September: 1) get finances in better order by consolidating retirement accounts and canceling extraneous credit cards. 2) organize books, videos, CDs and games
October: 1) learn to make hard cider. 2) work on sewing skills
November: 1) put in vegetable garden
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Update on goals from earlier this summer
Goal #1: reduce electric usage
Pretty pitiful actually. I suspect the pet sitter may have turned up the a.c. way more than the damned cat needed. We were gone most of July and yet we used the same amount of electricity as the year before, when we were gone only half of July. Hmph.
The kids still don't turn out lights. I haven't been cooking... er, preparing cold foods for meals often. We leave our computers on a lot. Hubby leaves the phone charger plugged in all the time. And we still haven't installed a programmable thermostat.
Must be nice still living in the pre-Peak Oil world. Ahhhhhhh.
Goal #2: improve food storage
This is going well. I cleared out three large shelves in the laundry room for food storage. We are getting things rearranged in the garage to even more improve storage out there, so more non-perishable things can get out of the laundry room, and we can acquire more if we feel necessary.
Working on actually using some of this food -- like the giant bags of rice my husband bought. I still need to get some extra-large containers to keep that in after I open a bag.
Goal #3: Acquire some stuff
We've bought a few things. Need to get more. I have a list for Home Depot for after I get a gift card from there I am expecting as a rebate.
Goal #4: Start a compost bin
Still a work in progress. I did get a rain barrel. And I have a small bin in the kitchen that we can put scraps in during the day to later take out to the compost bin, once we have that. And we bagged up 2 large garbage bags of pine needles that will start up the compost bin. They are probably already decomposing in those black bags sitting out there in the sun...
I also labeled a large food container with "Soup Dump Bowl" and put that in the freezer. Now when we have leftover veggies or boneless meat, we can throw it in there, and every once in awhile make a big pot of soup.
If Hurricane Gustav hits us, we'll be seeing how well we did on goals 2 and 3.
Pretty pitiful actually. I suspect the pet sitter may have turned up the a.c. way more than the damned cat needed. We were gone most of July and yet we used the same amount of electricity as the year before, when we were gone only half of July. Hmph.
The kids still don't turn out lights. I haven't been cooking... er, preparing cold foods for meals often. We leave our computers on a lot. Hubby leaves the phone charger plugged in all the time. And we still haven't installed a programmable thermostat.
Must be nice still living in the pre-Peak Oil world. Ahhhhhhh.
Goal #2: improve food storage
This is going well. I cleared out three large shelves in the laundry room for food storage. We are getting things rearranged in the garage to even more improve storage out there, so more non-perishable things can get out of the laundry room, and we can acquire more if we feel necessary.
Working on actually using some of this food -- like the giant bags of rice my husband bought. I still need to get some extra-large containers to keep that in after I open a bag.
Goal #3: Acquire some stuff
We've bought a few things. Need to get more. I have a list for Home Depot for after I get a gift card from there I am expecting as a rebate.
Goal #4: Start a compost bin
Still a work in progress. I did get a rain barrel. And I have a small bin in the kitchen that we can put scraps in during the day to later take out to the compost bin, once we have that. And we bagged up 2 large garbage bags of pine needles that will start up the compost bin. They are probably already decomposing in those black bags sitting out there in the sun...
I also labeled a large food container with "Soup Dump Bowl" and put that in the freezer. Now when we have leftover veggies or boneless meat, we can throw it in there, and every once in awhile make a big pot of soup.
If Hurricane Gustav hits us, we'll be seeing how well we did on goals 2 and 3.
Research on how to make hard cider
Homemade Hard Cider
Mother Earth News of course comes through too:
Make Your Own Hard Cider
From a site called Brewplus
Well, that's a good start. We'll get the ingredients and invite over some friends who regularly brew beer, and have a little party making hard cider. Wooo.
Mother Earth News of course comes through too:
Make Your Own Hard Cider
From a site called Brewplus
Well, that's a good start. We'll get the ingredients and invite over some friends who regularly brew beer, and have a little party making hard cider. Wooo.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
a couple more links...
I have a few more links. I have been saving stuff all summer... just not taking the time to post it here, since we don't have any regular readers and it's just for us so far.
More food storage info
A clever gardening use for scrap tubes -- makes me think of those large tubs of ice cream
More food storage info
A clever gardening use for scrap tubes -- makes me think of those large tubs of ice cream
time to re-start this blog...
OK, vacations are over. Back to thinking about sustainability and politics and coping with a changing world.
We made it through Tropical Storm Fay without losing power, so no test of our newly learned skills. I did have the foresight to put battery-operated lanterns by the bed in case the power went out, and we needed to get around in the middle of the night.... but no need after all.
Here are three posts from Causabon that I want to keep for my future reference.
Triaging Your Adapting In Place Strategy
Toileting, Bathing, Laundry in a low Power Situation
How Not To Fry: Keeping Cool without Air Conditioning (or not much)
We made it through Tropical Storm Fay without losing power, so no test of our newly learned skills. I did have the foresight to put battery-operated lanterns by the bed in case the power went out, and we needed to get around in the middle of the night.... but no need after all.
Here are three posts from Causabon that I want to keep for my future reference.
Triaging Your Adapting In Place Strategy
Toileting, Bathing, Laundry in a low Power Situation
How Not To Fry: Keeping Cool without Air Conditioning (or not much)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Re-Inventing Vacations
Is there a reason to actually buy an RV in the days of sky-high gas prices? One author compared an RV trip to flying a family to Montreal and putting them up in hotels. The RV won. Of course, this trip doesn't include the cost of buying/renting an RV. So I think RVs have a ways to go yet.
An excerpt from the story ...
So why travel in a fuel-thirsty RV when gas is at record prices? Because it’s still cheaper than flying and staying in hotels. Our family of five stayed one night in a New York state park for $20 and four nights in the Kampgrounds of America Montreal South campground for $50 on each of four nights.
An excerpt from the story ...
So why travel in a fuel-thirsty RV when gas is at record prices? Because it’s still cheaper than flying and staying in hotels. Our family of five stayed one night in a New York state park for $20 and four nights in the Kampgrounds of America Montreal South campground for $50 on each of four nights.
Online travel agency Travelocity.com says that it can send me to Montreal in the air and put me in a Knights Inn for the $550 we spent on gas, but that’s per person. And you have stay in a Knights Inn. Nicer hotels brought the travel tab to around $800 — again, per person.
Unlike most hotels, our RV had a refrigerator, a freezer, a stove and microwave/convection oven, so we were able to prepare most of our meals ourselves, making for huge savings. Considering the $125 tab at a creperie in Old Montreal, I didn’t want to eat out very much.
Update: How about an electric RV? Maybe this is what we need.Car Shopping
We're car-shopping today. Maybe we should wait for this new cheap hybrid from Honda? Then again, news that this is coming out should put regular Civics at firesale prices.
The new five-door car will only be available with a hybrid powertrain. It will be smaller than Honda’s Civic and also will be priced less than a hybrid gas-electric version of the Civic, said Richard Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co.
The new five-door car will only be available with a hybrid powertrain. It will be smaller than Honda’s Civic and also will be priced less than a hybrid gas-electric version of the Civic, said Richard Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co.
Electric Bikes
Electric bikes sell briskly as gas prices climb
Price largely determines weight, quality and battery type. A few hundred dollars gets you an IZIP mountain bike from Amazon with a heavy lead-acid battery. For $1,400, you can buy a 250-watt folding bike powered by a more-powerful, longer-lasting nickel-metal hydride battery like those in a camera or a Toyota Prius. At the high end, $2,525 buys an extra-light 350-watt model sporting a lightweight lithium-ion battery similar to a laptop’s. Most models can go at least 20 miles before plugging in to recharge.Tuesday, July 29, 2008
home sweet home.... I hope
Our big vacation is over. We still have another little one next week. Travel while it's still possible has been our motto. Taking the kids and husband out to see the Rocky Mountains. If Peak Oil is real, a trip like this will become rarer for an East Coast family.
I very much covet the beautiful backyards and grass of Virginia and Maine. Coming home to our hardscrabble grass and tiny yard... bleh. Thank god I love the inside of my house.
And wheeee... good to see our food stores. Other than milk, we don't need anything at the store during our one week at home.
And I am reviewing all the projects I'll be starting in midAugust: rain barrels, compost, building garden boxes, installing more shelves.
Hubby ordered "pannieres" (I might be spelling it wrong), but essentially they are baskets for the bike that fold up. I remember having those on my bike when I was a kid. We called them "folding baskets" rather than some fancy French name. But anyway, when the weather cools off in South Florida -- like maybe Thanksgiving -- I plan to once a week do my daily exercise by biking to the store to pick up just two bags of groceries. It'll make me shop more economically!
And we'll be replacing my less-than-efficient small car in for a much more fuel efficient Japanese car in a month or so. Hubby is hoping that the recent fall in gas prices will make people back off of trading in their huge SUVs for Honda Civics. But I doubt it'll be by much. The price of gas is still double what people were use to a couple years ago.
