40 years ago was simpler in many ways

Life was simpler 40 years ago

 40 years  I was homesteading  in northern  Wisconsin on 3/4 of an acre with 200 foot frontage on the Wisconsin . We had chickens , 2 goats that I milked 2 times a day .  A 30  by20 foot  garden completely fenced in to protected from the deer and others .  I also worked full time as a  LPN. and had time to fish , explore and  forage, spin and knit , read and walk in  the woods.  Life was good and bad , sweet and bitter but always simple.

Major Illness and Simplicity

 

 

Major surgery and/or illness makes you realize that simplicity is the modus operandi of choice.  Yes, when you need the help of others, simplify your routines, your meals, your life.  This helps you simplify directions to the kind, generous folks that are helping you and helps make them pleased to help you.  Don’t forget these grand caregivers feel good about helping, but they need to be shown gratitude.

I have seen within my recent surgery/recovery the working of community, my family, friends, Friends, people I hardly knew coming together in a healing community,  weaving together a tapestry of calling and visiting to help me and cheer me on.  They fetched and carried, diverted me with interesting conversation, and just sat quietly by my side 

Love instead of Hate

The Mean is a step toward simplicity

1. Aristotle believed that, in every situation, proper behavior lies at the midway point, or the mean. 
2. Example:  My doctor tells me to walk, walk, walk.  Forget about all other exercise, just walk.
3. How far?  Where?  I'm stuck, and I procrastinate. 
4. Guilt gets out its hammer and starts pounding on my brain, "You should be walking.   You should be walking.  You're not walking.  You're not walking."
5. Aristotle would tell me not to fret, but instead look for the mean.  It's midway between walking a mile and not walking at all.  Half-mile is the mean.  
6. If I go out my front door and walk ten steps today, eleven steps tomorrow, twelve the day after tomorrow, I'm working toward the mean.
7. In two weeks, walking will be a habit, and I'll be closer to the mean.  
8. A half mile a day adds up to 3-1/2 miles a week, and that's nothing to sneeze at. Not only that, but that Nasty Old Guilt will stop hammering away at me.
9. Thanks, Aristotle for teaching me about this cool approach.