The Chatelaine's Keys

Sharon July 31st, 2009

Hi Folks – I feel a weekend coming on .  Before I close down for the sabbath I just want  to remind people of two things.

1. I still do have spaces in my Adapting In Place Class, taught with Aaron Newton, starting on Thursday.  The class is run online and asynchronously (ie, you don’t have to be there at any particular time) for 6 weeks, starting this coming Thursday and running until September 10. 

The class is designed to help people find a way to adapt their lives and their homes and families to difficult times, given the resources they actually have.  It is by far my favorite class, and has been really valuable for many of the participants – a number of them have told me that it has been literally life changing.  Cost of the class is $180.  To register, send an email to jewishfarmer@gmail.com

 Here’s a copy of the syllabus:

Week 1  – How to evaluate what you have.  We’re going to concentrate on figuring out what the major concerns are for your place and your community.  We’ll talk about your region and its climate, culture and resources, your house itself, your community and neighborhood – the challenges you forsee and maybe ones you haven’t thought about yet, and your personal circumstances – how much money, time and energy you have to deal with it.  How does the definition of home change when we do this?  We’ll also talk about when adapting in place is not an option, or when you should consider relocating, and what your options are if you do need to leave or move.

Week 2 –  This week  will focus on your house itself – we’ll talk primarily about low energy infrastructure for heating, cooling, cooking, lighting, washing, etc…  About costs and options and choices for both private homes and for communities.  We will also cover home scale renewables, especially low cost options.

Week 3 – We’re going to go into the walls of your building and into other mysterious home infrastructure- water, plumbing and toileting, insulation, keeping warm and cool and all the other things that your shelter does or could do for you.   We’ll also explore what’s around your house – your soil and other resources that can help sustain you.

Week 4  We’ll focus on Family Issues – Sharing resources with both immediate and extended family (whether biological or chosen), dealing with people who aren’t on board, Building collective infrastructure, cannibalizing what you have, dealing with the brother-in-law on the couch, helping kids adapt, disability, aging, college

Week 5  - We’ll talk about Finances, money, employment, making do, getting along on a shoestring, thrift, subsistence labor, starting cottage industries and businesses and community economics.  This is also when we’ll talk about transportation of all sorts. We’ll also begin discussing building a set of plans – 1 year, 5 year – to adapt to different scenarios.

Week 6 – We’ll talk about Community at every level, about how to build it, what to bring to it, how to get your neighbors to help, even if they are weird. How to get along with them even if you are weird , about models and ideas for bringing resilience and community to every level from the neighborhood to the state.  We’ll also talk about security, dealing with unrest or violence, and try and get those plans finished.

 BTW, for those of you already registered for the class, please go and sign up the for the discussion group (details in your registration email) ASAP.  For some reason, no one seems to have signed up, and some early class material will start showing up early next week. 

2. Some of you may have missed that I’ve started up an interfaith group to discuss Peak Oil and related issues, with Bob Waldrop and John Michael Greer. A week into our adventure, we’ve already got nearly a hundred members!  If you are interested in joining the conversation, send an email to subscribe to: peakoilinterfaith-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Have a great weekend!

 Sharon

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