Anyway, being on vacation was pleasant, and a nice removal from daily life and from in-my-face concerns about the economy. Then I come home to news that our big national bank might be failing. We have well under $100K in that bank, but we'll be moving some money and hubby's paycheck deposit over to a Canadian bank that has branches we can use here. Hopefully our $$ will be safer in an international bank than a drowning-in-mortgage-debt American one.
I very much covet the beautiful backyards and grass of Virginia and Maine. Coming home to our hardscrabble grass and tiny yard... bleh. Thank god I love the inside of my house.
And wheeee... good to see our food stores. Other than milk, we don't need anything at the store during our one week at home.
And I am reviewing all the projects I'll be starting in midAugust: rain barrels, compost, building garden boxes, installing more shelves.
Hubby ordered "pannieres" (I might be spelling it wrong), but essentially they are baskets for the bike that fold up. I remember having those on my bike when I was a kid. We called them "folding baskets" rather than some fancy French name. But anyway, when the weather cools off in South Florida -- like maybe Thanksgiving -- I plan to once a week do my daily exercise by biking to the store to pick up just two bags of groceries. It'll make me shop more economically!
And we'll be replacing my less-than-efficient small car in for a much more fuel efficient Japanese car in a month or so. Hubby is hoping that the recent fall in gas prices will make people back off of trading in their huge SUVs for Honda Civics. But I doubt it'll be by much. The price of gas is still double what people were use to a couple years ago.
Anyway, being on vacation was pleasant, and a nice removal from daily life and from in-my-face concerns about the economy. Then I come home to news that our big national bank might be failing. We have well under $100K in that bank, but we'll be moving some money and hubby's paycheck deposit over to a Canadian bank that has branches we can use here. Hopefully our $$ will be safer in an international bank than a drowning-in-mortgage-debt American one.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Keeping my outlook balanced....
I've stumbled across a few sites with good discussions about NOT panicking, and not preparing for the absolute worse. Yes, I like blog posts like that because... I don't want to have to freak out, or for the world to be turning into something worth freakin' out over!
Anyhoo....In response to the current financial catastrophes, the blog Simple Dollar says Why I’m Not Panicking - And You Shouldn’t, Either.
The two subheads that resonated with me best:
* One: Panics happen every few years
* Two: The talking heads shouting “PANIC!” make money from “PANIC!”
Another good reasoned (perhaps woman-centric!) discussion from Crunchy Chicken: Peak Oil - instinctual reactions
She suggests -- and admittedly hyper-generalizes -- that men and women approach the idea of a panic differently. Men want to break out the guns, build big walls, get ready to protect the women and children. Women stock up on foodstuffs and plan sewing projects.
She gives good advice:
From the comment sections on that Crunchy Chicken post, I came across this:
Peak Oil Debunked
This is not one of the rightwing idiot Peak Oil naysayers. This guy admits that oil is finite and there are potential problems ahead. But he's not willing to be a "doomer" as he describes it. Not sure yet what I think of all of his points, but like Simple Dollar above... I do tend to be suspicious about people's motives when they yell PANIC. Any of us who went through the Y2K baloney less than a decade ago should remember this.
Anyhoo....In response to the current financial catastrophes, the blog Simple Dollar says Why I’m Not Panicking - And You Shouldn’t, Either.
The two subheads that resonated with me best:
* One: Panics happen every few years
* Two: The talking heads shouting “PANIC!” make money from “PANIC!”
Another good reasoned (perhaps woman-centric!) discussion from Crunchy Chicken: Peak Oil - instinctual reactions
She suggests -- and admittedly hyper-generalizes -- that men and women approach the idea of a panic differently. Men want to break out the guns, build big walls, get ready to protect the women and children. Women stock up on foodstuffs and plan sewing projects.
She gives good advice:
I do think it's important to see where people are coming from, what their motivations are, conscious or otherwise and take that into consideration when reading someone else's predictions. It's all a crapshoot as far as the future goes, but it helps to process the unknown when looked at this way.
From the comment sections on that Crunchy Chicken post, I came across this:
Peak Oil Debunked
This is not one of the rightwing idiot Peak Oil naysayers. This guy admits that oil is finite and there are potential problems ahead. But he's not willing to be a "doomer" as he describes it. Not sure yet what I think of all of his points, but like Simple Dollar above... I do tend to be suspicious about people's motives when they yell PANIC. Any of us who went through the Y2K baloney less than a decade ago should remember this.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Bicycle Ridership Rising
Gas crisis kindling new interest in bicycles
SALEM, N.H. — After years of stagnant national sales, the gas crisis may be pumping some new life and changes into the bicycle industry.
"We're seeing more and more people buying bicycles for doing errands," said John Maurice, bicycle manager for Buchika's on South Broadway in Salem, N.H. "The bike industry says 60 percent of all car trips are for 2 miles or less. Because of that figure, people are buying bikes to go to the library or grocery store. If it's two to three miles, people are interested."
Bike shop owners across the country say more people appear interested in riding, and sales have risen by as much as 20 percent from a year ago, according to the National Bicycle Dealers Association. Bike repairs have climbed even more dramatically, as high as 60 percent at some outlets.
The U.S. bicycle industry racked up $6 billion in sales in 2007, including bicycles, related parts and accessories. This year the association expects revenue to stay about the same, despite increased interest in bikes and accessories for commuting. Officials say that's because people are buying less-expensive bikes in the slow economy.
XX Sean's note -- the story also talks about bicycle saddlebags that stay flat until you open them called Panniers. I need those.
thoughts on location
As I said a few posts ago, we've been on vacation, so have been spending less time posting, or buying canned goods, or worrying too much about the collapse of the world as we know it. The most obvious reason we are worrying less is we are on vacation and determined to enjoy the lovely New England weather, and the sights, and spending time with the kids and grandparents.
However, I think just being in Portland, Maine, is also taking the edge of our worries. This is a community much more focused on sustainability, community gardens, recycling, taking care of the planet. Plus, there's SO MUCH GREEN. Yes, it's summer. But there are so many trees, and growing plants, and animals, and fish. If you had to you could forage or scavange. Whereas in the concrete suburbia that we live in now, life would be -- will be? -- a lot more difficult to produce food for one's family, in a worst case scenario, etc.
On the other hand, in Florida, we don't have to worry about freezing to death.
Anyway, with a couple of good fireplaces, and a lot of blankets, and a couple dogs, winter would be bearable up here. And if the planet does keep warming up... it might be quite pleasant too.
Life is just more peaceful here. And not just because we are on vacation.
However, I think just being in Portland, Maine, is also taking the edge of our worries. This is a community much more focused on sustainability, community gardens, recycling, taking care of the planet. Plus, there's SO MUCH GREEN. Yes, it's summer. But there are so many trees, and growing plants, and animals, and fish. If you had to you could forage or scavange. Whereas in the concrete suburbia that we live in now, life would be -- will be? -- a lot more difficult to produce food for one's family, in a worst case scenario, etc.
On the other hand, in Florida, we don't have to worry about freezing to death.
Anyway, with a couple of good fireplaces, and a lot of blankets, and a couple dogs, winter would be bearable up here. And if the planet does keep warming up... it might be quite pleasant too.
Life is just more peaceful here. And not just because we are on vacation.
More possible tools to buy
Since husband and I tidied the garage a couple months ago, and sorted our tools, perhaps it's now time to consider adding a few necessary tools. And here's a list to start with...Essential tools for the household handyman. I should have a $25 gift certificate at Home Depot waiting for me when we get home.
Foraging links, and a look back at Cuba's Peak Oil problems
Been having too much fun lately and haven't updated here. But I've been saving links for when I did get around to posting... like now.
Walking around the Maine woods, I am realizing it would be helpful to be able to identify helpful plants as opposed to dangerous plants. Lookie here! A handy guide...
Wild Plants Used for Medicine and Food
And
Wild Edible Plants of the United States.
In other news, here's a good article about a country that already went through Peak Oil and economic crisis. Perhaps we can gather some tips...
The Power of Community: How Cuba survived Peak Oil
Walking around the Maine woods, I am realizing it would be helpful to be able to identify helpful plants as opposed to dangerous plants. Lookie here! A handy guide...
Wild Plants Used for Medicine and Food
And
Wild Edible Plants of the United States.
In other news, here's a good article about a country that already went through Peak Oil and economic crisis. Perhaps we can gather some tips...
The Power of Community: How Cuba survived Peak Oil
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
that's a hell of a lot of food
What does three months food stockpile look like?
We need a LOT more grain and beans, and all of that dried milk. And some more multivitamins. Good shopping list.
We need a LOT more grain and beans, and all of that dried milk. And some more multivitamins. Good shopping list.
Monday, July 7, 2008
How-To Book on Everything
This sure sounds useful ...
