A Cottage by the Sea
  • Home
  • On My Mind
  • Quotes
  • Secrets of an Old Woman
  • A Solitary Traveler
  • Compassionate Reading
  • About me
  • About me and my blog
  • Comfort food
  • Books
  • Suggested reading
  • Poems

Simple Christmas plans

12/24/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Another Christmas. The longer you live, the more memories you have! Duh! We all know that, but this year I’m particularly feeling it, and appreciating it. Why? Because this year our plans are quiet, which gives me time to ponder. My son and his wife will come for Christmas Eve dinner and will spend the night; tomorrow I am offering the church service at church. We had plans for a family gathering at my nieces for Christmas dinner but Covid, choosing to visit several family members—very mildly—, took charge of cancelling the plans. 
    But I am not disappointed. I am content with simple plans, with memories and gratitude. It is enough!

0 Comments

We only need one car

5/10/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
 Now here is simplicity for you. No, not for you to follow,  but as example of what we are able to do to simplify at this juncture in our life. “We now only have one car.” That’s the positive way of reporting it. I could have said, “We got rid of one of our cars,” which isn’t a negative statement, but may give a little clue to how delighted we are. 
    We don’t need two cars anymore. We can share. We are saving money by not paying insurance, registration, yearly inspection, and maintenance. We have more room in the garage. We gave the car to our son who will pass it on to one of our grandchildren. We kept it in good condition, but his mechanic will give it a look-over to be certain it is still good for the road.
     That 2004 green Camry made important trips with me. Trips around town; trips to visit my mom; trips to the cottage-by-the-sea. Throughout it’s entire life, it proudly wore an Obama-Biden sticker, which I told me son, may be worth more than the car itself.

0 Comments

A simple couch

8/28/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Here it is, a slide show of simplification; of how simple it is to get rid of a thirty year old couch in preparation for a new one.
     The ease was all about Handyman Russ who figured out how to get the HEAVY couch out the sliding door and down the driveway to where it is now waiting for someone to see the “For Free” sign and come by with a pickup truck and haul it away.
     The rules are simple: have a strong and clever helper friend, and give it away. Now, all we need is faith there is a lucky person out there who will want it, need it, and love it.

0 Comments

Simple and profound

7/11/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
     I’ve had a few days of relative solitude since the active July 4th week. For me, I don’t crave solitude because I need to get away from it all, although that is sometimes an added benefit. I need solitude because it restores me so I can get back into it all. Too much of a good thing, be it time alone or time in community, and it becomes not a good thing.
     What I’ve just written sound simplistic, you might say, and I might agree. Nevertheless, I seem to need to clarify that for myself, and so I do, here in public. Sometime I can’t tell the difference between my simple thoughts and ones that might be profound.
     Back to my reading, both simple and profound.

0 Comments

Solitude rides with simplicity

6/4/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
     You know me, I search for solitude, but I don’t want it all the time. Good thing because I couldn’t have it, no matter what. Even those self-proclaimed hermits who try to live silently in the woods can’t attain the goal. In fact, their entire existence is about getting away from civilization, which undoubtedly encourages them to think disapprovingly of society--everyone gets in their way.
     I don’t dwell on solitude very much. Maybe that’s because I have enough or know how to get it when I need it. Different life stages offer different kinds and amounts of solitude. When I was ages 3-12 (they used to call it ‘latency’) I spent hours in alone outside in the woods. I have so many memories of making little forts, packing my ‘stuff’ and heading out to play by myself. When my children were young and I was working, I longed for and worked hard to attain times alone.
     So what do I think of the huge trailer parked on the street in my daughter’s neighborhood? Lots of work before getting on the road; it can’t be simple to drive the thing; expensive to purchase, maintain, and fill with gas. Not my idea of solitude, but I understand the sentiment.
     For me, solitude is connected to simplicity--simple to slip into, like my Angel Room. I walk through the door and sit down.


0 Comments

Simple solution to a lost car key

4/27/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
     Here is the most simple solution to a lost car key problem these days. You don’t just go to Home Depot where they make you a new one for $3 plus. No, yesterday I sat in the spacious lobby/waiting room of my local Toyota dealer waiting for a new key to be programmed for my car, to the tune of $300 plus. The lost key is in my house, somewhere between the garage and kitchen. Or, maybe it’s at the dump.
    I’d been using the spare for the last couple of months, which fine as long as I don’t lose it. Then I am in deep expensive trouble. After having the car towed in (remember, spare key lost) they would have to reprogram from inside (remember, spare key lost), to the tune of $800 plus.
    The cost yesterday included labor, $100 plus per hour, and the key, $100 plus. Obviously this is not a Home Depot key. I get that people have to live, but, when I bought the car I had no choice about this key feature that is all about protecting my car from being stolen. My attitude may be an age thing.
     On the other hand, we drove our last Toyota for fourteen years before delegating it to local trips to the town dump. I certainly don’t want this one stolen. No chance: I feel expensively protected.

