still fun today

Interestingly it isn't the sluggish economy that has reminded me about thrift. I think it is more slogging through stuff in my in-laws place.  Plus, I'm writing a book for secondary students on personal finance. Winston Churchill's quote does not ring true to me exactly, “We have no money therefore we must think.”  I say we may or may not have money, but we must think and be very smart to hold onto what we have. The crunch is felt around here, because I want to discover what I can do with what I already have. I want to revisit the ideas of the Tightwad Zealot, because I'm very creative and have wonderful ideas.  I want to stay put in my little cottage, because I love home and not because of high gas prices. (Yes, I want to pick one home and stay put!)

Home holds all the answers to understanding and resolving problems. Someone said, 'Our homes are like a personal therapist in that everything in them has our reasons for being there.'  Studying the contents of my home instead of shopping, I save money and find peace. I honestly know why I buy most of the stuff in my home. Kitchen stuff is there because I'm a food lover and health nut. Fabric is for my someday I'll have enough time to sew. My books fulfill my need to learn about everything from art to botany to gardening to health to herbs to history to music to zoology. Shakespeare said, “Of all knowledge the wise and good seek to know themselves.”  While this might be true, I want to know all about God's creations in the world around me.

So, when you begin to feel a bit of anxiety over today's current financial mess, think back in history. It has happened again and again. Stay home and discover the world instead. It is a Wonderful Life whether it is full of cash and European vacations or simply time spent with loved ones. Joseph and I enjoy playing chess, dominoes, and Scrabble, thrice daily walk/talks, gardening (or dreaming about it), visiting, reading aloud, reading silently in the same room, dining together at home even if it is just a green smoothie, and finally doing dishes in a small kitchen. Alas, we used to do these things with our children, but they are all off on their own doing things their own way now. However, these things were fun when we started 30 years ago, and they are still fun today. They don't cost extra money but do require that we make an effort.

So today, my list of stay home delights today include: talking with Joseph, sipping miso soup,  T-Tapping, devoting, playing, praying, dreaming, dusting, dejunking, unpacking, blending raw pumpkin soup, farming micro-greens, slow cooking beans and rice, writing, and...