15 Minutes of Fame

Here's mine!

http://www.peakoilblues.com/blog/?p=1051

Simply Mom is me!

Crime Scene

There's a crime scene in my living room.

The evidence is as follows; gold and red glitter as far as the eye can see, scattered across the floor, the furniture, in hair and on faces. Curling ribbon; mainly reds, greens and golds. Wrapping paper; sparkly, reflective, shimmering. Tinsel and ting-ting. Sparkly snowflakes. Over-sized bulbs.

The Crime Scene Investigators have 2 theories as to what has transpired.

Theory one involves the retribution of disgruntled gnomes on a party of Christmas elves. We all know how gnomes feel about Christmas elves. But who's fault is it that the gnomes got too drunk to make toys and were replaced by elves? Certainly not the elves or the ELF (Elf Labor Front...although we all know the union will take the blame.)

Theory two, a little less feasible, indicates a day-after-Christmas shopping expedition to Walmart. No sane American goes out the day after Christmas to buy wrapping paper and tinsel at 50-75% off the suggested retail price.

Which one is the answer? You be the judge.

Christmas Checklist

I think things are really ready here at Chicky Bit Run. Ready to enjoy some time off of work, running, baking, etc and so forth. So here's the checklist....

Cookies and Sweets delivered to friends and neighbors....check!!!

ALL the presents are wrapped and under the tree...check!!!

ALL the baking is done...check!!!

The tree looks perfect....check!!!

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care...crap!!! I knew I was forgetting something!

Just kidding. We'll be hanging our stockings tomorrow night, just before bed, and I betcha Santa fills them and hangs them in the kid's rooms on their shelves. Won't that be exciting??? And just maybe, that will be enough of a distraction so that mom and dad can sleep an extra 10 minutes. Do you think? Probably not. But I'm sure the kids will be excited.

I'm going to take a few days off...for rest and relaxation. So if I haven't told you already, have a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookies

Well, I think we're just about ready for Santa now. Most of the sweets are baked, just need iced and bagged. This was Mara's first time baking and boy did she enjoy it. Her favorite part was sprinkling the flour....everywhere. On the dough board, on the dough, on the floor, on the chair. She's my little flour girl.

Isaac enjoyed it too, but his priority was getting them baked and eaten.

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It's A Wonderful Life!

I love this review of one of my all-time favorite movies....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/movies/19wond.html?pagewanted=1

I haven't watched it in a few years as it's hard to get the kids to sit still for that long....or even play quietly in another room. It's one of those classic Christmas movies that you just don't appreciate until you're a grown up with kids and responsibilities...especially in a tanking economy. It's not til you sit back and really LOOK do you realize how great things are and how blessed you are. It IS a wonderful life!

Seed Savin'

After reading this...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/12/15/224022/35/752/673513

and other similar information from other sources, I'd just like to tell you, anyone who gardens, that my favorite source for seeds is Seed Savers at http://www.seedsavers.com/. They have an incredible variety of heirloom, open pollinated seeds, decent prices and incredible customer service. I've purchased from a couple other sites, but never had such a quick delivery....and better yet, I got exactly what I ordered!

If you can, consider saving your own seeds this year and starting your plants from those seeds next year. It's just one more step on that path to self-sufficiency. Imagine never having to buy another vegetable, seed or vegetable plant again. That's just too good to be true! But if you choose not to save your seeds, at least support a company that encourages fair trade, healthy plants and honest business practices.

A Rural Christmas

Sadly, this picture doesn't do my Christmas tree justice...it's one of our prettier trees. Gold, red and green bulbs, gold and red ribbons, and a red lacy angel on top. We found a beautiful tree skirt last year, gold with elaborate beading, that matches the curtains and the ribbons. Everything just seems to fit. Very nice.

There aren't as many presents under the tree this year, but you know, it's one of my happiest holidays so far. Somehow, when you just make up your mind not to shop, it takes away the stress and the pressure. It frees you to be more creative, to enjoy the gift-giving and not just buy because you're expected to. I didn't understand that before. We spent the day today making gifts...for friends and neighbors...and tomorrow we'll start making some Christmas cookies. The kids are so excited about making sugar cookies. And those are the memories I'd like for them to keep; not whether they received the 'it' toy this year.

