I’ve decided to add this page for sharing things. Consider it a Living Through a Depression 101 course. Two things you’ll hear about are several personal projects. First up, My Obama Victory Garden. This is where I turn every inch of my yard into something that will feed me. My first major project is planting a grape vine. This is going to hopefully give me some grapes, jam, and something new to work on: Home made wine. I already have two avocado trees and a few other things. I’m trying to design a layered terrace of boxes for lettuce and vegetables next. Consider it my little Urban Oasis.
The second thing I will be working on is making the kat house energy independent. Solar Panels here I come! And a big third finger to Entergy New Orleans!
Join in the fun and sharing!
Freeze flour and corn meal, this will extend the shelf life three times longer.
Comment by TheRealKim — February 10, 2009 @ 3:03 pm |
I always found knowing how to make your own pizza and own bread -half organic brown and half white flour very useful.
Home made jams are easy too-and you can half the sugar.
Home made Iceland lopi jumpers are one of the best ways to spend less money on heating. But buy the wool off ebay, otherwise it’s a bit pricey! Wide packaging tape to block draughts on old windows is a good one too.
A Veg garden is useful too. Doesn’t have to be big.
I don’t have a car-I use a bicycle, or share my son’s scooter.
Comment by Laurie — February 10, 2009 @ 3:06 pm |
When I moved to NJ from the SF Bay area, I had a hard time with gardening. Out there, one can and does grow anything. But with the winters here, the clay soil and all of the trees, it is a bit more challenging. There’s a mulberry tree in the back that fruits each year; the fig hasn’t done so yet. I’d love to get an Italian prune/plum tree, an apple tree and a peach tree – I’m going to check to see if there are dwarf varieties that can be planted in large containers.
I did scavenge a This End Up type bookcase a few years ago – open on both sides – someone throwing it out. I turned it into a planter for my herbs – all culinary. I stapled some of that sticky kind of drawer lining to the sides of the bookcase to keep the soil in, filled it with soil and planted all kinds of herbs, many of them perennial. In the warmer months, I add basil, dill, tarragon (doesn’t overwinter well here), lavender, rosemary, etc. It’s a great way to container garden or have an instant raised bed. I also scavenged some old cellar windows that fit perfectly as cold frames over the bookcase planter.
I want to plant a medicinal herb garden next, what with medical care being what it is and what it will become if the Daschle type agenda is really implemented.
I plan on frequenting the Farmer’s markets during the seasons and check into the CSAs around here – NJ is so different from CA, even though it is known as the Garden State. So much of that is gone, but I can do what I can do. Much of it will be container gardening, but there is quite a bit that can be grown in containers.
Comment by Delphyne — February 10, 2009 @ 3:14 pm |
Plant pea seeds now.
Buy pea seeds online for your first planting.
For subsequent years you can easily dry your own seeds.
Arugula can be planted in winter too
Comment by catarina — February 10, 2009 @ 3:16 pm |
dakinikat
What a great idea to put up this page.
Thank you!
Comment by catarina — February 10, 2009 @ 3:19 pm |
TheRealKim – I remember reading a lot of your posts over at Riverdaughter’s place some time ago. I wonder if you would be willing to share those here or direct us to your blog? I think you have a great deal of knowledge that would help many of us – even put it up as an ebook – I know I’d pay for it!
Yes, thanks Dakinikat for putting up this page….
Comment by Delphyne — February 10, 2009 @ 3:31 pm |
Downsize your vehicles. Ok, this is not popular, but hubby and I have only one car. We alternate taking the bus to work and do all our shopping together. This has gotten through these last few years which have been very tough for us, having bouts of job loss and under employment.
I would be interested in gardening tips, since I’m new to gardening and plan to do more this year. I’m gonna learn canning too. My family has been canning forever. I used to loathe August as a kid cause it was going through lots of fruit and pickles — picking, cleaning, washing. Now I can’t wait to start.
Comment by FembotsForObama — February 10, 2009 @ 4:53 pm |
Getting a new fridge saves a LOT of electricity. The new one I got in Feb to replace an eighties one that wouldn’t go anymore uses 700kwh less a year.
Comment by Laurie — February 10, 2009 @ 5:01 pm |
If you live in the SW, you can grow enough greens to feed a regiment all winter! Mustard, chard, spinach, lettuce, plus cole crops galore!!
Use 2 ml plastic you can get in a big roll at Home Depot…it lasts for years! It cuts the wind and cold, but allows plenty of sunshine for growing!
