Fwd: Simple Times - 11/20/07 - Meaningful celebrations; gratitude quotes

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Simple Times

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Vol. 9, No. 6 -- November 20th, 2007

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

debi

Copyright 2007 Deborah Taylor-Hough

ISSN: 1527-1269

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Celebrating 9+ years of saving your time, money and sanity!

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IN THIS ISSUE:

-- " Dear Readers "

-- Simple Living Quote

-- 10 Tips for Simpler More Meaningful Celebrations

-- Thanksgiving and Gratitude Quotes

-- Letters to the Editor / Reader Tips

-- Assorted Information (archives, etc.)

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Dear Readers,

 

Even for families who don't normally say grace or ask a blessing

over their family meals, the Thanksgiving holiday meal seems

to be one of those times that a prayer of thanks is given out of

gratitude for the gifts and blessings received throughout the year.

 

If you'd like to offer a prayer this Thanksgiving but don't usually

do that at your family meals, perhaps this short prayer of thanks

by Emerson could be read at your table. Maybe it'll even begin

a new tradition for your family and guests.

 

THANKSGIVING

 

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

 

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

Wishing you many wonderful blessings throughout this

holiday season for you and yours.

 

Simply Yours,

 

Debi

(Deborah Taylor-Hough)

Editor, Simple Times Email Newsletter

--Author of the popular 'Frozen Assets' series; 'A Simple Choice: A

practical guide for saving your time, money & sanity'; and 'Frugal

Living for Dummies®

--Editor, Simple Times, Solo Parents, and Bright-Kids email newsletters

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Visit my new site!

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

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SIMPLE LIVING QUOTE

 

" To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take

nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind

that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you

is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the

good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off

the word or action for the expression of gratitude. "

 

--Albert Schweitzer

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10 TIPS FOR SIMPLER MORE MEANINGFUL CELEBRATIONS

Copyright Alternatives for Simple Living

Used with permission. All rights reserved.

http://simpleliving.org

 

 

Holidays & Rites of Passage (like Weddings, Birthdays,

Graduations)

 

1) Plan ahead. Instead of going on auto-pilot, hold a family

meeting to decide what the group really wants to do and

who's going to do what. Observe appropriate preparatory

periods before Christmas and Easter, possibly with a study/

action/prayer guide or calendar.

 

2) Focus on relationships with family, friends and other people,

and with God, rather that on " stuff. " Spend your time, energy

and money nurturing people, not things.

 

3) For symbols of holidays, look to faith, not to commerce. Do

Santa and bunnies tell the story you want to tell? Let's tell the

real stories of our faith and values.

 

4) Avoid debt and gluttony. Refuse to be pressured by advertising

to over spend or over eat. Build community with a meal of mostly

locally produced food -- planned, prepared and cleaned up by the

whole family.

 

5) Avoid stress. Give to yourself. Don't assume that things have to

be the same way they've always been. Make changes slowly but

persistently. Don't try to change everything and everybody all at

once. The resistance may make you feel defeated and lonely.

 

6) If you need to give gifts, give appropriate ones. Get to know the

recipient. Give what they want to receive, not what you want to buy.

Give children one thing they really want, rather than many gifts. Set

a price ceiling. Put gifts out shortly before opening them. Take turns

opening them, not all at once, so that each gift can be admired and

each giver thanked.

 

7) Give alternative gifts. Give at least 25% of what you spend to the

needy ... individuals or groups locally, nationally or internationally.

Instead of conspicuous consumption, show conspicuous sharing.

 

8) Give of yourself, not just " stuff " -- a coupon book for future services

(such as baby-sitting or an " enchanted evening " ) or something baked,

sewn, handmade, composed, etc. Consider more time for volunteering

rather than entertainment. If you need to give cards, make your own.

 

9) If you need to buy gifts and clothing, buy those from developing

countries at alternative gift markets, not from commercial importers,

so that the artisans receive a fair price for their work. Avoid mass

produced knickknacks, novelties and toys. Fancy, expensive clothes

are signs of status, not respect for God. In church they show an

inappropriate blend of culture and faith. Decline to compliment people

for their finery. Avoid a " ritual display of plenty. "

 

10) Choose simplicity of decoration over extravagance. Avoid plastic

and imported flowers and trimming, fancy papers and bows, and

consumables (such as balloons and foam plates).

 

 

ABOUT THE ARTICLE:

--Reprinted with permission from Alternatives for Simple Living. For

more ideas to simplify your life from the fine folks at Alternatives,

visit them online at: http://www.SimpleLiving.org

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O.U.R. S.P.O.N.S.O.R.

 

 

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THANKSGIVING QUOTES

Compiled by Debi, editor of Simple Times

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com

 

 

I sometimes find myself collecting quotes that I find particularly

meaningful, insightful or funny. I thought that this season of

Thanksgiving would be a good opportunity to share some of my

favorites on thankfulness and gratitude.

 

 

" Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the

soul. "

--Henry Ward Beecher

 

 

" Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent

of all the others. "

---Cicero

 

 

" Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your

willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. "

--Margaret Cousins

 

 

 

" I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my

friends, the old and the new. "

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

" The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables

us to count our blessings. "

--Eric Hoffer

 

 

" The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be

appreciated. "

--William James

 

 

" As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that

the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live

by them. "

--John F. Kennedy

 

 

" Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun

shines. "

--Leroy " Satchel " Paige

 

 

" Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good

spirituality. "

--Alfred Painter

 

 

" Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are

the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. "

--Marcel Proust

 

 

" At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark

from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep

gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. "

--Albert Schweitzer

 

 

" The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No

Americans have been more impoverished than these who --

nevertheless -- set aside a day of thanksgiving. "

--H. U. Westermayer

 

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Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / READER TIPS

We'd love to hear YOUR tips and ideas for simplifying daily life.

Send your simple living comments/tips to: DSimple

 

 

Re: Early November 2007 Issue of Simple Times

I really enjoyed your issue this month ... sometimes I think perhaps

the kids don't want to hear my old stories, but my daughter's request

before bed was an addition to the story I told her last night. I think

the name of your E-zine sums it up -- it's all about the Simple Times.

--Angela

 

[Editor's Note: If you missed the issue of Simple Times that Angela

mentions, you can read it online at: http://snurl.com/nov2007

~Debi, editor, Simple Times]

 

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SIMPLE TIMES RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Book list for frugality and simple living

Go to: http://snurl.com/simplebooks

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SIMPLE TIMES ARCHIVES

 

Two years' worth of back issues are available by clicking the

" Read Messages " button at: http://snurl.com/st_archives

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As always, a special " Thank you! " goes out to Gary Foreman

and the friendly folks at the Dollar Stretcher for making this

mailing list possible!

 

== http://www.stretcher.com/ ==

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Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)

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EDITOR'S BOOKS AND AUDIO RESOURCES:

Books and resources by Deborah Taylor-Hough

Editor, Simple Times Email Newsletter

http://snurl.com/debisbooks

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DEBI'S ON-LINE RESOURCES:

Personal Blog: http://dsimple.wordpress.com/

Frugality/Simplicity: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com

Cooking Ahead: http://frozenassets.wordpress.com/

Bright-Kids: http://brightkids.wordpress.com

Tupperware®: http://snurl.com/DebiTupperware

Kids' Books: http://snurl.com/books4kids

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