What a Year!
Would you like to go on a little trip with me? It’s one of those Memory Lane sort of trips that make you smile like flipping through old family photo albums. You and I can just look through some of the memories from Year One on Making This Home. Would you like that? I don’t really have any particular reason for picking the posts that I did. I know that they were moments that made us happy and discoveries that made our life a little more beautiful. Enjoy!
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October 2008: How to Celebrate Autumn in Germany
“This year, October isn’t about the Halloween candy or fake cobwebs. It’s a season of embracing harvest and the beauty of our surroundings. My favorite part of this season in Berlin is the outdoor markets. They were fun in the summer, but now they feel magical.”
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November 2008: Tiny Kitchen = Tiny Combo Units
“Here’s another moment where you might begin to think we’ve gone a little crazy. This is our grill… er, oven… er, microwave. Actually, it’s all of these. This little fella is an oven/microwave combo that has about five other features that I haven’t translated yet.”
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December 2008: German Christmas Cookies
“German Christmas culture used to come to our house in a little red package from an Italian grocer near my parents’ house. The little man sold random food products from all over the world. It wasn’t very good. The cookies were dried out and filled with preservatives. But it brought a little bit of Germany to my husband… until we got this recipe.”
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January 2009: How to Restore Old Furniture
“I’m back with an extra-easy tutorial on how you can reshape a piece of banged up wood furniture into a work of art.”
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February 2009: Dishwasher or Hand Washer? Our New Appliance
“Every so often, I read about women who claim they are saving money and water by washing dishes by hand. While this theory sounded very probable, I set out to find out what the most energy efficient method really was. The truth, of course, is that I want to be sure that my laziness is actually helping the planet.”
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March 2009: Author & Chef Mark Bittman’s Tiny Kitchen
“Mark recently wrote, ‘When it comes to kitchens, size and equipment don’t count nearly as much as devotion, passion, common sense and, of course, experience.’ He should know. His kitchen is only 42 square feet!”
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April 2009: Using Natural Varnish
“Spending a little extra money on natural varnish meant we could keep living in our house during our kitchen remodel. We didn’t have to stay in a hotel, and we didn’t have to worry about future off gassing.”
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May 2009: Gift Ideas for Americans in Europe
“After gobs of requests for the perfect gift to send to Americans and Canadians heading off to start a life in Europe, I’m here to dish out the goods… err make it easier for all of you hunting for the perfect goods to send to your expat buds and overseas friends.”
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June 2009: How to Afford Living in Two Countries
“When I think of people who live in both the United States and Europe, it sounds really expensive. I think of Senators’ wives, rich real estate tycoons, families with old money…. oh wait. Then I remember that I’m living in both the United States and Europe this year, and I am far from any of those.”
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July 2009: Getting Safe Drinking Water
“Now that we’re in the country for the summer, we’ve started wondering about a topic we never really thought about much in the city: the quality of our drinking water.”
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August 2009: Don’t Dispose of Chemical Cleaners. Donate Them!
“Ever since my baby sister read the post, Green Cleaning Tips, she’s had green cleaning on the brain. The only problem was that she had gobs of nasty chemical cleaners filling the entire space below her sink.”
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September 2009: A Natural Beauty Routine
“Try counting how many products you use in your daily beauty routine – from lip balms to shampoos. Then think about how many ingredients are in each of those products… and how many chemicals that might be.”
October 5th, 2009 at 4:19 am
What a fun trip down memory lane Katie! I’m so happy that I remember ALL of these posts – I think I must have found your blog near the beginning, just as you found mine right at the start too. I so hope we get to meet up in person one of these days, or years! Happy Monday to you!
October 14th, 2009 at 2:42 am
Yes, one day for SURE, Christy!
November 8th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Hello Miss Katie,
I read and love the poems. The one who loved them the most was my daughter, who now has one printed off and hanging on her door.
I think I never realized just how spoiled I was until I started traveling to foriegn countries. I learned to repurpose due to the high cost of living. Instead of complaining, I adapted, overcame, improvised and muttled my way through. I learned to live with less. The most astounding thing was that it really made life easier.
So, my first lesson about downsizing was learned while working in Japan. By the way, wonderful people, when they are approached with out the arrogance that most of my countrymen exhibit. I learned to humble myself to my host nation and was excepted whole heartedly.
My second lesson came from living in Africa. I saw that the things I took for granted were a life struggle here. Water. I would reflect on how much water I wasted throughout my life time. Here these people just wanted enough to survive one more day. Clean water is a bonus but to them not neccessarily an issue. I started to wonder just when did I become so self involved? When did I contract me-itis. I didn’t know I was one of those, who felt that I was intitled. I was the very person I disdained and thought I was different. But actions speak louder than words. I was talking the talk but I wasn’t walking the walk. I mean I thought that because I freecycled and recycled I was the queen green. Not so.
While in Africa, I lived in a tent. and eight man tent shared with other workers. I learned to love that tiny 5 x 7 space. It kept the heat of the sun off. The occasional rains that produced flash floods went safely under the raised platform. I was greatful. The holes in the tent itself that went unetected until the rains came. The wetness of your sparse belongings that made you want to weep, but instead, you hang them out to dry with the other camp inhabitants who were in the same situation. Then on our off time we sat in the shade and told our version of the flooding. Community. Living in small spaces force you to bond and interact, to be excepting to those who are different. It takes a village to make a community. I recall sitting in a circle where the camp light shown and having the clear understanding hit me.
I lived in so many nieghborhoods right beside so many people, yet I never knew any of them. I was too busy to even care. How sad that life was. I vow to change that where ever my adventures take me. I am the key.
So, your pictures inspire a simpler life, a life that one can enjoy really living.