Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? [Survival Today - an On going Thread #2]

May 05th,2008

[nw_arizona_granny]

Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training

I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood

[DelaWhere]

>>>Pecan Jelly<<<

Mmmm that sounds good...

One of my plans is to plant some pecan trees this spring... Love those things...

Maybe I will get a couple of big trees from TyTy Nursery in Georgia so I can have some starting this fall... LOL

[Alice in Wonderland]

Beehive hairdos!?! Humm, I do think I have a picture of me when I was in high school wearing one once, but I’m more of a braids type of person.

I’m surprised that NYC girls visted Fort Dix. Both my brothers were there and we drove down once or twice . . . it was a long drive.

And although I am officially a New Yorker, I lived in a little seaside community and avoided traveling to Manhattan as much as possible. Being transferred there prompted my taking early retirement.

If you click on my name there’s some information about my ‘home town’ and links to some youtube videos that offer a glimpse of the beach.

[DelaWhere]

>>>You forgot to include 1 gallon of Pepto Bismal.<<<

Maybe that recipe was counting on the peppers to kill the bacteria... LOL

Hey, I have a bunch of too hot peppers frozen that I will be using for insecticide this summer... Maybe botnulin is killed by it too.

[DelaWhere]

LOL Well, sometimes being too prepared just doesn’t help.

As you may have heard, that nice 65º weather when I planted the oats didn’t last...

As of this morning, 10” of snow and temperature about 21º - going down to 11º tonight.

Thought I would get out and see how the neighbors were doing, and had some checks to deposit in the bank... Well, I was prepared for the snow - Jeep did great - drove all the way into town and both banks were closed...

Thought I would treat daughter to an ice cream cone - they too were closed...

Of course daughter declared hey, why do I have school today (homeschool) and everything else is closed...

Checked on the neighbors (all OK)

Had to drive around 4 cars that were abandoned right in the roadway - 5 more were in the ditches and abandoned. (love my 4 wheel drives). Snow drifting quite a bit as the wind is 20 to 30 mph.

So, prepared as I am, still couldn’t do the things I wanted to do (bank and ice cream) because others weren’t prepared - Guess I need to keep that in mind if TSHTF.

So, daughter said ‘Hey Dad, can we just go home and you can make a real big batch of that homemade fudge...

LOL It is nice to be prepared... Is this roughing it?

There are some things we miss though...

Yesterday before the storm, my wife said - ‘You know, I keep feeling that I should rush to the store and grab eggs, bread, milk and stuff like we used to, and like everyone else is.’ She said she thought and thought and couldn’t think of anything we needed to get.

Maybe we should just have gone to socialize with all those unprepared souls.... Maybe I could print out some cards with Granny’s threads address, and I could hand them out at the store. LOL

Well, venison stew is cooking - maybe while the yeast rolls rise I can teach daughter to make that fudge...

Life is good!

Oh, I dismissed school for a half snow day - Daughter is now happy!

[DelaWhere]

>>>If you click on my name there’s some information about my ‘home town’<<<

I was a jump ahead of you - I had checked it out yesterday. Very touching and moving... My hat is off to you for caring enough to post that!

We all need to remember...

Hey, those New York girls used to come in bus loads...

I just figured there was a shortage of real men in that city... (Sorry, couldn’t resist that.)

[Marmolade]

I can’t put warm weather crops in the ground until about mid-May. Would you recommend I get mine started now, as well? or wait a few more weeks?

[nw_arizona_granny]

A little Monday Soul Food.

This is a nice garden blog, with lovely spring photos.

http://mcwort.blogspot.com/

It came from this nursery newsletter, that I signed up for, to
remind me that they have some of the most beautiful photos that I have been lucky enough to see.
granny

***TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF MY GARDENS AT***
http://www.sunfarm.com/tour/

***SUNSHINE FARM & GARDENS WEB PAGE***
http://www.sunfarm.com

***PREVIOUS SPECIAL OFFERS***
http://sunfarm.com/specials/

***READ ABOUT US IN GQ MAGAZINE***
http://sunfarm.com/images/GVQ08-2.pdf

[nw_arizona_granny]

Crafts and ideas:

http://web.mac.com/jwesolek/iWeb/cre8it/Blog/Blog.html

snipped:

These feelings can really get to you, because they give that inner “critic-of-the-artistic-lifestyle” all kinds of ammunition. And the critic tells you that you are frivolous, disorganized, self-indulgent, lazy, and you have no ability to follow-through. None of that feels very nice!

