The Simple Life

One of the things I love about being in Rio is that we've been forced to slow down.  I'm referring to it as the Simple Life - where the daily tasks of life seem to be savored more because of the sense of accomplishment you feel from the extra effort you have to put into them! 

And because of all the extra elbow grease, I have less time to focus on other busy-ness!  So while I'd normally be working on "the biz," I now have to consciously set aside time for enjoying "the simple things" - ya know, soaking and cooking the beans (because you can't buy them canned here - except for the white ones), hanging the laundry to dry (because most apartments, including ours, do not have dryers), hand-washing the dishes (again, a dish washer is a rare thing here indeed), walking to the grocery store multiple times a week (since you can only buy what you can carry home)...that kind of thing! 

But you know what?  I love it.

And to make it even better - to sweeten the deal, if you will - they've got all of these nifty gadgets to help you enjoy the Simple Life even more!!!

Here's our laundry nook, tucked away at the end of our kitchen.
After a wash cycle is complete, I just lower one of my two nifty
clothes-dryers, arrange the wet clothes with some TLC, then use the little hand crank (on the right wall next to the lightswitch) to raise the clothes up to the ceiling and out of the way!  So fun!  There's even a window to open to let in a lovely breeze to help in the drying process!  I mean, who knew laundry could be this much fun?!  (Okay, the rough-as-sandpaper, stiff-as-a-board dried underwear is not the greatest, but we're dealing with it.  I hear there's a spray you can use to soften things up a bit...I hope it's not a myth.)

Next, we have the kitchen, looking nice and clean after an evening meal.  The dishes have all been washed and put up to dry on the ever-so-convenient dish racks, perched right above the sink and complete with removable drip pan underneath the bottom rack.  This too gets even better!

Now you see the dishes...                              















...now you don't!  Tah dah! 
I mean, if I have to do the dishes, I want to do them just like this!
Lah-ove.


Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that simplicity doesn't mean doing nothing - it means taking the time to love what you're doing.  Even if it's doing the dishes....again...