Savannah's Blog

At long last, very long last, it seems that the cold winter has left central Missouri and spring is on its way. This morning I awoke after eight, only it was really after nine. Today the clock is one hour ahead of where it was this time yesterday. In less than two weeks, spring will be officially here. Today the winds are blowing rather strong, making the sunshine a bit harder to enjoy. But even from indoors I can appreciate the bright sunshine. This time of day the light through the windows could be early morning light or late afternoon rays, either way, the warm sunshine is a welcome change. It's a good reminder to stop and enjoy the time right here in front of us. Goals are terrific. I have a number of them. But future aspirations should never come at the expense of today. Not being morbid here or anything, there will be a point in each life where the tomorrows have run out and we are only left with the here and now, for as long as that lasts. The hardest part of it is, ...

I saw it in a documentary first. Minimalism. These two guys talk about the trappings of a busy life and walk around in misty scenes with acoustic guitar music in the background. I feel my soul yearn for the, whatever the documentary is trying to sell me on. It speaks to me. And then come the tiny house programs. I've toured a few. Some make me roll my eyes. Who wants a automated bookshelf? Nothing simple about that, sorry. Life happens. Once upon a time I considered writing a blog called "Failing Minimalism." Because as much as I embrace the concepts, life manages to hijack my plans. Ask my daughter how many black cardigans I own. She'll tell you too many. And then I go and find another one. But I am pretty good about getting rid of stuff I don't like. I just like to keep several versions of what I do like. Coffee mugs are another weakness of mine. I am currently banned from acquiring more. So my daughter just brings them to me so her dad can't find ...

Each morning when I wake up and the weather outside permits I take my first cup of coffee for the morning right to the front porch, take a seat, and watch the sunrise in the eastern sky. Sounds idyllic. I live in rural central Missouri so that is a fairly accurate description. But idyllic isn't the only reason I choose to begin each day like this. For a long time I started each day planted in front of the morning news. Headlines. Politics. Commentary. Gossip. A little bit of weather. I was a consumer of all things breaking and exclusive. And I have been this way for a really long time. I recall following presidential elections in the 1980s when I was in elementary school. I knew the name of the man in the White House when I was in first grade. At 14, I walked into the local newspaper office and volunteered as an intern. Later, when my kids were old enough, I freelanced at my hometown newspaper, then moved on to a larger city paper. I knew issues, interviewed city and coun...