Maybe I shouldn't have read them all at once. My stomach hurts! My poor dog is sitting next to me wondering what's wrong with me. I can't stop laughing. Thanks Jocelyn!
Karen Donnachaidh wrote: I really wish I could view these presentations
Grow Your Own presenters wrote:Oh, and there are over 15 expert gardeners hosting FREE classes! Then if you get the paid option you get 30 more videos on top of that!
I think it's awesome when you can get so much for free. That's a rare thing nowadays. And, these folks are covering a ton of food growing topics. I really wish I could view these presentations, but my internet is way too slow to get to watch videos. What I think would be super cool is if Permie friends here who have registered for the presentation could post on this thread after watching and let me know what you thought.
Nice work! This reminds me of the old saying "a stitch in time saves nine". So, sashiko is like a decorative reinforced weaving? And, like all repairs, probably works best when the stitches are made in time. For my bags, I hand stitch using dental floss. Seems like we always have a bunch of sample packs of floss from dental cleanings. Might as well put them to good use.
In zone 7 here and tomorrow will be a rain and snow mix with tomorrow night getting into the 20s. So many fruit trees in bloom right now. Ouch. Hoping for the best. We have this exact same scenario every Spring. Last year, you would have thought the fruit trees were toast...nope. They did okay. The year before, they were totally wiped out.
That sounds really good. I think I'll try something similar to that soon.
I would probably make a third of a batch, thaw out a 1 pound pack of venison, add loads of the veggies I don't have fresh fennel and also since I don't have anise I would leave out too instead of buying it. I have only seen recipes that just use bay leaves to flavor a dish and then they remove them. Interesting that this one uses ground bay leaves. I would use smoked paprika. (Love smoked paprika, would probably eat it by itself if nobody was watching.) And, I'd not use casings because that would be something I'd have to buy. But, all of the other ingredients are things I have already. I like your idea of sausage Po-boy on French Bread. That sounds good! I'm hungry!!
You are all so kind to post such helpful advice. Thank you all. It certainly helps in a situation like this, to feel like you're not alone. I'm sure R Ranson is doing all she can for the little lamb and I'm sure she's working tirelessly. We hope all turns out well.
In an attempt to help you find what you seek, I have been looking online for flow form molds. You have probably already made a few online searches of your own.There are quite a few sites selling pre-made forms and several that have instructions for making your own. Wide range in prices for those pre-made forms.
Now, I must say, to find that exact vendor from a fair 20 years ago is a long shot. (I did quite a few searches for the fair vendors present 20 years ago and around that time too.) They may very well be out of business, maybe...maybe not. I don't know, but I hope you are not as set on finding them as you are just finding good molds (without international shipping).
I wish you much luck finding your molds. Posting to this thread will keep it bumped up to the top, so hopefully someone with better information than I will chime in soon.
I'm really enjoying all of the varied responses here!
To add further details on my situation, I live in a house that's 138 years old. The contents of the house are far from modern. So much of what we have was given to us by people now long gone. Things made many years ago were built to last. There would be, occasionally, the random part that needed to be replaced to keep it functioning, but otherwise it is still solid. There in lies the problem. So many of those "random parts" are near impossible to find. We do keep tons of scraps for their possible future purposes, but some things I am unable to fashion out of scraps. I hate having to store things in the shed or attic, waiting for a part to appear at an auction or online, but I do it; because I hate even worse, to throw away something that needed only a small part. So, for what items purchased new would this stockpile idea make sense? I wonder.
Just two weeks ago, our water went out. We have, through the years, bought replacement parts (when we could find them) for the Jacuzzi brand pump control box for the well pump. Capacitors were easy enough to find, but relays were harder. This time, of course, it was the relay. (I had an extra capacitor, brand new.) I had four old relays, but all were shot. Had to end up buying a whole new control box.
Our Frigidaire freezer (model UFP-157) needs a new defrost timer and a door locking mechanism. Can't find those anymore. For locking it, I have cord wrapped around the freezer and secured with a padlock just in case if something ever fell over and bumped the door open.
Our kitchen sink has a Sterling wall mount faucet. Sterling was bought out by Kohler, but Kohler doesn't carry replacement parts for Sterling products. I've been trying to piece together parts that don't exactly fit just to make do.