A How-To Book for Everything From Water Filters to Fly Traps
A How-To Book for Everything From Water Filters to Fly Traps
A new guide to public health has just been published by the same foundation that 30 years ago issued “Where There Is No Doctor,” a simple but comprehensive how-to medical book endorsed by the World Health Organization and used by hundreds of Peace Corps volunteers.The book, “A Community Guide to Environmental Health,” took eight years and $1.6 million to put together, said Jeff Conant, one of the authors. It is published by the Hesperian Foundation in Berkeley, Calif., and goes on sale Tuesday for $28.
The 600-page book is written in simple English and has hundreds of drawings showing, for example, how to disinfect water with boiling, bleach, sunlight or lime juice and how to make filters from sand, clay and charcoal. It has numerous designs for stoves that use less fuel; it has schematic drawings of simple fly and roach traps and bicycle-powered grinders and blenders. It devotes almost 40 pages just to toilets.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Vacations, shrinking suburbs, and food food food
He and I and the family are on vacation. We've been traveling and acting like it's still 2004. Except not really. I was careful about buying gas the whole drive up here. I managed to pay no more than $4.02 for gas during the drive up here. But now in Portland, Maine, the average price is $4.09, and it's $4.14 at the place closest to our residence. And we are thinking about moving some of our cash reserves to a Canadian bank, just for security. And we'll be biking around town more than last year. And just plain hanging out together at home instead of sightseeing as much as in the past.
Anyway, expect sporadic posting while we are off enjoying sunshine, fresh air and quality family time. But a few links still....
Will High Gas Prices Kill Suburban Sprawl? -- this has links to various sources, and is about the demise of suburbia. I don't think cities will disappear completely, but they will certainly shrink. And many suburbs will disappear or go back to being quasi-independent villages as many small towns outside of large cities once were. This is not necessarily a bad thing!
*******************************************
A quick source of emergency food supplies -- a bucket o' meals! Seems just... delicious? Ayiyi. And what fun seeing companies capitalizing on people's panicking!
debating buying 2...
********************************************
So what about all the food in your freezer? What if it all thawed? What can you save? What can you eat? What do you do?
Michigan State University Extension to the rescue! When Your Freezer Stops Working. Not fancy, but useful info.
********************************************
I am love love loving this Wise Bread site tonight. Here's info about reusing old containers. I've started saving all the glass jars we use -- from pasta sauce and fruit, etc. I kinda sorta know I can use them for some sort of storage, and now I know more details:
> Smaller Glass Jars with Screw on Lids.
> These are great for under the shelf storage of nails and other hardware items, beads, buttons and more. Attach the top to the bottom of the undershelf and screw the clear jars on and off as you need them. Great for garages, shops, art studious, craft and sewing rooms, or anywhere you need transparent storage and a polished coordinated look isn’t quite so important. Also, I’ve always liked the look for a relaxed garden party of those hanging tree candles with small glass jars, tea lights and coat hanger wire. Depending on your theme, this will either fit in with what you want or it won’t.
I also intend to start saving larger jars and grated cheese containers!
Anyway, expect sporadic posting while we are off enjoying sunshine, fresh air and quality family time. But a few links still....
Will High Gas Prices Kill Suburban Sprawl? -- this has links to various sources, and is about the demise of suburbia. I don't think cities will disappear completely, but they will certainly shrink. And many suburbs will disappear or go back to being quasi-independent villages as many small towns outside of large cities once were. This is not necessarily a bad thing!
*******************************************
A quick source of emergency food supplies -- a bucket o' meals! Seems just... delicious? Ayiyi. And what fun seeing companies capitalizing on people's panicking!
debating buying 2...
********************************************
So what about all the food in your freezer? What if it all thawed? What can you save? What can you eat? What do you do?
Michigan State University Extension to the rescue! When Your Freezer Stops Working. Not fancy, but useful info.
********************************************
I am love love loving this Wise Bread site tonight. Here's info about reusing old containers. I've started saving all the glass jars we use -- from pasta sauce and fruit, etc. I kinda sorta know I can use them for some sort of storage, and now I know more details:
> Smaller Glass Jars with Screw on Lids.
> These are great for under the shelf storage of nails and other hardware items, beads, buttons and more. Attach the top to the bottom of the undershelf and screw the clear jars on and off as you need them. Great for garages, shops, art studious, craft and sewing rooms, or anywhere you need transparent storage and a polished coordinated look isn’t quite so important. Also, I’ve always liked the look for a relaxed garden party of those hanging tree candles with small glass jars, tea lights and coat hanger wire. Depending on your theme, this will either fit in with what you want or it won’t.
I also intend to start saving larger jars and grated cheese containers!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
More Electric Bikes
More electric bikes
$350 at Wal-Mart!!!
E-Zip 2008 Trailz Hybrid Electric Bike
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8467096
I think it uses a Currie motor. Guy at work here has one
500W chinese electric scooter!
22mph 20-45 mile range
$190!
http://www.shoppershalt.com/ElectricScooter500.asp
Here's one for the AD:
Plug-in convention in
Travel Tip
Next year, if we're on a tight budget and we still want to go to Maine, we might consider using a vacation exchange club like HomeExchange.com, Intervac.com or others, to obtain a free-of-charge lodging at the U.S.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
more for the list to buy...
Link stolen from a friend:
The first 100 items to disappear
I have had trepidation bringing up to friends what my husband and I have been discussing. But I am hearing more and more murmurings that people -- or at least smart people -- realize things are changing. And once the door of conversation was opened with a particular group of friends, there's a lot more linking and discussing of ideas. The above link is from that discussion.
Let's see...
1. I don't want to bother with a generator. They take up room and require maintenance. They require gasoline which likely won't be available in enough quantity to make the generator useful. They are hugely popular in Florida after 3 hurricanes in 13 months, but we consciously decided not to get on that band wagon.
2 & 6. On my list to buy.
8. We own a lot of hand-operated tools. Again, see hurricanes of 2004 and 2005.
9-13. already purchased or on list.
17. We've already invested in a few. We are book buyers. They'll be useful some day if the Net is no longer available. ... No more Scrabulous? *sniff*
20. Holy crap, I hadn't thought about laundry. *add washtub to list*
22, 24, 27, 29 & 30. Things that I've been purchasing at great discounts at CVS.
33. On the list to buy.
35, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42 & 43. Own plenty already.
40. We actually are talking about getting a dog for many reasons.
50. Buying a cast iron Dutch oven soon.
51-55, 59-60. Purchased.
64. We have bikes, and are considering an upgrade. Definitely investing in some tools and repair kits soon.
67. We own these out the wazoo already.
... OK, I could go on. We have lots of these items. Many are on our shopping list. And this list gave me ideas for more stuff.
The first 100 items to disappear
I have had trepidation bringing up to friends what my husband and I have been discussing. But I am hearing more and more murmurings that people -- or at least smart people -- realize things are changing. And once the door of conversation was opened with a particular group of friends, there's a lot more linking and discussing of ideas. The above link is from that discussion.
Let's see...
1. I don't want to bother with a generator. They take up room and require maintenance. They require gasoline which likely won't be available in enough quantity to make the generator useful. They are hugely popular in Florida after 3 hurricanes in 13 months, but we consciously decided not to get on that band wagon.
2 & 6. On my list to buy.
8. We own a lot of hand-operated tools. Again, see hurricanes of 2004 and 2005.
9-13. already purchased or on list.
17. We've already invested in a few. We are book buyers. They'll be useful some day if the Net is no longer available. ... No more Scrabulous? *sniff*
20. Holy crap, I hadn't thought about laundry. *add washtub to list*
22, 24, 27, 29 & 30. Things that I've been purchasing at great discounts at CVS.
33. On the list to buy.
35, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42 & 43. Own plenty already.
40. We actually are talking about getting a dog for many reasons.
50. Buying a cast iron Dutch oven soon.
51-55, 59-60. Purchased.
64. We have bikes, and are considering an upgrade. Definitely investing in some tools and repair kits soon.
67. We own these out the wazoo already.
... OK, I could go on. We have lots of these items. Many are on our shopping list. And this list gave me ideas for more stuff.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Making a list, checking it twice...
From the "deal with anxiety" article linked below:
> 17. MAKE LISTS and MARK ACHIEVEMENTS. Most of us are overly optimistic about what can be accomplished in a year, but underestimate what can be accomplished in ten years. See the broader plan, and pick several projects to start on (that’s right, several…). Do something on each one every day, or make it okay to focus on one for a while, until you tire of it, and then shift to another one.
We should make a list and stick it on the fridge. So we see the improvements. We've already greatly improved our amount of food stored and how it's organized.
Upcoming goals include: reducing electricity, setting up a compost and a rain barrel, practicing using the wrist rocket, starting our fall garden, buying a new bike, using less gas, practice sewing. I want to add plant a nut tree and joining a church.
We need this on paper on a wall in our house -- not just here on the blog.
> 17. MAKE LISTS and MARK ACHIEVEMENTS. Most of us are overly optimistic about what can be accomplished in a year, but underestimate what can be accomplished in ten years. See the broader plan, and pick several projects to start on (that’s right, several…). Do something on each one every day, or make it okay to focus on one for a while, until you tire of it, and then shift to another one.
