I am flirting again with the issue of needs vs. wants as the ability to satisfy my wants shrinks. Needs should be as simple as food, shelter, clothing. In our complicated culture, basic needs include insurance, cell phone service, gasoline and more. Everything else, though, is a want. Our consumer culture has created the relentless desire…
My work in ND is finished, and I like the idea of staying in the Spokane area while I await the next interim call. I wasn’t sure when I left ND if I would hang around here, but I’m loving it. I am reintegrating into city life while living so close to the great outdoors.…
I finally bought the Kindle edition of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. I waited for several reasons: I knew it would consume me, and my book wish list on Amazon is a mile long. Finally, the book rose to the top of the list and it did consume…
Lie: Doctor: How often do you exercise? JJ: I walk my dog every day. I ride my bike in the warmer months. I hike sometimes Doctor: How far do you walk? How long? JJ: uh, anywhere from a mile to two miles. Fifteen minutes to a half hour. Truth: I don’t know how far or…
A few weeks ago I upgraded my phone and extended my Verizon contract another two years. I do not love Verizon, but if you want phone service in this little hamlet, the choice is Verizon. The plan was to get another basic phone, but they enticed me with a free smart phone. Overall I love…
I wrote recently about my process of “Destuffing“, or getting rid of all the junk that is either in closets or around me every day. I got motivated again last week after having coffee with a friend. She said, “I don’t have anything in my house that I don’t use”. Wow! Although I have done quite…
While in Ohio helping mom move, I muttered often under my breath about all the stuff she had accumulated. I judged Mom and patted myself on the back for being much more sensible about stuff. I silently thanked the “Stuff Empress of the Universe” that I am not a hoarder. I don’t have piles and…