There are a few more things we need to do before the big day next week...wrap a few gifts, mail a couple of cards and iron a dress or two. Other than that, it's hot chocolate, Christmas cartoons and lazy evenings for our little family. Holidays are smooth sailing for us now.

No Butts About It...

......she is one sleepy baby.

Little Bit of Success

In the past few weeks, for whatever reason, I'd drawn it up in my head that the seeds I saved this past season were no good; I think in part because I'd listened to what other folks had to say about their failures in starting seeds and how daunting it was. So I was sure I had done something terribly terribly wrong. Lots of bad seeds taking up lots of room in my nice black lace up boot box. (Yeah, it's the shoe thing again)

So anywho, I got up the nerve to try a little test to see how well my seeds would germinate. On a towel. In a windowsill. That was three days ago. Would you believe they've all germinated? Yay! I didn't completely screw up my first seed collecting endeavour! I feel so much more confident now....I can totally start my own plants from seed. Totally.

And on a side note, isn't it amazing how pessimism and doubt can spread like wildfire?

Frankenfood

So, I've been trying to find ways to save money...on grocery bills especially. I've been collecting and clipping coupons, watching for sales, stocking up when it's cheap, etc. There are a number of sites out there that tell you how this particular family only spends 20$ a week on groceries so those immediately caught my attention...there had to be a trick. And there was.

Frankenfoods.

One site I looked into showed pictures of items they got for free every week by wrangling coupons and it disgusted me. Not a healthy item in the pic. SURE, they had Cheezy-Poofs, instant potatoes, Flavored this, texturized that. Artificially flavored everything. But be sure, she included recipes using all those frankenfoods!

Here's where I go on a rant; it's no wonder childhood obesity is what it is today! It's no wonder kids have diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol! If that's the garbage they're eating on a daily basis, it's no wonder! Isaac and Mara, they both enjoy snacks and I must confess that I do let them have the occasional bowl of Cheezy-Poofs or store-bought cookies. But that is countered with a dinner entirely out of our homegrown food stores....corn on the cob, green beans, broccoli, tomatoes. And they love it.

Just 2 nights ago, Isaac made a bargain with me....'If I eat the rest of my broccoli do I have to eat the apple crisp?'

One of the biggest challenges I've found in keeping a grocery budget is whether to eat cheap and junky or expensive and healthy, but I've found a good middle ground using what we grew this past summer. I can see no benefit in clipping coupons if the only food available is detrimental to a healthy diet, and for the most part, there are no coupons available for a pound of fresh broccoli or a large bag of oranges. If there were, oiy, we'd be eating good.

Crappy New Year!

Sharon Astyk's post this morning on predictions for 2009 have me more eager than ever to boost our emergency stores. Read for yourself at:

http://sharonastyk.com/2008/12/15/2009-predictions-its-hour-come-round-at-last/

When I started on this path nearly a year ago, it was because of the recalls on food; beef, tomatoes, peppers, etc. The more I read on the subjects and the further I explored, I realized how desperate things could be for our nation in the next few years. While part of me thinks "No, this could never happen", part of me is all too believing that it could. It's happened before, right? It may be naivete on my part, but when you have children dependent on you for their every need, your perspective changes a bit. So though my journey has morphed, my destination is the same; self-sufficiency. Both for health purposes and, now, for social security. (Not that kind of social security!)

So I'm planning on it being a crappy new year in 2009 in many ways. Financial being the number one. If at all possible, I'm going to up our emergency stores funds to 15 or 20 dollars a week and I'm going to give more thought to what we should stock up on in addition to food. What would people need and want if there was a total social collapse? Liquor. Food. DIY provisions such as nails, screws, needles and thread. Time to get organized and prepared.

I know some of you think this is the height of foolishness, and I want to assure you that I'm not stocking up on Uzis, MREs and space bags. Nothing like that. Just making sure we have on hand anything we need should this financial situation become any worse. And as my dear friend Nikki states; "If things get bad, we'll just 4-wheel to your house for green beans and toilet paper." Come on over. I've got green beans. I've got toilet paper.

Funny Farm

That's where I live today; on the Funny Farm.

I have two kids who think they're dogs and 7 chickens who think they're people. My kids want 'doggy' treats and to play like they're in a kennel. My chickens want to be hand-fed treats at the back door.

Hello Funny Farm? One room please, single occupancy. No pets.

