Cupboard, Spring clean

Yes I know, a little late for spring cleaning but it's been so cold around here.  I even started a fire in the basement because all the rain has left the house feeling a bit damp, turning on the furnace gets hot in minutes, so a fire it is.

I found a questionable bag of rice with holes and dust inside so I have pulled all food off of 3 shelves so far to wash down the shelves, also rinsed with a little vinegar. Then wiped all the bottoms of the boxes and containers, aired them and restocked the shelves.  I have 4 more to go.  Also tossing old and questionable packages, it's been a while.  Time seems to go by so fast and I haven't been into the very back of the cupboards or rotated the food out.  Feels good to get another area up to date, clean and refreshed.  This is certainly not a hard job, just one that gets put off till another day.

Thoughts on Life

I came across an article on self-sufficiency and a book review.  Amazing how close to my thoughts and beliefs, like mind reading. In a Countryside magazine article (jan/feb, 2010), regarding Jd Belanger's new book "he admonishes people to think of their frugal lifestyles as a business", "a business must be more efficient and less wasteful than a hobby, self sufficient living cannot tolerate waste". It's an "investment in a minimalist lifestyle  that can be just as profitable as investments in the stock market".  The Complete Idiot's guide to Self-Sufficient Living.  Definitely will get this book.  I am not a complete beginner, but being self taught in most areas of gardening and animals, a library of books for reference  is important.  Jd Belanger has been writing about homesteading for 30 years, that's a lot of knowledge.

'voluntary simplicity' . . . . .  I like the way it sounds!

I have kept track of eggs gathered per day, food bought, the few dozen sold to a neighbor and the year the chicks were bought. Should have also kept track of the dozens given away to family, and the price of the chicks.  It wasn't hard, I kept a paper for counts on the side of the fridge.  We also kept track of expenses for 4H horses, considered as part of the responsibility of the kids projects each year.  For home schooled kids, this is great for math lessons (gardening and animals), even the youngest can help with counting, weighing, writing the numbers, etc. Real life math makes more sense. While in high school and not understanding algebra, switching to bookkeeping saved my grade point average.  A light went off (in my head!), 'this is algebra', it made sense because of real life applications.  I feel that kids are not helped to understand why they must know math, especially in high school.

Mother Earth News Fair

Went to Puyallup, Wa for the Mother Earth News Fair and in order of what blew my mind:

• the draft horses who logs with their owner - demonstration,  WOW, and the portable saw mill
• the fibers information - spinning, TOUCHING, absorbing knowledge
• the plate of sample cheese (I am still nibbling on) mostly soft with rinds Mmmm, Mmmmmm
• lecture - rotation of pastures, wow! so do-able.  (I think lazy comes to mind if this isn't incorporated into animal husbandry), this will be used in the future!

I thoroughly enjoyed browsing and learning new information, thank you SO MUCH !

This has been a GOOD weekend with family and sad because my son in law is going to Iraq for a year. Bittersweet, hard to wrap my mind around it and this will be very hard on his family.  I'm very glad we can be there for them.

We also went to the Nisqually Estuary with the grandkids and had a great walk with them.  They love nature and are very inquisitive.

Skills List

What do I know!  Hmmm, a list would help ...........

• Sewing, since 10 years old
• Crocheting, self taught at 12 years old
• Knitting, taught a few others also
• Spinning, re-learn (drop spindle)
• Cooking
• Baking
• Canning, jam, jelly, fruits
• Dehydrate food
• Vegetable gardening
• Raised chickens (for eggs)
• Raised rabbits (for meat)
• Kept goats
• Kept horses
• Start a fire (chop wood)
• Hunted birds
• Shooting - shotgun, rifle, handgun
• Fish, dig clams
• Pitch a tent with no help
• Use tools - Circular saw, hammer, screwdrivers, etc
• Drive a stick shift
• Photography - amateur
• Draw - Commander Mark style
• Balance a checkbook
• Bookkeeping/Accounting
• Scored for son's baseball games
• Grow houseplants
• Read instructions and follow them
• Housekeeping, know more than I practice
• Recycling, religiously
• Re-purpose: clothes, dishes for serving 
• Making jewelry (beginner)
• French braid - my own hair and others

I love to learn new skills and there is so much left out there to absorb and use in every day living!  I have read articles in magazines now for many years telling us how to 'save' time in chores to gain a minutes here and there.  WHY?  So we (society) can sit around, watch TV, gain weight, thereby diseases can set in like the heart or diabetes, etc.  Gardening, canning, sewing, cleaning house is being connected.  Staring at a TV is dumbing down our population!