Those are just a few on my headache list. The washing machine was my husband's grandma's and is over 30 years old; the kitchen stove is about the same age; the two sewing machines - one is over 50 and the other was purchased in 1976; the television, which I could live happily without, is just over 20 now, but we just had to replace the converter box......
On and on. I feel like I'm living in a house of cards, if I fix something over here then something over there breaks.
I don't know how many times now I've ran into this issue. Tons! I will be in need of a certain part to repair my 20, 30, 40....year old (stove, freezer, sink, television, washing machine, whatever) and I search everywhere for the part, only to be told many times, "They don't make that anymore"; "That company went out of business 20+ years ago"; "We now carry brand XYZ and those parts aren't compatible".
Knowing that this is my normal pattern, to buy something and use it until it literally falls apart, I think it may be money well spent to consider a new purchase's components with the thought of "what parts will I likely be replacing/repairing in the next 30 years". Then, I can stockpile several things to have on hand when they no longer exist.
The problems I see with my idea are:
stockpiles take up space until used
the ___ may never need replacing, therefore I spent money unnecessarily
assumed the ___ part would outlast the other parts and so I didn't stockpile one of those. Now I've got lots of other parts that I didn't ever need to replace before it was rendered obsolete
makes for a much bigger initial investment
I seem to have constant, on-going online searches in hopes that someone somewhere in the world may someday list the exact part(s) I've been trying to find. It drives me nuts! I don't want to buy a new product. I just want to find a part that would only cost a couple of dollars to fix the one I have.
Does anyone else have the problem of finding older parts like I do? Do you stockpile parts for repair?
I agree, this isn't something you'd want to shred and add to soil.
However, as in this thread ( mealworms eating styrofoam), what is suggested as a possible safe way is to feed it to mealworms, where their digestive microbes will break it down and then feed the mealworms to the chickens.
The thread is quite back and forth on varying opinions. But, best to weigh out both sides before doing something that would be very hard to undo if you happen to be regretful at any point later.
I moved from a large city in the Mid-Atlantic region
I suppose if there's anything that could ever persuade a person to move from our beautiful Mid-Atlantic region 😉, the land you described with all of its potential could just be it. That sounds like a great place. I know you must be anxious to get started, but your approach is a smart one. The first step in permaculture is always to observe nature first and then see how we need to proceed in order to work with and enhance what we have.
If you need anything (pertaining to your new land adventure or navigating on this site) just holler. There's lots of helpful, friendly folk here.
How lucky (special) you are! Those are gorgeous!!! I've been zooming in on the picture to notice every detail and they are perfect. The colors are so lovely and could accent any decor. (I'd probably not be able to use them, afraid I'd damage them some way.) A beautiful gift from a genuinely kind soul for sure.
A friend of mine has a deal with some of our local restaurants, where he picks up their kitchen knives on a scheduled basis, takes them home to sharpen by hand and returns them. He is very detailed in his work and makes sure they're just so before returning them.
To properly sharpen a chainsaw chain is also a useful service.
Green! When I see the first hint of soft green foliage on trees in the Spring...I shake the winter blues and I feel alive again. It makes me happy, because "with forty shades of green, it's hard to be blue." 🌳
I hope I can successfully lead you through the process. I'm going to attempt to use a screenshot so that, hopefully, you'll be able to see the link as it needs to be written. Let's try this.
Click on "My Profile" in the dashboard at the top of any page.
Click on "General Information About Yourself".
You'll see the text box to add your signature there.
I see this is written in your signature line presently:
www.earthenexposure.com
Let's make it an active link.
Your kitten story reminded me of another example of me not knowing what the next "crisis" will look like in order to prepare.
In 2012, I called my husband at work to tell him about the dog that showed up at our house. I had called the phone number on the collar and left a message. In the meantime, I put the dog in our own dog's pen that's attached to one of our barns while our dog ran free outside. My husband said since he wasn't too busy he would just come home. He had only been in the house a few minutes when the tornado hit. The tornado flattened two of our barns, including the one with the lost dog in it. Our dog was outside and my husband told me I couldn't open the door to see if I could get her in at that point.
After it was safe to go outside, I found our shaken dog to be okay. We went to the barn and, once we figured out where the dog box should be, we dug out the lost dog and she was fine.
I thought the (mini)crisis of the day was to get a dog back to it's home. I was calling it's owners, making it comfortable, feeding it and how was I to know I had placed it in a dangerous place? I couldn't have.