Here We Go!

I think I have Jeff on board for creating a food storage in the basement. It just seems prudent to me that in iffy times you should have something to fall back on. If it's in the basement, we won't go hungry. So last night we did our weekly shopping at Aldi's and did some stock up in addition. Just a few things...oats, baking soda, flour, salt and evaporated milk. About 10 dollars worth and it's things we use anyway. So *CHECK* on starting food stores.

I also pushed forward and got my seeds ordered from Seed Savers Thursday night. Only half of them so the total wouldn't send Jeff into a coronary. I ordered the 'meat and taters' of our gardening diet...beans, carrots, beets, corn, peas, plus a couple extras like Sunberries and Rosemary. I figure I'll pick up the rest after Christmas. Hopefully this will go a long way to having a mini seed storehouse. And thankfully, I have a good friend in Ann who is willing/eager to swap seeds. I think my mom may even be on board to some extent. So *CHECK* on starting seed stores.

The last item on my 'The End Of The World As We Know It' stock up is clothes for Isaac. No go on that just yet. Maybe after Christmas. You can only do so much at a time, right??? Not a bad start though. We'll have food, seeds, and a naked little boy running around LOL.

Weekly Top Ten

Isn't obsession sort of a fun thing that gets a bad rap? I mean it's only a bad thing if it interferes with everyday life, right? So in light of obsession's fun side, how about a top ten favorite obsessions???

1. Shoes, especially high heels. Unfortunately this is not an obsession I can act on right now.
2. Seed catalogs.
3. Rosemary, love that stuff!
4. No Poo shampoo.
5. Getting my Christmas tree 'just right'.
6. Stocking up on food, just in case.
7. Felting wool for crafts
8. Learning to eat on the cheap.
9. Homemade presents
10. http://www.freedomgardeners.org/ - my favorite website ever!

Now, spill your dirty little secrets and tell me, what are your top ten obsessions???

Isaac Loves Ritchie (Brudders)

Had to take an hour or two this morning to hit the Ritchie Bros. auction house, and boy did I have 2 enthralled kids! Mara, at 2, can identify most large equipment on site, er, on sight and Isaac knows all the brands and their color/logo. Crazy stuff.

I was quite surprised that even the noise didn't bother them....the 'humana-bumana' auction dirge sort of grated on my nerves after 5 minutes, but they were so excited about seeing the big rollers and equipment that it didn't bother them in the least.

Again, gotta love little kids with big imaginations....and a penchant for cheap entertainment!

PS....video coming soon

Isaac & the Laundry Basket of Doom

It's funny what these two come up with when they're bored. Nothing makes them happier than an empty clothes basket, cardboard box, bubble wrap or cardboard tubes. Hundreds of dollars of toys in their rooms and they're playing with the tube from the center of the toilet paper. Hmm.

Yesterday, the activity du jour was racing up and down the hall in an empty laundry basket. They played race cars. Then they played Santa and Rudolph. Then they played bumper cars. Gotta love little kids with big imaginations.

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Seed Shortage?

http://sharonastyk.com/2008/12/11/are-we-seeing-the-early-signs-of-a-seed-availability-crisis/

I don't know if this will come to pass or not, but just in case, I've made my seed list, checked it twice and will be ordering a day or two after Christmas. I can see how there could be a shortage of seeds available, especially if more folks are beginning to wake up and realize that:

a) food is gettin' expensive
b) food is gettin' unsafe
c) food is gettin' scarce

I'm hearing a lot of scary predictions for 2010 and 2011...food shortages, riots, total social breakdown. I don't know if any of that will happen, I hope not. But just in case, I'll be ordering extra seeds this year, putting up extra fruit and veggies, and stockpiling anything I can get my hands on. And if someone doesn't get me a deer or some wild birds, I'm going to climb up on top of the garden shed and just wait for one to walk through the field.

I tried to talk to Jeff about this last night, and his response was 'Are you getting ready to divorce me?'. Um, no. If that were the case, I'd sell all your tools and guns and burn your clothes. I tried to explain my worries and I think he sort of has the same worries, but for the most part thinks it's probably nothing. That may be. But I'd rather have some extra beans and rice laying around and not need them, than go without.

