What is "Rational Living?"

Welcome!

Okay, I am finally starting my journey into the world of blogging. I've been mulling over the idea of this blog for nearly a year, brainstorming topics and debating whether or not to bring it to fruition. But I've had the title pegged from the beginning. So, what exactly is "Rational Living?" Some of you know of my keen interest in WWII homefront rationing and how part of me wants my family to live within those rations for a period of time to see what discipline and self-sacrifice are like. Maybe this blog will someday be about that experience, but for now it's really an amalgam of ideas and doings and changes and discussions. I think the best way to get to the core of this blog is to look at the words themselves.

Ration (noun): a share, especially determined by supply
Ration (verb): to use sparingly

Rational (adjective): having reason or understanding

Living (adjective): having life
Living (noun): means of subsistence
Living (noun): conduct or manner of life

"Rational Living" is about taking only our share and sharing with others. It's about using less so that others have more. "Rational Living" is living within our means and living with meaning, and doing our best to not be driven crazy by the materialistic and consumer-driven expectations of our society. It's about living in a way that mirrors your beliefs which is, in all honesty, really really hard to do. It's not about perfection; I'm not perfect, my family's not perfect and neither are the readers of this blog. It's about real people asking questions and learning from each other and making changes.

Reader participation and feedback are most definitely encouraged.

Some of the common tags you'll see on this blog include sustainable living, gardening, conservation, canning and food preservation, recycling, ethical eating, hunting, petroleum-free, reusing and environmentally-friendly.

Book and movie reviews, recipes and even restaurant recommendations will be included in the content. Let me know if you have a suggestion!

Thanks for reading this and I'd be honored if you followed the blog and became an active commentator on "Rational Living."

--Rational Mama