A Simple Summer

The summer season, for the hubby and I, begins with our arrival at the Colorado cabin. It's still winter on the high Spanish Peaks, our view from the front porch. Yesterday evening the hail peppered the deck and the temperature this sunny morning was 41 degrees. Everything is so green and the purple sage is already blooming beautifully.

We have been escaping the Texas heat and coming to the little green cabin for over ten years now. I have

to say that it was probably the beginning of us realizing that we could live a much smaller and simpler life and be completely happy. The cabin is a little less than 1,000 square feet. It has everything we need, including a second "potty" and small guest bedroom. After staying here for 4 or 5 months at a time, it dawned on us that we never missed a bigger house or a busier life.

So, during the past few years, back at home in Texas, we have downsized from 5 acres and a nearly 3,000 sq. feet home---to a house in town that was about half the size---to a travel trailer and then this past year to our Tiny House in the rv campground on the bay of a large lake.

There are some obvious but great advantages to downsizing your life:

             FINANCES---Whether you are older and retired or younger and moving toward that day, you can live smaller.  If you aren't maintaining, paying taxes and all that is involved in owning a big house, you have much more of your funds for the things you enjoy. We are lucky to have two houses in beautiful places for cost less than many spend for one home.

             PEACE of MIND---Trust me, your grown children, grand-children and friends are much more independent of you than you might think.  If you don't have the big house where everything happens and everyone stays, you can still have your relationship with all of those you love. With cell phones, text, e-mails and all the easy communications these days, we stay in very close touch with our family and friends. They enjoy visiting us in our smaller houses. When we are near to our family, we all appreciate each other and treasure our times together.

Moving to a tiny house or living in a far away location, even part time, is not the right thing for everyone. You must search your own heart. There are multitudes of ways to make your life a little simpler and smaller.  If your mind is closed though, on this or any other change in your life, you are possibly missing some of the most special times of living.