Getting Inspired by the Past

This past Monday was a holiday here. We have a pass to the regional museum so we decided to go for the morning. They have a village there that is set for the time of 1914. It was fun to walk around and look at how they did things back then.

The girls liked seeing the old fashioned washing tub and ringer. They also liked playing the different games, like crokinole, horseshoes and the egg toss. They also gave walking on stilts a try. My husband was pretty good.

These pictures are from last year's Canada day. I really need to remember my camera!!

I liked going into the general store to see the different products in tins and how beautiful it looked. I also liked going into the old mennonite house and I was drooling over their cellar. It was beautiful with built in stone shelving for their preserves. I told my husband that it was my dream house, though I would prefer to have electricity, running water and a few other modern conveniences.

I also saw the chicken coop and run of my dreams. Right now the city doesn't allow chicken coops in our back yards but I am hoping that changes soon.

I like going to these "pioneer villages". It gives me inspiration for things I can do now to get back to the basics. It makes me want to make beautiful quilts for my home, get it organized so it can be productive and comfortable, and makes me want to reduce time spent using electronic devices and increase the time of actually living.

It also reminds me that these people did not have giant rooms or their own craft space or what have you and they were still able to be productive in their home. One of the houses in the village was a log cabin that had the kitchen and two smaller rooms on the first floor and then the attic for the children to sleep and play. This woman did have her own dedicated room for her sewing set up or her books or her craft storage. She made do with the room available. I need to do that too. Instead of moping about not having the space or not having the kitchen gadget I really want I need to just get on with it.

Living the simple life does not mean having to live without modern conveniences or like a pioneer. But we should be looking for ways to cut back, to come to grips with what is truly necessary to do in life and what will give us fulfillment and then concentrate on those things.

It has been a year since I started this blog. I am still looking for my voice, I am still trying to change how I do things to have a simple life, and I have had so much fun documenting what we are doing in little old Waterloo. I am excited for this next year of blogging and hopefully something I write will inspire you, help you, or just let you know that you are not alone. Thanks for dropping by this year. Please say hello in the comments, I love hearing from you.

I won't have a blog post next week as we are busy with holiday stuff, but I will be back on the 21st. I hope your August is enjoyable!