I see opposites running thru your story. I see them in my life too. You talk about the small cottage and the smaller slave quarters, but you seem to stop short of saying that a larger living space would make your life better. I wonder how big the homes of your African ancestors are. I live in a small house too, and only an outdoor toilet. My wife always dreams of a bigger house, but I know it would be full to the brim with yardsale junk too, no matter the size. I dream of a buddhist-like simplicity, but that won’t happen while I am married to Ana. The other dichotomy is light/dark. Here I take vit d in the winter, and make sure I get outdoor exposure to keep me sane. When you live up a hollow, the sunlight is minimal, so driving out to work in folks yards gives me the light that I need. On the other hand, light at night disturbs my sleep pattern, so I try to minimize the late lighting to maximize the rest. It is all about balance, as I have found. Just like the soil. If you add too much calcium, then it won’t hold enough magnesium. Making sure you have “enough” of each element BEFORE you have more of anything. Avoiding excess (too much) of anything. Easier said than done. Our culture is FULL of excess, and it’s easy to come by if you take the advice of others. Balance is about constant tweaking.