We should make a list and stick it on the fridge. So we see the improvements. We've already greatly improved our amount of food stored and how it's organized.
Upcoming goals include: reducing electricity, setting up a compost and a rain barrel, practicing using the wrist rocket, starting our fall garden, buying a new bike, using less gas, practice sewing. I want to add plant a nut tree and joining a church.
We need this on paper on a wall in our house -- not just here on the blog.
There is a future...
... we just don't know what it looks like.
I realized that I was spazzing out about worst-case scenarios... *and* thinking they would last forever. Ok, there might be some food shortages or periods of time without electricity. But I would be incredibly surprised if it lasted forever. Or even years.
My children's future adulthoods will be very different than the one we've been living in. But it's not likely we're going to revert back to the Middle Ages.
Worst case scenarios could lead to a change in our style of government so that the government can get people fed. It might lead to different expectations of what "necessities" are. And it's definitely going to involve new technologies that we can't even imagine yet.
Growing up and making changes is painful, as my 6-year-old can attest lately. Our American society has been spoiled teenagers for quite awhile. The bill is coming due. But hopefully after some rough years of mac and cheese, and sleeping on a futon, our American society will evolve into something different, with new methods of food production and distribution, and resource management. And who knows...
And maybe the changes won't be all that dramatic at all.
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
**********************************************************
In the meantime, I stopped by a bike store today and was told I could get the three-wheeled granny bike with the basket and a canopy for less than $400. Those things are going to cost more in the near future. I might need to clear some more space in the garage for a bigger bike.
I realized that I was spazzing out about worst-case scenarios... *and* thinking they would last forever. Ok, there might be some food shortages or periods of time without electricity. But I would be incredibly surprised if it lasted forever. Or even years.
My children's future adulthoods will be very different than the one we've been living in. But it's not likely we're going to revert back to the Middle Ages.
Worst case scenarios could lead to a change in our style of government so that the government can get people fed. It might lead to different expectations of what "necessities" are. And it's definitely going to involve new technologies that we can't even imagine yet.
Growing up and making changes is painful, as my 6-year-old can attest lately. Our American society has been spoiled teenagers for quite awhile. The bill is coming due. But hopefully after some rough years of mac and cheese, and sleeping on a futon, our American society will evolve into something different, with new methods of food production and distribution, and resource management. And who knows...
And maybe the changes won't be all that dramatic at all.
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
**********************************************************
In the meantime, I stopped by a bike store today and was told I could get the three-wheeled granny bike with the basket and a canopy for less than $400. Those things are going to cost more in the near future. I might need to clear some more space in the garage for a bigger bike.
Things to Do When You Are Totally Freaking Out!
Here's a nice post from the Energy Bulletin (and that reminds me that I have to get a links sidebar going for blogs to check every day): 26 Things You Can Do to RIGHT NOW Manage Your Anxiety
Here are a few examples ...
2. LOOK AT CASH YOU ARE WASTING without enjoying its benefits, such as lights that get left on, computers that stay on day and night, “phantom loads,” like microwave clocks that use more energy than the microwave itself. If you get to know your electrical meter, and record the setting before and after you shut off those phantom loads, you’ll have concrete proof that you are saving money.
XX Note to self -- can we turn off Microwave and VCR clocks? Is that possible and yet still have the machines function?
3. Set up a THREE TIER SYSTEM for purchases: a) necessities; b) conveniences; and c) other. Put everything you buy in one of these categories for a week, and examine the list. For example, if you buy clothing, you might have bought socks and new fancy shoes. While most people would put the socks under “a” or “b,” most of us would consider the fancy shoes “other” unless they are a necessity for work. The Great Spending Contraction has begun. Get far enough ahead of it, that you aren’t bit in the behind.
8. GET THE ENTIRE FAMILY INVOLVED in cutting back Tier “B” and “C” spending. If you’ve set a goal of reducing expenses by 20%, make that across the board, and involve the kids. If this means cutting back on extra lessons, dances, mall trips, etc, give your children a say in which things are cut out or reduced. If you are sincere about your own cutbacks, your children will respect and adjust their expectations as well. If you say you are cutting back, but then buy something in the “C” category, you’ve lost your credibility and you’ll have a family mutiny on your hands. Discuss, as a family, all of your expenses based on these categories, and try to reach agreement, so there are no surprises.
17. MAKE LISTS and MARK ACHIEVEMENTS. Most of us are overly optimistic about what can be accomplished in a year, but underestimate what can be accomplished in ten years. See the broader plan, and pick several projects to start on (that’s right, several…). Do something on each one every day, or make it okay to focus on one for a while, until you tire of it, and then shift to another one.
Here are a few examples ...
2. LOOK AT CASH YOU ARE WASTING without enjoying its benefits, such as lights that get left on, computers that stay on day and night, “phantom loads,” like microwave clocks that use more energy than the microwave itself. If you get to know your electrical meter, and record the setting before and after you shut off those phantom loads, you’ll have concrete proof that you are saving money.
XX Note to self -- can we turn off Microwave and VCR clocks? Is that possible and yet still have the machines function?
3. Set up a THREE TIER SYSTEM for purchases: a) necessities; b) conveniences; and c) other. Put everything you buy in one of these categories for a week, and examine the list. For example, if you buy clothing, you might have bought socks and new fancy shoes. While most people would put the socks under “a” or “b,” most of us would consider the fancy shoes “other” unless they are a necessity for work. The Great Spending Contraction has begun. Get far enough ahead of it, that you aren’t bit in the behind.
8. GET THE ENTIRE FAMILY INVOLVED in cutting back Tier “B” and “C” spending. If you’ve set a goal of reducing expenses by 20%, make that across the board, and involve the kids. If this means cutting back on extra lessons, dances, mall trips, etc, give your children a say in which things are cut out or reduced. If you are sincere about your own cutbacks, your children will respect and adjust their expectations as well. If you say you are cutting back, but then buy something in the “C” category, you’ve lost your credibility and you’ll have a family mutiny on your hands. Discuss, as a family, all of your expenses based on these categories, and try to reach agreement, so there are no surprises.
17. MAKE LISTS and MARK ACHIEVEMENTS. Most of us are overly optimistic about what can be accomplished in a year, but underestimate what can be accomplished in ten years. See the broader plan, and pick several projects to start on (that’s right, several…). Do something on each one every day, or make it okay to focus on one for a while, until you tire of it, and then shift to another one.
24. Make a list of the ‘TWENTY THINGS YOU LOVE TO DO’, and post it where you’ll see it every day. Write down, next to the item, when is the last time you did it, and whether you want to do it more (M) or less (L) often. Write down if it was something either parent did (P), and whether you’ll still be able to do it at 85 (85). If it costs money to do it, put a dollar sign ($) next to it. If you need to do it with a friend (F) or special friend (SP) note that. Now, rank-order them, just for fun. EXAMPLE:
| Item | Last time? | More/Less? | Parents? | 85? | Cost? | Friend/SP? | Rank? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SING | TODAY | M | Mom | 85 | _ | _ | 1 |
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Other blog posts that have caught my eye...
Money Saving Mom writes about the good things about higher gas prices
Tipnut gives tips for stretching leftovers
And... to keep the Peak Oil and "end of the world as we know it" panic at bay, here's a history of people expecting the world to end from 2800 BC to 1700 AD. Basically, we aren't the first to panic... though we might think we have better reasons.
Tipnut gives tips for stretching leftovers
And... to keep the Peak Oil and "end of the world as we know it" panic at bay, here's a history of people expecting the world to end from 2800 BC to 1700 AD. Basically, we aren't the first to panic... though we might think we have better reasons.
What are your plans?
From Mother Earth News: What steps would you take to prepare if you knew that five years from now verything would cost 10 times what it costs now
I have been shopping lots of sales, and stocking up on a lot more nonperishables. And not just foods; also toiletries and OTC medicines.
I did a little bit of gardening this past winter (Florida -- everything is backwards). And we'll be expanding to more veggies and more space this coming fall.
I have been improving my sewing skills.
We have been actively and frequently discussing ways we would change our lifestyle. We already own lots of books and boardgames and craft supplies. Talking about which activities we'd give up or have the kids give up. We've been cultivating friendship with a family whose house we can walk to.
We've already cut back on some of the more unnecessary expenses -- for example: gym membership and wine club (those two were kind canceling each other out anyway!)
We are planning to get a three-wheeled bike with a canopy and a large basket, and might start doing some of our grocery shopping with that. Luckily we live within easy biking distance of 3 grocery stores.
Relatedly, husband is talking about learning some bicycle repair.
We are going to replace my car with an even more gas efficient car.
The kids will be riding the bus to and from school instead of just from school in the afternoon.
This August I'll be setting up a compost system, and a rain barrel in our tiny backyard.
I am going to buy an old-fashioned cast iron Dutch oven, and learn to cook and bake over an open fire (or the grill).
We are consciously appreciating the time we spend in air-conditioned comfort, playing the Wii. And a 3400 mile road trip with the kids, and another trip out to the West. If things do get that much worse... that could be my kids last trip out West for a very long time. So rather than fretting about the expense, we're making sure to enjoy the hell out of it. Next summer... we might go to NC or Tennessee for vacation instead of Maine (*sniff*).