That said, I have figured out my priorities in terms of shopping for the next few months...seeds, food, and extra clothing for Isaac. Mara has enough clothing for 4 people, plus hand me downs from Isaac. Jeff and I have a good bit and are done growing (except around the waistline), so Isaac will get the bulk of the clothing this year. Extra shoes, blue jeans, jammies and underclothes. That's my plan for early 2009. Before the crap hits the fan.

Another Mighty Gift!

Yay! I got my seeds today! I won the giveaway from www.waldeneffect.org last week and my seeds arrived in the mail today. I'm thrilled with my goodies! Broccoli, eggplant, broccoli rape, squash, tomatoes, and a number of others....no less than 25 packages! Yay! I'm a winner!

I'm chomping at the bit to order seeds for spring, but I'm resisting til after Christmas. I should have a package coming from www.vintageflapper.blogspot.com ...she's the ultimate tomato matchmaker LOL. Gotta love that.

Garden 2009 should be a glorious one!

A Mighty Gift, Indeed

I'll be the first to admit that we're spoiled. Not in a bad way, but spoiled nonetheless. We have such a friend in Huck, who has blessed us time and time again, both with his friendship and his wonderful apples. He's allowed us several times to forage in his orchard, lets Isaac bag apples and feed the cows and blesses us with the apples from the end of the season. I know that may sound like strange things to be thankful for, but for us, they're true blessings.

Yesterday, Huck let us rummage through the old barn and pick out a bushel or two of apples leftover from the end of the season. With any luck, they should last us a month or two into winter and provide a wonderful source of fresh fruit for the kids. That is if I can keep Isaac out of them. He'd eat a dozen apples a day if I'd let him. Really.

When you've been spoiled with delicious, fresh, local and seasonal produce, buying it at Walmart just isn't an option. Saturday the kids were given a goodie bag from the UAW that contained candy, an apple and an orange. Isaac went straight for the apple and took an enormous bite. Then he got a funny look on his face and told me his apple tasted different. 'That' wasn't one of Huck's apples. Bless his heart, he's 4 and he's already a connoisseur of apples. I can't help but think that folks who buy produce from chain stores, off season and from China, have no idea what real produce tastes like. But maybe that's for the best. If they knew how delicious local apples taste, we'd have to fight them for the 'firsts' and for the good parking spots : )

No Poo Update

I love No-Poo! It makes my hair feel amazing and light, no tangles or knots. I've used shampoo once in the past month or so and what I noticed immediately was the overwhelming perfume smells. It's so odd; I've used shampoo my entire life and the scent never bothered me, but once I quit, the scent is really bothersome. So I'm through with it. I'll take the baking soda any day, thank you very much.

I still use the apple cider vinegar for a rinse about once a week. And believe it or not, after it's dried, you don't smell vinegar, just a very light apple-y scent. It's very very nice. Who would've thunk it???

After this successful experiment, I've decided to try my hand at some other natural ingredients for beauty products. Next up, cocoa butter lotions and essential oil toners. Sounds like fun, kids!

Good Old Days Revisited

I remember hearing about the 'Good Old Days' from my grandmother in reference to her childhood when I was growing up. She told us how you could buy a bottle of Coke for a nickle and that boxes of Cracker Jacks had really great prizes inside. About wearing underclothes made from flour sacks, sharing a bed with her siblings and going up on the hilltop to cut down their Christmas tree. She always painted such a vivid picture that I felt in some ways I had lived it too.

I just wonder what sort of picture Isaac and Mara will see when they ask me about my version of the 'Good Old Days'...before Peak Oil and the collapse of the 'Big Three'. I'd tell them about cheap gasoline and being able to afford to drive a large vehicle. About shopping trips to Walmart and filling up the cart with produce from all over the world. About fast food chains and auto parts stores as far as the eye could see. Wow. When you put those thoughts into actual sentences, it doesn't sound so great does it?

Maybe instead, I can tell them about our life after the collapse of 2008. About buying used sweaters to make the warmest gloves imaginable with matching Jingle Bell hats. And watching the chickens peak in the backdoor waiting for snacks after dinner. And staying home for vacation because airfare was so expensive and going to the local beach instead of the ocean. And packing picnic lunches to eat on an old homemade denim blanket after a morning at the playground. Those are the memories I cherish from their childhood so far and what I would deem the 'Good Old Days'.

