William J. Dawson's The Quest for a Simple Life is a Free Read

Right now, you can get a free copy of William J. Dawson's The Quest for a Simple Life as an e-book over at Amazon.com -- I took advantage of this freebie, and I enjoyed his story.  It's also available online for free to read on your screen at Project Gutenberg. 

This isn't a new book.

William J. Dawson wrote this book long ago; it was originally published in 1907, and some of the language as well as his attitudes may seem well, ... dated.  (Feminists, take note.)

However, it's a small book and an interesting read, the language alone is entrancing (sometimes, Dawson can be a real hoot) -- and it's a nice thing to think about:  back in London, over a hundred years ago, human beings were pondering how to make life simpler. 

Well, I guess people like Thoreau were too, come to think about it. 

Okay, this isn't Walden but it's a good read nevertheless.  I liked it, thought I'd share it with you, Dear Reader.

Simplifying Your Thoughts: Simple Living Means Fighting Against Stress and the Thoughts that Cause It

Tonight, there's the big Republican debate between the presidential candidates and tomorrow, President Obama is going to address the nation on the unemployment crisis - and media rumors are that this will include spending more money.  Lots more money.

Next week, we honor the 10 year anniversary of 9-11.  Last week, we had hurricanes on the East Coast and earthquakes on the West Coast, and even as I type this, hundreds of thousands of areas of beautiful, piney hillsides near Bastrop, Texas (not that far from me, as the crow flies) are burning in an uncontrolled fire.  Was it caused by the drought? By arson?  What about all the wildlife and the homes and the families?

The Scream - Edvard Munch

It's all cause for stress.  

Stress, big stress.  And that's before you take it down a notch and start wondering about your own circumstances.  Finances, health, relationships, savings, investments, rising prices, what the future might hold.

There is a lot to think about, and lots of people are swirling those thoughts around in their minds without realizing that you have the power to decide what you will think about -- and that you need to do this.

It's accepted by most everyone these days that stress will make you sick.  Keep it up, and it can kill you.  (For details, check out lots about acute stress and chronic stress at WebMD.)


And what is stress?  It's your body reacting to what you are thinking.

Simplifying your life involves more than being frugal with your purchases or going green with your environment or becoming vegetarian in your diet ... simple living means having peace and joy and strength in your attitude.

How do you do that?  You become proactive about what you are thinking about and you stop letting your mind run willy-nilly over whatever scary things it wants to ponder.  Yes, you can do this and it doesn't mean that you become brainwashed or live a zombie's existence.

Simple Living Between Your Ears:  How to Fight Stress With Simplicity

I don't do this as well as I'd like, but I'm much better at it than I was long ago.  Here are some of the things that have worked for me:

1.  I stop myself every so often, and pay attention to the thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head.  Am I worrying about something?  Am I angry about something?  Am I afraid?  Then, I take hold of those thoughts and resolve them.

2.  I speak out loud to myself if this is needed.  For example, I forgot to mail in my car registration and here it was, September, and I've suddenly got an expired tag on my windshield.  My thoughts just baked themselves into a big pie of pressure, and once I realized that I was fretting about this in my head, it all stopped when I said to myself, "I will not get a ticket on the way to getting my car sticker, and if I do, then I'll just pay it.  This isn't worth getting upset over, I'll just deal with it - whatever happens." 

3.  I don't watch TV news, I read my news online.  Maybe it's still inflated and spun, but it's less stressful for me than all those talking heads who seem to vie for who can be more thrilling, for lack of a better word, as they ramble on about the latest horrific event.

4.  I pray and I read my Bible, renewing my mind with scripture.  There's a reason why so many have read this book for so long, there is true comfort and strength in its pages.  I think even non-believers can find good counsel in words like these:  "[a]nd now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Phil 4:8 NLT).

5.  I read about stress and thoughts to learn more about how thoughts do impact my physical health.  There's lots on this:  medical research (see this UCLA study); books on brain function and stress (see Who Switched off My Brain by Dr. Carolyn Leaf); and books on how diet and exercise are powerful tools against stress, promoting clear thinking and proper hormone balance (see the Hormone Diet by Natasha Turner ND).