I have been shopping lots of sales, and stocking up on a lot more nonperishables. And not just foods; also toiletries and OTC medicines.
I did a little bit of gardening this past winter (Florida -- everything is backwards). And we'll be expanding to more veggies and more space this coming fall.
I have been improving my sewing skills.
We have been actively and frequently discussing ways we would change our lifestyle. We already own lots of books and boardgames and craft supplies. Talking about which activities we'd give up or have the kids give up. We've been cultivating friendship with a family whose house we can walk to.
We've already cut back on some of the more unnecessary expenses -- for example: gym membership and wine club (those two were kind canceling each other out anyway!)
We are planning to get a three-wheeled bike with a canopy and a large basket, and might start doing some of our grocery shopping with that. Luckily we live within easy biking distance of 3 grocery stores.
Relatedly, husband is talking about learning some bicycle repair.
We are going to replace my car with an even more gas efficient car.
The kids will be riding the bus to and from school instead of just from school in the afternoon.
This August I'll be setting up a compost system, and a rain barrel in our tiny backyard.
I am going to buy an old-fashioned cast iron Dutch oven, and learn to cook and bake over an open fire (or the grill).
We are consciously appreciating the time we spend in air-conditioned comfort, playing the Wii. And a 3400 mile road trip with the kids, and another trip out to the West. If things do get that much worse... that could be my kids last trip out West for a very long time. So rather than fretting about the expense, we're making sure to enjoy the hell out of it. Next summer... we might go to NC or Tennessee for vacation instead of Maine (*sniff*).
Useful for future exploring, reading later
OK, less panicked today. Whew.
And I found some great links to information about basic skills.
50 things to learn
homemaking skills
And I found some great links to information about basic skills.
50 things to learn
homemaking skills
Sunday, June 22, 2008
trying not to freak out
Blogs like this FREAK ME OUT.
You. Will. Not. Be. Able. To. Get. Food.
I've got a good little food storage going. But honestly? We'd live maybe a month or two. Maybe three if we really started skimping. And no one came in and stole our food.
*deep breath*
At the same time, we aren't at this point, so we have to continue planning and living life as normal. But then ... this could happen quickly. So...
I am freaking out just a little in my head. My husband got me thinking about this stuff, and it's all my worst apocalyptic nightmares coming true. ... Er, predicted to come true, I remind myself.
Ok, just keep planning and getting ready for a different style society. More sewing, more cooking in a dutch oven over a fire, ... or even just occasional food shortages, and no more Kit Kat bars and ice cream and eating out at Olive Garden.
And I just try not to think about my kids and this stuff. Cause that would just send me over the edge.
Anyway, freaking out won't help. And we may well be better prepared than many suburbanites. I hope. Maybe.
You. Will. Not. Be. Able. To. Get. Food.
I've got a good little food storage going. But honestly? We'd live maybe a month or two. Maybe three if we really started skimping. And no one came in and stole our food.
*deep breath*
At the same time, we aren't at this point, so we have to continue planning and living life as normal. But then ... this could happen quickly. So...
I am freaking out just a little in my head. My husband got me thinking about this stuff, and it's all my worst apocalyptic nightmares coming true. ... Er, predicted to come true, I remind myself.
Ok, just keep planning and getting ready for a different style society. More sewing, more cooking in a dutch oven over a fire, ... or even just occasional food shortages, and no more Kit Kat bars and ice cream and eating out at Olive Garden.
And I just try not to think about my kids and this stuff. Cause that would just send me over the edge.
Anyway, freaking out won't help. And we may well be better prepared than many suburbanites. I hope. Maybe.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
project for next winter?
If we were serious survivalist with a serious sense of humor, we'd consider building one of these out of spare bike parts and PVc: Sun Coaster
Interesting stories... Goodbye Winnebago, Hello Amtrak!
Garrison Keillor eulogizes the Winnebago, and suggests that banjos, front porches and storytelling will make comebacks. Sounds fun.
Also, ...looks like Congress has made one good move recently: refunding Amtrak, and giving them more money to keep up the infrastructure. Husband and I have already been dreaming of taking a train trip for our next vacation rather than driving 2000 miles.
From Maine Blogger: Rights of Way: This is what leadership looks like
Also, ...looks like Congress has made one good move recently: refunding Amtrak, and giving them more money to keep up the infrastructure. Husband and I have already been dreaming of taking a train trip for our next vacation rather than driving 2000 miles.
From Maine Blogger: Rights of Way: This is what leadership looks like
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
untrue joke? or amazing miracle?
So supposedly they've found bacteria that eat waste and excrete oil. Wouldn't that just freakin' solve so many of our problems?
I am just so doubtful about miracle cures.
EDITED TO ADD: Husband thinks it won't be enough of a cure. That the little bacteria won't produce enough oil to solve the world's problems. And if they could, they'd probably have to eat all the wood in the world. Would be nice if they could eat plastic and nuclear waste rather than wood pulp.
And as always husband says, we really just need to focus on conservation rather than scrambling around to find more sources of oil.
I am just so doubtful about miracle cures.
EDITED TO ADD: Husband thinks it won't be enough of a cure. That the little bacteria won't produce enough oil to solve the world's problems. And if they could, they'd probably have to eat all the wood in the world. Would be nice if they could eat plastic and nuclear waste rather than wood pulp.
And as always husband says, we really just need to focus on conservation rather than scrambling around to find more sources of oil.
panicking... as life goes on
Every once in awhile these tentative plans, and discussions, and readings get to me. And I get upset internally. I don't like the idea of civilization as we know it changing. I don't like the idea of my kids having a tougher life. I mean, I do like the idea of civilization changing -- we need it. And maybe my kids will do okay -- we are giving them good resources.
But maybe they and we won't do well. I mean if society does break down, even just somewhat like the Soviet Union did in the late '80s, some people will get hungry. And there will be more crime and dangers. I don't think we're going to turn into Nigeria -- I sure hope not. But yeah, I could see us devolving into the former Soviet Union in the early '90s. And aw hell. That's not as much fun as MarioKart and mint Oreos and taken-for-granted electricity.
*sigh*
Anyway, I went grocery shopping today. Stocked up on lots more canned goods and long-lasting rice etc. As well as stuff we need this weekend to celebrate our son's 6th birthday. This dual ... planning for life occasionally makes me nuts. Planning for life as normal: a birthday party for a cute boy, our long-planned trip to Maine, the next school year, the next Harry Potter movie.... and also planning for the potential of limited electricity and closed stores.
So, mostly the everyday life of here and now needs attention. tomorrow, I must clean the pool, mail some packages, and go with my family to friends' house to play D&D. And try not to think about all the crazy ideas that we've been reading lately.
But maybe they and we won't do well. I mean if society does break down, even just somewhat like the Soviet Union did in the late '80s, some people will get hungry. And there will be more crime and dangers. I don't think we're going to turn into Nigeria -- I sure hope not. But yeah, I could see us devolving into the former Soviet Union in the early '90s. And aw hell. That's not as much fun as MarioKart and mint Oreos and taken-for-granted electricity.
*sigh*
Anyway, I went grocery shopping today. Stocked up on lots more canned goods and long-lasting rice etc. As well as stuff we need this weekend to celebrate our son's 6th birthday. This dual ... planning for life occasionally makes me nuts. Planning for life as normal: a birthday party for a cute boy, our long-planned trip to Maine, the next school year, the next Harry Potter movie.... and also planning for the potential of limited electricity and closed stores.
So, mostly the everyday life of here and now needs attention. tomorrow, I must clean the pool, mail some packages, and go with my family to friends' house to play D&D. And try not to think about all the crazy ideas that we've been reading lately.
No impact man link
Here's a great blog post about adjusting to living with higher gas prices. This blog post includes lots of links to relevant stories. No Impact Man: How to live a $4 a gallon lifestyle in the coming $5 a gallon world
Monday, June 16, 2008
Web Links, Books and Urban Farming
This book looks interesting: "The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time."
It's supposed to have a big list of useful web links, too.
Another book: This one is about self-reliant living in the urban environment written by two LA residents who have a small farm inEcho Park Pasadena
It's supposed to have a big list of useful web links, too.
Another book: This one is about self-reliant living in the urban environment written by two LA residents who have a small farm in
http://www.amazon.com/Urban-Homestead-Self-sufficient-Process-Self-relia...
Finally, the Dervaes family ofMore thoughts.... the end isn't too near
Just spent a weekend in Orlando going to theme parks. Based on the crowds and the wild shopping I witnessed, the end of the world as we know it now isn't too near yet. Even with gas over $4 a gallon, and the housing crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of people, ... there are still an awful lot of people going around business as usual.
Including us, obviously. Tho' we were our usual low-key shoppers.
Including us, obviously. Tho' we were our usual low-key shoppers.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sewing links
Again, more resources to remind me later: how to mend clothes. I know a lot of that, but a resource is useful.
