Thursday Thoughts...

Life is like art. You have to work hard to keep it simple and still have meaning. 

Charles de Lint

I said last week that this quote was apt for both art and life so I have decided to repeat it here this week, pondering life.

Of all the quests we hear of, I would suggest that a simple life is cry from the heart of many we know.  Some of us have managed it, pulled it, off, worked it out. Others of us continue to try to find ways to make it real.

I am in no doubt that my life is far simpler than it used to be, so that is grand.  And yet, I still hanker for even more simplicity.

The opportunity to spend time in the Scottish Highlands, in a small cottage, with no TV, no mobile coverage and a bit of a drive to most amenities is a great lesson in simplification. I enjoy the time there because it is not complicated, the demands and the distractions are fewer.

The weather reigns and guides our activities.

On returning home, it is quite the challenge to maintain that air of simplicity; of moving more slowly, of not gathering loads of commitments into my arms to pursue, yet of course life is different at home.

Life at home has regular things that you do like sewing; there is a studio to visit and get into and make; there is a garden that needs tending, there are appointments, there are community commitments, there are the family and friends that you want to make time for and there are just things that you do in life which you don't do when you retreat.

So accepting that, and working within it is the trick. Working out how to keep life in balance, as simple as possible and not over-commit are my challenges.  To not do more than I need to as my life is so rich and varied just as it is!

I feel as if I do work hard to keep my life simple,  and I know it has meaning, but it can be hard work not to get caught up in too many things and busy-busy-ness.

The kitchen window sill at the cottage...simplicity.