Author: sandcastle

Thrive Market sounds like such a good idea. It’s an on-line store that carries only products (food, skin care, etc.) they have determined to be good for your health. In addition, each time you buy something they provide products to families who otherwise could not afford to own such healthful items. All this for a simple $79.99 annual fee. In addition to the products themselves, of course.

I was offered a 30 day free trial membership so, when I saw a couple products I thought I might like, I subscribed. I didn’t like one product at all and the other was not worth its price to me. So on day 28, I unsubscribed.

Then I got a response thanking me for trying them and asking why I unsubscribed. So, I said it did not seem to be value for my time and money to me.

Then I got a response to that. They didn’t think I had given them enough of a trial so they were extending my trial period for another 30 days. I said, “No thanks. Please unsubscribe me as I requested.”

Then I got an offer for a year’s membership for the reduced price of $29.99.

Again I said, “No thanks. Please unsubscribe me as I requested.”

The only response I got was one or two emails per day encouraging me to buy this or that product.

Then came the kicker. “We tried to charge your annual membership today but your credit card was rejected. Please, update your card info.”

Never was I so happy to have had a credit card cancelled.

Today I got that message about the invalid card along with another ad. I wonder how long the ads will continue before they finally realize I’m NOT buying anything? Including paying the annual fee?

TTYL,

Linda

Colin Wright, the guy who lived out of a backpack for several years while letting his blog readers choose his next destination, is settling down for awhile. As such he needs to furnish living space.

Kind of like we did when we moved out of the motorhome. We did it by first making a list of furniture we needed: desk, chair, kitchen table & chairs, living room chairs, end tables, entertainment center to hold a large screen TV, beds & dressers. Then we went to IKEA to see what they had in those categories.

I’ve always been drawn to Scandinavian style furnishings so it was easy for us to find every thing we need at IKEA. Then we had them deliver it all to our new apartment. Easiest move we ever made. Except for the “some assembly required” part, of course.

Now Colin is writing about his concept of the Minimal Viable Home at http://exilelifestyle.com/minimum-viable-home/.

And the settee that has been moving around among Dave’s family members since it belonged to his Grandma is coming back to live with us again. I have missed having a couch in our living room. It will be good to have a place to cuddle up for a nap once again.

After all, minimalism is figuring out what YOU want to have in YOUR life.

TTYL,

Linda

You don’t always have to be traveling to meet up with RV friends.

Sometimes they decide to tour your home state and you can meet up for a meal. We spent a most pleasant two hours reminiscing about RVing with Jerry and Janice on Monday. What a wonderful happening! And how fortunate that they called when I was having a good day!

TTYL,

Linda

TTYL,

Linda

This is Dave’s piano keyboard and stand that traveled with us in our RV. The keyboard stand and the music stand both fold up to be stashed when not in use. They sit out full time now that our house no longer moves.

The chair is a current dining chair that moves into position when Dave decides to play.

The cabinet on the left holds his head phones and music collection although, as you may have noticed, his headphones are sitting out at the moment.

The lamp moves onto the piano to better light the music.

The little black thing on the floor at the corner of the music cabinet is not part of the system. It belongs to the Roomba vacuum to tell it not to go under the piano.

The candle on the music cabinet is also not part of the system. That is one of our emergency candles that will burn for 90 hours in a power outage.

The other thing minimalist about this piano is how often Dave plays it. But, he does enjoy doing so when he decides it is time again.

TTYL,

Linda