tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post6406290428956851476..comments2024-03-28T19:35:24.365-07:00Comments on Rural Revolution: Is it an either/or situation?Patrice Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012022335047974670noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-36285071689409241572011-06-06T07:09:04.440-07:002011-06-06T07:09:04.440-07:00Thank you, Yashila. I'm glad to be helpful in...Thank you, Yashila. I'm glad to be helpful in some small way.<br /><br />- PatricePatrice Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06012022335047974670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-10786837331810497922011-06-06T02:46:07.111-07:002011-06-06T02:46:07.111-07:00Your blog got me thinking. I found some interestin...Your blog got me thinking. I found some interesting information.<br /><br /><a href="http://watertanktrailers.com.au" rel="nofollow">Water Tank Trailers</a>Yashilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00111096142582399272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-559927334305852322011-05-06T17:15:39.463-07:002011-05-06T17:15:39.463-07:00Quedula you are guilty of a unique crime(here at l...Quedula you are guilty of a unique crime(here at least.) Your constant yapping is getting on peoples nerves. It is not a serious crime. I would sentence you to three days of picking up trash on your filthy litterd streets. Get 'em ready for the tourist gougfest known as the Olympics.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-82433243063023455402011-05-04T15:59:18.166-07:002011-05-04T15:59:18.166-07:00I was driving to work yesterday and saw a group of...I was driving to work yesterday and saw a group of protesters on the street corner. Normally, I give these yahoos little regard. Their activities are largely made possible by a lack of gainful employment or other useful contribution to society. But I got caught by a red light and had little choice. Something about their chant seemed different, somehow...familiar. So against my better judgment, I rolled a window part way down to hear the better, and to my amazement I was richly rewarded...<br /><br />"More A.P. and LESS que-du-la!"<br />"More A.P. and LESS que-du-la!"<br />"More A.P. and LESS que-du-la!"<br /><br />I drove on with a smile that lasted all day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-58535428680406653242011-05-04T12:23:04.637-07:002011-05-04T12:23:04.637-07:00No one is stopping you checking Anonymous. I look ...No one is stopping you checking Anonymous. I look forward to hearing the results. But remember just as you don't trust a 'liberal', I don't trust the NRA. . . .quedulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09737971867539674984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-86467965689223324532011-05-04T09:25:12.915-07:002011-05-04T09:25:12.915-07:00To Xa Lynn: Excellent points made! We have friends...To Xa Lynn: Excellent points made! We have friends and relatives who live or lived in the U.K. One of them was a police officer (a "Bobby"). He told us the police were always armed, they just didn't carry a large weapon on their hip, as police officers do in the USA. Also, you can be sure any "facts" a liberal points out to the rest of us uneducated dopes will be biased and almost always incorrect. (Remember, the one thing liberals do best is LIE!) <br /><br />For many years here in the USA, people believed machine guns had killed many people, including policemen/women, over the years. In fact, according to FBI figures which can be verified, from the time machine guns had been invented until the late 80's only one policeman had died from machine gun wounds. ONE! Liberals hope no one will bother researching their "facts" and "figures," which is why they often sound so knowledgable, but are actually, as my dearly departed Mom used to say: "Full of soup!" <br /><br />Of course, anyone can twist the facts to agree with their beliefs. This is why it's a good idea to veryify any statement someone makes (especially a liberal), such as "less than 1% of all crimes involve guns and I am 33 times less likely to be involved in a gun accident than you are." Where are the REAL facts and figures to back up such a claim? We've heard similar statements here in the USA that have proved to be false, but they sure sounded good! At least, to liberals. It would be nice if someone we can trust would do a little checking.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-23988881946565777082011-05-03T23:15:31.044-07:002011-05-03T23:15:31.044-07:00Thanks to everyone (whispering, except you-know-wh...Thanks to everyone (whispering, except you-know-who) for their stories and words of encouragement. I know many of us struggle with the these circumstances, and sharing the ideas and both the trials and successes makes it easier.<br /><br />Jeff - TucsonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-31767215484259573862011-05-03T19:30:44.297-07:002011-05-03T19:30:44.297-07:00Quedula, too bad you are increasingly more likely ...Quedula, too bad you are increasingly more likely to be a victim of crime since your gov't criminalized your ownership of firearms. <br /><br />I can only pray for your safety from here in the USA, particularly in light of the stats and newsbriefs available online at http://www.britainneedsguns.co.uk/unarmedbrit.htm. <br /><br />Patrice, sorry for the off-topic posts. I'll return to the regularly scheduled programming now. Sloppy logic is just a pet peeve of mine.