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Quote: I said to Charles, "I want to live somewhere that is normal, I want to go somewhere where people make sense and treat others with kindness". 

I think I've said this to my husband OFTEN. There has to be a place like it. A place that is set off, set apart. As much as I despise my sq footage and living in the boonies, I think it is a good thing, but I do miss a real community people like it used to be. 

Just in my own home is frustrating. Appliances are junk. TV is a joke. The programs have the same topics and you have to pay to get access then pay to watch some movies that are OLD that you used to watch and already have seen for free. I could toss that thing out the window if I was single. I can't keep my phone on. I get no less than 5 calls of spam just on someone telling me they have financing for me. Double that since it's also a voicemail. That is just that particular topic. There are more! The junk they make, the lack of stores, the lack of selections from home decor, furniture, to food is ridiculous.  Every time my phone updates it's one more unneeded addition or hacking and don't get me started on AI. EVERYTHING is fake. And not only fake, AI is downright scary. They have no handle on AI.  AI gives out incorrect information from health to chats to whatever else. I bypass a quick search.  But the ramifications on a bigger level government wise and military wise are really scary. 

Everything is bad for you, first it's eggs, then it's meat, then it's something else. Now we have microplastics in the brain, yet I can't find socks of all things that aren't plastic or fabric that doesn't stink.  100% cotton is so hard to find. I ordered some pajamas and I sweat so bad I felt like I was a sweaty sock in a shoe!  I forgot to look at what it was made of. YUCK. I tossed it.

I don't want to play anymore.  But I am very happy that this site is a normal place.  Thank you for keeping us normal.

Ann E, I feel the same way about AI! I feel like I can’t  believe anything, and so AI things are so obviously wrong.

Donna, I have found myself just depressed all the time because of everything going on that I just don’t want to do anything

Awe, I hear you G. Donna (((hugs))).  I think part of what is missed of the past was a "God fearing society."  I don't entirely mean this religiously.  Even if someone wasn't religious, they had common decency or were taught it.  Now it seems those without it are protected instead of taught - that is difficult for me to get my head wrapped around.  And like you, I go into my garden or scratch the critters.  This is also one of the things I admire and appreciate about your blog so thank you for that.  It's a moment's calm in a chaotic world.  I really try to focus on the things that I can do something about, though at times it's tough.  

Also, love Charles' scroll saw!  What a beaut.

The majority of my family lives in Lebanon and the last several years have brought me quite low. Very good and kind people there have lost their loved ones, their homes, and businesses just because of the spot they were born on a map. They have nothing to do with the politics and suffer the most.

I cling to my home with my husband and daughter and try to make it a happy place even if I feel sad inside. We haven’t taken a trip in almost a year and we are finally taking advantage of April break and driving a few hours north to Vermont. We are staying for two nights at the Von Trapp family lodge (they offered a special teacher discount so we took advantage). The lodge was created by the Von Trapp family that escaped Nazi Austria. Yesterday we rewatched Sound of Music to get excited for the visit.  Watching the movie reminded me that people can be courageous in the face of great injustice. 
Take care, everyone. Thank you Grandma Donna for creating this happy community on line

Thank you so much for this post, Grandma Donna. I too am feeling so sad at the state of our world and although my faith helps enormously it doesn't take away the fact that such awful things are happening and people are suffering. Thank you too for reminding me that there are many, many good people in America. Living here in Australia I have to say that we sometimes look at your country and forget the good. I can only imagine the divide that exists, between friends, between neighbours and probably even in families. We need to bring people together. We need to remember that we are all human. AI terrifies me too...it may be helping in many ways but I worry that the damage it can do will outweigh any good. Our homes, our families, human relationships are the way out of this mess we are in but so few people seem to recognise this. It is like a herd of sheep being carried along in a wave that is quickly hurtling out of control. I am sending love to all those on this forum that we might all remain strong and resilient as we face these challenges and treat one another with love and respect.

I am so happy to see this post! I have been feeling very good about doing simple things. We've finished planting our flower border extension and our new rose bush. We don't ever have to plant anything in the front yard again because the flowers are either perennial or divide or set their own seed. It's a self-perpetuating flower garden. :) And we have all of the tools to take care of our yard without using gas, oil, or electricity we pay for. No matter what happens in the world, my flowers will always be there to brighten the days. :)

My inflation buster for this week is shoes. My favorite shoe company is going out of business, so I bought six pairs of shoes for the family. I normally pay between $95 and $115 a pair, but each pair of the six I bought today were $73 on sale. These shoes last a long time. With the shoes and the fabric I bought, I feel very secure about the future. I feel like no matter what comes up, I can take care of my family because I'm adding all the things I need to my store of household goods. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1-2

We must not believe AI, it is a tool that, often, does not measure up. Our minds were created by God to be used and to be protected. What we put into our hearts and minds can cause turmoil or can bring peace.

