Buying stuff and homemade sourdough bread

Pussy willows and Canada Geese

I was a bit surprised to read an article, "Who Knew? Shopping is Good for You" in yesterday's paper.  A study done in Taiwan discovered seniors who shop daily live longer.  Having visited Taiwan I'm guessing much of their shopping is for fresh fruits and vegetables, perhaps from street vendors.  This shopping also likely involves considerable amounts of walking or riding a bike.

Despite the crazy American consumer culture, I'm quite confident that he/she who buys the most stuff isn't the winner.  Bertrand Russell, the British philosopher and mathematician noted "It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly."

I'm reminded of my encounter with Ken earlier in the week, who's possessions seem to all fit within a five gallon bucket.  How many fewer constraints he has than most of us that are tied down by all of our stuff.

Sourdough bread

This morning I baked a loaf of sourdough bread.  There is a video on how to make this on YouTube.  It requires a lot of time to rest and rise. Another reminder of the value of patience for good things ;-)