<br /><br />Xa LynnXa Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10542611446828065852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-21452870165296262752011-05-03T19:01:55.984-07:002011-05-03T19:01:55.984-07:00i prepare for everything....good and bad, might or...i prepare for everything....good and bad, might or might not happen. of course, i live a very simple lifestyle too. and i am content with my lot. that is what gets me through and that is what is gonna help me survive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-88929067565308734092011-05-03T18:34:41.618-07:002011-05-03T18:34:41.618-07:00Here's the thing - Prepping and regular life f...Here's the thing - Prepping and regular life fit together well. You're going to use & buy certain products in your life (soap, toothpaste, coffee, sugar, etc) Do you wait till you need them and buy them regular price at the mercy of supply and demand, or do you want to stock up when you can. When you find a crazy cheap deal on your favourite coffee - STOCK UP! When you find an insane deal on laundry soap - BUY LOTS! I haven't paid regular price for most things in years. Nor have I had too because if I run out of toothpaste, etc, I just reach into my stock and pull out another tube. I save money this way,and am never at the mercy of the markets or a SHTF situation. As I use up the stock I've bought before, I have the luxury to keep my eyes open for the right sale, at the right time to stock up. Often, companies change packaging and mark down/clear out the 'old style' product every couple of years. Well, keep your eyes open for this, and you'll find you can buy many products for the price people often would pay for one! <br /><br />I know I've mentioned this topic of saving$/prepping before but it's definitely worth revisiting. Thanks, <br />~ClareAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-88619481582879075222011-05-03T16:45:28.758-07:002011-05-03T16:45:28.758-07:00I've read a couple interesting articles lately...I've read a couple interesting articles lately about walking away from foreclosure or debt. We *accidentally* did this simply because we had no choice. Debt overcame us and we had to disconnect, like it or not. What he says in the article below is true.<br />http://www.foreclosureindustry.com/tag/walkaway-strategic-default-walk-away-from-your-mortgage/<br /> <br />It appears that all our creditors and the banks assumed we were flat broke and within months left us alone to recover. Now, less than 4 years later, we're getting credit card invitations again based on one payment that we continued to make faithfully - the internet bill. <br /><br />Our "crash" led us to move out of town, live simply and become better prepared for the future. Not only do we now have credit in "the real world;" we have learned to live well outside of it. <br /><br />You may choose to hold onto the best of both worlds, but I've come to love only the best of this one. I do not miss the rat race we left behind, nor do I expect it to improve or stabilize. Even if it does, this simple life is so much more satisfying, healthy, and rewarding.<br /><br />I recently began to see the credit industry for what it is: a big heathen god with a fire pit in it's belly. It will never be satisfied... always burning, burning, burning your assets with a nasty grin on its godless face. <br /><br />cheerio.<br /><br />Annienonymous <br /><br />PS: I hope this was not a total derail of your topic, Patrice. :-/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-75251543547626445682011-05-03T15:33:40.510-07:002011-05-03T15:33:40.510-07:00I have only been prepping seriously for about 6 mo...I have only been prepping seriously for about 6 months. While I have always lived in the country and kept a large pantry, the enormity of prepping for a year can be incredibly overwhelming. <br /><br />It is then I have started to do this...<br /><br />Ask yourself..."if the dollar did a tailspin (or what ever event you envision to really begin this whole mess)If that event happened TOMORROW..Then what are the 5 things you wish you would have acquired, found, downloaded, or bought? Keep it singuliar. Don't put 500 pounds of wheat on your list if that is something that is financially unreachable. But maybe one 50# bag is a good thing for your list...<br /><br />I then set after those 5 things. When I tackle those, then ask the questions again...It keeps it a little closer to home and more manageable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-78839869641509058522011-05-03T15:19:31.894-07:002011-05-03T15:19:31.894-07:00@Quedula. Is that you, Delia? Delia Ives of Bri...@Quedula. Is that you, Delia? Delia Ives of Brighton? You are giving the Americans a bit of a go, I see. Always causing trouble, you scamp. How was your May Day? More protests, I presume. Raising hackles around the world must keep you quite busy. See you on court next week?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-54664374348931959912011-05-03T13:52:49.810-07:002011-05-03T13:52:49.810-07:00I wish to apologize to everyone in Patrice's o...I wish to apologize to everyone in Patrice's on-line community for initiating any process, post, thought, or chain of events, which in even the slightest, most obscure, most tenuous manner, may have prompted, incited, suggested, or resulted in a visit from...quedula.