And not surprisingly, Sewing.org
And not surprisingly, Sewing.org
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Stuff I've been reading lately... food links
Here's a ton of good stuff about food storage, pantries, rotation, etc. This woman is down in Australia.
down to earth
Another less-easily-navigable site that has lots of info on food storage: be prepared blog. That blog is on hiatus, but has lots of good archived info.
ideas to save for later, like in the fall:
Dehydrating food: food drying basics
An introduction to home canning -- I have been cleaning out old spaghetti sauce jars, instead of just recycling them. I should have a good collection of jars in a few months.... at least until we get a good steady tomato crop and can make our own sauce to put into the empty jars!
a whole site devoted to fresh preserving
down to earth
Another less-easily-navigable site that has lots of info on food storage: be prepared blog. That blog is on hiatus, but has lots of good archived info.
ideas to save for later, like in the fall:
Dehydrating food: food drying basics
An introduction to home canning -- I have been cleaning out old spaghetti sauce jars, instead of just recycling them. I should have a good collection of jars in a few months.... at least until we get a good steady tomato crop and can make our own sauce to put into the empty jars!
a whole site devoted to fresh preserving
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Update on Goal #2: improved food storage and system
Today I moved more non-food stuff out to the garage, out of the utility room. I made room on 2 1/2 shelves for foodstuffs. I was then able to clear out our very overstuffed, disorganized little kitchen pantry. I put "deeper storage" stuff into the utility room, and left already-opened boxes and such int he pantry, along with stuff with an upcoming (i.e. this year) sell-by date.
There is plenty of room in the utility room for lots more food, but at least now the structure is in place. In the kitchen I have a half shelf in a cabinet devoted just to flour. And the other half shelf devoted just to sugar. Rather than having them all crammed together with everything else.
I went through each and every item from the pantry, and wrote in large numbers with permanent marker, the sell-by date. I discovered food that must've gotten lost in our little pantry that "expired" in 2006! Eeeek! When you aren't doing any sort of "first in, first out" system, it's easy for items to get missed, forgotten,... and old. I threw those out. And found a few things that I knew we didn't need, and I will donate those to a food pantry.
And I wrote up a list of a few things we definitely need sooner than later.
I made charts for both the kitchen pantry (stuff to use soon) and the utility room, so we can remember where to put new items. There's room to put new items in the back. And both the husband and I have vowed to write the sell-by date in larger numbers on the package, so we can be sure to use things in the proper order.
I also discussed with the husband that we need to change the way we eat a little bit. If we are going to start stocking canned goods, then we need to start eating canned goods more often. So we can rotate through the stock and keep it fresh. And so -- god forbid -- some shortage or disaster happens, then it won't be a huge adjustment to eating canned goods. And if we are going to stock up on flour and sugar and powdered milk and corn meal... well, then I should make bread more often than twice a year. So that I remember how... and so that we rotate through the stock and not let it go bad.
I am super psyched by the tidy shelves, and all the space now in the kitchen. It'll be so much easier to plan a meal, I think. Over time, we'll have MORE food in the house, but if we are focusing on eating what's "running out" of time, then our choices will be narrowed to the items that have moved into the "current" pantry.
For example, when going through baking supplies, I found some marshmallows bordering on getting old. And was reminded we had a nearly full, open box of rice krispie cereal. So the kids and I made rice krispie treats today. I also discovered two unopened containers of oatmeal that are getting close to the sell by date. Egad, how long ago did I buy this... and then never get around to making oatmeal cookies. So that's what I'll be baking up next week, a huge batch of oatmeal cookies. Freeze some up and we are set for sweets for the summer.
I probably won't get too serious about starting to stock up until August, since we'll be out of town a lot this summer. But then I'll pay attention to sales and coupons, and start filling in those back rows.
And continuing to clean out old spaghetti sauce and pickle jars, to reuse later for my own canning experiments! But that's a later goal...
There is plenty of room in the utility room for lots more food, but at least now the structure is in place. In the kitchen I have a half shelf in a cabinet devoted just to flour. And the other half shelf devoted just to sugar. Rather than having them all crammed together with everything else.
I went through each and every item from the pantry, and wrote in large numbers with permanent marker, the sell-by date. I discovered food that must've gotten lost in our little pantry that "expired" in 2006! Eeeek! When you aren't doing any sort of "first in, first out" system, it's easy for items to get missed, forgotten,... and old. I threw those out. And found a few things that I knew we didn't need, and I will donate those to a food pantry.
And I wrote up a list of a few things we definitely need sooner than later.
I made charts for both the kitchen pantry (stuff to use soon) and the utility room, so we can remember where to put new items. There's room to put new items in the back. And both the husband and I have vowed to write the sell-by date in larger numbers on the package, so we can be sure to use things in the proper order.
I also discussed with the husband that we need to change the way we eat a little bit. If we are going to start stocking canned goods, then we need to start eating canned goods more often. So we can rotate through the stock and keep it fresh. And so -- god forbid -- some shortage or disaster happens, then it won't be a huge adjustment to eating canned goods. And if we are going to stock up on flour and sugar and powdered milk and corn meal... well, then I should make bread more often than twice a year. So that I remember how... and so that we rotate through the stock and not let it go bad.
I am super psyched by the tidy shelves, and all the space now in the kitchen. It'll be so much easier to plan a meal, I think. Over time, we'll have MORE food in the house, but if we are focusing on eating what's "running out" of time, then our choices will be narrowed to the items that have moved into the "current" pantry.
For example, when going through baking supplies, I found some marshmallows bordering on getting old. And was reminded we had a nearly full, open box of rice krispie cereal. So the kids and I made rice krispie treats today. I also discovered two unopened containers of oatmeal that are getting close to the sell by date. Egad, how long ago did I buy this... and then never get around to making oatmeal cookies. So that's what I'll be baking up next week, a huge batch of oatmeal cookies. Freeze some up and we are set for sweets for the summer.
I probably won't get too serious about starting to stock up until August, since we'll be out of town a lot this summer. But then I'll pay attention to sales and coupons, and start filling in those back rows.
And continuing to clean out old spaghetti sauce and pickle jars, to reuse later for my own canning experiments! But that's a later goal...
Good link, discussion about how you live
Interesting post discussing merits/pitfalls of rural, suburban, urban in the coming future ecomomic straits. City, Country, Suburb? It isn’t Where You Live, But How You Live There.
This feels right. I think the suburbs will turn into the little villages again that surround the big city, as it was in "olden times."
This feels right. I think the suburbs will turn into the little villages again that surround the big city, as it was in "olden times."
Good solar power site
If we want to run our home on solar energy (we do live in Florida) and yet be tied in to the power grid for back-up, we'll need one of these:
http://www.realgoods.com/product/solar+power/inverters/grid-tie/outback+ps1+grid-tie+inverter.do
Yikes! It costs $4,869. I wonder if there are tax credits for it?
http://www.realgoods.com/product/solar+power/inverters/grid-tie/outback+ps1+grid-tie+inverter.do
Yikes! It costs $4,869. I wonder if there are tax credits for it?
The Hunt for a Good Electric Bicycle Continues
It will have to be one that can haul my fat ass around, but here are some interesting websites ...
http://www.electricvehiclesnw.com/main/lite.htm
http://www.evalbum.com/1025
I'd need to become more mechanically inclined for this next one ...
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4032
and this one ...
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2039
http://www.electricvehiclesnw.com/main/lite.htm
http://www.evalbum.com/1025
I'd need to become more mechanically inclined for this next one ...
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4032
and this one ...
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2039
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Goal #4: Start a compost bin
I have a new garbage bag setup in the kitchen. We'll put food scraps in the recycled grocery bags (since I forget to use my green reusable bags half the time -- we still get plenty of these!). And we'll take our food out to the compost bin.
This will help with next fall's goal of a larger veggie garden.
This will help with next fall's goal of a larger veggie garden.
Goal #3: acquire items on the lists below
To make hubby happy, I'll see about acquiring the items on the lists he posted earlier today. I mean, obviously, the stuff we don't have yet.
Goal #2: Improve food storage
Husband and I already did a major overhaul of the garage. We are still just so happy to walk into our garage. Yes, it's that much of an improvement. Part of the reason for clearing junk out is to make room for junk from our tiny laundry room that can live in the hot garage -- extra wine glasses, paper towels, platters, etc.
So that's started, and a couple boxes have moved to the garage. I want to complete moving appropriate things to the garage, then clear two large shelves in the pantry for canned goods and flour and such. And hit sales and start stocking up in a frugal way.
So that's started, and a couple boxes have moved to the garage. I want to complete moving appropriate things to the garage, then clear two large shelves in the pantry for canned goods and flour and such. And hit sales and start stocking up in a frugal way.
Goal #1: reduce electric use
Goal for the summer: reduce our electric consumption by 10% KWH. That should be easy in July when we are gone for three weeks -- except we were also gone for half of July last year. August really oughta be easy, because we are gone for one week, and we weren't gone last year. September... is September.