1 Comment

Keeping it simple

3/23/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
     We’re trying to keep our newly painted living and dining room simple. The very look of those pristine walls is a deterrent to lifting that hammer and nail. A few paintings to compliment well-placed furniture is our new look. We can do this!
     Keeping those boxes of books closed, however, is not as simple.  I kept the books I wanted, so why not put them back on the shelves? Yes, why not since we’re planning to stay in this old house for a while? The first box I’ll open is one marked “Italy.” In two weeks I’ll be in Rome.

0 Comments

History and secrets will remain~

3/4/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
     We are ready for the painters to start their masterpiece tomorrow morning at 8. We have taken away every treasure, painting, and piece of furniture in the living room, dining room and bathroom. Each is stripped down to simple, and our plan is not to load them back up with everything we possess.
      When you make extensive, physical, and visual changes to the place you have called home for forty years, you become aware that this stripping away is not simple, nor is it complete. The smudges, nail holes, and more, are still there, reminding us of the life these walls have seen. Although the painters will cover the smudges and fill in the holes, the history and secrets will remain.
     Life will continue to be lived in the rooms; our hope is that it will be one of a simple veneer.

0 Comments

A simple plan~

1/26/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
     We’ve slowed down our moving schedule. As with any initial wave of excitement of a major life change, the next step is to take a deep breath and sit down to think things through. Our current plan is to get rid of what we don’t want or need, store in our barn boxes of the many of treasures we want to keep, and have the downstairs and some of upstairs painted. Our goal is to make the house enjoyable to live in until we’re ready sell. We’re feeling relaxed with this simple plan.  

1 Comment

Don't give up walking~

1/11/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
     I’m back walking. After strolling all over Florence early in December, and daily walks in Lancaster, PA with my daughter at Christmas time, my daily exercise came to an abrupt halt. We returned to a New England of frozen pipes, zero temperatures, and snow blocking the walkway in front of our house. I stopped scheduling a walk into my daily schedule. My bad.
     Now, with the weather warming up, there is no excuse; only adjustments need. Today I drove half a mile up the road, parked at Our Lady of Fatima church, and walked my usual back roads. A simple solution.  Don't give up walking.

0 Comments
<<Previous
    Contact me: bobbifisher.mac@mac.com

    Categories

    All
    3rs
    3Ss
    3S's
    Aging
    Andre Dubus Iii
    Ann Patchett
    Anticipation
    Art
    Assisi
    Barbara Kingsolver
    Being Alone
    Beyond Words
    Boo
    Books
    Cantice Of The Sun
    Celebrations
    Choices
    Christmas
    Churches
    Community
    Cor
    Cottage By The Sea
    Cottage Day
    Courage
    Curiosity
    Dad
    Dalai Lama
    Death And Dying
    Depression
    Desiderata
    Dietrich Bonhoeffer
    Donald Hall
    Dostoyevsky
    Dr Alex Tang
    Edinburgh
    Eleanor Lerman
    Elizabeth Strout
    Emily Dickinson
    Environment
    Esther De Waal
    Faith
    Field Trip
    Florence
    Fo
    Follow Your Bliss
    Food
    Friendship
    Frugal
    Gifts
    Giving And Receiving
    Gratitude
    Health
    Heart
    Hermits
    Hope
    Humility
    Impermanence
    Independent And Close
    Inspire & Affirm & Encourage
    Introvert
    Iona
    Ireland
    Italy
    James Hollis
    Jane Austen
    Jan Sutch Pickard
    Joan Chittister
    John Dear
    John Masefield
    Joseph Campbell
    Katherine Paterson
    Knitting
    Li
    Lonely
    Longing
    Love
    Marsha Sinetar
    Mary Oliver
    Max Ehrmann
    Meaning
    Memories
    Mom
    Moving
    Museums
    My Day
    Nature
    Nina Sankovitch
    Now
    Oliver Herford
    Pamela Dalton
    Pandemic
    Paris
    Passion
    Paulo Coelho
    Peace
    Philip Koch
    Place
    Play
    Prayer
    Present Moment
    Quiet
    Rachel Carlson
    Radical Compassion
    Read
    Reading
    Resolutions
    Restlessness
    Retirement
    Retreat
    Richard Rohr
    Rilkie
    Rita Golden Gelman
    Robert Kull
    Rome
    Routines
    Rumi
    Sankovitch
    Scotland
    Seen In A Draper's Shop
    Service
    Silence
    Sim
    Simplicity
    Skye
    Sol
    Soli
    Solitude
    Soul Work
    Space
    St Catherine Of Siena
    St. Francis
    Stress
    Susan Gain
    Tenzin Palmo
    Thanksgiving
    The Uncommon Reader
    Thomas Keating
    Thomas Merton
    Three Sieves
    Time
    Travel
    Tru
    Viktor E. Frankl
    Walking
    Wonder
    Writi
    Writing

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

Proudly powered by Weebly