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-80802234582840936512011-05-03T11:29:09.877-07:002011-05-03T11:29:09.877-07:00Xa Lynn. In "Fantasyland" UK-as-I-know-i...Xa Lynn. In "Fantasyland" UK-as-I-know-it, less than 1% of all crimes involve guns and I am 33 times less likely to be involved in a gun accident than you are.quedulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09737971867539674984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-82788116195983521222011-05-03T11:23:17.669-07:002011-05-03T11:23:17.669-07:00I have found numerous ways to be thrifty and manag...I have found numerous ways to be thrifty and manage to acquire many prepping materials. <br /><br />Many items I have required, or wanted on my list for my family's prepping needs, I have acquired from garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores. I map out an organized travel plan to hit these spots when I go for some other required farming purpose, into larger towns or the metro area for resupplies. I also try to take a small trailer or flat bed with me when I go and I take a pick up truck. This way, there is no having to travel back there to pick up an item that would not "fit", or worse yet, an item I had to overlook and pass on, because I could not get it back to the farm. <br /><br />For metal, or old appliances that can be converted into smokers, or even tin sheeting pieces and wood for projects, sometimes it pays to just visit the suburban area recycling bins at their community dump.<br /><br />Some quality items I've purchased for pennies on the dollar are hand tools, garden tools, a great 5hp garden tiller, canning equipment, jars, camping stoves, clothing, sleeping cots, fire brick, kerosene lamps, tents, back packs. <br />I've even obtained lots of building supplies, screws, nails, and even rolls and rolls of galvanized fencing with the concrete weights still connected to them.<br /><br />In networking with others, I raise goats, and they raise the lambs. Then we trade. We do this to save money and not duplicate our expended energy. They raise the chickens and I raise the turkeys. <br />For putting up time for canning season, if I want to go to the farmers market for fruits or veggies which I cannot grow, I always ask others first if I have something which they would like to trade. I bring flats of fresh eggs or pecans, or whatever I have in excess, to barter or exchange with. <br /><br />When I plan on one of these "shop till you drop" trips, I always try to bring someone else along who really wants to either go with me to buy, or someone who wants to LEARN how to do this. Buying in bulk will usually bring a lower haggled price, so pool your purchase power with another. I also make sure to ask others if they have any "needs" before I go, so I can keep an eye out for what someone else is searching for and procure it if the price is withing their means, as well. I pre-decide on an amount to spend, and usually leave with NO more than that. This way there is no temptation to buy without a specific "need" attached.<br />Now, I wait to see if they will do the same for me when they make a trip out of town.<br /><br />This is how networks begin and grow amongst preppers.<br /><br />One day you'll be known as the go to person for<br />whatever it is you're known for!<br />And that knowledge alone is valuable.<br /><br /><br /><br />notutopiaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-67114612481816760842011-05-03T09:40:54.447-07:002011-05-03T09:40:54.447-07:00Let's do a reality check on the gun comment, s...Let's do a reality check on the gun comment, shall we?<br /><br />In the Real World (not Fantasyland-world-as-we'd-like-it), the Criminals ALREADY have guns. Who wins between the armed and the unarmed?<br /><br />Even if NO ONE was armed, the righteous wouldn't win... Only the strongest and fastest physically.<br /><br />I prefer not to be the 5'4" 125# helplessly unarmed victim in the city (where it is FAR more likely I'll be attacked). I'll be keeping my guns, and continuing to encourage (and train!) my friends in the proper care and feeding of firearms. I hope you do, too!<br /><br />Xa LynnXa Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10542611446828065852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-35517962971980934532011-05-03T08:56:36.460-07:002011-05-03T08:56:36.460-07:00Hi, it's Just Me again. A lot of us here are ...Hi, it's Just Me again. A lot of us here are sort of "mini-bloggers", including me. Thanks to the Rural Revolutionaries for the forum!<br /><br />When I don't have two extra nickels to rub together, I concentrate on other things:<br /><br />1. Getting books out of the library.<br />2. Stepping up my fitness program by working harder...A strong back is priority one for me.<br />3. Working on relationships.<br />4. Praying.<br /><br />Just Me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-4923599182404186132011-05-03T07:43:55.374-07:002011-05-03T07:43:55.374-07:00Finding a balance has been something that we'v...Finding a balance has been something that we've struggled with as well. Overall we're definitely leaning toward the prepping side of things, but we're also about to move to the country and have a little plot of land all our own -- which lends to greater independence. <br /><br />Regarding cash, I am very security driven personally. I look at money (and available cash) as security for our future. While we do not have any debt outside of our pending mortgage, I do know what we spend on a monthly basis to make our budget work. Our current plan is to have 6 months of expenses covered. Our mortgage will not change, regardless of inflation, so I do not want to have to worry about paying that monthly bill if things go awry. We can cut back in other places to make that same savings last longer. We're in a blessed position where we cash flow more than our expenses, so we'll be converting most of our extra income into tangibles once we have that 6 month cushion covered. <br /><br />Thanks for the thought-provoking post!<br /><br />Emma<br /><a href="http://cityrootscountrylife.com" rel="nofollow">City Roots, Country Life</a>Joseph and Emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17696559423977596641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-15316828429467507512011-05-03T07:14:01.603-07:002011-05-03T07:14:01.603-07:00I do believe in one other point. There are those w...I do believe in one other point. There are those who have the I can't mentality. It is all about priorities. If we think we need it then we make an effort to achieve it. Nicely written. Thanks for the post.<br />MelissaKids and Canning Jarshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04794388845414644018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-47953804731383690262011-05-03T07:11:50.509-07:002011-05-03T07:11:50.509-07:00Patrice -