Let's see last year's usage:
July 2007: 1684
August 2007: 1971
September 2007: 2122 (this was our peak bill in 2007)
So we should see:
July 2008: 1684 - 168 = 1516
August 2008: 1971 - 197 = 1774
September 2008: 2122 - 212 = 1910
Ways I hope we can do this:
* Unplug Wii, TVs, computers when not in use
* Turn out lights
* Turn the A.C. a notch warmer
* Not heat the pool
* More grilling and more cold/uncooked meals
* No baking
* Dry some clothes on a line
This isn't just about saving money -- as the electric companies are raising rates anyway -- but practicing a little bit of "doing without." If a storm hits or something worse, the shock will be 10% less....? In theory.
Anyway, we've got to start somewhere.
Let's see last year's usage:
July 2007: 1684
August 2007: 1971
September 2007: 2122 (this was our peak bill in 2007)
So we should see:
July 2008: 1684 - 168 = 1516
August 2008: 1971 - 197 = 1774
September 2008: 2122 - 212 = 1910
Ways I hope we can do this:
* Unplug Wii, TVs, computers when not in use
* Turn out lights
* Turn the A.C. a notch warmer
* Not heat the pool
* More grilling and more cold/uncooked meals
* No baking
* Dry some clothes on a line
This isn't just about saving money -- as the electric companies are raising rates anyway -- but practicing a little bit of "doing without." If a storm hits or something worse, the shock will be 10% less....? In theory.
Anyway, we've got to start somewhere.
Handy Stuff to Have Even if it's Not TEOTWAWKI
- Deck of cards or Dice
- Rechargeable Batteries w/ Solar & AC Charger
- Hard candy
- Swiss Army Knife
- Keychain flashlight
- Gloves of all types — winter gloves, work gloves, etc
- Crank Flashlights
- Crank Radios
- Sharpening stones or other sharpening gear
- Kits that convert standard Mini-Maglights to LED
- Multi Tool: Gerber or Leatherman (Full or Micro version)
- Batteries of all sorts
- Warm socks (Wool or Cotton)
- Tooth brushes
- Candles (Emergency or standard)
- Books
- Flashlights (Conventional or LED)
- Headband flashlights
- Pocket knives
- Freeze dried pouches
- Travel size first aid kit
- Travel size sewing kit
- Hand held video games
- Binoculars
- Lightsticks (Chem-Lights)
- Knit caps
- Zippo lighters (High Quality)
- Small jars of condiments or cheese spreads
- Dehydrated fruit
- Slingshot or wrist rocket
- Fishing pole and gear
First Aid Kit
Do we have all this in a first aid kit? If not, we need to work on it ...
- Rubber Gloves
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Alcohol
- Triple antibiotic cream
- Basic bandaids
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Aspirin
- Tweezers
- Ace bandages
- Thermometer
- Burn cream
- Vicks
- Calomine lotion
- Betadine solution
- Adhesive bandages in various sizes
- Gauze in rolls and various size bandages
- Antihistamine such as Benadryl
- Butterfly bandages
- First Aid Tape
- Pair of nail clippers
- Moleskin for blisters
- Instant ice pack
- Safety pins
- Pair of scissors
- Petroleum jelly
- Kaopectate/ other diarrhea medicine
- Ibuprofen
- Antiseptics moist towelette
- Over the counter cold meds
- Contraceptive items
- Throat spray
Nine Meals from Anarchy
I hate to start the weekend off with a depressing post, but if you wonder how long after TSHTF that chaos starts, the answer is three days.
From theMailOnline in Britain (the whole article is worth reading) ...
This is why we're building up our own stockpile of food. And it's time to get those wrist rockets -- those squirrels are looking like good eatin'.
From another blog, here is a list of “Basic Foods: A Shopping List” from a message board during the Y2k days:
From theMailOnline in Britain (the whole article is worth reading) ...
It was Lord Cameron's estimation that it would take just nine meals - three full days without food on supermarket shelves - before law and order started to break down, and British streets descended into chaos.
A far-fetched warning for a First World nation like Britain? Hardly. Because that's exactly what happened in the U.S. in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. People looted in order to feed themselves and their families.
The place that is most vulnerable here in the US is Los Angeles -- it's in a basin, there are only three major roads in or out and most of the supermarkets there practice "just in time" inventory. It's estimated that Los Angeles would start to run short of food 24 hours after disaster struck.This is why we're building up our own stockpile of food. And it's time to get those wrist rockets -- those squirrels are looking like good eatin'.
From another blog, here is a list of “Basic Foods: A Shopping List” from a message board during the Y2k days:
- Dried Beans
- Dried peas
- Rice
- Flour
- Macaroni
- Noodles
- Brown sugar
- White Sugar
- Powdered Sugar
- Corn syrup
- Maple Syrup
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cornstarch
- Yeast
- Grits
- Cornmeal
- Powdered milk
- Cocoa/baking chocolate
- Crackers
- Rolled oats/oatmeal
- Boxed macaroni & cheese (especially for kids - they love this)
- Bouillon (several flavors)
- Popcorn
- Assorted kinds of nuts
- Coconut
- Raisins
- Dried prunes
- Jellies and jams
- Shortening
- Olive oil
- Clarified butter
- Vinegar
- Cream of tartar
- Tea
- Coffee
- Powdered drink mixes
- Candy
- Ramen noodles
- Jalapenos
- Cream soups (mushroom, chicken, tomato)
- Tomato sauce
- Stewed tomatoes
- Canned vegetables (get a variety)
- Pie filling
- Chilis and tomatoes
- Canned chili
- Canned chicken
- Canned tuna
- Canned beef or dried
- Canned salmon
- Salt cured country ham
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Barbecue Sauce
- Hot sauces
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Parsley
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Oregano
- Basil
- Thyme
- Nutmeg
- Allspice
- Cinnamon
- Cardamon
- Dill
- Mace
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon juice
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Coriander
If we're wrong... we're still strong
This blog post from No Impact Man reminds me of something that I've been thinking... if we are wrong about the economy collapsing or Peak Oil or climate change... our changes and preparations will still be GOOD THINGS. We will have saved money and prepared for natural disasters. We will have taught ourselves and our kids some good skills. We'll have learned not to take things for granted. We'll have become less DEPENDENT on the grid.
If we ignore the potential problems and deny things could get worse... and then we're wrong? Oh that would really suck.
I'm gambling with getting at least a little ready.
off to price compost bins
If we ignore the potential problems and deny things could get worse... and then we're wrong? Oh that would really suck.
I'm gambling with getting at least a little ready.
off to price compost bins
Friday, June 6, 2008
can't take things for granted anymore
Again, with the musings...
I don't want to prepare for "end of the world." I mean, how would I even know where to start. There are some people out there who think that's what they are doing. But ... I don't want to ruin my quality of life now for the off chance I'll have the right supplies to survive the off chance of a worst worst worst case scenario.
Instead, I think of preparing for "end of life as we know it." I envision not taking Internet access and cable TV for granted. I envision not taking wide variety at the grocery store for granted. I envision find alternative modes of transportation.
There will be gaps in services and entertainments and even basic supplies that we take for granted.
The hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 gave us a smidgen of a glimpse of what this could be like. No a.c., no phone, no open restaurants. Some roads impassable. Being careful about driving because you don't know if/when you'll find an open gas station. The worst of it was ... maybe a day. We had food enough for at least 2 weeks. But we were at the grocery store within a couple days.
I just hark back to those few days and try to think about life being in that state more often. Not all the time. We might not be able to get blueberries in winter. Or our favorite brand of ketchup might disappear from the shelves permanently. A few more movie theaters will close down (but egad, who goes out the movies any more these days at these prices?!).
And in some places, there will be more scarcity of water. In rough times, dryer months, our water restrictions will be more draconian -- screw cleaning the cars and watering the lawns.
Do I know for sure these things will happen? Of course not. Maybe those Peak Oil nay-sayers are right. Maybe there is plenty more oil, and we'll be sitting around drinking wine around our virtual fire and be laughing about the year we stocked up on cans of tuna and peanut butter.
To keep from fretting, I am focusing on stocking up on stuff that we need anyway. We'll certainly use up peanut butter and toilet paper and toothpaste eventually. Oh and especially bottles of water. We're ready for the next storm. We're ready for the next block party. We're... ready for an economic depression. I hope.
Learning skills such as sewing, veggie growing, bicycle repair, wine making are fun anyway. Never hurts to know more things, and not take these things for granted.
It's all a grand adventure.
I only fret when I start thinking about my kids not living as well as we have. But then again, what has this "well off American life" given me? High cholesterol, a wide waistline, an Internet addiction. Having my kids learn some useful skills, gathering a variety of information to learn from, learning to budget and buy in bulk, and to grow plants, and to respect the Earth... actually maybe I am preparing them for a better, more real life than the one I have been taking for granted for lo these many decades.
I don't want to prepare for "end of the world." I mean, how would I even know where to start. There are some people out there who think that's what they are doing. But ... I don't want to ruin my quality of life now for the off chance I'll have the right supplies to survive the off chance of a worst worst worst case scenario.
