Just Humans Being...

After celebrating 40 years together, we thought we should write this blog post as we are often asked " What’s your secret?" We usually joke it's our shared sense of humour and that's true - laughter is a big part of it, but the real answer runs much deeper... We are best friends. We can easily talk for hours, mostly about crap and of course - we have also had our share of serious moments too. We have learned that love grows stronger not in perfection, but in patience, acceptance, and continuing to support each other. It’s been pointed out to us that we regularly express gratitude to each other — and it’s funny that others have noticed. Saying “thank you,” whether to each other or to anyone we appreciate, is simply second nature. It’s just who we are. Kindness matters deeply to us, and showing gratitude is a natural part of that. Science confirms what we’ve experienced:  Couples who see each other as best  friends  report higher relationship satisfaction.   Shared l...

We have realised that although we love the idea of being minimalists, we doubt it will ever happen. Living simply is not the same...even though we only ever buy stuff we absolutely need, have far fewer things than we did 10 years ago and have readily adapted to living with less.  Originally, this idea grew from a desire to reduce our "carbon footprint" - to live sustainably and ethically. We've been on an intentional and frugal path since the 90s. Now here we are - living in the smallest of homes; the tiny home dream from so many years ago has become reality.   It suits the way we are living right now as we only ever seem to be here for a couple of weeks at a time before heading off again on another pet sit.  Minimalism requires discipline which is one trait neither of us really possesses. Yes, we have a business - we are responsible and reliable, but we also embrace being idle. We can both have moments of wanting to have a neat and tidy space, but it doesn't really ...

We are feeling a little discombobulated at the moment - going from one pet sit to another. We took a long assignment in Surrey over Christmas and it catapulted us into this whole new world of noise. The constant hum of traffic from the M25 and M3, the planes continually flying to and from Heathrow, the busyness everywhere...so many people and so many dogs. There are no quiet retreats, unless you get lucky in the Surrey Hills maybe on a wet day in January. It was a shock to the system and we both felt it. The energy of the place just doesn't feel good. Woodland car parks are dogging hangouts and each time we thought we'd found a place off the beaten track - it would soon dawn on us that the same guys are turning up.  The young pooch we were with also struggled when walks were busy, so we were constantly trying to find nice places to visit. On our last day we ventured into the Surrey Hills on a recommendation and discovered the Albury Estate and it was perfect for all of us. Tree...

Feeling much gratitude... This beautiful house has become our second home this year and it's funny that we dreamed of living in a thatched cottage many years ago and now here we are.  We never imagined that when we first visited six years ago on a pet sitting assignment, that the owners would fast become such good friends - they offered to take care of Mabel while we are pet sitting and our arrangement is working out perfectly. We have visited frequently throughout the year and get to take over the kitchen and cook up vegan feasts for us all using fresh veggies from the garden. This time, we've been here for a couple of weeks - pet sitting their sweet chum as well as Mabel and today and we are heading back to Cornwall. I've found myself enjoying morning rituals again ( I go through phases of starting the day around 6am). I love early mornings and feel there’s magic in the quiet stillness, especially in this  quintessential English country cottage garden, which is a joy to s...

Most of us live in a culture that equates productivity with success and it's easy to feel like we're always falling behind. Our days are filled with tasks, meetings, and endless to-do lists, and we're led to believe that more is always better. But what if the key to a more fulfilling life lies not in doing more, but in doing less? Doing less is not about laziness or inaction - it's about living intentionally. When we reduce our commitments, we create space for what truly matters: joy, peace, and purpose. This shift allows us to focus on relationships, creativity, and self-care - the things that nourish the soul. Moreover, doing less can significantly reduce stress and burnout. By simplifying our lives, we give ourselves permission to rest, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters. This practice aligns with the principles of simple living, slowing down, and intuitive healing - all of which support holistic well-being. In a world that never stops moving, doing less ...

A Deeper Connection, One Page at a Time In a time of endless scrolling and constant distractions, one of the most powerful ways to build a lasting relationship might be the simplest...reading together. It’s more than just sharing a book - it’s about sharing a mindset, emotions, and a journey.  Couples who read together aren’t just passing time; they’re building a life of long-term intimacy, understanding, and joy. A Shared Language of Love Books open doors to conversations you might never have otherwise. Whether it’s a novel’s moral dilemma or a memoir’s raw honesty, discussing stories helps you see your partner’s values, fears, and dreams in a new light. It builds empathy, trust, and a deeper emotional connection. Grow Smarter, Together Reading stimulates the brain, reduces stress, and slows cognitive decline. When you do it with your partner, you create an intellectual partnership. You challenge each other, learn new things, and grow wiser - side by side. Over time, this shared c...

