​ by Patricia Orr-Fua

​Mininimalist. Downsizing. Whatever you call it, I am throwing stuff out! And this time ( finally ) I am throwing it out faster than I can acquire it.

I am spiraling upward! It all started with watching this horrible television show called "Hoarders". I watched several episodes just to make sure I was thoroughly disgusted, then I made myself a promise, I would never become a hoarder. What I didn't know then was that I already was a hoarder. Somewhere between the philosophies of "saving" passed on to me by a mother who was a child during the depression, and my own attempts to "recycle, up cycle and re-purpose. I was already in deep trouble. So, garbage bags and plastic tubs of clothes went first, followed closely behind with nick knacks and broken furniture. I was feeling pretty good.

I begin to think about how much "stuff" I had accumulated, and to be honest, my driving force was to free myself of useless possessions. Ha! Do you know what a silly statement that is? And it isn't just me. Everyone I know has a "nest". It seems to be a part of our western culture, acquire things and then acquire some more.

I started to look back on my experiences living on an island and to appreciate the appeal of living with strict routines which must be followed to survive.  There were two routines I had to learn;  the daily sweep and clean of the cement walkway which lined the house and the status of the kitchen  which held our drinking water.  If these jobs weren't done then none of the other chores would be done on time. The sweep of the concrete allowed others to follow and fill and treat water which was used to irrigate. It was also mandatory to help with insect control, but most of all to slow the growth of algae, which grew rapidly and we had to protect the wood of the house. We were the only house on the mountain that was not a concrete brick structure.

Water catchment and treatment for our drinking water meant that our family would stay well. Bad water followed by mosquito bites could lead to illness and sores which left horrid scars. We were blessed with nightly rain on the mountain and every month we would have a torrential downpour, usually at about 2 AM. The alarm ould sound ( the Chief (my father in-law ) would go to each bedroom and awaken us, We had to scramble to treat all 40 drinking water barrels.

Looking back on these days of living frugally and with purpose, I better understood the value and comfort gleaned from having a strict routine and knowing the importance and necessity of commitment.

This has led me to fantasize about changing some things up in my life. The appeal became even stronger with the emergence of the "tiny house" movement. I hope you will follow me as I attempt to acquire a "tiny life" with the intention of living with purpose.
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Stay tuned for information and stories of living in alternative styles. Lets look at a few.

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This tiny house on wheels has an adjacent studio! This is probably my favorite, today.

The reason these homes are built on wheels is two fold, to be able to move them, and also to circumvent laws which do not apply to a "mobile" home.

My studio would be an office and this would help eliviate the need to use my "living" square feet.

http://inhabitat.com/6-tiny-homes-under-50000-you-can-buy-right-now/

http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/more-than-mud-self-sustaining-recycled-homes-more-than-sum-of-their-parts