John Allen

Holding Things Loosely

Having written earlier about how attending the funerals of those who have died unexpectedly or prematurely can often increase our awareness of wanting to live a more meaningful and deliberate life, that only happens for those not intimately connected. For... Read >

How to Get the Most From Smaller Living Spaces

Moving into a smaller place after being accustomed to "living large" requires a little adjustment. Not having to think about where to put things is one of the upsides of a big house, albeit a downside may be forgetting where we put them. At any rate, crea... Read >

Simpler Living – Ditch the House

Sound drastic? Maybe so, and admittedly it's not for everyone. But for those who may be at the place where they're open to considering a lifestyle change or ways to free up time to pursue other interests, read on. Most of us get to this point due to vario... Read >

Does Coffee Really Taste All That Good?

Or has it just become a habit? Before anyone gets up in arms lambasting this as a blasphemous suggestion, be assured that the question comes not from an observer, but a partaker. Specific qualifications include: decades of indulging in somewhere betwe... Read >

Feeling Mortal

Funerals have a way of stopping you up short. I can think of few other events that have such an ability to make one pause and reflect on the important things in life. I'm not one of those who get morbid when someone dies, but I do find myself more contemp... Read >

How To Do Your Moving Sale the Right Way

Private sales to dispose of household and other items are called many things, broadly related to the objective. Garage or yard sales are usually about clearing out excess to create space or earn a little cash. Estate sales generally mean someone passed on... Read >

The End of an Era

The year ended with the passing of an institution in the world of diving. Anyone familiar with diving in the Caribbean, surely knows about Bob Soto's Diving on Grand Cayman. Well it seems it is no more. Along with the other dive operators and pretty much ... Read >

Just-In-Time Life – Riding the Edge of Disaster

Our modern age of convenience makes just about everything we need or want available with a click on the computer, a phone call, or at worst a drive to the neighborhood store. There isn't much we can't have delivered or have done for us, and very few of ou... Read >

Live Life Deliberately

Life is lived best by making the choice to live it deliberately. Accomplishing this requires focusing on what's important, making a plan, and going for it. Sometimes fate presents an occasion to do so as a result of corporate downsizing, or perhaps some o... Read >

Eliminating the Phone Bill with VoIP

I expect I'm part of the majority when saying my communication costs seem to have grown exponentially. Expenses for phone, fax, cell phone, high-speed internet, cable, satellite, etc., have all combined to seriously raise the bar on what I can get done, b... Read >

Downsizing Successfully Requires a Right-sized Approach

There are a myriad of reasons for downsizing and moving to a smaller place. It may be the kids are grown and space isn't needed, or perhaps a financial setback has occurred. Or maybe it's simply a choice of wanting more time to pursue other things besides... Read >