Simplicity Revisited

Dec 12

A few months ago I announced the new look to the Miss MegaBug blog and its shift in focus from my musings, opinions, and life reflections to homesteading and simplicity. This has been my personal blog for almost seven years, and I've enjoyed using it as a platform to record life events and my thoughts on different subject matter. Maintaining the blog's initial purpose, I'm looking forward to bringing it up to speed with my more adultly life.

As a now homeowner and full time entrepreneur, I really stacked up my responsibilities this year. I'm entering a slower period with the winter months, and have taken the last few weeks to re-evaluate my workflow and life balance. I'm not one for setting resolutions, but I'm hoping 2017 will be a simpler life.

Simple.

It's a word my mom has on her refrigerator, very bold and with little negative space. We found the magnet while visiting Canterbury Shaker Village, where we learned how these men and women lived and enjoyed simplicity.

Around that time my elementary school chorus was learning Joseph Brackett's "Simple Gifts," written while he was a member of a Shaker community in Gorham, Maine. For being a simple song about simplicity, it really hits home.

"Simple Gifts"
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.

I've written many times about feeling overwhelmed and trying to find balance in my life. Recently I stumbled upon a blog post where I comment on slowing down and enjoying the little things in life. What struck me most about this post was the line, "We can make simplicity."

Wow.

For years I've been dwelling on trying to achieve simplicity that I never thought I could make it. With this profound realization, I have decided to dedicate 2017 and beyond to living the simple life.

Each person's definition of simplicity is different. For example, I believe in collecting eggs from my own chickens as I know it is a simple food that has not been denatured by antibiotics or taken from miserable hens. To another, it may be simpler to buy a dozen free range eggs instead of having to care for a flock everyday.

My definition of simplicity covers most of what I discussed in my "How to Be a Homesteader" post.