tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post3841721988964747545..comments2024-03-30T09:43:19.433+10:00Comments on down to earth: How to start your simple lifeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-59350789655263896222017-04-12T02:10:48.421+10:002017-04-12T02:10:48.421+10:00As always, such an abundance of wise and suppporti...As always, such an abundance of wise and suppportive words. I find you my go to for so many things these days. Food from scratch, traditional ways of doing things and common sense ways...the blog and your books are well used in my house and when I'm feeling a bit over whelmed by things I find solace in this online community. I hope you keep writing for many years to come!Hansegirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09044144106070831558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-59464863170730213652017-04-09T12:32:46.584+10:002017-04-09T12:32:46.584+10:00I had to giggle. When I saw your third photo in th...I had to giggle. When I saw your third photo in the post I must have had tired eyes because it looked to me like that yellow summer squash was the size of a small child sitting in the middle of your garden! Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13274125126961796809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-54677051849953667522017-04-05T20:12:40.750+10:002017-04-05T20:12:40.750+10:00free swimmer, the forum is closed now.free swimmer, the forum is closed now.rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-50479334915104931342017-04-05T19:47:10.274+10:002017-04-05T19:47:10.274+10:00Hi Rhonda, your new blog looks lovely but I can...Hi Rhonda, your new blog looks lovely but I can't seem to find my way to the forum. There used to be a link. Thanks in advancefree swimmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03462561691699430764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-8941120562351385502013-09-15T08:49:11.639+10:002013-09-15T08:49:11.639+10:00Your words really hit home for me today.
Grow whe...Your words really hit home for me today.<br /><br />Grow where you are planted. That's what I'm going to do til things improve for us.cmmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09535222311594759462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-32736702982796978132013-07-20T03:38:44.819+10:002013-07-20T03:38:44.819+10:00it's so inspirational, thank you for it ! <...it's so inspirational, thank you for it ! <3katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09487182405874321966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-35787411653442287142013-07-13T14:27:41.595+10:002013-07-13T14:27:41.595+10:00What a wonderful thought provoking post! We've...What a wonderful thought provoking post! We've started with our food, as you suggested and from that so many other things. We're getting out into the garden more, obviously cooking more and preserving more! Your posts are always such an inspiration!The Life of Clarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15664575290861091769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-19417933931869415482013-07-12T21:27:40.961+10:002013-07-12T21:27:40.961+10:00Beautiful as always. Look at that bread!!! And l...Beautiful as always. Look at that bread!!! And lemon butter. Oh Rhonda, I wish one day to meet you. Highly unlikely as I live in the US, but it would be a joy. Katie @SimpleFoodyhttp://www.simplefoody.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-62001353327138739092013-07-12T08:30:53.026+10:002013-07-12T08:30:53.026+10:00Hi Jean, I think it's great that you've di...Hi Jean, I think it's great that you've discovered the benefits of volunteering. Volunteer work in a place such as Beelarong can be so enriching and rewarding. I know when I volunteered at the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre, I went home happy every day I spent time there. I left after almost seven years and I only left to write my book. Coincidently I went back again yesterday to do a talk on simple living. It was wonderful to read your story, it sounds as if you've made a very good life for yourself there in Brisbane. Warmest wishes, Rhondarhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-8609857733179166462013-07-12T07:46:46.905+10:002013-07-12T07:46:46.905+10:00Dear Rhonda. I read your blog every day and your ...Dear Rhonda. I read your blog every day and your words resonate with me on so many levels. I have learned so much from your blog and enjoyed reading your book which you signed for me when you came to Brisbane for your book launch. I have particularly enjoyed following your blog this week as you talk about ways to start living simply.<br />I am fortunate to have been born a ‘war baby’ in the UK when simple living was the order of the day, we were still getting suger with ration coupons. So it has not been hard for me to go back to living simply as I only had to remember what my mother did.<br />I retired three years ago, here in Brisbane, and since then have found myself moving further and further towards the way I was reared - enjoying cooking from scratch, cutting back on chemicals in my home and lots of other ways.<br />But the real move towards living more simply was becoming a member of Beelarong Community Farm, working as a volunteer in the community garden and then taking over my own allotment. <br />I have always enjoyed gardening but living in an inner-city unit with just a small balcony had his limitations so when I retired I decided to join one of the community gardens springing up around Brisbane. I chose Beelarong Community Farm at Morningside. I started by working with other volunteers in the community garden every Wednesday morning. This was a wonderful way to get to know other members, and I learned from them how to grow vegetables in the Queensland climate. (My only other experience was back in the UK.) I didn’t even recognise some of the veggies we were growing, some seemed very exotic to me, but others at the garden were generous in sharing their knowledge with me and I soon learned how to cook these vegetables. When we had a glut I also learned from them how to blanch for the freezer and I re-newed my interest in making pickles and jams with the overflow.