About

Hello . . . and welcome to Our Empty Nest.

Our Empty Nest is all about beauty, peace, and comfort, surrounding yourself with simple pleasures, and infusing serenity and joy into your life. We believe you can live well and comfortably without sacrificing a lot of time, freedom, or money to do it.

Once upon a time, Tom and I were married with children. We weren’t married to each other, but that’s a long story. The short of it is, we were married to other people, living on opposite ends of Ohio and, after many years of raising kids and a divorce or two, we managed to find each other.

O, happy day . . . life is good.  Our children are grown and on their own, and it’s just the two of us. We’ve downsized, bought a smaller house and settled in, and are in the process of simplifying our lives.

Sometimes less is more. Having a smaller house, smaller yard, and fewer material possessions means less work, fewer expenses, and more time for the two of us to savor life more fully. Little things we scarcely noticed before have become more meaningful and make every day a joy—walking the dog, quiet evenings, a delicious meal, fat fragrant roses, hummingbirds in the garden, new buds on a tree.

“When you build your life around simplicity, you reduce the number of out-of-balance things that can disrupt your happy living.” —Anastasiya Goers, Balance In Me

Through the years we accumulated many beautiful things. Having a smaller house makes it difficult for us to find room for it all. As we go through the process of sorting through everything, we’ll be offering some of these treasured items for sale here at Our Empty Nest. Stay tuned. Who knows? You might find something you like.

My blog, Simple Pleasures, is my baby. I do much of the writing; but you’ll find guest posts by others, too, that I hope you find as interesting, informative, and inspirational as I do. I’ve also posted articles with photos and ideas galore to help stimulate the creative juices. Sometimes reading what others have to say or seeing how others live is just the push we need to propel us on our own journey forward.

Here are my blog’s main topics:

• Living Simply – Inspiration to help you simplify your life and transform it into something joyous and more meaningful.
• Cooking for Two – A few of our favorite family recipes and others I’ve collected that are worth sharing.
• Entertaining at Home – Suggestions for gracious and easy ways to celebrate the holidays and other special occasions.
• Decorating 101 – Decorating ideas, tips and techniques, and helpful hints on how to create a home that is warm, inviting, and comfortable . . . a relaxing retreat that pleases the senses and renews the soul.
• Trips and Travels – Places we’ve been or would like to visit as well as a few tips and thoughts on traveling.
• Life and Living – My reflections on life before, during, and after children . . . and other stuff I affectionately call “blah blah blah.”