Wednesday, January 30, 2013


From Sammie:
 
I’m not sure when these beautiful words were written, but the writer, William Henry Channing, lived from 1810-1884. This is one of my favorite pieces on gentle living:
 
To live content with small means;
To seek elegance rather than luxury,
And refinement rather than fashion;
To be worthy, not respectable,
And wealthy, not rich;
To study hard,
Think quietly,
Act frankly;
To listen to stars and birds,
To babes and sages,
With open heart;
To bear all cheerfully,
Do all bravely,
Await occasions, hurry never.
In a word, to let the spiritual,
Unbidden and unconscious,
Grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.
 

Sunday, January 27, 2013

From Lucretia

Perhaps the seeds of living gently were planted in me by my grandmother, Stella. The biscuits we made together on the porcelain top of this old china cabinet were the lightest and most wonderful delicacy of my childhood. She was a quiet woman and calm. I never saw her her ruffled or hurried. She raised eight children, gardened and preserved food for the family , and still found time to love her grandchildren as if they were the only thing in the world she needed to give time and attention to. May we find our way back to that sweet spot. I can still smell granny's biscuits and taste Pa's wild honey. What could be better?

Lucretia

If you think your life is too complicated, you’re right! It’s time to live more gently in this frenzied, chaotic world.
But how do we do that? Read more from Sammie.