Skip to main content

The Power of Half

Image
By


I was VERY excited about this book when I read about it (in a magazine? on a plane?). The idea that this family decided to sell their house and live with less in order to make a difference in others' lives intrigued me..... I also should have known it was too good to be true.

What I liked about the book: I like that the daughter (who is currently a jr. in high school) writes a little something within each chapter. They tend to be more action points (how to figure out what to do/encourage each other, etc). I like that the book shows how they grew together as a family unit (at the beginning the parents were driving the kids to activites: the car and the dinner table were their family time). And I like that they picked one project and are sticking with it (in this case a 5 year commitment) as opposed to giving a lump some to an organization they like and walking away. I like that they were already involved in some organizations in ATL beyond just cutting them a check.

What I didn't like: The title (and marketing campaign) are deceiving. This family sold their house (well, 2 years after putting it on the market) and they gave 1/2 of that money away. They moved to a smaller house, that was around the corner from their current house. They had to give up some possessions (due to the lack of space), but they didn't give up their lifestyle (eating out, sports, cleaning people, private schools, etc). I did note that the book mentioned that at the end their daughter was driving an 8 year old car....but I don't know if that was choice or because of their family's financial situation (during the process the dad "loses" his job and the mom switches careers resulting in a 50% pay cut).

Overall, I think that their idea was good (that we don't need these huge houses that state our status). But I didn't see them living with less.... and not all of us have a 1.9 million dollar home that we should downsize from. But I guess the real issue is that I always feel you could do more.... and I should realize that moving from this huge & prestigious house might have been all they could do - to start. They did deal with a lot of criticism from friends (and currently the general public). And I applaud them for seeing problems and struggling through how their family can make a difference.

So I will continue to wrestle with what I can do personally - and if I move to Atlanta, I have a list of charities all ready in hand!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Simple Truth Organic Thin & Crispy Vegan Crust & Pizza Sauce

By
We were sent samples of Simple Truth Organic Thin & Crispy Vegan Pizza Crust & Pizza Sauce.  We rounded out our samples with Kroger Pizza Blend Cheese, Kroger Pepperoni and Kroger Bella Mushrooms.  What can I say - we're a Kroger loving family! My little helper loved spreading the sauce and then all the ingredients.  I'm not sure all the cheese made it on the pizzas! Overall, this was good, but I'm not sure we'll purchase the crust again.  The "vegan" part didn't affect the taste as far as I could tell.  I LOVED that the crust was crispy (like a cracker almost), but where the toppings were it was a wee bit softer.  The texture was a+.  I felt like the crust had zero taste.  I did, however, enjoy the taste of the sauce.  I don't like my pizza sauce overly spicy or sweet and this one fit the bill - this we will purchase again. Can’t top the great taste of this #SimpleTruthOrganic Vegan pizza crust! #MyMagaz...
Post a Comment
Read more

Robin's Egg Blue

By
What color is more vibrant, calming, and fun all mixed into one? For me, it is a bright robin's egg blue. It can be a statement color, and accent color, or whatever you want it to be. I have to give my boy the credit for finding this chest sometime last year. I apologize I didnt really get a "before" picture. The chest was painted brown. Why you would ever really paint wood brown, is beyond me. Especially this chest. It is a cedar chest, smells wonderful and has beautiful, rich natural wood. I sanded this one down, because I wanted to salvage the beauty. However, even then, the brown paint remained in the carvings on the front and in the grooves of the legs. I would have saved that beautiful wood too, but you already know I did not. Why did I not, you may ask? (Especially when I keep going on and on and on about the wood...) Because of this. The top. Sigh . The pictures dont really do it justice, but there are grooves going opposite the grain, making it look scratched. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's Cookin Wednesday - Sweet Potato & pinto bean tacos

By
SWEET POTATO AND PINTO BEAN TACOS adapted from thugkitchen.com ....but there is offensive language on the site (and in the recipes) - so you've been warned! 3 cups of cooked pinto beans (about 2-15 ounce cans) 1 teaspoons of coconut or olive oil (Olive oil is what I had) ½ cup veggie broth or water (water....) 2 teaspoons smoked paprika or chili powder (I went chili powder) 2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses (I used what I had in the cabinet) 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (I have both of these at home usually, went with lemon juice this time around) 2-3 garlic cloves 1 pound of sweet potatoes (this should be about 2 cups when you chop it all up) ½ of a yellow onion 1 teaspoon coconut or olive oil salt to taste soft corn tortillas standard taco toppings that you like to add. Warm the first teaspoon of oil in a medium pot. Add the beans, water, chili powder, molasses, vinegar, and garlic. Get it to start bubbling slowly for about 5 m...
Post a Comment
Read more