So you try to stay out of the art and craft stores until you have used up your art supplies (ha!), and force yourself to finish a project that has lost its energy for you and has been sitting untouched for a long time. It is not fun and you still don’t feel satisfied with it, and it still doesn’t get done.

This feeling leads you to think if you just ran out to the art store and got that other shade of red paint, the whole thing would work. But wait. You aren’t allowed to go to the art store.

You join some “art every day” challenge to force yourself to create - and use your supplies. By Day 3, something else gets in the way and you can’t fulfill that promise either. Another failure!!

You wallow in a big bowl of guilt. Now you don’t feel creative at all. You may as well go sit in the garden and eat worms, as my Grandmother used to say when I would whine about something.

It’s ALL too much
The truth is that we are right-brained beings trying to survive and thrive in a completely overwhelming environment. What’s the right brain got to do with it?

Left brainers have a fighting chance because they can at least try to take on one thing at a time. Men are particularly gifted at this, you may have noticed. Just try to get your DH to multi-task and see what happens.

The right brain tries to make sense of the big picture all at once, and the big picture these days is too darned BIG!

In a world that is so crazy-full of input, ideas, opportunities, obligations, and overload, trying to keep all that in an understandable “big picture” is just plain impossible and we need to give up trying.

Understand your silly self . . .
You are OK the way you are because you are the way artists are. You can prove this to yourself through the 50 arty Yahoo Groups you joined to see if anybody else was like you - or the 50 thousand artists’ blogs where shared angst abounds.

continued.

http://web.mac.com/jwesolek/iWeb/cre8it/Blog/9392987F-3DB7-41EF-AFCB-11890A65EAA7.html

[CottonBall]

Each of them were totally different, but you know, I think they all three (all depression era survivors) would make it today.

I imagine most from the depression era and many from the WWII era would have the right attitudes to make it. Today we've gone weak and whiny and people aren't built of the same stuff. At least, not the majority of people I see. I sure hope they can change when they need to.

There's a book out (one of hundreds in my Amazon wish list) that talks about 5 different personality types that make it into the 'Survivor's Club' - the fighter, believer, connector, thinker and eternal realist. Any of these can survive a situation, although each are different. I guess the author has interviewed numerous people that have survived all sorts of situations and came out with this break down of traits.

[CottonBall]

BTW, your description of your German GGmother had me laughing. One side of my family was from Czechoslovakia (similar personality types to Germans, I think) and my grandmother reminded me of her. We would go to visit her in Kansas, and when it was 6:30 and we weren’t up yet, she would come and open the drapes in our room, announcing that the day was being wasted. Then we’d go to have some fried mush for breakfast. The menu never changed - and neither did she. ;)

[CottonBall]

Your boonies are beautiful.

How are the summers there? We were in Corpus for a while and had to leave - the 95+ degree temperature combined with the 90+% humidity drove us out. But...the plants sure loved it! The acre or so we had there probably would’ve been a good idea when TSHTS (IF we had the electricity to run the A/C day and night)

[nw_arizona_granny]

You are right, it is a nice place.

The UTube does not work at all on my computer, the page is all gibberish.

I agree with you on rentals, they are more pain then they are worth, and still they are a way to build equity for the small investor.

It is good that you are in a spot that you enjoy.

[nw_arizona_granny]

LOL, I was afraid of the canning thread, and there were some lovely ideas on it, if one used up to date methods.

Thanks for checking and I will pass on canned hot dogs and a pint of grease in them.

[nw_arizona_granny]

BIP<<<

Glad to see you checking in..

LOL, have not a clue to what BIP means, hope it is good.

[nw_arizona_granny]

So, Granny, You CAN do whatever you have to do! Just make your mind up and do it!<<<

My mind can handle it, don’t think the body will.

[nw_arizona_granny]

One of my plans is to plant some pecan trees this spring... Love those things...<<<

Plant one for me too....Please.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Well, venison stew is cooking - maybe while the yeast rolls rise I can teach daughter to make that fudge...

Life is good!

Oh, I dismissed school for a half snow day - Daughter is now happy!<<<

Wonderful and your daughter had a good education today, checking on neighbors and fudge making.,.. all one needs to learn.

[DelaWhere]

>>>Wonderful and your daughter had a good education today, checking on neighbors and fudge making.,.. all one needs to learn.<<<

Well, since Christi grew up in the Tampa, Fla. area, the snow has been very exciting - She also got introduced to snowball fights, making a snowman, and making snow angels...
She was surprised at my snowball throwing accuracy - we set up a target and took turns hitting it with snowballs. Surprisingly I held up better than she did.

