The Art of Beautiful Living

The art of beautiful living (according to Jana) is something that I have seen around the globe in my life. Cultures from around the world do it differently, but there is always this in common...they find ways to sustain joy. They partner with the world and create a life for themselves that speaks to their souls. I have found somethings that do this for me. Food. Family. Friends. Work (not necessarily a job, but actually doing something I love). It isn't easy, this art of beautiful living. The world will partner with you, but it is just as happy to throw curveballs at you. Too little time to enjoy a meal. Settling for good enough or collecting clutter. Being your own worst critic and judging yourself too harshly. It all adds up and steals your joy. This reactionary response to life isn't beautiful living. Control is elusive though, isn't it? Why is that? I think it is because we don't intentionally carve out space for things that matter. The art of beautiful living is a practice and it is purposeful. Art doesn't just happen, does it? The artist collects materials and sets aside time to create. I found that I wasn't doing this purposefully and consistently. And even now that I know I should be finding and cultivating joy in my life, I still get curveballs and forget to do it. Beautiful living is an art...it is a practice...it is purposeful. Most of all, it is journey of exploration. Here are things that I am playing with that bring me joy.

  • The Art of Beautiful Living,  Uncategorized

    Playing with Baby White Tigers in the Limpopo Region of South Africa

    Have you ever dreamed of cuddling with a baby white tiger? Well, I had the chance to do just that when I visited a wildlife sanctuary in the Limpopo region of South Africa. I had an unforgettable experience with these beautiful baby white tigers and wanted to share it with you. What are white tigers? White tigers are not a separate subspecies of tiger. They are a color variant of the Bengal tiger or the Siberian tiger, or a hybrid between the two subspecies. White tigers have white fur, dark brown or black stripes, and blue eyes. They are very rare and beautiful animals. White tigers are not albinos. They…

  • 1846 Homestead Renovation,  The Art of Beautiful Living

    Our New Antique Eastlake Style Dresser

    Antiques Tell a Story Antiques tell a story.  They were present in homes of the past, quietly participating in lives of people long since gone.  Antiques need care, of course, but caring for antique dressers and other antique furniture isn’t difficult.  They just need some tender loving care. I recently “inherited” this beauty (along with several other pieces which will eventually find their way into a blog post).  The finish was dry looking and it had a build up of dust on it that had to be removed before we could begin. I was excited about this dresser.  The marble top is free of any chips or breakage.  The mirror…

  • In the Garden,  Let's Eat,  The Art of Beautiful Living

    Homemade Spaghetti Sauce From the Garden

    Homemade Spaghetti Sauce From the Garden Our garden is bursting.  It has overrun its beds like a river rises out of its banks after heavy rains.  Ironically, those heavy rains are what has caused the garden to be so productive.  We are firm believers that, even though it was “free” food, we don’t want to waste it.  Our new favorite meal from the garden is homemade spaghetti sauce with grilled eggplant.  Of course, the Italians call it sugo con melanzane e pomodori.  That sounds so fancy. Making the Homemade Spaghetti Sauce I usually grab the tomatoes that are the ripest and blanch them so that removing the skins is easy. …

  • 1846 Homestead Renovation,  The Art of Beautiful Living

    The Most Interesting Room in the World…Seriously

    I have a friend in Virginia who painted her laundry room a bright orange color that she loves in order to inspire her to keep up with the most thankless household chore.  This is our 29th house in our almost 34 years of marriage.  I have had laundry rooms that were windowless, located behind bi-fold doors in a hallway, in a dark and cold basement, and even out in a detached garage space.  I have had to go upstairs, downstairs, and outside to wash clothes.  When we lived in an apartment right after we got married, I even got to go to a laundromat located inside the complex. I guess…

  • 1846 Homestead Renovation,  In the Garden,  Let's Eat,  The Art of Beautiful Living

    1st World Problems at the Homestead

      Ha!  It makes me laugh when my “worlds” collide.  Back in Virginia, I kinda got on a subsistence life-style kick.  I learned how to make wine, can vegetables from our garden.  We even had goats so I could milk them and make cheese.  It was fun and it was a lot of work.  I loved the forced routine.  When it was time to milk the goats…it was TIME.  When the vegetables needed picking, we were out gathering.  I loved the routine and the order it brought to my life.  I had things that absolutely had to be done and it was fun to pretend that there weren’t grocery stores. …

  • The Art of Beautiful Living

    Christmas Decorations at the Homestead 2019

    I’m dating this post because I have big plans for the future.  This is what we were able to accomplish this year.  Next year is still being discussed.  I have hopes for garland and trees in the old part of the house.  I need to do some research on what 1850 Christmas decorations in Scotland and Texas would have looked like.  I want the house to twinkle.  But this year, we just hadn’t really had time to plan it and we weren’t up to it. Seriously, the exterior isn’t completed.  The yard is a wreck.  There is very little traffic on the country road in front of our house.  Lights…

  • Let's Eat,  The Art of Beautiful Living,  Uncategorized

    Christmas Food at the Homestead

    I have been dreaming about my grandma house for a long time.  I was disappointed that we weren’t in the Homestead last year, but the joy that we experienced this year certainly made it worth waiting for. First, we had the a great Thanksgiving which ends with us putting up the Christmas tree.  That was an adventure in and of itself.  We had a new tree this year and so, it was our first time to put it up in a new house where we had never had a Christmas tree before.  Lots of firsts means lots of learning. The Cookie Exchange We hosted the first (hopefully) annual Cookie Exchange.…

  • Let's Eat,  The Art of Beautiful Living,  Uncategorized

    Pied Piping and a Cookie Exchange

    A Bit of Bragging… I have been called a “Pied Piper” by my husband and others.  Ric Hertless may have been the first to proclaim this in a work setting.  I didn’t know how I felt about the moniker.  It sounded to me like all I did was try and get people to do what I wanted and that smacked of manipulation.  However, upon reflection, I think that I just get board and when I do, I try and get people I love and enjoy to come play.  So far, we have come up with some interesting reindeer games… Burch Beach Like the time we built a beach in our…

  • Let's Eat,  The Art of Beautiful Living

    Thanksgiving Food and Traditions

      Besides twinkling lights and the look of amazement on children’s faces, is there anything more wonderful than holiday food? I don’t think that much can compete with the thrill I get planning a holiday menu and thinking about sitting around the table with my favorite people visiting and celebrating.  Traditions are important and food as a holiday tradition is probably one of my favorites.  As traditional as we are, we have broken with some old ones and are establishing some new ones for our family.  Here are a few of my favorite things (cue the Sound of Music soundtrack…): I want to tell you that I love Christmas above…

  • The Art of Beautiful Living

    ‘Tis the Season for Crushed Poinsettias

    We don’t put up a million trees at our house.  I don’t have anything against it personally and I do think that a house completely decked out is a wonder to behold.  Of course, some of that wonder is “I wonder where they store all of this?” and “I wonder where they get the energy needed to do this?”  Individual differences are a crazy thing.  It is one of life’s great mysteries why one person is a neat freak and another is happy with clutter.  Some folks are organized and some struggle.  Some have beautiful, effortless (or so it seems) lives and then there are people like me who are…