At The Beginning

Is usually the best place to start!

It's always the hardest part as well, so here goes, and please forgive me if I waffle.

I'm Wren, otherwise known as Wrenbird or Rainbow Wren, and I belong to a fantastic forum, which some of you may have heard about already, you can find it here http://creativeliving.10.forumer.com/index.php go on, take a look, there's loads to find out and laugh at, sometimes cry at, and always to marvel at.

My friends their are all trying their hardest to live simple, sustainable lives, which may sound very boring, but it isn't. It's a fabulous adventure, and one I'd advise any one to set out on.

I set out on this journey a very long time ago, but I kept getting lost, mainly because I didn't REALLY know where I was heading. Now I do, I'm heading for a llife that means LIVING, not just working to live, but actually to enjoy all those other things that can fill your time outside of the workplace, if you have one, and in the home. It doesn't matter if you aren't a stay at home person, there are still SOOO many things you can do to make your life so much more enjoyable and worthwhil.

Living simply isn't difficult, you just have to know how to start. For me that was looking at life, and thinking about what I did and didn't want in it. I knew I didn't want it to just be about work and earning a lliving, nor did I want it to be hard and uncomfortable. It doesn't have to be either, I now make jams, marmalades and chutneys, bake my own bread and cakes, OH and biscuits. YES it takes a while longer than going to the shops, but the TASTE is so much better, and the feeling of achievement is indescribable.

I am not lucky enough to live in the beautiful countryside, as some of my friends do, but I can and do, try to make my home, a small haven of the tranquility that they have. WE have an allotment where we try to keep ourselves in veg the year round, we don't always succeed, but when all else fails, there's the wonderful veg box from Riverford!

I have rediscovered knitting and sewing, embroidery and learned quilting and patchwork, and am just starting out on lacemaking. I don't have much spare time, or money, b ut I like to fill that time with things I like to do and things that make me feel as if the time has been well spent. Our neighbour has even remarked at how industrious I am. I don't think I am, but I seem to be quite good at time management, I manage to make the time work in the best way for me!

Today was a quiet day really, we had snow here so that put paid to a trip to the allotment. Instead, I cleaned, as I usually do, made a loaf and some rolls, and cooked the traditional roast. Not one thing was ready made or out of a tin, and when you put a meal like that on the table for your family, it is one of lifes pleasures.

I have no doubst that I shall waffle on at length about things here at Wren Towers, some of it may even be useful. For now, I'm off to ask those lovely friends, how I go about putting a playlist on here, oh, and links to their blogs, which make my muttering seem very dull.