The Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill still speaks clearly of the folks who lived there. While life could not have been easy, they seem to have found a simplicity and a satisfaction missing in much of our busy lives today. Rather than go back to those times, I wonder what we can learn from them and pull forward or discover, already here, but hidden in our blindness. Meditation, satisfaction from labor, singing together, community, practical design? I don’t mean to romanticize, only suggest we might borrow what still works today.
The main entry door to a building built in the early 1800s.
The community manufactured and sold thousands of booms to produce income for the community
Seeds were also produced and sold widely to generate income.
Spinning must have been a meditation for many.
The woven designs were stunning and bright.
Some of the more intricate patterns took days to set up on the looms.
A shelf in the well-used kitchen.
What a joy it must have been to handle this colander every day.
Simple, strong lines and gorgeous light.
Beautiful chairs, hung on pegs when not in use.
Singing together, and “shaking,” were both demonstrated beautifully by one of the staff.
We stayed in this small building, Tanyard, which formerly housed 20 or 30 people.
Still Learning To See 
Thoreau comes to mind for me (as he often does), with his advice: “Simplify, simplify.” All the busyness of the modern world can seem overwhelming, but in the end, each one of us CHOOSES what we will do with our days. He also said, “Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.” The Shakers–and the Amish–have made choices about how they will live. Even if we don’t make those same choices, we can all learn from them to be more honest about our own. Thanks yet again 🙂