Simple Living at Nottalottawatta

In an area of predominately maple and basswood forest, this oasis of birch and white pine feels like stepping into a different world.

Simple. The word is seductive... and deceptive. When applied to a life, all sorts of decidedly un-simple events begin to unfold: some things stay, many things go; connections otherwise unnoticed become increasingly significant. A person begins to divide tasks into those you can do yourself, those you can't, and among the latter, those you are determined to try. My friend Dave wrote: "If it was a simple life you were seeking, then you would punch a time clock, eat the same dinner and have the same bed time every day.  You would not be undertaking the complexities and uncertainties of building your own life."

Complexities? Uncertainties? That doesn't sound so simple. Perhaps the better word is, "intentional". Anyone who has attempted to apply some "intention" and do-it-yourself knows the complexity that comes from making your own laundry soap, rolling your own noodles, or raising your own food. But from that complexity comes self-sufficiency, greater self esteem, financial perks, greater understanding, and a shift in responsibility that brings the consequences of our living closer to home.

Whether you are looking to reclaim parts of your life, or are planning an off-grid homestead, I hope there is something here that will help you on your journey. If nothing else, it is good to know that you are not alone.

For me, the decision to live more intentionally comes from a desire to work for myself, the gratification derived from making something well, and a hunch that more folks living simply is exactly what the world needs right now.

A number of years ago I purchased four acres of birch and massive white pine on a lonely, little lake in northern Wisconsin, in my head a vague notion of where I was headed and what would transpire. When the lake level ebbed to almost grassland during seven years of below-average precipitation, the land was christened, "NottaLottaWatta." After building a timber-framed shelter, a wood-fired oven, a temporary residence in the trees, and a wood-fired pottery kiln, I think we are ready to tackle the big projects, those that will hopefully lead to a life in the woods.