I’ve been asked to select a post in the following categories and then invite 5 other bloggers to do the same.

* Most beautiful
* Most popular
* Most controversial
* Most helpful
* A post whose success surprised you
* A post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved
* The post of which you are most proud

This was a really fun project for me and a great opportunity to reflect on what I’ve written over the past couple of years. I’m one of those people who write when the mood strikes me. It’s not very predictable when I’m going to post but I do at least try to post once a week. Ok, sometimes not even once a week!  I do have a great passion for changing the way we think about wealth and blogging keeps me focused on my goal of living simply, minimally, and abundantly. I probably have less materially than I’ve ever had before in my life but I feel wealthier than ever.

Ok! Here goes with my 7 Links!

MOST BEAUTIFUL

Let the Sun Shine in on Empty Spaces

The post is beautiful to me because it was inspired by my trip to Japan. The Japanese are such beautiful people and their culture is one of graciousness and integrity. Their décor reflects simplicity and elegance and reminds us that less is definitely more.

MOST POPULAR

My Grandmother the Minimalist

When my grandmother Mimmy passed away at the age of 91, I wrote this post in honor of her. The traffic to this post was very heavy any people contacted me via email and Facebook to let me know how much they enjoyed it. Mimmy was a very classy lady and she definitely valued quality over quantity.

MOST CONTROVERSIAL

Challenging the Status Quo Part 1

Challenging the Status Quo Part 2

To be honest, very few of my posts so far have sparked any kind of controversy. At least not that I’m aware of ! Maybe it’s because the majority of my readers are of like mind. I chose this post for this category because I think any time we challenge the mainstream we run the risk of ruffling a few feathers.

MOST HELPFUL

Things You Can Do Right Now to Live Simply, Minimally, and Frugally

I think this post resonated with many people because it offered some very specific suggestions. A lot of what I write about (although not all) is more of the philosophical nature and I don’t really give specific advice but ideas to contemplate.

A POST WHOSE SUCCESS SURPRISED YOU

Tribute to a Very Special Cat Friend

When my feral kitty Monkey passed away, I wrote this post to honor him and all those cats out there who never officially had homes but whose lives mattered. His memory will live forever in my heart.

A POST YOU FEEL DIDN’T GET THE ATTENTION IT DESERVED

The British Petroleum Oil Spill

I think readers appreciated this post but I would love to have reached a broader audience. We still do not know the repercussions of this horrific accident that could have been avoided.
THE POST OF WHICH YOU ARE MOST PROUD

Get Ready for Change, it’s Coming!

The world is rapidly changing! Need I say more?

The five bloggers I’m nominating to participle in this project are:

 Daily Spirit

LiveLifeLike.com

The Duchess Guide

It’s All Yoga

http://redsaid.net/

I look forward to seeing which posts they select.

(If you’d like to read more about changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.)

Going out to the movies can be expensive but thanks to the internet, there are more options than ever to view movies for free or inexpensively.  I’m a big fan of documentaries and sometimes it’s hard to find this genre of film in your local theaters especially if you live in a small town.

I recently became aware of two great sites that have a great selection of documentaries and run the gamut on all kinds of subjects. Biographies, technology, politics, nature, wildlife, and mysteries are just a sampling of the types of subjects you can find on these sites.

The sites are as follows:

Top Documentary Films

Truth Theory.org

My husband I like to pop a big bowl of popcorn, pick a subject of  interest, and then stream a video from one of those sites onto our home television. We always find something fun and interesting to watch and learn something new as well. Check these sites out and see if you don’t find something that intrigues you. See you at the documentaries!

Every Friday is “Friday Fun Day” and I post a website, quote, recipe, or story that relates to simple and minimalist living. Sometimes I just post something fun and inspiring!

Don’t you love friends who bake? Better yet, friends who share their baking with you. I have a friend who is a wonderful baker and very generous with sharing her creations with me.

Not too long ago she knocked on my door and delivered the most wonderful vegan bread. Once you get the hang of it, vegan cooking can be simple not to mention extremely healthy. The bread was so delicious I asked her to share the recipe with me. If you’re interested in trying vegan cooking but don’t know how to get started, this recipe is easy and tasty.

My friend wanted to give credit where credit was due so she told me that she found this fabulous recipe on Joy the Baker’s blog. She did a bit of modification and halved the recipe and used sweet potato instead of pumpkin (didn’t take as long to bake- watch at 45-50 min and see if you need more time).  She also added a few dried cranberries and molasses and honey in place of the maple syrup (just because she didn’t have any syrup in her house).

Below is the recipe. Enjoy!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour ( or whole wheat flour… or just use only all-purpose flour)

2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree, or just under two cups

1 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup water

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place a rack in the center of the oven.  Grease and flour two loaf pans (mine are 8×4×2) and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In a medium bowl, carefully whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup and water.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold all of the ingredients together.  Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well, finding any stray flour bits to mix in.  Fold in most of the chopped walnuts, reserving some to sprinkle on top of the batter once in the pan.