I've read reports that say we are at a point now where there is very little that can be done on a national level to change the course of our country. In some ways that scares me and in other ways, I find great peace in it. Why does it scare me? Because for the first time in my memory, the PTB have driven our country to the brink of collapse, to a point where citizens are losing their jobs, homes, families. The PTB have acknowledged wrong-doing but have no plan for changing the path America is following. And still in some ways, I do find peace in it...because for the first time in my memory, all the superfluous drivel is being pushed aside. We're coming to a point where it's not a matter of who is the most successful, who has the biggest car, the trendiest clothes and toys, the fanciest house, the largest credit line or the most expensive education. It's coming down to a matter of survival. Feeding your children, staying warm, teaching life skills to the next generation. Simple. Straightforward. Uncomplicated. The rat race is ending and I for one am glad to see it end.

Weekly Top Ten

It's been a while since I've posted a weekly top ten, so here we go! Here are the top ten skills I'd like to learn, beginning in 2009 and in no particular order...

1. Cheese making
2. Sourdough bread making
3. Herbalism
4. Candle making
5. Starting plants from seed
6. Raising chicks from eggs
7. Knitting (something more than knitting and purling chains)
8. Needlework (embroidery and fancy stuff)
9. Homemade soda pop (won't the kids love that!)
10. How to make lotions, oils, toners, masks, etc.

So that's my fairly ambitious list for 2009. It sounds like a lot, but I think this is going to be the year for doing it yourself. So tell me, what's on your list?????

Good Old Days

This weekend at COSI we went through a beautiful exhibit called 'Progress' that took you through several eras in American history, beautifully reproduced with antiques, advertising, etc. My sister in law commented on how wonderful it would be to live that life (1880's) again and I couldn't help but snicker to myself. I love Amy, really I do. I just couldn't help but think how out of place she'd be in that particular era. How unprepared most modern folks would be to live in that time. I don't want to sound like I'm all-knowing and all-prepared, because Lord knows I'm not. But I do know a lot of basics.

I wonder how many of us look back and admire the 'good old days' and just picture the fun aspects of it...riding in a wagon, snuggling up to a wood stove or fireplace, enjoy the farm animals. How many of us don't consider the everyday drudgery...using an outhouse, no running water, no TV, radio or computer, little free time. Certainly I'm guilty of that as much as anyone else. But the farther I go on my path to freedom, the more I yearn for the simple, old ways and the honest, hard work. Yes, it was tiring, but wasn't it more rewarding than the 'Go Go Go' lives we live today? I know from my own experience how rewarding it is to crack the seal on a jar of pears that I labored over this fall...how sweet those pears taste, all the sweeter because I know exactly where they came from and how they were preserved. Same thing goes for homemade bread and handmade quilts...the work that goes into it makes it more worthwhile than something I could buy at Walmart.

My goal in this life is to create a homestead as independent from modern life as possible. I'd like to use solar electricity, wood heat, raise my own livestock, grow my own fruits and veggies, and above all, teach the kids how to do the same thing. I don't know if they'll look back and consider these the good old days or not, but they'll go forward into their lives confident that in a crisis, they can provide for themselves.

Free Family Fun

What a busy weekend! The UAW had the children's Christmas party Saturday...a viewing of 'Bolt', including free popcorn, drinks, candy and a visit with Santa. Neither kid wanted much to do with Santa, but their first experience at the movies went fairly smoothly.

Today was the community day at COSI in Columbus featuring free admission, so we all piled into Mom's Tahoe (including my brother and his family) and carpooled the 30 minute drive. The kids had a blast! The entire top story is a huge Kid's Place, with water play, dress up, etc. We ended up staying more than 5 hours, and it went very smoothly, especially considering we were there with 2, 3 and 4 year olds. Between my sister in law and myself, we took nearly 200 pictures, so surely there will be some keepers somewhere. Check out the fun!

Here's Isaac pushing buttons.

And Mara and Olivia building a house.

Waterplay....

more waterplay...

And still more waterplay...needless to say, the water was a big hit with our crowd!

Isaac takes a turn in the construction zone...

And here's my sister in law Amy taking a picture of me taking a picture of her. Figure that one out!

Overall, a wonderful, albeit busy weekend.