<br />My next move was to apply for one of the allotments which surround the community garden and I didn’t have to wait long. A few weeks later I was allotted my first plot of 8 square metres. As other allotments became available I was lucky enough to get a second plot, another 8 square metres. I now grow (almost) all my own vegetables. <br />I try to get over to Beelarong two or three times a week, always on a Wednesday morning to work in the community garden and share morning tea at 10am with other members. Usually about 30 of us squashed around a few tables, eating cake, drinking tea and ‘catching up’.<br />I have gained so much from the community garden. A lovely group of friends; knowledge gained by watching what others are doing in the veggie plot - I learn better that way; learning what to do with the harvest; new recipes for pickles and jams; attending Beelarong workshops on herbs, worm farms, pickling and lots more; a spell on the committee and never a shortage of veggies on my dinner plate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-11843777443130600932013-07-12T03:45:15.444+10:002013-07-12T03:45:15.444+10:00Hello Manuela, thanks for your comment. You are li...Hello Manuela, thanks for your comment. You are living simpler and I have no doubt that it is making you happier. It did that for me too. Like you I only cook one meal a day and most of the time I cook enough for us to eat it twice. I've also cut down on the ironing. It sounds like we're running our homes in a similar way. xxrhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-73271014491144915242013-07-12T00:24:28.640+10:002013-07-12T00:24:28.640+10:00I love how you said "Bloom where you are plan...I love how you said "Bloom where you are planted". What a great mindset to have! I love this encouraging post.<br /><br />~Taylor-Made Ranch~<br />Wolfe City, TexasTexas Homesteaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04875287623361173707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-70385145794043752512013-07-12T00:23:34.551+10:002013-07-12T00:23:34.551+10:00Dear Rhonda, your pictures are awesome, you always...Dear Rhonda, your pictures are awesome, you always make housework look so beautiful! Great post with lots of inspiration, just what I need at this point of time. Maybe it is really the small things that make big changes. I have always been waiting for THE BIG ONE to come...still waiting for it ;-)<br />In the meantime, you will find me in the kitchen, checking the fridge, writing down a menu and maybe bake some bread... Thanks a lot! GabiGabihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01564405699050596607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-9903837661063888772013-07-12T00:10:24.951+10:002013-07-12T00:10:24.951+10:00Your lemon butter looks mouth watering!
I believe...Your lemon butter looks mouth watering!<br /><br />I believe these words of yours need to be scrawled out on billboards across the world:<br />"If you're stuck in a job or a house you don't like, it will change at some point. Right now, bloom where you are planted. Make the very best of today. You won't get it back. Don't try to be perfect, just do your best."<br /><br />Due to the varying economic rollercoasters that have effected most of us, it is hard to keep your chin up at times. This post is a small reminder that life is not a dress rehearsal and how we should really appreciate the littlest things. Thank you.MissFifihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09948141818594611257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-52964851389997694682013-07-11T22:47:54.775+10:002013-07-11T22:47:54.775+10:00'Bloom where you are planted' - I love it!...'Bloom where you are planted' - I love it! so wise, and yet we often need to be reminded of this (at least I do!).Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01656390046187780127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-40852375037505113812013-07-11T22:19:04.346+10:002013-07-11T22:19:04.346+10:00keep your head up, sarah. i'm currently in a V...keep your head up, sarah. i'm currently in a VERY similar boat, along with trying to fund the simplest of weddings. look around you and see if there's anything you can sell for some quick cash (i currently am trying to sell an old wedding dress, consign some clothes i never wear in great shape, and am about to sell an old record player that's "really cool" but that we never use). that might take a while, in the meantime you can save all your spare change in a jar, you can extremely simplify your diet (beans, rice, eggs). when things get tough, ask yourself to return to THIS moment. are things okay right NOW? the answer is usually yes. breathe. no matter how hard it gets, stay connected to your priorities for a simpler, less scary financial life. i have faith for myself, and for you. best wishes. xoKarenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16706071409908084910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-51424956968011727542013-07-11T22:10:51.764+10:002013-07-11T22:10:51.764+10:00thank you for this simple yet poignant post, rhond...thank you for this simple yet poignant post, rhonda. i've been seeking out words like these nearly every day for the last couple of weeks as i finally begin to truly act out the intentions i've had/been dreaming about/percolating in me for years. i'm definitely starting with money and debt, as i'm terrible with it and i already cook from scratch mostly. i'm also learning how to not feel overwhelmed by eliminating mindless timewasting activities (like Facebook) .... isn't it funny to feel scared by so much wide open time? i'm trying to remember that all change feels uncomfortable sometimes. so on the money thing yeah, i'm starting very small (and pretty much at rock bottom) by sticking to a painful budget for a while. i have a jar on my nightstand which will hopefully fill with spare dollar bills. i'm going to ask myself, need or want? before each superfluous (and maybe not so superfluous) purchase. thank you a million times over for these words. i need them. Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16706071409908084910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-45892718265643024242013-07-11T19:28:23.246+10:002013-07-11T19:28:23.246+10:00Hi Rhonda!