Nicole, I think you were (are still) faced with some daunting challenges and you used the resources and knowledge you had available at the time to get you and your family through. Maybe you feel as if you just barely survived or could have done things differently, but I think what you have managed to do is commendable. You took care of the important things and other less important things got less attention. That's what you have to do, prioritize. You can't do it all, no one can. I don't think any amount of preparing would have all details covered. You just scale back and get through. Then, you can build back up until the next crisis, which will come - life's a cycle of ups and downs until the end.
You mention "the reality of homesteading" and you seem to suggest that your life's routine has become such that your focus is no longer on the "end of the world", "zombie apocalypse", "what if" scenarios, but now mostly focused on just striving to survive daily with looming health issues, raising a family and maintaining a home. I think a lot about the "crisis" I'll be faced with all too soon. We all will, in some way.
The "end of the world" as a societal collapse may never happen in my lifetime. There's no guarantee of that. What is more likely the guaranteed "crisis" I'll have to face is "self-collapse"; either, as old-age approaches or battling disease. I should be more focused right now on prepping for how I will manage to grow enough food to preserve for the upcoming year and, hopefully, repeat for a few more years after that; also, to maintain a house that's 140 years old already and is very high maintenance; and, to live on little or no money, because you're less likely to be employed or employable after a certain point; all while dealing with physical and mental decline that is only going to get worse as I age. There are already some things I am struggling with. I don't have as much energy, strength or stamina to get done all that I need to. I find that I am now more prone to strained muscles, general soreness and bruising. I am getting more and more forgetful. I can't see as well anymore. I should go to the doctor about this and that, but I can't afford to, so I deal with it the best I can. I thought it was just yesterday that I was 20 and invincible. Time goes so fast and the time to have started preparing for sunset years was back when preparing was the last thing on my mind.
At this point in my life, I still can grow, forage, hunt, catch enough food to eat. I have a strong survival sense (foregoing the legal and moral aspects when necessary to rely on cunning strategies) that enables me to get things I need in order to get by. In the past, I have been extremely poor and I have been homeless, in which both cases require you to sharpen your survival skills. The most important tool in my survival toolbox is knowledge, by far.
I know of many people that are far less fortunate than I in terms of money and material things. I am very blessed to have what I have now. I know of some too that have lots of money and no survival skills. I think I know which has real value.
But, where will I be and what will my life look like when mental decline has faded my once trusted knowledge and weakness has taken my physical abilities? How can I maintain enough self-sufficiency and self-reliance during "self-collapse" to survive? My husband, being older than I, may be in worse shape than myself and may rely on me for care. Maybe I should be so lucky that the zombies will take us both.
Looks good Ludi. Is your dad's place in the same planting zone as yours? I've never heard of prostrate rosemary, wonder if i can grow that in zone 7. How tall would you say it gets? Less than 8 inches?
Hey Patrick! Yeah, we've got about 67° here in the Piedmont. Going to be mid/upper 70's today. I love the warmth, but I worry my trees will bud out and get frosted (again).
New chat room...that sounds like more than my weak internet signal could handle. I type a message now and cross my fingers when I hit send.
This just came to my inbox, thought I'd pass it along if anyone is interested. Sounds cool!
Stacey Murphy wrote: I’ve got tomatoes on the brain today.
Sun-kissed tomatoes fresh from heaven.
Maybe you can relate...
My housemates and I are talking about tomatoes for the garden this year.
And we quickly realize that we would like to cover our entire yard (and roof) with tomato plants in order to enjoy fresh salads, make salsas, preserve hot sauces, etc. And it’s not enough, we want MORE!
Our stomachs are bigger than our garden sometimes. ;)
So we had a lively conversation about sweetness, texture and acidity trying to decide what kind of tomatoes to plant in the space we have.
It inspired me to try a new online format so I can have a similar conversation with you.
I’m hosting a LIVE Facebook TONIGHT and I hope you’ll join me.
It’s going to be a TOMATO-FEST!
I'll share my #1 tip to help you grow more tomatoes this year.
And because it’s LIVE, you’ll get to chat and post your comments.
Spoiler Alert: you may have already heard me share my love for Sun Golds and Early Girls when I was in Brooklyn, because their vines can become heavy with continuously ripening fruit fast. And these two varieties are GREAT for all regions. However, growing in San Diego, I’ve discovered a new favorite. Looking forward to sharing it with you tonight!
