Yesterday was so beautiful outside, which made for a lot of light shining into our little apt. and me wanting to bask in it, read, and eat chocolate. I'm almost done reading "The Simple Home" [it's a quick 4 hr. read] and am currently stalling on the last 40 pages....I don't want it to end! Here are a couple things that really stood out to me:

1. "The ancient Greek Philosopher Epicurus was a sage of modest pleasures and simple abundance. He believed that anxiety about status, wealth, and having more was the single greatest obstacle to human happiness. No matter how wealthy we are, we can't be happy if we crave more riches; ......Epicurus understood the good life as a simple life where the modest pleasures of home and hearth, good foods, gardens, and conversations...are the ultimate luxury. Contentment arises when we feel a gratitude for what we have, when we revel in the "luxury of enough."

2. "In designing a home, thrift can be a pathway to long-term bounty. Quite appropriately, the word thrift, as derived from Old Norse, is historically tied to the word thrive. By 14th-century Middle English, thrift meant the condition of thriving and prosperity, a far stretch from its austere and budget-driven connotations today."

3. "It takes a lot of knowledge to do things that look simple."

4. "having just enough of the right things is a privilege rather than a compromise. In a world of advertising messages that shout, "Buy this to express yourself!" having less translates into more."

 As I was reading, it mentioned "slow down and begin a place journal, a quiet written diary of the feelings, sounds, and movement in your envisioned den or porch or cabin."  I was then inspired to take a break and make my own little visual "place journal" for me and Jesse's apt. right now & future home. I love the idea of writing about sounds and movement, and adding to that : light, shadows, where you want people to gather...etc.  This book has taught me so much, has encouraged me to take a real good like at my lifestyle, the things I surround myself with and how then can add or detract from the kind of life I am creating for myself. If you too are wanting to really and truly simplify your life, I cannot recommend this book enough! If you're local, I am happy to loan it out. :)

Later that evening, Jesse made a wonderful/flavorful dinner : Lemon Ginger Chicken, with sauteed vegetables and home made sweet & sour sauce over rice. To drink, we mixed Elderflower syrup with seltzer...one of my new favorites - & from Ikea. That meal was so good. I will share the recipe here soon...he is sleeping right now. :]