First thing to do is pray. God will gi...Patrice -<br /><br />First thing to do is pray. God will give wisdom and guidance if we ask for it.<br /><br />"what if the world doesn't end?"<br /><br />While everyone's stay on this earth will end some day, the earth itself has never ended. People have survived every disaster in the history of the planet.<br /><br />Back when the big worry was Y2K I had friends that quit their jobs and went to live in a cabin in the mountains. At the time that seemed like an extreme reaction to me, and so it proved to be.<br /><br />Back in the bad days of the cold war with things like the Cuban missile crisis and everyone worried about nuclear war I was living in New York City. Building a fallout shelter in the heart of one of the biggest targets on the planet seemed foolish (and beyond my resources) so I made it a long term goal to get out of the city. It took years to find a way, but we moved out in 1984 and have not looked back. We have not had a nuclear war, but on 9/11/2001 I was sure glad we were no longer living in NYC.<br /><br />"it doesn’t have to be an either/or situation"<br /><br />Print that on T-shirts!<br /><br />Small incremental steps can have huge benefits, even if they don't address the worst case situations. Getting out of debt has huge benefits in many aspects of life. Moving away from that big city / prime target area, even if where you move to is only somewhat better, can have big benefits.<br /><br />We have prepared in many ways for many possible futures. Recently I feel God has been prompting me to prepare in a way we had not in the past, so it has become my current main project. It is not the only thing I do to prepare, however.<br /><br />Perfection is not required for preparations to have benefit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-87900737474173744022011-05-03T06:53:54.392-07:002011-05-03T06:53:54.392-07:00One of my friends has a saying.... "Prepare a...One of my friends has a saying.... "Prepare as if it is going to happen, but live like it won't" Good luck, of course with the mental separation it takes to do this, but *that* is the foundational struggle we are all facing...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-36136074166758773312011-05-03T06:27:05.744-07:002011-05-03T06:27:05.744-07:00I can accept Patrice that, living where you do, yo...I can accept Patrice that, living where you do, you might have valid reasons for owning firearms. But I think you shouldn't encourage city dwellers. Don't forget that if everyone has firearms its not the righteous that prevail, merely the quickest on the draw or the better shots.quedulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09737971867539674984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-61685501200980790462011-05-03T06:11:33.184-07:002011-05-03T06:11:33.184-07:00Excellent post, Patrice! I, too, have found that i...Excellent post, Patrice! I, too, have found that it comes down to balance. We have food storage and weapons and ammo, but are currently preparing for one child to go to college--with the younger two soon to follow. Keeping your options open while simultaneously prepping for a "Poop Hits the Fan" situation isn't always easy, but it can be done. We do try to keep cash on hand for emergencies--that is probably the hardest thing for us to do as bills and current concerns eat up all the "emergency cash" about every 3 months here!<br />Always a work in progress...Lambhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04083153173061255844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-37449202653519418732011-05-03T05:58:07.771-07:002011-05-03T05:58:07.771-07:00When money is tight, and we get a slight break, we...When money is tight, and we get a slight break, we tend to buy the stuff we would need whether TEOTWAKI hit or not - toothpaste, TP, the food we already eat (rather than long term storage type food), clothes the next size up for our oldest child (she hands-me-down to the next in line)... anyway, the point is that I would eventually have to buy that anyway (assuming availability and prices we could afford), so I'm not actually choosing between preps for disaster and requirements for normal life. <br /><br />Even retrofitting to geothermal and/or buying solar panels - as long as those reduce our future expenses (and we pay cash for them now, not credit) - those will help us regardless of the direction the future takes. Buying a genny - that's a little harder - because it would only see use if the power went out in a widespread area for more than three days (it does happen here regularly due to ice and wind storms - but in the winter, my garage freezer stays frozen and nothing else matters (we have a fireplace - it would be really cold in the house, but we wouldn't freeze) - a SUMMER outage would be a serious issue, as that would threaten our food supply.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm just trying to say that when money is tight, you can make the preps that you would need for both disaster and normalcy - and if normalcy continues, then you have a bit of extra cash from the usual budget to prep a little further ahead, (because you'll already have next year's supply of those items) and if disaster strikes, you're better supplied than you would have been otherwise.<br /><br />Xa Lynn, off to stash toilet paper today...Xa Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10542611446828065852noreply@blogger.com