Sunday Inspiration for Simple Living 2 - Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Many, many years ago a friend gave me a pretty gift-book copy of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift from the Sea., At that time in my life, I was more fascinated with the author and her history as the wife of Charles Lindbergh and the mother of the baby kidnapped and killed in what still may be the most famous kidnapping case in American history.  Surely you've heard of the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping, still refered to as "the Crime of the Century"? 

Anne Morrow Lindbergh - aviatrix, author, wife of Charles Lindbergh

I looked to Anne Morrow Lindbergh as someone to admire, a role model of sorts.  Back then, perhaps I needed to find admirable, courageous people for the lessons their biographies could teach me.  I was looking for my path. 

Today, I'm older, hopefully wiser.  I've found my path and I'm walking on it.  Now, I'm more interested in the words that Anne Morrow wrote in her books than in the biographies describing her eventful life. 

Gift From the Sea is wonderful.  Physically, it's a little book which makes it all the more the masterpiece, considering the wallop that it packs.

January is National Radon Action Month. Check Your Home! 1 in 15 Homes Have Too Much Radon

January is National Radon Action Month.  Radon is a gas that you cannot feel, smell, taste, or see -- but it can be present in your home, condo, or apartment and is a lot more common than most folks realize.

Radon kills people. It is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. According to the Surgeon General, RADON is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Who knew, right?  

So where does it come from? Radon comes into your dwelling via the ground underneath your home; or through the groundwater (waterwells can be a source of radon), or via building materials. Radon decays over time.

The Difference Between Tiny Houses and Small Houses - The Small House Movement

Okay, "tiny houses" are adorably cute and understandably growing in popularity.  You can even buy building plans for them at Lowe's. 

However, there's also a lot of interest in "small houses," and even though both are dwellings with minimum square footage, they are two very different things.  Technically, while all tiny houses are small houses, not every small house is a tiny house. 

Investigating the difference between the two, I was happy to learn that I'm living in a "small house" and technically, I'm participating in the "small house movement" even though I'm not building a tiny house anytime soon.  Maybe you'd like a small house, too. Maybe you're already in one.

Tiny Houses v. Small Houses

1.  Different sources will give you different dividing lines between a tiny house and a small house.  It's a matter of square feet   For example, TinyHomes splits the two at 1000 sq. ft. - anything 999 square feet or smaller is a tiny house; 1000-1200 is a small house. The Small House Society explains that there is not any set square footage for a "small house," and distinquishes a "tiny house" as anything under 500'.