One of the great things about living simply is knowing that you can control your lifestyle - even if there are others that don't understand why you are choosing that different drummer.  A big part of that change is internal, becoming a person of independent thought.

Some Days Will Eat You, Some Days You'll Eat the Bear.  

As Jane Armatrading once sang (listen here), some days the bear will eat you, some days you'll eat the bear.  We're all a work in process.

Hang in there, fight that stress, and if you need to see it on the screen, remember this:

Everything is going to be alright.  

(image from Wikimedia Commons, public domain)

Homemade Dog Food Tip - Sneaking Veggies Into Their Diet

I've already posted about homemade dog food recipes (here) so I won't go into recipes here ... though from the number of hits that post has received since it was published, it's clear that a whole lotta people prefer to make their own dog food rather than buy the stuff in cans or bags at the local store (no matter how organic or natural or nutritious it claims to be).

I prepare homemade dog food for these reasons:  

1. I know exactly what my dogs are getting in their food,  no corn byproducts or rancid meat that the producers okay for pets but would not legally be allowed to serve to humans;
2. I can combat against the bad food allergies for one of my pets, keeping my pup happier and healthier and lessening those trips to the vet; and 
3. I pay less for dog food this way - a lot less.

Of course, this all sounds great until you deal with the reality of the Picky Pup.  I have one.  I've seen Mr. Finicky Eater turn his nose up to white chicken breast just as much as avocado or green peas.  Very, very frustrating.

However, I've found the secret to getting all the good things that he wants to avoid into his bowl and down the hatch, so to speak.

It's the Food Processor.  

Yes, call my dogs spoiled if you want - I don't care.  I think I have healthier dogs for it, and I know I'm paying less in food costs and vet bills.  You cannot imagine unless you've been there how fast vet bills can climb when your dog has severe allergies.

Rant over.

Here's what I do.  I take the fiber left from the juicer (carrots, apples, beets, spinach) and I freeze it until Dog Food Day.  If I don't have this readily available, or I want to add veggies that I haven't juiced - say green beans or peas - then I just use fresh.  Whatever is at the Farmer's Market - I just get a couple more handfuls while I'm there, thinking of the Dog Mash.

Once I have my veggies collected, I grab a huge pot (some might call it a cauldron of sorts) and throw those raw veggies in there with what I like to call "stinky meat."  These are cheap meats at the grocery - our local store serves a pretty big Asian community as well as an Hispanic one, so browsing around the meat department, I can find interesting meat -- Chicken Hearts, Beef Liver, Sweetmeats  -- that's going to be tough and strong.  With big flavor and aroma, this is key.

Not for every human palate, these choices, and something that needs to cook for awhile at a low heat to get tender.  (I saw chicken feet last week, but I couldn't go that far.  Too VooDoo-ey for me, and besides - not much meat there, right?)

Whatever looks good and has a good price, that's what I go with - and usually this stuff is free range, organic to boot.  (Reading that last phrase, fine.  At this point, I'm not going to be offended if you tell me that my dogs are spoiled.  LOL.  I love them, and I'm making no excuses here.  I think what I'm doing here is wise, not silly.)

This stuff goes into the pot with the fresh veggies.  No salt.  No pepper.  No spices.  Slow, slow boil.  Covered.  (No to the slow cooker, unless you like this meaty aroma wafting through your home.)

Once it's done, you're not.

Next step:  let it cool (or not, it's just easier on your hands if it's cooled off), and then throw this stuff into the Food Processor.  Let it rumble until you've got a puree that looks similar in consistency to the dog food they sell in cans.  You may need to do several batches, depends upon the size of the machine.

Store this stuff in an airtight container in the fridge -- it's really convenient for feeding the dogs during the week, and they don't know all those veggies are in there.

Extra tip:  if your finicky dog doesn't fall for this, then here's your secret weapon:  bacon.  Not a lot - but take a couple of strips and bake them till the bacon is soft, not crispy.  You want some of that fat on there.  Then, cut it into little bits and stir it thru the Dog Mash.  That ought to do it - and yes, it is a balance of bad old bacon versus good veggies....