Get Ready - The Next Steps

It has been my intention to share in this blog the ways in which I have moved toward greater self-sufficiency. I'm not expecting a world-wide catastrophe (although I'm not denying the possibility) but I want to be able to survive a few days or a few weeks in the event that a natural disaster comes my way. What's more, I like not having to depend upon an increasingly unworkable commercial system to supply my basic needs.

We saw after Hurricane Katrina how unprepared most people are to survive on their own when disaster strikes. Those who could not or would not evacuate surely expected to be rescued and back to normal life immediately after the storm passed.

It didn't happen. It still hasn't happened for many of those people.

Fifty years ago, would it have been the same? Probably not. Fewer people were crammed into the urban areas and most of them were still able to access the skills they learned growing up -- skills such as cooking without electricity or microwave meals.

I believe that a great many people today would like to be self-sufficient, or at least better able to take care of themselves and their families. They just don't know where to start. If you are one of those people or if you know some of them, this blog may be helpful.

Rather than reinvent the wheel by giving you my own suggested steps, I'll often refer you to other internet resources.  One such resource is The Deliberate Agrarian's post An Agrarian-Style Economic Self Defense Plan.

This post spells out the first steps to be taken by those seeking to become more self-reliant. More than that, however, it provides insight into our country's economic situation. Written in early 2008, this post was prophetic in its clear look at what was to come.

I strongly dislike the term 'sheeple,' which refers to people who follow like sheep whoever or whatever appears to be a leader or trend.

Nevertheless, recent news reports suggest that there might be a lot of sheeple out there.

December's snowstorms stranded thousands of travelers, many of them trapped inside airports when flights were canceled due to weather. Most of them whined about the situation, even though they must have had access to weather reports and therefore must have suspected that travel would be difficult.

It's likely that many of them also complained about the new and more invasive security measures in airports, involving body scans and pat-downs that constitute sexual assault when employed by anyone other than government-sanctioned workers.

Despite skyrocketing prices, additional fees for luggage and food, the loathesome security measures, and the general lack of reliable transport and customer service, air travel increased 3% in 2010 over the previous year.

Now the former president of Shell Oil Company tells us that gasoline prices will almost certainly hit $5 within the next year. There are all sorts of explanations for this, ranging from increased oil use by developing countries to a shut down at an oil pipeline in Canada.

I believe the most likely explanation is quite simple: because they can.

In recent years when the price of gasoline has jumped up, drivers complained but kept on pumping. No doubt the same will happen again. Why?

It's as if people don't realize that they have a choice. Our my-car-is-my-independence culture has erased any memory of another way to do it.

Carpooling, biking, walking, and the one-car family don't register as realistic options. Neither does consolidating trips, or so it would seem based on the number of times my down the road neighbors zoom past my house every day.

Yes, many of us have to get to work, but do we have to drive there alone in a gas-guzzler? Can we not manage a half hour of social interaction on a bus?

I agree that having one's own car is convenient. If you are happy to pay the price without complaint, I see no problem with going on as you've always done.

On the other hand, if you find gas prices and travel in general to be out of control, stressful, expensive, offensive, or in any way disturbing, take your stand. Find another way.

You do NOT have to put up with the status quo. You do NOT have to follow the sheep into That's How It Is Land.


Take your stand, I say. Sacrifice a little convenience. Our country was founded on sacrifice, after all, and generally that sacrifice was considerably greater than a pleasure cruise.

The only way to bring about change is to break away from the flock and head in the right direction.

Cooking Beans on the Fire

With winter cold comes the comforting warmth of a wood fire. We feed ours with trees that have fallen in the woods throughout the year, so it costs almost nothing to heat our house.

I love the smell of a wood fire, too. Good thing, you say, since I'm living with it.

There's one more thing to love about the wood heater -- it cooks! Yes, my friends, while it warms the house and wafts its heavenly scent, it also prepares delicious meals.

I know that some of you reading this post have your own stews and soups bubbling away on your own fires, but it's likely that some newcomers to the self-reliant life are visiting today. For those of you who haven't tried cooking with your woodstove (and especially for those of you who haven't tried cooking without a microwave oven), here's a tip: beans.

Easy to grow, easy to store,  and easy to cook, dried beans are loaded with nutrition. They're affordable even if you buy from the local supermarket, they're versatile, and they are the basis for a frugal family's meal planning.

Whether you intend to cook them on a wood fire or an electric range, start by soaking dried beans in water for several hours, even overnight if you like. The variety makes little difference -- pinto, navy, aduki, kidney, black, or whatever dried bean you have on hand.Once they've soaked a while, you'll notice that the beans have swollen up a bit and gotten slightly softer.

Drain off the soak water, then add fresh water that covers the beans by about 2 inches. Add a piece of pork (ham bone, salt pork, whatever you like) and little salt -- the amount is up to you, and you can always taste and adjust as the beans cook.

And now you're ready to go. Put the pot of beans on your heat source and let them simmer for 2 hours or more, tasting every so often until they're just the way you like 'em.

That's the basic bean recipe, but there are so many variations, you could eat beans every day and never have exactly the same dish. Try adding tomatoes, celery, onions, garlic, carrots, or any combination of whatever vegetables you like.   Serve your beans with rice, or with cornbread, or with biscuits.

Eat, enjoy, and commend yourself for having the wisdom to recognize and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.