About





Welcome !

My name is Michelle and I am chasing a simple, joyful life!





I call it A Vision Splendid - it's a vision I have that sits out there on the horizon that I try to move towards. This blog is a record of my journey to this simple joyful life.

To do this , I look backwards and try and draw principles and wisdom from 'the old days' - things my Grandmother taught me. I try to take the best of the old knowledge and combine it with my modern geekish ways to bring joy to my family and myself.

The second season of A Vision Splendid came about as our family grew and the basis like budgeting, cooking and family routines were taken care of. My focus then moved to self care, chasing joy and helping other women find ways to bring back their sparkle for life.

During the ‘changes’ that hit in 2020–2022 throughout the world, I saw a need to return to these basic principles and once again I started writing and talking about this ‘vision splendid’ as a means of slowing down, reiving some old wisdom and seeking a more simple, joyful life.


The Background Story: 


A Vision Splendid originally came about in 2001.

At that time I had a newborn and a 3 year old and was visiting with my Grandmother. Out of pure frustration one day I said to her...

" why is it that we have all the labour saving devices under the sun yet we seem to have no time to do anything ? " 

The answer she gave me was truly life changing - I took my laptop and typed out every word that she said.

You see, everyone I knew (including me)  were too rushed to cook a meal, opting for takeaway more frequently than the budget and the waistline should allow, too rushed to do housework, too busy to have friends over for afternoon tea, struggling with finances and even though both parents work in good jobs and stressed beyond measure.

In comparison, my Grandmother raised her four children in a house they built from scratch without any electricity or town water. She didn’t have a job, yet made income through various sources. She cooked for shearers, often cooking a hot meal for breakfast for ten or so men. She milked the cow, made bread, collected eggs, grew vegies, sewed clothes, made soap, washed clothes in the copper, made butter, cooked everything from scratch and balanced the family budget.


My Grandmother at 95years - with her seedlings .



In contrast, there was me. Sure, I had a lap top, a washing machine, a clothes dryer, a great car, a microwave oven, an ipod and an electric wok and yet I was struggling to get a load of washing on the clothesline, make the beds and remember to take back the DVDs. ( as you did back then.)

When I was typing her words,  it was like a veil had been lifted and I began to recognise the tremendous wisdom in what she was saying. I realised how lucky I was to be able to sit and learn from someone who started life in a house with a dirt floor and was now using a microwave oven.
And so the phrase, live simply, live joyfully. Follow the old paths they are tried and true was born.



My hope for you..... 

if you have read this far, I am hoping that these words resonate with you and that my journey provides you with some level of joy and encouragement for your own journey.

They say that you write what you need to hear and that is cetainly the case with me. I am so far off my vision, but I enjoy the journey. As you read, I hoping that you will reach out and share your own journey.

I would love for you to get in touch !


Many blessings to you,

Michelle





















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