Simple Abundance

In today's Treasure Hunting column, I write about the quiet pleasure to be found "puttering" around the house. One of my favorite references is "Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy," by Sarah Ban Breathnach . The book has been around since the mid-1990s, but I still thumb through my copy now and then.
In "Simple Abundance" Ban Breathnach captures the essence of nesting. Home is where we focus our energy and recharge our batteries.
I like the way she writes about her love of poking through dusty antique shops and flea markets, even when she can't afford to buy anything. (I suspect that after the success of the book, and her subsequent books, she doesn't have that problem anymore.)
Any antique lover will tell you that time spent strolling through a shop or flea market is restorative. You don't always have to bring something home to enjoy treasure hunting.
Ban Breathnach tells us to celebrate the things we love, whether they are valuable antiques, or small mementos. They are the true centerpieces of our homes. Far more important than a $2000 sofa or custom-made Dupioni silk draperies.