Future, Freedom or Government 'Slavery'?

I have been reading a lot on sustainable living, mostly opinion and some practical information to try.  Most of the opinions are establishing 'self' sustainable living.  I don't believe this is possible, there is not enough hours in the day.  A sustainable community is a must with trade to 'help' each other.   We are mired in cutting ourselves off from each other, depending on technology, sitting in front of a TV going numb in the brain.  I don't see the good in our so called advanced civilization.  How many people don't have medical/dental insurance, enough food, clothing,  housing.  We don't all have access to big incomes,  we are the working poor!  Raising animals, growing vegetables, keeping occupied with activities that improve home life is better than being brain dead, government slaves.  Helping and caring for each other gives us satisfaction but most important, trade.  We are all gifted in different skills.

Sustainable living is something I want to aspire to.  Is it possible?  Can't hurt trying.  I think that getting back a sense of community is crucial.  ".... the world is ending" is too common a thing to say, I do think something may happen to change how we live life.  A kind of creepy, hair raising feeling, it's making me feel antsy, our government doesn't take care of us (just the rest of world).  Taxes continually go up, while cuts are made in the 'wrong' areas.  I know everyone may not agree with this, but I don't see any balance in our government.  We need to take care of ourselves.  So my 'community' will start with my kids. Trying to have property together, helping each other.  The gardens and outbuildings will be community, houses separate.  Yes, there could be a lot of problems.  Working them out will be worth it,  community is a century's old way of life.  Trying is better than what we have now!  In the past we have taught ourselves to garden, raise chickens, keep goats and horses.  So yes, I want to learn more!

I have believed all this in pieces but only recently have my thoughts and conversations been put together at the same time.  The signs of the times have brought it all together and is making a big impact in my life.  To my surprise is how many others believe the same as I do.  Wow, am I sounding radical.  This was not my attitude growing into my adult years.  Disillusion has been slowly setting in the last 10 years.  The future is not looking good for our children. Mine already see it and that is sad.  They also see the need to learn homesteading skills because our government may fail them. 

Denim Re-use

What have I used denim for!  A list of things I have made over the years:

• Purses, 4 styles - lined (sold a few, too)
• Coin purses - lined  (from back pockets)
• Rail fence quilt (UFO)
• Circles quilt - with frayed (started, a while ago)
• Heart wall hanging (gift to brother)
• Pocket wall hanging
• Vest, strip pieced
• Toy carpenters apron for toddler
• Organizing hanger for a child's bed
• Round purse (experiment)
• Heart shaped drink coasters - sets of 4 (gift)
• Flower (experiment)
• Backpack (stolen from my car)
• Chair covers - stapled over previous one
• Pillows, 2
• Picnic blanket, large triangles (gift)
• Soft 'buckets' - stay upright when full 
• 'Sleeve' to hold plastic grocery bags

My projects have come about from necessity, I love to sew and tight incomes do not leave room for personal  interests.  Since this happened off and on during the kids young years, they came first!  Friends started giving me their cast off jeans, I could turn to sewing with a little creativity without the guilt.  And recycle, which I am passionate about!  I have 3 of the large garbage bags full of jeans still.  My newest  project find is the 'buckets', I absolutely love them.  Gave 2 away and have one myself.  Will need to make more, because I am going to store sewing and knitting supplies in them.  The 'jeans' are the inside with pockets and fashion fabric on the out (found the instructions on the internet),  been looking for a new ideas lately.
                                                                                                                                                                              

Compost Day!

I saw on the calendar that today is compost day, who knew!  My compost bin is full so I pulled more out of the bottom to the top again, this will distribute tons of red wrigglers to the new stuff faster.  So guess I participated in Compost Day!   Otherwise, a beautiful day!    Worked on a small project for my daughter, a pincushion (it will look like stacked pillows).  The top pillow is pieced in a log cabin.  Don't know why, but I like to make pincushions.  Last Christmas, I made a pretty heart design that I found on the internet for my sister-in-laws.  Did a little free motion quilting but I did not like the way it sat so I poured acrylic beads into the point (the kind used in beanie babies) then the fiber fill and perfect!  It sat just right with the point down, showing off the top nicely.  I will be making more of this one.