this is the view from the patio of my cute little apartment. the orange and yellow from the trees blankets my entire living room with a beautiful, golden glow. it's really a stunning view. and this is supposed to be me roughing it? ha!

i moved here to "downsize" ~ a word that has become quite sexy during the recession. i dropped my cable, got rid of my tv, moved to a smaller, cheaper apartment, with cheaper electricity bills, dropped my home phone, and stopped almost all extra spending. but roughing it? i think not. in fact, my life became much more luxurious with the removal of these things.

the cable/tv?

my place is so serene without the buzz of that time-stealer. i read, knit, cook, play the piano, blog ~ and all in the peace and quiet of my little resort. time just expanded.

home phone?

please. who ever missed the constant telemarketing calls?

extra spending?

it's become a hobby to see how many frugal choices i can make during the week. i live on a set amount and when i go over, i don't spend any money until i'm even again. and when i do buy cilantro, you better believe i use every leaf! i cherish everything so much more now. i'm never going back to my old ways of quantity and thoughtless spending. i'm sure i'll have occasional moments of i-have-to-have-those-suede-boots. but that's balance, right?

right.