Instead, I think of preparing for "end of life as we know it." I envision not taking Internet access and cable TV for granted. I envision not taking wide variety at the grocery store for granted. I envision find alternative modes of transportation.
There will be gaps in services and entertainments and even basic supplies that we take for granted.
The hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 gave us a smidgen of a glimpse of what this could be like. No a.c., no phone, no open restaurants. Some roads impassable. Being careful about driving because you don't know if/when you'll find an open gas station. The worst of it was ... maybe a day. We had food enough for at least 2 weeks. But we were at the grocery store within a couple days.
I just hark back to those few days and try to think about life being in that state more often. Not all the time. We might not be able to get blueberries in winter. Or our favorite brand of ketchup might disappear from the shelves permanently. A few more movie theaters will close down (but egad, who goes out the movies any more these days at these prices?!).
And in some places, there will be more scarcity of water. In rough times, dryer months, our water restrictions will be more draconian -- screw cleaning the cars and watering the lawns.
Do I know for sure these things will happen? Of course not. Maybe those Peak Oil nay-sayers are right. Maybe there is plenty more oil, and we'll be sitting around drinking wine around our virtual fire and be laughing about the year we stocked up on cans of tuna and peanut butter.
To keep from fretting, I am focusing on stocking up on stuff that we need anyway. We'll certainly use up peanut butter and toilet paper and toothpaste eventually. Oh and especially bottles of water. We're ready for the next storm. We're ready for the next block party. We're... ready for an economic depression. I hope.
Learning skills such as sewing, veggie growing, bicycle repair, wine making are fun anyway. Never hurts to know more things, and not take these things for granted.
It's all a grand adventure.
I only fret when I start thinking about my kids not living as well as we have. But then again, what has this "well off American life" given me? High cholesterol, a wide waistline, an Internet addiction. Having my kids learn some useful skills, gathering a variety of information to learn from, learning to budget and buy in bulk, and to grow plants, and to respect the Earth... actually maybe I am preparing them for a better, more real life than the one I have been taking for granted for lo these many decades.
Gold and other valuables
I found this on theoildrum.com ...
In the Great Depression, people ended up selling their jewelry and other heirlooms for pennies on the dollar. And now, people have a lot more jewelry to sell. Even poor people often have a lot of gold jewelry these days.
More stuff to stock up on here: http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4109#comment-356636
In the Great Depression, people ended up selling their jewelry and other heirlooms for pennies on the dollar. And now, people have a lot more jewelry to sell. Even poor people often have a lot of gold jewelry these days.
The Argentina collapse guy recommended gold, but said to get cheap gold wedding bands. Since you got the same amount for a cheap wedding band as you did for a heavy investment gold coin. Plus, it draws less attention.
The Yugoslavia collapse guy recommended against gold. He said it was useful things that were valuable for barter: cast iron cookware, headlamps, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, cosmetics. As bad as it was, hungry people were willing to trade a meal for toiletries. Because they make you feel human.More stuff to stock up on here: http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4109#comment-356636
Moonshine - We Need a Still
We need a still. Can we buy one, or get the parts for cheaper and build it ourselves?
I'll come back to this post with research.
I'll come back to this post with research.
Tricycle with trailer
We might want to look into something like this. We can find them in the US here or here. I'm sure there are more sources.
Bikes and trikes like are all over Europe, making deliveries to and from stores. If things really fall apart, I wonder if we could make a living with a fleet of delivery trikes.
The Chinese version -- built for heavier loads -- is here: http://www.orientaloutpost.com/images/goldfish1.jpgCollection of links
Food info:
Preparing an Emergency Food Supply Long Term Food Storage
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FDNS-E-34-1.html
Home/Self reliances info:
Self-Sufficiency Plan for a Suburban http://casaubonsbook.blogspot.com/2006/11/self-sufficiency-plan-for-suburban.html
Backwoods Home magazine
http://www.backwoodshome.com/
Hillbilly Housewife -- really named that! And it's a good fun blog
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index.htm
Places to get training
Wilderness survival training
http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/wilderness-survival-training.html
Places to look things up for how to:
Survival topics
http://www.survivaltopics.com/
Ready Made
http://readymademag.com/blog/2008/05/23/exhibit-a-the-case-for-diy/
Misc info:
100 Things You Can Do to Get Ready for Peak Oil
http://sharonastyk.com/resources2/100-things-you-can-do-to-get-ready-for-peak-oil2/
Blogs:
Survival acres -- only slightly intense!
http://survivalacres.com/wordpress/
Sustain Blog -- good gardening info
http://sustainablog.org/
Survivalist blog -- again with the intense and scary
http://thesurvivalistblog.blogspot.com/
Causobon's book
http://sharonastyk.com/
Survival blog -- seems to be the big daddy of these blogs?
http://www.survivalblog.com/
Preparing an Emergency Food Supply Long Term Food Storage
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FDNS-E-34-1.html
Home/Self reliances info:
Self-Sufficiency Plan for a Suburban http://casaubonsbook.blogspot.com/2006/11/self-sufficiency-plan-for-suburban.html
Backwoods Home magazine
http://www.backwoodshome.com/
Hillbilly Housewife -- really named that! And it's a good fun blog
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index.htm
Places to get training
Wilderness survival training
http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/wilderness-survival-training.html
Places to look things up for how to:
Survival topics
http://www.survivaltopics.com/
Ready Made
http://readymademag.com/blog/2008/05/23/exhibit-a-the-case-for-diy/
Misc info:
100 Things You Can Do to Get Ready for Peak Oil
http://sharonastyk.com/resources2/100-things-you-can-do-to-get-ready-for-peak-oil2/
Blogs:
Survival acres -- only slightly intense!
http://survivalacres.com/wordpress/
Sustain Blog -- good gardening info
http://sustainablog.org/
Survivalist blog -- again with the intense and scary
http://thesurvivalistblog.blogspot.com/
Causobon's book
http://sharonastyk.com/
Survival blog -- seems to be the big daddy of these blogs?
http://www.survivalblog.com/
White Men Call Them Sling Shots ... My People Call Them Wrist Rockets
For sale here ...
http://stun-ningsales.com/SportStore/wrist-rocket.htm
But they can be found cheaper on eBay. I wonder if we can find them cheaper somewhere else?
I like the idea of a folding sling shot. That would fit in a pocket nicely. And we would SO rule over the damned crows that will try to eat our garden.
I recently read a story about a guy who got in trouble for using a .22 rifle to shoot a garden-eating crow in his backyard garden (law broken: discharging a firearm in city limits). Plus, we don't want to keep firearms around the house. You don't have that problem with a wrist rocket.
We'll have to teach the kids not to shoot living things with the slingshots, of course. But I remember many a halcyon afternoon as a boy spent shooting at targets with a wrist rocket and marbles.
http://stun-ningsales.com/SportStore/wrist-rocket.htm
But they can be found cheaper on eBay. I wonder if we can find them cheaper somewhere else?
I like the idea of a folding sling shot. That would fit in a pocket nicely. And we would SO rule over the damned crows that will try to eat our garden.
I recently read a story about a guy who got in trouble for using a .22 rifle to shoot a garden-eating crow in his backyard garden (law broken: discharging a firearm in city limits). Plus, we don't want to keep firearms around the house. You don't have that problem with a wrist rocket.
We'll have to teach the kids not to shoot living things with the slingshots, of course. But I remember many a halcyon afternoon as a boy spent shooting at targets with a wrist rocket and marbles.
First thoughts...
I see this blog as covering the more practical preparations for the potential declines in civilization -- a.k.a. life as we know it.
There are lots of folks out there, called survivalists, who are raising goats and chickens, and stocking up on cans of 10 year bacon, and collecting guns and ammo, preparing for a zombie invasion and the end of the world. Good for them. But, egad, they are scary.
What I am looking to collect is info on stocking up on non-perishables. Maybe there will be short periods where we will have to live on canned goods and read books by candlelight. Or there will just be shortages where you can't get canned tuna, or fresh veggies, or toothpaste. Might as well have those supplies or canned alternatives as backup, rather than just whining.
I want to collect ideas about entertaining and teaching children without electricity. How to repair bicycles. How to grow vegetables and keep away pests.
Anyway, that's the kind of info I'll be collecting here.
-- CEB
There are lots of folks out there, called survivalists, who are raising goats and chickens, and stocking up on cans of 10 year bacon, and collecting guns and ammo, preparing for a zombie invasion and the end of the world. Good for them. But, egad, they are scary.
What I am looking to collect is info on stocking up on non-perishables. Maybe there will be short periods where we will have to live on canned goods and read books by candlelight. Or there will just be shortages where you can't get canned tuna, or fresh veggies, or toothpaste. Might as well have those supplies or canned alternatives as backup, rather than just whining.
I want to collect ideas about entertaining and teaching children without electricity. How to repair bicycles. How to grow vegetables and keep away pests.
Anyway, that's the kind of info I'll be collecting here.
-- CEB
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