Simplicity.
Learn to like what doesn't cost much.
Learn to like reading,
conversation,
music.
Learn to like simple food,
and simple cooking.
Learn to like fields, trees, brooks, hiking, rowing, climbing hills.
Learn to like people, even though some of them may be different...different from you.
Learn to like to work and enjoy the satisfaction of doing your job as well as it can be done.
Learn to like the songs of birds, the companionship of dogs.
Learn to like gardening,
puttering around the house and fixing things.
Learn to like the sunrise
and sunset,
the beating of the rain on the roof and windows,
and the gentle fall of snow on a winter's day.
Learn to keep your wants simple,
and refuse to be controlled by the likes and dislikes of others.
-Lowell Bennion
____________________________________
I saw this quote over on Clover Lane a while back, and I thought it was just begging to be posted with pictures.
Beautiful.
Ahhh....what a great way to start my day. Thanks.
Precious! I am going to copy that one down. Thank you for the beautiful post and pics!
Wonderful...I think that's what contentment is all about.
An absolute blessing to be reminded of all our blessings. Thank you!
Excellent! Thank you.
Thank you. I don't think I would have cried reading it without the photos.
beautiful! I had to share it on my FB wall!
Beautiful post, thank you! 🙂
Lovely! Putting pictures with the words gives context to the quote that words alone could never do. Thank you Kristen.
What a great quote. Especially love the last line "refuse to be controlled by the likes and dislikes of others." It should be altered to say "refuse to be controlled by large corporations and their tricky marketing." 😉
Love the pictures. Thanks for sharing!
~LeeAnn
Love this....thank you!
Love, love, love this. I read you blog before heading out to work each day to put me in the right frame of mind regarding focus and what is important and this is a perfect example of why!
I read your blog, every post, I rarely comment.You see we're retired now its just the two of us,, we live a simple but good life and I have realized when the kids were ssmall I lived a very frugal life it was the way we were raised, it wasn't called anything but getting by back then.We cooked, we sewed, we mended and redid things, we put down preserves and pickles becasue it was the way.I love that young people are now returning to these skills and I love your blog.This post was beautiful,, just beautiful
This was a beautiful way to to post this quote. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Love, love, love this post! An inspiration way to start my day. Thank you.
Very touching - it spoke to my soul. Loved the photography and the quote.
What a peaceful, inspiring way to start my day. Beautiful post.
Such a perfect quote. Thank you!
Love this! Thank you 🙂 Great way to get the day started at work.
What a great way to start the day. I love this idea, I may have to insert my own photos...
I thought you would really like this song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdWO88ZVurU&feature=related
LOVE it!
thank you, kristen. (real tears) i've been so grumpy today, and you just spoke thru my grumpy facade into the more true me below. blessings to you. i REALLY needed this today.
Just lovely with wonderful photos - I will however have to remove the snow part and substitute rainbows after the rain. I moved from CT to FL for a reason.
Hi Bellen, Your comment made me laugh! I was thinking the same thing. I live in CA. Most of the snow we have here is the "fun" kind. Day-off fun like skiing, snowboarding or other snow play, not living-in-it-and-trying-to-get-to-work kind of snow. Rainbows after the rain works for me too, so thanks for providing an alternate image for us sunny climate folks. Kristen, thanks for sifting through so many images to come up with the perfect ones. What a wonderful gift from you today!
This was very timely today. I have been having a couple of rough days being pulled into places/situations/feelings I did not really care for. The last line "Learn to keep your wants simple, and refuse to be controlled by the likes and dislikes of others." especially rang true for me. Thanks for the great blog.
That is absolutely lovely, Kristen!
Lovely!
Just beautiful. I love how your pictures illustrate the words so perfectly. Many problems of our modern day could be solved if only more of us could learn to want what we've already got. Keep up the great work!
Lovely quote, beautiful pictures. Thanks for starting the morning off right!
I don't know if I've ever commented on your blog before, Kristen... this was just beautiful. My eyes filled with tears reading it. Thank you for something so lovely and positive to wake up with. Now I'm going to go homeschool my kids and do something simple and beautiful.
Thank you for the great insight, Kristen!
Awesome!
That was awesome! (still is... lol)
What an awesome post! I loved this! It is so true. Thanks for words of encouragement today. =) Have a great day.
What a wonderful post! Your pictures added so much meaning to already beautiful and touching words. Thank you for your fabulous blog - I read it every day without fail. It keeps me centered and focused on the things that are most important to me. You are truly an inspiration. Thank you Kristen.
Never will like rowing...
But like...
1) Dinners alone with my husband.
2) Walks with the dog.
3) Chatting with the neighbors.
4) Reading to my son.
Simply Stunning - both the words and pictures...
Thank you, Kristen! The combination of words and pictures brought tears to my eyes and gave me goose bumps! This one's a keeper.
beautifully simple and simply said. my heart rejoices with you. Thank you for your inspiration.
Thanks for this post. It's exactly what I needed today! A nice reminder that this is my goal in life! Enjoy the simple things!
Beautiful post Kristen. Thank you.
I dare anyone to get through that without a content little smile.
A good reminder to us all. Thank you.
Great Post, but please be careful with the home canned tomatoes. I notice that the headspace is rather large - this means that the air may not have been forced out as well as it should have, leading to spoilage!
Thank you for the simple post and beautiful pictures
Your message is beautifully conveyed!
That was an absolutely beautiful quote, and the pictures helped convey each point. I think I might print that one up decoratively and frame it somewhere in the house. Thank you!
Just lovely.
Katy
Love this quote and the pics you shared. I really like your haircut Kristen, it looks so cute!
What a beautiful post. We need more people like you and your family in the world with all it's problems and negativity. You are the spark in the sunshine. Smiles.
Beautiful montage of words and pictures.
Such a great reminder. Thank you for putting this together.
Lovely post. Thank you.
So so lovely -- the words AND the pictures. Especially loved Zoe liking the songs of the birds and sunlight. Thanks for this!
Little Green Village linked to this, and I'm SO glad she did! Simply beautiful. The last two lines truly hit it home!! Thank you for this 🙂
I LOVE this! So beautiful and true. I'm so happy I stumbled upon your lovely blog today! x
BEAUTIFUL!!
My favorite post ever. Thank you.
Thank you so much for that, sometimes I forget what is really important. My day will be all that much better because I've read this!
I'm just catching up on your blog, and this made me cry in a good way. Thank you for the reminder and for your friendship!
Perfect! and those photos!!! I'm so happy to have found you!