is probably even more critical to my work, since I want my artwork to incorporate a global vision. Incorporating that vision is part of my artistic voice. Leni Levinson Wiener had an insightful post on weallsew.com this week about the artist's voice and how to find it. Though I have been creating for a lot of years, I have only just begun that work. 

What I do know is that I want to highlight the similarities between people around the world and my belief that we need to think more about how our actions impact everything on this planet we call home. That is part of the reason I want to downsize. I believe we use more of the planet's resources than is healthy for the planet and that people in many other countries aren't able to use enough, both for their own comfort and the health of the planet. It is also part of the reason I am a proponent of simple living.

I am looking forward to enjoying the simple pleasures of spring.

I wish you simple pleasures.

Peace.

Simple Living

I have been thinking about simple living, especially in the contexts of minimal impact on the environment and slowing down in our fast-paced world. All kinds of things have contributed to this process, such as: Jude Hill’s blog, Maya Donenfeld, my concerns about the environment in the midst of this strange winter, Kimberly Palmer’s new book The Economy of You, “Frontier House,” the amount of time spent indoors due to the weather and illness, and my attempts to discern next steps.

I’ve been reminded recently of our search for a house when we moved to our current location. According to the realtor (and the bank), we could have afforded more in a mortgage than we were comfortable undertaking. In the almost 25 years that we have lived here, our decision to buy a smaller house and live with a lower mortgage has proven to be a wise one. We have had lots of expenses that would have been impossible to cover otherwise, including college costs for three children and ourselves.   

 

My husband went back to school to complete his degree after being downsized. I was already in school completing mine at the time. Thankfully, I was able to get a full-time job at the university I attended, which allowed us to cover our expenses for the time it took my husband to finish his degree and find a job, me to finish both my BA and MA, and one of our sons to attend college. We had a picture window to replace when a son’s stone-skimming attempt turned into a fractured window.

 

There was the lower-level flooding that required new flooring, cabinetry in the utility room and a bath, and new drywall; the spring storm that required a new roof and air conditioning unit and led to replacing the furnace, too; and a multitude of other expenses we couldn’t have foreseen, as well as the normal expenses inherent in raising three children. 

 

It is apparent that, in many ways, we have lived more simply than many in our society. Simultaneously, we live with a lot more than many, both in our country and around the world. At one point in my life, I was feeling somewhat deprived because I was comparing what I had to others in my circle who had larger houses, fancier cars, and other luxuries that I did not. When I made the conscious decision to compare my life and possessions to another friend whose home was about half the size of mine, I felt rich. I realized, then, that much of the discontentment in our society stems from the idea that we are entitled to the absolute best rather than a search for what makes us feel good about our lives.

While we appear to have practiced simple living more than many people, I have been encouraged by the number of people who appear to have embraced the idea recently. In addition, I have been trying to do even more. One of the things I have been doing is imitating my mother, who used to give things away when their usefulness to our family was over. Another is to follow the admonition, made popular during the Great Depression and WWII of “Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do or do without,” which my grandmother used to repeat often. I try to make many, if not most, gifts. Additionally, when I do need to purchase something, I try to see if I can get it used or can make it with materials on hand. I anticipate downsizing our home in the next few years, too.

I am curious about whether you have considered the idea and, if so, what steps you have taken toward that goal? How do you feel about it?

Creating from the Heart

The events of the last month, including the snow and cold, forced me to slow down and take some time to think about things.

 

Snow - Day 1

Snow - Day 2

Like many of you, I find myself contemplating the events of the last year and making plans for the new one. In addition to other things, 2014 needs to be a major decision year for me with regards to direction of the business. By next year this time, I need to have decided whether or not to continue because of certain actions that need to be taken then.

This post at pomegranatesandpaper really spoke to the kinds of feelings I've been having about the process this time. I find I need to step back from the push to create for the market and do more to create from my heart. Whether I will end up spending more time in the studio or less remains to be seen. I plan to work on a number of things in 2014, including gifts, my book, downsizing the stuff I own, and experimenting with techniques. As often as possible, I plan to share my progress with you.

After making the quilt and quilt top I showed you in November, I pushed forward on three additional gifts. None of them was completed in time, though I showed pictures of their progress to their recipients. So, I can show you, too.

 

This is a Mill Hill Pin Whimsy kit, called "Dazzling Dragonfly."

 

This table runner, which has not yet had that border attached, let alone the binding, is from a kit by Sally Holzem, called "Tuscan Nights." I did alter the border strips. 

 

 

Finally, this table runner is my own design. I'm currently working on the quilting. I am using a variegated thread and hope it will help the border to blend more with the center panel. There were also two pot holders that go with it, but I did not get a picture of them.

 

 

In hopes of giving you a little something to smile about, I'd also like to share this portrait of a little fellow who was enterprising in his search for food he knew was hiding on our patio.

 

 

Wishing you peace and all good.