Mother of all Things

“I am the Mother of all things and all things shall wear a sweater”

I ran across this quote and it sort of rang true for me. Mothers are at the heart of it all, the center of the home. We set the standards for our family, what is acceptable and what is not. We provide; life in utero, milk for our newborns, love, encouragement, warmth, knowledge. We hold little fingers and slow down our pace so little feet can keep up with us. We cool feverish brows, chase away the dark and the scary, we're the ultimate security objects. We feed, nurture, comfort, protect our children and those who belong to us.

But if we are to survive and thrive in the world that is coming, where do we stop? Is it enough to feed and provide for our own children when the children next door do without? When we say 'me and mine', where does that begin and end? Aren't we all extended families? Where do YOU draw the line on who will eat and who will go without?

No. Just No.

Why does it have to come to this???
http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Revolution-food-riots-in-America-by-2012-13062-3-1.html

Do we not have enough insight into what's going on to act now and stop things before they happen? We know it's a recession/depression. We know people are losing their jobs. We know people are losing their homes. We know the dollar isn't worth crap. We know there will be an enormous drawback in credit. Why are we waiting for the worst to hit before we act?

Sharon Astyk put it so beautifully. http://sharonastyk.com/2008/12/04/no-just-no/

No. Just No. My kids will not go hungry.

Have You Seen Me?

I'm looking for this recipe. I usually don't care for eggnog, but the Southern Comfort Vanilla Spice eggnog is to die for!!! That said, I have a hard time bringing myself to pay nearly 3 dollars a quart for eggnog that's gone in a day or two. Both kids like it, both parents like it. Something we can all agree on, finally. So if you've seen a recipe for eggnog boasting that it tastes like Southern Comfort Vanilla Spice, would you be so kind as to forward it to me???

Hey Y'all! It's a Recession!!!

The NY Times, CNN, and every other media source with more than 2 brain cells reported yesterday that (*gasp*) America is indeed in the midst a recession. Well duh. And it's reportedly been going on for more than a year. Double duh. And the worst is still to come according to those in the know. Cue dramatic background music here.

I'm not sure why this has come as such a surprise to the PTB (Powers That Be) when it's what Americans have been crying for more than a year. Our shopping dollar goes nowhere, until last month we were unable to afford gas, unemployment is up, wages are down. Why is it such a surprise that we Americans have stopped spending and are holing ourselves up in our homes; that's if we've managed to hold onto our homes. Per the New York Times:

"But many analysts said they saw no signs yet that the economy was nearing a bottom. American consumers, who for decades have been the country’s tireless source of growth when all else failed, have cut back on their spending more sharply than at any time since the early 1980s.

Consumer spending plunged in the third quarter of this year, and the evidence so far suggests they may pull back even more in the fourth quarter. Consumers account for about 71 percent of American economic activity, and their most recent retreat is occurring even though gasoline prices have dropped by almost half in the last month and left people with more money in their pockets. "

So what some overpaid executive is telling us is 1) Americans are broke, and 2) we're trying to save what little money we can scrounge together. Hmmm. That's rocket science, y'all. Let me pull out a 5 year degree and thinking cap to fully grasp these concepts. My hope of hopes in all this mess is that not having cash available will cause folks to be a little more resourceful, with their time and money, and with what God has made available to them. We as a nation are so much more capable of survival and creativity than we give ourselves credit for, but we've been so pampered and coddled for the last 50 years, we've forgotten that capacity for self-sufficiency. Slick marketing practices have so isolated us that we feel if we don't own the latest electronics, trendiest clothes, the smallest phones that in some way we're not successful, happy or worthy. If we don't drive a new car every 2 years or purchase new clothes every season, we should be looked down on. Exciting department store commercials show those happy, fulfilled folks with their straight off the catwalk fashions. "All you have to do is pay 79.99 for a cashmere sweater and you'll be as happy as I am!"

I remember that short-lived feeling of exhilaration, rushing around with a cart-full of pretties, bright colors with that lovely new starchy feel, or that crisp plastic electronics smell. I also remember the crush when the 'new' wore off and the bill came due, and the desire for more 'new'. It was a fix, comparable to any drug or alcohol, but legal, so it was easier to get; and like any drug, each subsequent high required a little more drug to achieve the same high. What we had was a consumer snowball effect. And the commercials kept prompting....'you deserve it; you need it; shop here for the good life; we'll save you money while you get what you really want!'

