Inspired by our new coronavirus normal of stepping back, physically and in the way we now find ourselves living our lives, Patti has chosen “Simplicity” as the subject for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. Follow the link to Patti’s original challenge post.
When it comes to simplicity we can take a lesson from dogs. Dogs have simplicity down to a fine art. Eat, play, make us smile and sleep.
Lexi romping in the park
Rainey peek’s from under the table
Lexi catching some Z’s
“And if the world went to hell in a handbasket-as it seemed to be doing-you could say good-bye to everyone and retreat to your land, hunkering down and living off it.”
~ Jeannette Walls, Half Broke Horses
If you want to find simplicity, look towards the rural.
A farm in Virginia’s Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge farm
“If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee.”
― Abraham Lincoln
“All sorrows are less with bread.”
― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Sometimes the simplest meals are the best. While we were in Montreal I used to get up early and sit on the back porch with a simple breakfast and a book while Cora slept. 
“Never waste any amount of time doing anything important when there is a sunset outside that you should be sitting under!”
~ C. JoyBell C.
Almost every evening brings the opportunity to enjoy the simple beauty of a sunset. Like snowflakes every sunset is unique.
Pigeon Point on California’s Central Coast
San Pablo Bay
I take no credit for the following photo beyond doing what I could to revive it in PS (sorry if I broke the rules). The photo was taken in Southern Italy during World War II. My dad (on the left) and his buddy share a respite and a bottle of wine. I included it because it represents the essence of a simple pleasure in hard times. A reminder that even in the hardest of times we can find a few simple moments of comfort. 
Simply beautiful. And oh how therapeutic our pets are during any times of stress and fear.
Lovely post 😊❤
And I do want to comment on the beauty and meaning of the last photo. So so true. Thank you!
Thank you Lisa. The picture of the my dad and his army buddy is part of a collection that I ran across while I was going through stacks of documents and photos. It’s been a project to try and restore the photos in Photoshop.
I need to learn Photoshop. I’m learning Lightroom but it’s a slow learning process for me. I bet that was an amazing discovery! I think that would be a fun project.
Paulie, this is a wonderful post! I enjoyed every bit of it. The wisdom and simplicity of dogs, the beautiful country scenes, and the shot of your dad in Italy during WWII. So true. We can learn from others who have lived through a great deal of hardship, like your dad. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, images, and memories with us.
Thank you Patti for visiting and for your kind words. I learned a lot about hardship from both my father (Great Depression and WWII) and my mom who was an Italian war bride and lived through the German occupation and Fascist government of Mussolini. The lessons stuck and I’ve tried to pass the lessons along to my children and grandchildren.
Wow. Beautiful beautiful photos and quotes. M’lady’s father is a living WWII vet, France and Germany.
Thank you John. My dad didn’t go any further than Rome. He actually stayed until 1947 and brought home an Italian war bride – my mom.
Cool!