Comments on: Not Preparing, Living my Life http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/ Sharon Astyk's Ruminations on an Ambiguous Future Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:48:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Friday Favorites 8/29/08 « Two Frog Home http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9662 Friday Favorites 8/29/08 « Two Frog Home Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:15:07 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9662 [...] Is it really preparedness or just day to day living? [...] […] Is it really preparedness or just day to day living? […]

]]> By: risa b http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9470 risa b Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:29:26 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9470 Matt, we went with a lantern that holds four D cells, we use rechargeables, and we replaced the incadescent bulb with a LED, which you can find nowadays. It's not a brilliant light, as my poor eyes can attest, but the batteries last FOREVER on it, and the bulb seems indestructible. We've replaced all our flashlight bulbs accordingly. Suddenly we're not buying batteries. Sharon, et al., it's all true. You're simply building resilience, and teaching this as a skill. When is that <i>ever</i> fringe or a bad idea? It's fun seeing Survivalist News taking clippings of all your stuff, since most of my experience with that crowd echoes the funniest line in Tremors: "Broke into the wrong _____ rec room, DIDN'T cha!" Matt, we went with a lantern that holds four D cells, we use rechargeables, and we replaced the incadescent bulb with a LED, which you can find nowadays. It’s not a brilliant light, as my poor eyes can attest, but the batteries last FOREVER on it, and the bulb seems indestructible. We’ve replaced all our flashlight bulbs accordingly. Suddenly we’re not buying batteries.

Sharon, et al., it’s all true. You’re simply building resilience, and teaching this as a skill. When is that ever fringe or a bad idea? It’s fun seeing Survivalist News taking clippings of all your stuff, since most of my experience with that crowd echoes the funniest line in Tremors: “Broke into the wrong _____ rec room, DIDN’T cha!”

]]> By: SandPine http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9468 SandPine Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:00:51 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9468 FOR SUSAN IN LA - Check out this for a water filtration system, cheap & almost foolproof - http://www.pwgazette.com/gravity.htm These are good people to deal with. SandPine FOR SUSAN IN LA -

Check out this for a water filtration system, cheap & almost foolproof -

http://www.pwgazette.com/gravity.htm

These are good people to deal with.

SandPine

]]> By: Matt Savinar http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9466 Matt Savinar Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:39:15 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9466 One note regarding the solar lanterns: they will (eventually) wear out. I used to use mine all the time for pretty much everything but then the bulb burned out. Now fortunately they're pretty cheap to replace (the bulbs that is). But the point is you might want to save it for when you need to use it or perhaps buy a second one. Another option - albeit expensive in the short term - is to get a battery powered light and then some rechargeable batteries and one of those solar chargers. I have a foldable one myself and it is quite nifty. One note regarding the solar lanterns: they will (eventually) wear out. I used to use mine all the time for pretty much everything but then the bulb burned out. Now fortunately they’re pretty cheap to replace (the bulbs that is). But the point is you might want to save it for when you need to use it or perhaps buy a second one. Another option - albeit expensive in the short term - is to get a battery powered light and then some rechargeable batteries and one of those solar chargers. I have a foldable one myself and it is quite nifty.

]]> By: Anonymous http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9460 Anonymous Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:04:00 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9460 I could underline everything you wrote. Thanks for this great post! This is so true - it doesn't make sense to buy everything you need for canning "just in the case of...". When there is an emergency, you have to know how to use this stuff. And not only in theory. So the last weeks I was stocking up on canning equipment and glass jars (the WECK system, as I live in germany), a hand grinder, a good bike, and the last purchase was a food dryer - although an electric one. And I USE them every day, or at least every week. My husband is still sceptical about my expanded garden activities and about me buying all this stuff, so I have to prove him they are all useful and saving us money. I still have to convince him of chickens in the garden... Best wishes from Bettina in Germany! I could underline everything you wrote. Thanks for this great post!

This is so true - it doesn’t make sense to buy everything you need for canning “just in the case of…”. When there is an emergency, you have to know how to use this stuff. And not only in theory.

So the last weeks I was stocking up on canning equipment and glass jars (the WECK system, as I live in germany), a hand grinder, a good bike, and the last purchase was a food dryer - although an electric one.
And I USE them every day, or at least every week.

My husband is still sceptical about my expanded garden activities and about me buying all this stuff, so I have to prove him they are all useful and saving us money.