Thank you for sharing with us such wise...Hi Rhonda!<br />Thank you for sharing with us such wise thoughts as "Right now, bloom where you are planted. Make the very best of today. You won't get it back. Don't try to be perfect, just do your best." I have been following your blog for over one year now, and your words today just made me write my first comment. Life can be easier and simpler, although people close to us may not understand it! Somehow, reading your blog I feel part of a community, and it helps me to continue with my journey!<br /><br />I started baking our bread (we are a family of 6, and my 4 sons love to eat bread) and making liquid laundry soap. We also simplified the way we eat, cooking always from scratch but only once a day: if I cook lunch I will do enough quantity for dinner as well, or if I cook dinner I will make more to eat at next day lunch. By doing so I save time and also spend less energy cooking, because I will only have to heat it up (we don't have a microwave!). We stoped ironing all clothes, and we only iron shirts and some throusers or skirts now! We try to live with less: less clothes, less furniture, less television! Do we really need so many thinghs? I think we are trying to live simpler and it feels happier!<br />Have a nice day!<br />Manuela<br />PortugalManuelanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-13642277455293197842013-07-11T15:57:27.310+10:002013-07-11T15:57:27.310+10:00I really want to start doing this. But I feel like...I really want to start doing this. But I feel like my life is in such a state of turmoil at the moment that I can't do the big changes. At the moment I don't even know if my next paycheque will cover the rent and bills, let alone food. And my fiance was fired a few weeks ago and has no income. Anyway, I have bookmarked your posts and will start on small things until then :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12843756666125558963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-20549279382260334442013-07-11T14:52:22.912+10:002013-07-11T14:52:22.912+10:00I've been really enjoying your posts. I'm ...I've been really enjoying your posts. I'm co-founder of Green Renters, a charity organisation which works with renters to make their homes and lifestyles more sustainable despite being unable to do big structural changes in general like rain water tanks and solar panels. We teach a lot of workshops on sustainable lifestyle and making your own cleaning products, beauty products, preserving etc. It's great to see we share the same perspective. Everyone can do something (if they wish) to make their lives a little greener. <br />Cate<br />Green Renters<br />www.greenrenters.orgCatehttp://www.greenrenters.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-11367686147160498022013-07-11T13:04:55.494+10:002013-07-11T13:04:55.494+10:00You need high protein flour for bread. The protein...You need high protein flour for bread. The protein (gluten) is what makes bread rise. There is a tutorial for making bread on my blog. I sometimes use a breadmaker to knead my dough when I'm busy, then bake it in the oven.rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-68364690432975723762013-07-11T13:03:20.658+10:002013-07-11T13:03:20.658+10:00You can't change anyone but yourself Kristy. Y...You can't change anyone but yourself Kristy. You start doing these things and hopefully the others will follow. That's what happened here. xxrhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-63482359407992369382013-07-11T13:00:25.725+10:002013-07-11T13:00:25.725+10:00Babies have ways of disrupting life Rhiannon. Just...Babies have ways of disrupting life Rhiannon. Just do what you can each day. Your priority is your baby now so slowly getting back into your simple routines is the best way to go. It sounds like you're all on track. Take care of yourself too, love. XXrhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-84623709839230206892013-07-11T12:54:10.112+10:002013-07-11T12:54:10.112+10:00yes Lisa, we have a Eureka lemon tree in the chook...yes Lisa, we have a Eureka lemon tree in the chook run. It produces fruit all year but we have a glut in winter so I juice all the lemons and freeze the juice for summer cordials.rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-50955235324655893172013-07-11T12:45:14.514+10:002013-07-11T12:45:14.514+10:00Do u make bread from scratch or using a breadmaker...Do u make bread from scratch or using a breadmaker? Why do u need to buy special flour for breadmakers? Is this just marketing? I would to make bread from scratch and need help!?Catherinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08725930499085293867noreply@blogger.com