Our homes should bring us joy and peace. I am old, but I am going to redecorate and move some rooms around again. Our homes should suit our preferences and bring us joy. 

I cope by believing the Word of God and by making my home and life conducive to an aesthetic that brings me peace and joy. I have been way too lax about what I truly want for our home. It is never to late to be true to yourself. 

I used to get upset with government, but I realized that it was my issue and I was not adhering to the Bible's guidance. We are to pray for our leaders, even if we totally disagree with their decisions. We have a serious problem of a division in this country that should not exist. God hates evil and to understand that we must know how the Word defines evil. There has been evil brewing and expanding in this country for several decades.

I will cope by trusting God, taking care of my home, enjoying my family, studying God's Word, planning our summer garden and continuing research and writing. We live in a world of Spiritual warfare and it is easy to be distracted by the battles. 

Good afternoon:

It's understandable to feel sad/upset/angry/confused by the events happening that cause so much needless suffering; I've found one way I can reduce my anxiety is a great reduction in my time spent listening/watching to YouTube; there are lovely people on all of the social media platforms but even if every channel I watch is truthful (and I have no way to truly know this) and has the best intentions towards their viewers, I find it is simply too much to spend hours engaged with media, even if the content is fairly benign and I'm seeking information, for my brain :) I get twitchy and my brain races from thought to thought losing the ability to center myself and allow my own self to put forth my opinions based upon my experiences; and if I watch things late at night, oh my word...I'll be up until the dawn chorus fires up! and when I recount that day, I realize most of what I wished to accomplish has fallen by the proverbial wayside. I've disabled YouTube on my phone, I allow notifications only from my sms text, EMA, weather app and my phone app. I also greatly reduced the YouTube subscriptions to just a few that I find beneficial/enjoyable. I guess I try to understand what I can and cannot influence and I've gotten my doom scrolling under control by deleting a lot of things/apps and my accounts that by design are meant to influence my mind. Your writings, GDonna, are a Safe Place and thank you for continuing to be here and hold this door open for us--even when it is very hard-Sheila

edited to add: AI and the companies and governments who are embracing it...well, I don't even know what to do about it except when and where I can give my consumer dollars to as close to home as possible; I'm not sure how much that helps anyone but it's all I have in my toolbox...I edited once without adding anything so...sorry for the multiple edits

The little house finches in my yard like to pretend that they own the bird feeder. Mr. Cardinal has been coming by and doing a lot of watching, and occasionally helping himself to some birdseed. A couple of days ago he came to the backyard and let the little finches know that he was here to stay. If they jumped at him, he would put his head down quickly as if he'd peck them with his beak, though he was not close enough to do that. He was just warning them. He would sit on the fence and sing his songs. Today he brought Mrs. Cardinal with him. She was looking at different nesting materials, and they were trying out the lilac bush to see if they'd like to nest there. One of my mourning doves decided to waddle around the garden on his short little legs today. He would waddle this way, then that way. He'd waddle under a potato plant and disappear for a second, then his head would pop out the other side and he'd waddle over to see something else. I guess he was the garden inspector, making sure everything was right. :)

I watch the birds instead of thinking about the world or wondering why my favorite shoe company had to quit making shoes to make AI instead. AI is not going to mean as much to me as my comfy shoes. The world seems like one loss after another. 

Stephanie G: Comfy shoes and comfortable clothing are necessities to me, also. Too many good companies have been eliminated by corporations and greed.

This too shall pass. I read one daily newspaper online, but avoid the radio and TV News because it is overwhelming. 

The main road here was first built by the invading Romans in the first century, and there was the 11th century invasion. Our neighbouring village church has marks from the 14th century when all men had to practise archery for battle, and where arrows were sharpened on the stone, and it has musket ball holes from the English Civil War, 1642-51. The industrial towns and cities around here were bombed in Zeppelin raids in 1916-18, and bombed heavily in 1940-45, and by various terrorists more recently.

I have been under the weather with that wretched virus still going around, and the cold, wet weather has continued, but today I got the bedding washed and hung out in the garden and there was some sunshine and a good breeze to dry it. The apple trees and the cherry are in blossom and a large bumble bee buzzed around. It lifts the spirits to get out of doors, and we have lighter evenings now we are in British Summer Time. 

The central heating boiler has been serviced, a good opportunity to turn out and tidy the airing cupboard. I hope that we won’t need the central heating on soon, the thermostat is set at 17°C in the day and 7°C at night. I have my winter thermal layers of clothing on still, as our elders said, “Ne’er cast a clout till May be out,” whether it means the month or the hawthorn, May blossom.