I still have to convince him of chickens in the garden…

Best wishes from Bettina in Germany!

]]> By: Susan in Los Angeles http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9455 Susan in Los Angeles Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:50:39 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9455 Thank you to those who posted advice and links -- I am very grateful. Thank you to those who posted advice and links — I am very grateful.

]]> By: Shamba http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9436 Shamba Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:09:26 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9436 Correction for Susan in LA; I think I gave the wrong link. http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net is better. sorry. shamba Correction for Susan in LA; I think I gave the wrong link. http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net is better. sorry.

shamba

]]> By: Shamba http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9434 Shamba Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:06:50 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9434 FOR SUSAN in LA: I got my solar lantern at www.latoc.net. They have a store there with books and all kinds of products, solar ovens and solar lanterns and solar generators, etc. they also have access to many different food items. I bought my solar lantern from them but there may be other places to get them as well. Looking out for preparedness and a new way of life in Phoenix, shamba FOR SUSAN in LA:

I got my solar lantern at http://www.latoc.net. They have a store there with books and all kinds of products, solar ovens and solar lanterns and solar generators, etc. they also have access to many different food items.

I bought my solar lantern from them but there may be other places to get them as well.

Looking out for preparedness and a new way of life in Phoenix,

shamba

]]> By: Nika http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9432 Nika Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:10:07 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9432 By living the powerdown as an option, you manage the crisis. By buying an unimproved woodlot or a fixer-up bolt hole cabin in the middle of no where (without living there, just as insurance against the what if), stockpiling dried foods and mothballing a wood stove and some such, you make the crisis lurk in the cold sweat of your fears. I live in an area that does not have jobs I am qualified for, the closest is some 80 miles commute a day (thats what I do now), no biking that! It has been my quest for 13 years to find a way to work from home, it has never worked out. I do my best to continue with finding 1) telecommutable work 2) work that I love 3) work that fits with my newer passions in peak oil and permaculture (and which uses my scientific background). Not easy tho, have not found that magic connection yet. Your story of the store owner and the woodstove (an old one, the olden days) reminds me of a wholly different context but similar - when I lived in Athens GA as a student and was there in the summer, we would go to the 24/7 Walmart at like 3 am to wander the isles just to cool off. No conversation with others but we were not the only ones doing just this! By living the powerdown as an option, you manage the crisis.

By buying an unimproved woodlot or a fixer-up bolt hole cabin in the middle of no where (without living there, just as insurance against the what if), stockpiling dried foods and mothballing a wood stove and some such, you make the crisis lurk in the cold sweat of your fears.

I live in an area that does not have jobs I am qualified for, the closest is some 80 miles commute a day (thats what I do now), no biking that! It has been my quest for 13 years to find a way to work from home, it has never worked out. I do my best to continue with finding 1) telecommutable work 2) work that I love 3) work that fits with my newer passions in peak oil and permaculture (and which uses my scientific background). Not easy tho, have not found that magic connection yet.

Your story of the store owner and the woodstove (an old one, the olden days) reminds me of a wholly different context but similar - when I lived in Athens GA as a student and was there in the summer, we would go to the 24/7 Walmart at like 3 am to wander the isles just to cool off. No conversation with others but we were not the only ones doing just this!

]]> By: Rebecca http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9431 Rebecca Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:53:46 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/08/22/not-preparing-living-my-life/#comment-9431 Sharon, I liked what you said about just starting to live differently. Slowly, gradually all of us are starting to live differently. Here in the southeast the TVA is about to raise our electricity rates by <b>20%!</b> on October 1st. That's the second hike this year, and the largest since the 70s. So a lot of us (me included) are going to have to reduce our heat even more this year. Since I have electric heat, that's easier said than done; it's hard to close off areas with a central system. So I'm scouring thrift stores and yard sales for more blankets and warm clothing. -Rebecca Sharon,
I liked what you said about just starting to live differently. Slowly, gradually all of us are starting to live differently. Here in the southeast the TVA is about to raise our electricity rates by 20%! on October 1st. That’s the second hike this year, and the largest since the 70s. So a lot of us (me included) are going to have to reduce our heat even more this year. Since I have electric heat, that’s easier said than done; it’s hard to close off areas with a central system. So I’m scouring thrift stores and yard sales for more blankets and warm clothing.
-Rebecca

]]>