Quote for today

Cape Kiwanda, Oregon

David A. Hamilton ©2005

'You only hurt yourself when you're not expanding and growing. Many people can't stand the thought of aging, but it's the crystallized thought patterns and inflexible mind-sets that age people before their time.

You can break through and challenge your crystallized patterns and mind-sets. That's what evolution and the expansion of love are really about.'

Sara Paddison, The Hidden Power of the Heart

Simplify!

Olympic Peninsula, WA

Aline Lesage © 2005

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! We are happy in proportion to the things we can do without.

Henry David Thoreau

The poet's wise exhortation eluded me for a long time until circumstances showed me the way to, clearly, a healthier lifestyle. When I adopted (or began adopting) Thoreau's soul saving principle a few years ago however, I didn’t realize (duh) this was not a ‘one time deal’, that in fact I was setting in motion a process that would require my constant, undivided, and ruthless attention.

Thus it's with no small measure of aggravation that, whatever brand of minimalist I claim to have become, my ‘old ways’ and the relentless pressure of the capitalist machine constantly threaten to creep back in, overtake my pocketbook and, more sadly, myself. My effort, I now see, is surprisingly complex and boasts countless ramifications. It’s like deciding to go to war: one must plan for incredible resources (albeit of another kind) and formidable energy.

I’m happy to report that on the living-with-less front, I can now go for awhile quite without concern. I’m better able to limit my sinful strays and go to sleep at night, mostly satisfied I’m not depleting more than my reasonable share of the precious planet’s and of my own resources, those very ones with wise pondering Presidents pasted over them.

Yet one of my utterly disturbing, though perhaps inevitable incidents did occur recently. While purchasing my chosen item (indispensable, of course) in a shop, I proceeded to pull out an unofficially self-outlawed credit card, only to realize the piece of plastic in my wallet was not the precise one I wished to use that day! For there is another one of course, conveniently stashed away at home and accessible for precisely those ‘unexpected needs’ — read slips. As you may or may not see, my multiple plastic items are the issue at stake here.

This latest experience is only too benign but oh, how it speaks! Such contradiction on the way to my simplified and blissful life! But then should I really be so harsh on myself? Can one expect to so easily undo what fifty years of materialistic addiction so successfully achieved? I must find consolation in the fact these episodes are merely reminders that in order to honour Thoreau’s admonition, I must consistently tend to my simple garden, never assuming its perfect, simple quality will bloom from wishful thinking alone.

My ambitions of Simplicity require dedication, courage, and a bottomless dose of heartless disdain for the world of consumerism I’m proclaiming to be anathema. Choosing to live with less is hard, very hard. Ask anyone who has ever attempted to lose weight.

But this stubborn Irish is not about to give up. Live my war on plastic!

Lake Osoyoos, Okanogan Valley, WA ©Aline Lesage 2005 Feliz año nuevo! Small surprises in unexpected places. As it happens on this New Year’s Day 2006, I traveled to a remote town east of our Great Cascades, only to find that almost every restaurant was closed for business. Willing to help, our hotel attendant suggested a local Mexican restaurant, which she believed might be open. It had been a long day on the road and had every choice been available, I must acknowledge I probably would not have considered this. Given the circumstances however, I was willing to forego my reluctance: at this point in fact, both my husband and I would have tried anything for the promise of a warm meal! It rained hard on Main Street and I remember running down the sidewalk, anxious for a dry place. When we arrived at Rancho Chico’s, every table (save one, as if we might be expected) was occupied with cheerful families and groups of all ages, all enjoying what was obviously an outing and restaurant of their choosing. Arms open, the manager greeted us with a broad smile and exclaimed, ‘Feliz año nuevo, amigos!’ to which I replied with my own wish of ‘Bonne année!’. If anything, this was an inviting prelude and I thought, maybe this won’t be such a terrible experience, after all! Needless to say, I was quickly forced to abandon my unsisterly attitude du jour about ethnic food in a foreign place. Among others, my husband’s ‘shrimp cocktail’ turned nothing less than memorable, my Mexican stir fry an outstanding and satisfying meal with our tasty, just-so-tangy Margaritas pleasantly adding to the experience. And with his enthusiastic seasonal greetings later, the manager even served us a sampling of their ‘Mexican cheesecake’! What more can one expect, I ask? Not to mention its reasonable prices, this establishment provided the friendliest atmosphere I have seen in a long time. I wholeheartedly acknowledge the business community’s well-deserved holiday at this time of year. On the other hand, I certainly wish to salute those — this hard working and caring Hispanic community in particular — who know the value and benefits of dependable service, genuine cordiality, and heartfelt dedication. Rancho Chico Family Restaurant 22 N. Main Street Omak, WA

Go Away, Rain!

July Splendor@Crystal Lake, WA Copyright Aline Lesage 2005

This is my silent, positive thought for the day. The photo was snapped in a place and season I'm trying really hard to recall today. You might get to see more of these. I may claim to be a writer, but on a bland, gray, and doubtful day such as this, the classic 'picture and those thousand words' alternative speaks to me, indeed. Think Spring!