The recent issue of "Mother Earth News" has an article on wabi-sabi - a Japanese "philosophy of appreciating things that are imperfect, primative, and incomplete." Reading the article, I was amused to see so many similarities with our own way of life, one I have always seen as decidedly western, the creation of a "domestic monestary." Slowness, simplicity, solitude, cleanliness, and hospitality belong as much to the east as to the west apparently, and I was inspired to find them flourishing so far from home!

It can be a special challenge to pursue cleanliness in a home with only one room and no closets. The winter requires that we store our chainsaw inside - to save it from sinking into the snow - it and the wood, kerosene and water take up space and don't add to the beauty of the place, but thanks to daily sweeping, straightening, and a continual re-assesment of our belongings, they don't take away from the beauty of the space either. Thankfully, another aspect of living we share with wabi-sabi is the enjoyment of imperfection!