Tag Archives: simple living

Stuff is not-life

Posted on March 13, 2023 by smellincoffee

I adopted anti-consumerism shortly after I began working, largely out of self-defense because I began to appreciate that paying money for a thing meant trading hours of my life for a thing. Was a $100 set of Star Trek dvds … Continue reading →

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The World-Ending Fire

Posted on January 3, 2023 by smellincoffee

The World-Ending Fire: The Essential Wendell Berry© 2018 Wendell Berry and Paul Kingsnorth360 pages What a way to finish 2022, in reading this superb collection of Wendell Berry’s essays.  Berry has published no small amount of essay collections himself, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Society and Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Brave New Home

Posted on February 3, 2022 by smellincoffee

Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing© 2020 Diane Lind272 pages Prior to the 20th century, Americans enjoyed the same rich diversity of housing options as anyone else: detached houses of varying sizes, granny flats, boarding houses, … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Nomadland

Posted on June 24, 2021 by smellincoffee

Nomadland: Surviving America in the 21st Century© 2017 Jessica Bruder273 pages America has always been a nation on the move, but some people take that more literally than others.  Nomadland takes us into the aftermath of the great recession, as … Continue reading →

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A clump o’ reviews, because I’m house/dog/pool-sitting sans PC

Posted on June 20, 2021 by smellincoffee

I am in town for Father’s Day and thus taking a moment to scribble on my computer, having spent the past few days happily bobbing in a pool. Taking care of friends’ houses in their absence is such a chore, … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics and Literary, Reviews | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Wisdom Wednesday: To Live Deliberately

Posted on August 19, 2020 by smellincoffee

    “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, … Continue reading →

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Wisdom Wednesday: Enough

Posted on July 15, 2020 by smellincoffee

Hearing wisdom and knowing wisdom are two different things. The usual human experience is to hear a thing, remark on its  insight, and then shove it away in some dark closet of our minds, where it is forgotten and fruitless.  … Continue reading →

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Clutter Free

Posted on July 6, 2020 by smellincoffee

Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps to Simplifying Your Space © 2015 Kathi Lipp 226 pages “Enough is a beautiful thing.” Reading books about decluttering is much easier than actually doing it, which is probably why I’ve read so many … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged | 8 Comments

An uncluttered thought or two

Posted on July 4, 2020 by smellincoffee

Yesterday the library was closed in observance of Independence Day, and I have been using the time to get a little closer to my minimalist goals. This is a constant undertaking, an intermittent weekend project. Although I am frequently given … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflection | Tagged | 5 Comments

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

Posted on January 29, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter © 2018 Margaret Magnusson 128 pages Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, for old time is still a-flying. While you’re at it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged | 2 Comments