We shopped today at the local supermarket. There were no shortages and prices were not much changed though petrol and diesel especially, continue to increase in price every week. We are not planning any long journeys and try to combine appointments and necessary trips to save fuel.

We do what homemakers have always done, the day to day and seasonal tasks, the small things that fill our days, the quiet and calming routines, the small savings against future needs. We look for joy in the small things, a pot of tea, a few rock cakes from the oven, a few neat stitches where they were needed, blossom and a bumble bee. 

Thank You for this Gr. Donna, I am trying not to be consumed with fear and worry over all the things going on but sometimes I will admit to giving into the feelings of despair. Mainly because I don't know what I as one person can do about any of it and then I read your blog and realize once again that I am not alone.

Today, I felt myself going into a bit of a "melt down" so I painted my front door! I painted it a purple somewhere between plum and eggplant. It is tedious fiddly work because it is a double glass doors so lots of trimming. By the time I was done I felt so much better. I guess for me when I am feeling low I just need to pick a job and get started.

I think a lot about my grandma having sons and sons in law in the service in 1942, how worried she must have been., and she still had kids at home. And all of this after coming thru the Great Depression with 6 very young kids......

I am not only concerned with AI but also all of the data centers being built. Here in Indiana it doesn't seem to matter whether no one wants them around they get built anyway.  

My garden is only half tilled, hopefully it will be done this weekend and I can commence planting and caring for it. I find solace in playing in the dirt and I feel a connection to my ancestors at the same time.

I also made a double recipe of noodles today, some went into chicken and noodles and the rest are drying for sealing and storing in the pantry. I will continue making and drying noodles until all of the frozen eggs are used up. Adding to my stores a bit at a time.

Dear Grandma Donna, we know that, as in every place, there are good people as well as those who are greedy, cruel etc. Please don't feel that people outside your country lump all of you in together.  

In Australia, we are approaching Anzac Day (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps), which is a rememberance of many troops in a particular event during WW1. As I contemplated this, it made me sad that many have made sacrifices in the hope that the benefits will be enjoyed by future  generations, but here we are in a world still in conflict, despite the "war to end all wars".

Although geographically far from the trouble, I have many fears from which I try to take a break by focussing on the here and now, on the needs and challenges that are right in front of me in my home and neighbourhood. 

Thanks to folk like you, we have the know-how and awareness to do this, and I thank you.  Wishing everyone peace and safety.

Thank you Grandma Donna for this post.  Just reading how others are getting through this sad and scary time in our lives is so helpful.  

Nadya,  I pray that your family, and all the other innocent people are safe in Lebanon and that this war ends soon.  

I'm so thankful that it's Spring here and I can be outside in the warm sunshine and hear the birds....like "normal" days.  

Grandma Donna, I am a very long time reader, signed up for the forums a while ago but have never before posted - felt a little intimidated to be honest. If what I say below is too political or controversial, then please delete this post.  I will try to be very careful and respectful. Know please that this post is accompanied by fervent prayer to guide what I am saying. 

I have felt that ‘little voice’ urgently telling me to research the provenance of the stories that are being pounded into us about world happenings. Most of the ‘news’ is or seems to be regurgitation of publications by a few organizations who are (sometimes almost violently) biased in one way or another. The research I’ve done has shown that we are being lied to about literally everything for the express purpose of causing the feelings of anxiety and overwhelming despair that we are feeling. That is a bold statement. I absolutely believe it to be true. 

My son was stationed in Baghdad for a year at the beginning of the Gulf war. We heard awful things from ‘the trusted names in news’. He came home on leave and got VERY upset about what we had heard. The two big main news organizations (not networks) had been embedded with their unit. The ‘news’ people repeatedly published secret things they had been told were secret. One of them caused an ambush - my son had an rpg pass inches from his head. He told us, with pretty colorful language, to never, ever, ever, EVER believe a word coming out of a news organization.  

We are being lied to. By all of the people putting out this data. They want us to be on edge and anxious. With respect, please don’t fall for it. There are things happening, this is true. These things absolutely should not be happening IF what we are being told is true.  But the news is being presented in a way to maximize the lies. It is being wildly exaggerated and skewed for maximum impact. I go to sources with legitimate studies, not those screeching at the tops of their lungs. And I divide what I hear in half and then subtract. 

I don’t mean any controversy but it hurts me to know that those of you who (even though you have not heard of me before), I feel I ‘know’ through your pcomments are this anxious and upset. 

Again if this is too much, please delete the post. 

