Adventures of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
“The truly sociable man is more difficult in his relationships than others; those which consist only in false appearances cannot suit him. He prefers to live far from wicked men without thinking about them, than to see them and hate them.” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Dialogues "Naturalistic Philosopher (28 June 1712 - 2 July 1778), steel … Continue reading Avoiding Hate
I know this year has been very strange for most of us but please remember... Life is Short. If you're fortunate enough to live with the means and privilege and food security, consider yourself lucky. When I feel low or unhappy, I always want to remember the people subjected to abject poverty worldwide through no … Continue reading Don’t Forget to Enjoy the Ride
"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." Wise words from a wise man. Stay safe...
"One of the reasons for its success is is that science has a built-in, error correcting machinery at its very heart. Some may consider this an overbroad characterization, but to me every time we exercise self-criticism, every time we test against the outside world, we are doing science. When we are self-indulgent and uncritical, when … Continue reading Science and Self-Correction
On Loneliness "When you feel you are sleeping on the breast of your mother, the earth, while your father, the sky, with his millions of eyes is watching over you, and that you are surrounded by your brother, the plants, the wilderness is no longer lonesome even to the solitary traveler." ~Dan Beard
A LITTLE CARAVANNING HISTORY At the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, the young artist Frances Jennings became a semi-invalid and was advised by her doctor to spend as much time as she could in the open air. Being a Victorian lady at loose ends, the obvious choice was to take to … Continue reading Happiness in Simplicity
“...there are some who plunge into an unbroken forest with a feeling of fresh, free, invigorating delight... These know that nature is stern, hard, immovable and terrible in unrelenting cruelty. When wintry winds are out and the mercury far below zero, she will allow her most ardent lover to freeze on her snowy breast without … Continue reading The Impartiality of Nature – from “Woodcraft and Camping”
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it. G.K. Chesterton I've had an interest in Chesterton for quite a few years now and have really enjoyed reading his philosophy. I'm no expert, but know that I find myself in congruence with many … Continue reading Your Rights vs. Doing the Right Thing
"The aim of the laborer should be, not to get his living, to get "a good job," but to perform well a certain work; and, even in a pecuniary sense, it would be economy for a town to pay its laborers so well that they would not feel that they were working for low ends, … Continue reading Thoughts on Labor – 1854
Here is a great and insightful quote from over on Musclehead’s blog by Ida Tarbel.
“Ida Minerva Tarbell was an American writer, investigative journalist, biographer and lecturer. She was one of the leading muckrakers of the progressive era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and pioneered investigative journalism.”
“If it has taught us anything, it is that our present law-makers, as a body, are ignorant, corrupt and unprincipled; that the majority of them are, directly or indirectly, under the control of the very monopolies against whose acts we have been seeking relief.”
"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone." Henry David Thoreau, Walden. Possessions don't make us happy! Situations do. Possessions, desire, covetousness, craving, yearning, lust; these forces drive humanity. Somehow each generation of moral thinkers know these things are ultimately wrong and look for something … Continue reading Jobs, Work, and Taking Control of Possessions (an updated ramble)
It's time to start some seeds. We still don't have a great place to garden but it is improving each season. Pesky critters were quite a problem last year so we are working to improve this as well as the poor clay soil at the new house. This plot might seem too ambitious but, if … Continue reading Gardening With Purpose
Most people that know me are aware that I owe much of my foundation and success in life to a very positive experience in the Boy Scouts of America. There were many lame troops and leaders not worth their salt but I, and several of my closest friends, were fortunate in finding ourselves thrown together … Continue reading Baden-Powell’s Last Message to Scouts
Thomas Jefferson wrote reams of good advice, important political philosophy, the Declaration of Independence, and many other things (which is why we know so much about him). To some of his younger relations he sent his favorite "Rules of Conduct" to help the people he cared for better and more insightful humans. These thoughts evolved … Continue reading Rules of Conduct – From the Pen of Thomas Jefferson
This thought feels more pertinent than ever right now. Instead of just finding faults in others, I think it wise to examine who else stands on the side you are on. Are these the people you want to be? The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to … Continue reading Escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane…
I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields was a wise philosopher with a great sense of humor.
I would like to re-share this older post I wrote about a caravaner, scholar, and philosopher I am quite intrigued by - Dugald Semple Dugald Semple was a Scottish philosopher of the early 20th Century and an advocate for simple living. After becoming and engineer he took to the woods and, for a period, a … Continue reading Dugald Semple and a Simple Life
Here's an interesting article about Thoreau's early career and the incident that may have been a catalyst for his move out of town into the woods nearby. As it happened a year before the Walden experiment, it may have had some bearing on the idea. From the Boston Globe: On April 30, 1844, Thoreau started … Continue reading Henry David Thoreau, “Woods Burner”
There is a need for learning the right stories in childhood. “Since it is so likely that (children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.” ― C.S. Lewis
"Hiking - I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not hike! Do you know the origin of that word ‘saunter?’ It’s a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the … Continue reading Hiking, Backpacking, or Just Enjoy the Walk
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 