Heather writes:

Hey Amy, some topics I’d like to hear from you on are: a list of resources to read on Homesteading, how do people rationalize taking on such a huge debt for the land, post a new recipe or two, and how do you deal with clutter and finding time to rid yourself of it? You could toss in your thoughts on how to instill character in your children and ideas on how to show your husband how special he is with very little privacy (i.e. the little ones I am trying to instill character into being underfoot!) What is your current favorite Scripture passage and why? What are you doing for the Fourth? Or just ruminate on which attributes of God stick out the most at the moment.

A list of resources to read on homesteading
The very best list of resources on simple living is Cumberland Books. The free catalog is more than an inventory of books, but it is chockfull of commentary on simple living. Say “hello” to the Saenz family for me. If you are looking for something particular, they can point you in the right direction.

How do people rationalize taking on such a huge debt for the land
I’m not one of those, so I don’t know.

A new recipe
Here’s what everyone orders me to bring to potlucks, picnics, and dinners:

The Very Best Potato Salad in the World

3 lbs. cooked, cubed, and then chilled red potatoes
1 c. olive oil (this is the key)
¼ c. white wine vinegar
4 large Tbl. mayo
4 t. dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper
As much fresh minced garlic as you can stand
Parsley

Mix ingredients and pour over potatoes. Chill. Then get out of the way or you’ll be run over by the stampede.

How do you deal with clutter and finding time to rid yourself of it
There’s some truth in the statement by Edwin Teale, “Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves.” The way I would say the same thing is, the less doodads you own, the less time you have to find to wax them. The reason I say “some truth” is because my life goal isn’t to reduce my workload, per se, but to concentrate my efforts laboring at the right things. I think Teale might agree, though, as the more important things tend to surface once clutter-clatter is eliminated.

Clutter—material or not— is the noise of life. Clutter is (are?) the things that keep us from doing the will of God. When my husband and I looked hard at our life, we found we needed to avoid some things that were commonly perceived as noble. Someone once noted that the enemies of the best are the things that are good. Why is that? Because we can spot a bad thing easily enough, but our consciences resist letting loose of good things, never more so than if it comes Jesus-stamped. Thinking about this is a good first step.

The easiest way I’ve found to get rid of clutter is not to acquire it in the first place. This is one reason I don’t shop as a source of entertainment.

From Mad Magazine: The only reason a great many American families don’t own an elephant is that they have never been offered an elephant for a dollar down and easy weekly payments.

The first phase in eliminating clutter is to determine how you acquired it in the first place. The next steps become more obvious after you figure out the first.