Nadya, I am so sorry about your family and please know that nothing I wrote was directed to you. You know the truth and have told us the truth. Thank you. I can’t imagine having a war ‘on my front step’. May all of this be done now. 

Hello forum,

I personally think we all can make the choice to ignore the news. My husband and I don't watch TV, but we do have computers and watch what we want on there (some news). We didn't watch the news for over 6 months at one point, and watched DVD series like 'All Creatures Great and Small', 'Downton Abbey', it was more peaceful. 

Our own mental health is something to be nurtured. What causes one stress may not stress another. It's also probably best this forum doesn't discuss religion or politics as we would all likely disagree on many things. I too at times get discouraged by biased one sided reporting. My prayers are for those who are innocent, merely caught up in conflicts, and not instrumental in causing or perpetuating the problem. A lot of the problems today come from a base of hatred. I believe everyone should have the right and opportunity to live in peace, should promote peace and not cause harm to their neighbour. How different our world would look if people truly lived this way.....oh wait, it reminds me of 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' - the Golden Rule.

So its really just about people not respecting other people, not loving their neighbour as themselves.

As for my little tiny corner of this world...I'm focusing on my home, my family, my grandchildren, friends..etc and my prayer life. I'm mending, cooking, weeding, loving, caring, praying, doing what I can and keeping short accounts with God.....that's about all I can do. It brings me peace.

Many blessings GDonna. I pray your calm will return. I enjoyed reading all the comments. We all see things differently, that's how the Lord made us, so our voice, our words are worth speaking, writing.  Blessings to you all ~ Linda

My husband served in the military for 22 years.  Combat deployed twice.  He said the same exact thing about what they say happening and what really is happening.  Never believe what they say on the news.  
I can vouch for Connie!!

An interesting and inciteful post.  I won't come into either religion or politics, it's not on my agenda.  I hear a spattering of news and take it all with a grain of salt, never believing what I hear most of the time but take the core of it and analyse it if possible.  Not for one minute do I believe any nation is to blame for what its leaders decide to do, be it good or bad - it's never ever those people who suffer, it's always the innocent ones who pay the price for the not well thought out decisions of the hierarchy whichever country they come from.

I lament the old kind of neighbourhood where people knew people and were helpful, looked out for them, and cared - now we rarely even know who our neighbours are much less having them look out for us.  Once we used to connect with, have parties with, could call on and care for our friends and neighbours - but not now.  Such is the way the world has become.  And I won't even go there with AI - that will be the end of all of it.

Everything is disposable, nothing is quality or made to last, we're definitely a throw-away society - and I won't even think of all the excess packaging which is so unnecessary.

So I try to focus on the good things - such as my lovely aunt who turned 100 last Monday and had four, yes four, birthday parties including the official one last Saturday - she has seen it all and has lived through it, and still lovely, positive, and enjoying life including drinking her two glasses of scotch a day (maybe that has preserved her!! haha) - a lovelier lady you'd be hard pressed to imagine and she's my dad's baby sister, he was the eldest, she the youngest.

As I am getting older things have shifted for me quite a bit, especially in this last year. I have read this forum for years and it just relates to me so much. While we do live more modern, I so long for the simpler life. I work in the IT department at work, as a support person. All of the technology that we have today is just too much. Last month I decided to retire at the end of December this year and hope to focus on my family and my home.

A simpler life is definitely what so many of us need.

While we here seem to want a simpler life I wonder do many others desire that?

I hear complaints in my own family but not one is willing to give up what they have for that simpler life! TV subscriptions, expensive hobbies, dinners out, junk food. Etc.

So many things people consider a standard part of life that didn't even exist 25-40 years ago.

My husband was complaining we hadn't been on vacation. I said my grandparents didn't go on vacation. Our family vacation was to go see them.

I think too many people are too caught up in themselves to ever really think about what's best for others around them. 

You're right, we're most of us too addicted to the modern way of life - we here watch a little of the mindless television (just a couple of programmes we like) which are free to air - never ever am I going to pay for a subscription to stream television for something I really don't want ot watch anyway.  We don't pay any subscriptions, not to YouTube, television, music or anything else - if it's not available, we go without.  As for phones, I use mine for emails occasionally if the desk top computer isn't on, texts or calls which don't cost me anything, and apart from that I download free books from the library and read them on the phone if I don't have a physical book to read.  My phone is definitely NOT part of me or who I am and I don't let it rule my life.

We in "Simpler Living Land" can do without all these things.  Some things are probably necessary although not totally needed but we use them as we can - but as for relying on modern day things, I've actually got rid of most of my fancy apliances and donated them, and gone back to the old ways.  I cook on the stove top, I gave away my slow cooker and everything else of that ilk, and just do things my way which satisfies me more than ever.