We have always been astounded that we can go on many walks in Cornwall and barely see anyone else. Since having Mabel this has become very noticeable, as we are out daily - we do prefer to steer clear of touristy places, but it's still a surprise when we don't see anyone on most of our walks. We often start considering the idea that perhaps WWIII has broken out and we didn't receive the message, though usually end up wondering if there's something on TV that keeps folks hooked to their screens instead of enjoying being out and about. It's quite bizarre, especially as there were supposedly over 3 million extra people visiting Cornwall during the summer school holidays. We see evidence on the roads and on the beaches, though we tend to stay away from all the popular destinations and instead we get to indulge in the peace and quiet of lesser visited spots.  Mabel is having great fun in Hampshire for a while - we went to visit her and our friends over there and have ret...

It's nearly 15 years since we started this blog and it seems that we have been on quite a journey. There has always been much change in the 39 years we have spent together and we do seem to shake things up now and again. It feels good.  Right now, we are choosing a life that has more variety, more adventures and less stuff. We have fallen in love with the caravan we are living in and have been pleasantly surprised at how well the 3 of us sleep in here. We have started to clear our stuff in storage - getting rid of pretty much everything and slimming down what we have with us.  We love living simply and have come to realise how we really don't need much at all. We want to travel more and travel lightly. Food is the thing that we tend to have lots of when going away and on some pet sits we even take kitchen equipment too, though we are getting better at letting go and making do. We're streamlining, ridding ourselves of junk and starting to replace the things we need with bett...

Our beautiful chum came to live with us on the last day of March 2025. Mabel was just a few weeks old when we first began taking care of her and we very soon  became her legal guardians, agreeing to find her a lovely new home should anything happen to her Mum. Over the last 7 years we have grown to love this cheeky buddy and when the time came for us to help out - we decided that we would have her...just like that...we had only discussed a few days before that we didn't see ourselves having more pets, so it was such a bizarre thing that as soon as we were asked; we both said without hesitation - YES!!! She brings so much joy to our lives and to others who come into contact with her - she is our little angel and we absolutely adore her! We have lots of fun and we look forward to having many years of adventures together. Follow us on Facebook  and Instagram  to keep up with our adventures. Much love, Kay, Sime and Mabel xxx  

We are pet sitting on Dartmoor again. We love the bleak and wild countryside, the beauty and being surrounded by the quiet nature. This stunning house we are in for the wee k is very comfortable with all mod cons, it is incredibly warm with ground source heating, solar panels and huge south facing windows in the sunroom.  Our home for over 4 years has been like living in one big sunroom and we can't imagine ever choosing to live anywhere gloomy. When the sky is clear the cabin fills with sunshine through the day and moonlight at night. We don't have curtains and only 3 low energy lightbulbs, so we rely on natural light. It's always a shock when we go to somewhere with bright artificial lights and find ourselves itching to get out. We like a quiet, simple life - nothing brash, bright and loud, just peace and harmony.  This year we have decided to leave the farm.  It's time for some adventures; to travel and possibly find another place to be. We would like a motorhome aga...

Wisdom demands a new orientation of science and technology toward the organic, the gentle, the elegant and beautiful. ~ EF Schumacher ~ Schumacher wrote his book "Small is Beautiful" in 1973 and for us - it is still relevant today.  We haven't had internet at home for nearly a month and it's interesting how we first saw it as a big issue and ventured out daily to get a signal to keep on top of messages, but as time's gone on - we find ourselves not bothering and instead embrace a gentle and quieter life...apart from when digging out old CDs for a bit of music now and again! We realise how wonderful it is to have time away from the world and the little impact the fear mongering propaganda really makes to our lives. We have no interest in news, but unfortunately many people on social media are fully immersed in it's misery and like to shout out about it. Having time away from all this is great.  While technology is moving faster and faster - with AI and the push...

  Are you living your best possible life? "You grow old when you lose interest in life, when you cease to dream, to hunger after new truths, and to search for new worlds to conquer.  When your mind is open to new ideas, new interests, and when you raise the curtain and let in the sunshine and inspiration of new truths of life and the universe, you will be young and vital." ~ Joseph Murphy ~ In our little world we see much beauty and try to take time to enjoy the simplicity in our lives. We love the flexibility and variety of our business and feel good about doing what we do. Working with people and animals is definitely our thing. Earlier in the year we considered taking on extra cleaning work, though neither of us really wanted to venture down that road. We were looking at ways of increasing our income, but we have no desire to clean up after tourists anymore - we did it for many years and are happier now that our business has evolved to focus more on people and animals rath...