I must admit that sometimes I just want to go shop, mindlessly, shamelessly, extravagantly. Shoes, ladies and gentlemen, could be my downfall. But then I wake up and realize it's all for nought. We are a nation of idolaters. We find comfort, mercy, peace in the arms of merchandise. We've replaced our God with a gadget, wrapped in shiny cellophane, on the alter of mass consumerism and immediate gratification. Wall Street cats have grown fat on American's discontent but now is the time to reexamine that discontent. At some point, you must simply stop, back up and take a breath. Contentedness isn't something you can buy or sell, folks. It's something you *create and live*.

I'll Be Your Huckleberry

She's short, she's cute, but don't let that fool ya. That Miss Mara is one tough little cookie. She'll not back down from any opponent; a chicken, a sibling, even a piece of furniture. In fact, in a tussle this weekend between her and the coffee table, she, well, okay, the coffee table won.

But she didn't cry.

And the black eye is sort of endearing.

Tough enough for ya?

Dollars and Sense

Since the cold weather is really here and I hate to drag the kids out, we're eating a lot more out of our pantry. Good stuff too! In fact, Mara is eating pears and applesauce so fast, I'm afraid we'll run out before summer gets here. Oh well. At least she's eating.

As there's nothing else to do til spring gets here, I've been giving thought to buying seeds and planning a bigger, better garden with some raised beds and an expanded orchard. There are times that I think Jeff isn't entirely on board when it comes to homesteading; that he could live with it or without. For instance, he spent most of the day cracking walnuts Sunday and I got the impression he wasn't thrilled with the prospect. He cracked then I shelled and it was literally a day long process. With a 5 gallon bucket yet to go, we have over 2 quarts of black walnuts in the freezer, ready to be made into delicious cakes, cookies and snacks.

When I showed him a sales ad today and he saw that the *sale* price for walnuts is about 6$ a pint and that we essentially gleaned 25.00 dollars of free nuts, he may have started to see things differently. Same thing with all the other produce I've socked away. At this point the only things we *have* to buy are dairy products and dry goods like flour, beans, rice, etc. In a pinch, we could buckle down and eat very healthfully out of what I've preserved over the course of the summer. For me that's security and freedom. As for Jeff, I think his approach is a little different. He doesn't get excited over a full larder....but a dwindling food bill, now that's something he can really get behind!

Brown is the New Green

This weekend as I perused the 5 inch thick Sunday paper with all it's ads for the *must have* gadget of the year, I couldn't help but notice all the products with their 'green' labels. You've seen them. Eco-friendly. Recycled. Low Carbon. Earth-Friendly. Green. 100% Post-Consumer Waste. Carbon Footprint. Sustainable. We've been inundated; greenwashed, if you will. Slick marketing executives have come up with new and better ways of making us feel GREAT about spending our money.

Cheap bottle of laundry detergent=bad!

Expensive bottle of all-natural, earth-friendly, low carbon footprint detergent in a 100% post consumer waste recyclable bottle = good! With a swipe of our debit card, we're single-handedly saving the world...and lining a few pockets too.

I don't consider myself green. I consider myself brown and that's far more difficult to market. What is brown? It's making your own and making do. It's using simple, old-fashioned products, not because they're quaint, but because they're affordable and effective. It's looking past the frayed edges and seeing the quality underneath. And above all, it's refusing to buy into the new, trendy gimmicks and new, trendy causes. Each of the last several decades have meant a new cause to keep our 'do good' selves going and each of the last several decades have meant newer trendier gadgets and products to keep that money flowing into someones pockets. Think about it....the 80's were all about CFC's and the ozone layer. The 90's were saving the whales. The "Double Ots" thus far have been about carbon emissions and global warming. Any predictions for the two-thousand-tens? What will be the cause du jour of the next decade?

Folks tend to disregard brown because it's hokey, homey, hill-jack, or just plain "homemade-ugly." Brown is hard to label, market, sell, advertise, because it isn't pretty or trendy. It isn't about buying a new kind of fertilizer in a recyclable bag from a sustainable green company for your organic flowerbed...it's about spreading horse poop thick on the garden so you can grow those 6 foot tall tomatoes. And above all, brown is something you either 'get' or don't. One of those things that, if I have to explain it to you, you just wouldn't understand.