Divide the dough between the two greased pans and sprinkle with a few walnut pieces.  Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven.  Let rest in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Serve warm.  Maybe even wrap one loaf up in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for future munching.

Happy Friday Everyone! Below is a beautiful video about a young man and a hummingbird that he rescued. When I view something as touching as this, I’m once again reminded of the inner-connectedness of all God’s creatures and that we are all one!

Every Friday is “Friday Fun Day” and I post a website, quote, recipe, or story that relates to simple and minimalist living. Sometimes I just post something fun and inspiring!

I am of the belief that we are all inter-connected and that we need each other to flourish and survive. Living in a society so obsessed with capitalism, materialism, and competition, it’s easy to forget this. We need only look to nature to be reminded of the concept of oneness. Several years ago I worked for a Catholic University and one of the sisters shared this charming story with me. I was deeply touched. I hope you are too!

The Goose Story

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Next Fall, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along in V formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way:

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following it. By flying in the V formation, the whole flock adds as least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrusts of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front of it.

If we have as much sense as a goose we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.

It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs–with people as well as with geese flying south.

Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

What do we say when we “honk from behind”?

Finally, and this is important, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own or with another formation to try to catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.

(Author unknown)

I received an e-mail from a friend today who forwarded me some beautiful pictures of two albino moose.  Her friend had photographed them north of the Wisconsin border on a highway near Marenisco , MI. Her friend said the following:

“Once in awhile there is an opportunity to take in a piece of nature that you may never see. In these days of unrest and turmoil it is great to see that GOD still produces some wondrous beauty.

The odds of seeing an albino moose are astronomical and to see this in the upper peninsula of  Michigan , near Wisconsin , is even greater than astronomical. To see two of them together is nearly impossible.

We wanted to share these photos with as many people as possible because you will probably never have a chance to see this rare sight again.”

These pictures are amazing and I’m so glad she shared them with me and now I share them with you. Enjoy!  God’s beauty is all around us so let’s take care of this beautiful planet we are so fortunate to inhabit.

My kitties enjoying their Little Sheba Turkey Thanksgiving Dinner

Every Friday is “Friday Fun Day” and I post a website, quote, recipe, or story that relates to simple and minimalist living. Sometimes I just post something fun and inspiring!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was great and I got to eat my favorite dessert in the whole world-pumpkin pie!

Now that the holiday season is officially underway so is the gift buying season. If you’re like me I prefer giving and receiving  gifts of experiences or consumable items. A  dinner outing with a friend or receiving a nice bottle of wine or a home baked goodie is much more appealing to me. I prefer giving these types of gifts as well.

If you want to got a step further,  my friend Francine over at Miss Minimalist has come up with a really cute idea for those who want to completely  opt out of exchanging gifts this year. She has created a gift exemption certificate that you can print out or e-mail to family and friends. It’s called the “One Less Gift” certificate. Check it out:  One Less Gift Certificate. I’ve talked about Miss Minimalist on this blog  before and I love her site so if you’ve never visited it you can do so by clicking here.

Happy Friday and I’ll be back next week!

Every Friday is “Friday Fun Day” and I post a website, quote, recipe, or story that relates to simple and minimalist living. Sometimes I just post something fun and inspiring!

A new website called tagsellit.com recently came to my attention. It’s a virtual garage sale website that has a nationwide reach. Their free service makes it easy for people who want to clear the clutter out of their home and make a little extra money. It’s also a great resource for people who are looking for great deals on secondhand items. Check it out at:  http://www.tagsellit.com/

Also, check out a posting on their blog about the Minimalist Movement:  http://www.tagsellit.com/article/minimalist-movement . I”m quoted in this blog posting along with several other people who are incorporating the concepts of minimalism into their lifestyles. It’s a fun article and I think you will enjoy it.

Happy Friday!

Click here for the guest post: The Duchess Guide

The recent events in Haiti are heartbreaking. I wish I could just hop on a plane so I could help and comfort all who are suffering.  However, the best I can do right now is to make a donation and keep the Haitian people uplifted through prayer.

I know this is a really hard time for many of us right now. I myself am unemployed and my husband who works for the University of California has taken a pay cut this year as have all UC employees.  Even though my situation is not ideal, it’s nothing compared to what our brothers and sisters in Haiti are going through.

The Frugal Girl, She Writes, and the Money Saving Mom put out a call to all bloggers to donate and urge all their readers to do so as well. I have joined them by making a donation to Doctors without Borders.

I urge you to donate as well to the organization of your choice.  In addition to Doctors with Borders, some other options are listed below:

The Red Cross

Madre

Compassion International

Numana

Oxfam America

Yele Haiti