I have some pics up somwhere on my blog…will try find them…although I’ve done some “progress reports” in The Past Week roundup posts…
Comment by insightanalytical — February 10, 2009 @ 10:24 pm |
Square Foot Gardening has an easy, effective plan for gardening. I wish I’d found it before building my huge raised beds.
Comment by nancy — February 10, 2009 @ 10:32 pm |
You can garden even on a terrace, some of the best tomato plants I have ever eaten came from planting the tomato in a bag of good soil. Just get the miracle grow dirt and put your plant in it.
Comment by TheRealKim — February 11, 2009 @ 5:22 pm |
Thanks Delphyne, I grew up on a farm and we learned to “make do” as my grammy used to say. I will write down some of the things we did and post them here.
Comment by TheRealKim — February 11, 2009 @ 5:23 pm |
One of the things I would advise, talk to your grandparents if they are still alive, if not, talk to someone who lived during the depression, they can tell you wonderful stories and ways they made do.
I am trying to look at this recession as optimistically as possible.
I remember my grandparents talking about the depression and the stories they told were stories of families, friends and neighbors coming together. Potluck dinners were had thoughout the neighborhood. Families lived together and women got together for quilting and canning. Maybe, having your kids move in with you won’t be such a bad thing; or bringing your mom and dad into your home. My family is so spread out, I would love to see more of them.
Maybe I am just too southern, but we built these huge houses for something, maybe it was fate that made us want them.
Comment by TheRealKim — February 11, 2009 @ 5:36 pm |
Have a condo with a terrace in southern California. I’ve never done any gardening (my dad was an early convert to organic gardening, but sadly he passed away many years ago) Would love to hear some tips from those of you with experience on how to start a small garden on my terrace!
By the by, I’ve started doing a lot of simple “small” savings actions. For example, I have always recycled my bottles and cans into the recycle bin all the condos share. Now I put my bottles and cans in the trunk of my car and recycle them at the local market – so I save a few dollars every time I shop for groceries. I wash and re-use my convenience store soda cups, saving 30 cents every time I get a soda. I joined a group of ladies that do quarterly “clothing swap” parties – and have only had to buy one item of clothing in the past year (yet I still have a “new” wardrobe and have made some new friends!) I’m enjoying cooking at home more – learning new recipes and having much less food go to waste. Some recipe sites allow you to search for recipes by ingredients – so you can cook something up with whatever you have on hand.
I’ve noticed that doing a lot of these small savings actions adds up quickly! I’ve been saving an average of $50 to $75 a month really easily. So don’t dismiss the “tiny savings” actions you can do!
Comment by LAMusing — February 11, 2009 @ 6:29 pm |
‘Kat, I love your posts over at the Confluence, and that brought me here. To learn about ‘old time ‘ways of doing stuff, read the FoxFire books. Then branch out from there. Rodale Press has a lot of good books on gardening and other things.
My partner and I run a CSA in WA state. We’ve been growing our own food for 15 years. It’s not the easiest thing, but it is extremely satisfying.
I started 20 years ago growing corn in pots on my apartment balcony. Anything can be grown, if you are determined enough.
Comment by Sima — February 12, 2009 @ 8:15 am |
Some of the old fashioned remedies:
Lye soap or the soap that is scrungy looking at the grocery store, Octagon, will dry up poison oak and posion ivy over night. Put a small amount of water on the soap and make a thick lather and place the lather on the blisters, they will dry up overnight.
Wet tobacco on a bee sting will stop the stinging.
Honey, lemon and whiskey works wonders for a cough or chest cold.
A teaspoon of local honey, should be gathered within a twenty – mile radius taken every morning will ease pollen type allergies.
Cleaning: The best solution in your home is vinegar. Vingar works on wood, including hard wood floors. It also gets rid of dustmites.
Comment by TheRealKim — February 12, 2009 @ 8:45 am |
Also, if you are planning to start canning order the jars direct, it will save a few bucks. Always go with the wide mouth container, it is much easier to fill.
http://www.freundcontainer.com
Comment by TheRealKim — February 12, 2009 @ 11:17 am |
Soaking cigarettes (or stubs) in water for a week or two makes a strong insectacide for plant mites etc. I have used this and it works-stinks tho. Filter then use a hand sprayer.
Go to a stables and ask them for horse manure-the best stuff has aged at least a couple of months.
Comment by Laurie — February 12, 2009 @ 1:43 pm |