Sunday, March 3, 2013

This Little Piggy Came From Market

We are always talking about ways to simplify our lives.  Perhaps we should try to sell out and get a small house and get rid of lots of stuff.  That is easier said than done, especially in the housing market today.  (We have actually tried several times.)  Then we have to consider if we want to leave a private, woody setting and live in a higher taxed town with houses on top of each other and more expensive insurance because of proximity to the ocean.  Lots to consider.
This...



Or this...




One thing we can do is whittle away at stuff we do not need that someone else can use.  We have friends that we can gift, and there is always the trip to Goodwill that can take a load off your shoulders with just the effort to box it up and drive it over.  That feels quite nice, as does a freshly organized closet or attic.  We try to do this at least once a year.

When we moved to the country, we left behind cable tv in our old house in the subdivision.  It did not take too long to realize we did not miss having lots of channels with nothing to watch.  (Whenever we stay in hotels, we laugh that the only thing on HGTV are re-runs we saw the last hotel stay.)  We do get Create TV and local channels, plus Fox, so we are not completely in a cave news-wise.  But our TV often stays off for days, sometimes weeks at a time, although we do have a nice collection of old movies we enjoy now and then.

As anyone who has looked through our blog can surmise, we do love to cook together.  It is relaxing for us to plan a meal, shop for the groceries that we do not grow in our garden, and put on some music and get to chopping.  We also have more time for bible study, and making things with our hands.  Mamie loves needle, thread, and paints (the kind for a canvas, not so much for walls), and Poppy loves to work with wood, making cupboards and signs, and sometimes whole houses!   And we both enjoy our garden.

All that to say that one of our weaknesses when it comes to stuff is kitchen paraphernalia.  A new cast iron pot or piece of pottery can make our hearts go pitter-patter, as can a new bay laurel plant outside the kitchen that can be plucked of its leaves while making a pot of tomato sauce.  Our 30th anniversary present to each other was a set of copper stock pots we came across on clearance at a kitchen store.  We had to travel around to a few locations to find three sizes.  Now we think of that adventure whenever we pull one down to cook in it.

We talked below about our trip to the antiques mall in Memphis.  We can scan through a mall pretty quickly these days because we do not need anything- we just enjoy the diversion and sometimes will find a little something to take home.  (Then the one-comes-in, one-goes-out rule goes into force.)  Tasha asked if we found something on our jaunt the other day.  Why yes-yes we did.  This is it....




A vintage maple pig cutting board!  It was all of sixteen dollars-not bad for being in such good condition and being well-made.  That's it.  One little piggy.  But it is enough to make us smile.  We brought it home, disinfected it, and rubbed in some natural beeswax.  Then we used it.  Such a simple thing, but one that is useful and fun to use in the kitchen.  And every time we pull it out, we will think of the Memphis trip with our furry kids, Stella and Pickles, and we will smile.  Hmm, now what to take to Goodwill?  ;-)

This post is linked to http://www.cozylittlehouse.com/2013/05/tweak-it-tuesday-41/
This post is linked to http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2013/05/wow-us-wednesdays-119.html


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6 comments:

  1. That cutting board is great! I want one! I know it's a hard decision between the country and suburbs when it comes to simplifying. However, you guys are more than capable of simplifying wherever you are, and I know your home will always be beautiful no matter how simple you guys become.

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  2. Thanks! We know we are so fortunate to see each new day, whether that be in this place or somewhere else, so be it, as long as we have our family. Life is a wonderful discovery for us and we want to make it the best we can...(hugs!)

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  3. I love that cutting board, so sweet! We haven't had cable TV for over a year and don't miss it. At night we might watch a movie on Netfix and listen to NPR or music during the day :)

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  4. Thanks so much for visiting and commenting! There is nothing for us like turning on some dinner music and preparing a delicious meal-much more rewarding than a night of mind-numbing television! Have a great day!

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  5. I have a whole collection of pig cutting boards--I began collecting pigs in college, but have gotten rid of all but the cutting boards and a couple of art pieces. (We are celebrating our 30th this year...no copper pots, though...a few weekend getaways is how we're going to roll!)

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    1. Oh how we would love to getaway for a long weekend or three! We have sooo many responsibilities, that we have to plan for ages to actually leave our property and go AWAY! But when we have to get out of town for work, we try to stop when we see an interesting shop. Love us some pigs (and cows, chickens, and boston terriers, lol!)

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