The Simple Things (part 2)

Here I am again, thinking about the simple life. I was thinking about my grandmother and some of the wonderful stories that she used to tell me about her life, before she was a grandmother.

As I said before, she grew up on the prairies of Kansas, the daughter of a farm implement store owner and teacher. She learned to drive on the fields from her dad in an old 30's model Ford truck. My grandmother drove a truck! What a hoot! She had one older sister and was the happiest person I ever met!
This story is about her, as a child, when she would visit her grandmother in the old family farmhouse near Neodesha, Ks. Back then, there was no such thing as AIR CONDITIONING (gasp, what?) So in the summer it was oppressively hot, too hot to sleep in the house, even with the windows open. So when they would come visit her grandmother (she and her sister, Francis) they would hang hammocks on the porch of the farm house and sleep in them. Now this was in the late 20's early 30's. Way before they had neighbors or street lights or running water in the house! Can you believe people lived through all that! LOL!
She used to tell me that she would lie there in her hammock and listen to the coyotes, howling on the prairie, close enough to make her hair stand on edge! She said it was exciting but frightening at the same time! I can still see the sparkle in her eye as I heard the story, no matter how many times. Now, how many of you have slept on hammocks out on the prairie, without running water or air or washing machines and coyotes just out of sight? I sure haven't!
I used to imagine being her when I was a kid, fascinated by the simplicity and innocence that she enjoyed as a child. It makes me think about some of the things we should be doing for Faith, to give her those types of memories. We aren't at the point where we can take her camping yet but I have another idea. This weekend we are going to Cade's Cove, Tenn., a beautiful part of the Great Smokey Mts., where simple ways are still celebrated and honored. Pioneer ways are recreated and the homes that people lived in there are still there. My mom is coming to visit for the weekend and we are spending the night just outside the park in Gatlinburg. So we are planning a NICE picnic to take down there. We are going to lay a blanket out in a field and let Faith see nature and all it's beauty. I am so excited and hopeful that she will enjoy it! I pray that we can give her some wonderful memories out in the crisp, fall air.

The Simple Things (part 1)

I have always been drawn to the simpler things of life. I want our lives to be happy, loving, simple (as possible) and innocent. Since Faith was born these things have become so important to me. I want to protect her fragile life in whatever ways we can.
That said, I am drawn to thoughts of my grandmother and her life and how she lived. I remember her childhood stories of growing up on the prairies of Kansas. It also makes me think of how those simpler times were achieved. How did children stay innocent and how did parents stay together and how did families survive through difficult times?
I remember that my grandmother used to tell me about how she conducted herself and her marriage and her parenting styles. She never argued with my grandfather in front of her children or other people (I really need to work on this!) She always wrote thank you notes and kept detailed gift records at Christmas. (I really need to work on this too!) She always disciplined with love and if the children needed spanking on her watch then she did it and never threatened them. I never felt like she was mad at me, even if I screwed up. Maybe disappointed but never angry! How did she do that?

I think we have gotten away from so many of these VITAL things as a nation and as families. We have become so focused on the ways of the world that we have lost our identity. I yearn for a simple way of life, like my grandmother used to talk about. Families together, doing their daily routines, loving each other and striving to do the right things for their families and others. We have tried to implement many of these things in our daily lives. They give me meaning and make me feel like we are giving Faith a stable, loving home. One that she can always feel safe and happy in, no matter what her physical challenges are.

One thing that we do is spend our free time together. Our weekends are always filled with little trips and adventures, we get out and do fun, simple things like picnics, walking trails and festivals. We enjoy spending time together as a family.

I am trying to sort all of this out in my own mind and reach for this simpler life. I will be posting some more about how things have changed and how we might get back to simpl(er) living.

I would love to hear some stories about your attempts to simplify your family's life and what things have worked for you.