A New Year ....

After the flood last June many things changed some good, some bad. We sort of lost touch with everyone we were riding with except my nephew Mikey. The whole summer was a blur. Everyone was busy rebuilding their lives or adapting to change. I got new job duties at work, and that (and still is) very stressful.
Needless to say, this is a new year! I'm trying to find the "silver lining". It can be a very depressing world these days- watching the news is very disheartening listening to the global fianancial devistation, and war. In spite of the dismal outlook of mankind, I think there is still hope for a better world. And it starts from within. I believe that each of us can make a difference each day by learning to be more self reliant- stop taking the easy way out. I look around me everyday, and I see "spoiled and selfish" people. And yes, I can very easily be one of those people too. It's very easy to fall into the ways of the world today. How many people would actually know how to (let alone have the ambition) to grow their own food? I'm speaking about the majority- I know that there are people out there who do have the knowledge and ambition to do this, but these days they are a minority. I look at the children today, and I feel that sports, and a social life rank much higher than the ability to learn basic survival skills. Again, not all kids, just most that I see. I have kids too, and I see them taking the easy way. I hope that someday they too will realize what I am trying to say to them. Kind of like my dad used to try to tell me things that would make me more knowledgable- but I just kept saying to myself (until I was about 28) what could he know! Wow, he knew alot! And now after all these years, I finally get it!




So, what am I going to do this year to be more self reliant? I have had a garden for about the past ten years, but never tried to preserve anything that I grew. Well, last summer, I decided that with the price of food going up that I was going to try canning. My mom came over, and helped me make Sweet Pickles, and Dill Pickles. I remembered watching her make them when I was a kid, and thought that it looked like way too much work. But, I realize now, that she was doing it not only because she cared enough to work that hard for her family, but it was also saving alot of money- which we didn't have alot of! I really had a great time that day with my mom- one I will never forget! I then went on to try canning Tomato Sauce, and Spaghetti Sauce- both of which turned out very well. I also froze corn, beans, peas, and peppers. So, to answer the question of what I am going to do to be more self reliant....I am going to expand what I grow and preserve. And I will continue to try and find ways to cut back on buying needless things- but clothes are not included :-) I would like to get back into sewing more....

I'd also like to write a book; for years I've wanted to write one. Maybe this will be the year that I finally get it done!




I also need to make mention of what Mike does to help us be more self reliant....several years ago we put in an outdoor wood furnace, and we are basically able to heat our entire house (and our hot water)! We do have two fireplaces that use gas, but they don't get used very often. He spends almost every weekend in the winter cutting wood so that we don't have to be reliant on the energy company! It has saved us tons of money. Mike also hunts, so we usually have a deer to last us throughout the year. This year however, he was not able to find the time to go out hunting. However, his boss told him that his friends have an extra one. If we do indeed get the deer we decided we are going to try making our own sticks. We've made lots of jerky, but have never tried making sticks.