A Simple Life Of Simple Gifts

"We fill the hands and nurseries of our children with all manner of dolls, drums and horses, withdrawing their eyes from...nature, the sun and moon, the animals, the water and stones which should be their toys." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

And, often in these modern times:

"...we are robbed of that rare and wonderful satisfaction that comes with personal accomplishment. In early times, nearly every single thing a person touched was the result of his own efforts. The cloth of his clothing, the meal on the table, the chair he sat in, and the floor he walked upon, all were made by the user. This is why those people had an extraordinary awareness of life...so full of inner satisfaction, so grateful for life and all that went with it." ~ Eric Sloane

"Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts, of life are not only dispensable, but hindrances to the elevation of mankind." ~ Henry David Thoreau

"The greatest wealth is to live content with little." ~ Plato

"Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can ~ no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man." ~ John Lennon