We finished dinner and she is sitting by the wood stove, and is getting drowsy and it is only 6 pm.

Tomorrow will be something else new for her... Sledding... Since we are flatlanders, we have to use the Jeep to propel (no hills)- round and round the field... (Please - no safety reminders - I am aware of the risks and do take care - tow rope is through a 1 1/2 inch pipe so she cannot slide into the back of the vehicle.)

[nw_arizona_granny]

Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZUCxBHeq04&feature=PlayList&p=C61F4F6D9D04A220&index=25

u-tube video on how to make the self-watering container that is like an Earth box.

---

An idea that would suit me....LOL
granny

I’m also looking at taking off the garage door
and building a glass wall to make that into a sun room. It’s on the south
side of the house and gets several hours of sun a day especially in the
winter but that is on hold until I repair what got smashed this last winter.
I decided that it was less expensive to build a workshop than a greenhouse
separate from this house and being able to get into the garage will make it
easier to care for my plants.

---

Check out this link.

http://michael.coxfam.org/wp-content/plugins/wp-download_monitor/user_uploads/Trash_Can_Potatoes.pdf

---

Here is what I have done,
Take a 5 gal bucket and drill many holes in the bottom with 1/4 bit.
Place this inside another bucket or water catch if your growing
indoors. Outside the water can drain right out on ground. Place about
5” of dirt in the bucket then take any potato and cut it in 1/2. Place
the two halfs on the dirt and cover with 5” of soil. Take another
potato and cut it place in of the dirt but not over the first potato.
Like a X pattern. Cover with 5” of dirt. Wait until you see the stems
pop up and as they grow fill the rest of the bucket up with dirt until
you reach the top. When they flower and die you are ready to harvest.
It will take 120 or days. I have used reg potatoes and organic but seem
to work fine. In bucket they will be smaller and only 10-12. Try it in
a large trash can for large harvest just be carfeul not to get to wet.
You can place some rock on the bottom of trash can to ensure drainage.

---

To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ediblecontainergardens/

[nw_arizona_granny]

Bugs-Be-Gone Bags

Posted By TipNut On February 8, 2008 @ 6:47 am In Crafty Ideas, Household, Sewing | 8 Comments

Picture Of Lavender Envelope [thegivingflower.de] - Tipnut.comMaterials Needed

Rosemary
Lavender Buds
Thyme
Lemongrass
Peppermint
Tansy
Cedar Chips

Cheesecloth, Muslin drawstring bags or fabric envelopes (free pattern download below)

Directions

* Fill small drawstring bags to hold between 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup of the herb mixture.
* Place bags in your pantry, closets, drawers, chests, under beds, hang in kitchen windows. You could also place the herbs in open, decorative bowls and place them in rooms.
* Roughly scrunch the bags periodically to help release their smells.
* Refill bags once they are no longer effective or hold no aroma.

The herb mixture helps to naturally deter and repel bugs and pests from the places you have stored the bags.

The picture above is from a free pattern for making pretty fabric envelopes to hold your lavender and herbs in, perfect for this purpose! You can find the pattern here [1] (pdf), source: The Giving Flower [2].

Here are some more herbal home helpers offered on Tipnut: Homemade Herbal Lavender Dryer Bags [3], Homemade Herbal Sleep Pouches [4] and How To Get Rid of Moths With Natural Repellents [5].
Also See These Tips:

* Homemade Herbal Bath Bag Recipes [6]
* Homemade Herbal Lavender Dryer Bags [3]
* Pantry Pests: Getting Rid Of Flour Bugs [7]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/bugs-be-gone-bags/

URLs in this post:

[1] pattern here: http://www.thegivingflower.de/patterns/Lavender%20Envelope%202.pdf

[2] The Giving Flower: http://thegivingflower.de/

[3] Homemade Herbal Lavender Dryer Bags: http://tipnut.com/homemade-herbal-lavender-dryer-bags/

[4] Homemade Herbal Sleep Pouches: http://tipnut.com/homemade-herbal-sleep-pouches/

[5] How To Get Rid of Moths With Natural Repellents: http://tipnut.com/how-to-get-rid-of-moths-with-natural-repellents/

[6] Homemade Herbal Bath Bag Recipes: http://tipnut.com/homemade-herbal-bath-bag-recipes/

[7] Pantry Pests: Getting Rid Of Flour Bugs: http://tipnut.com/pantry-pests/

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