I worry about America

I worry about what our government leaders are doing.

We pay them fabulous salaries to make the best decisions for us. Instead they are running our country into the ground incurring huge debt and still spending! Don't start expensive no win wars.  Stop trying to make natural health products illegal. Stop closing down and regulating the small farmer.

So what have we learned in 2,064 years ?

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." ... Cicero - 55 BC

We must not ever spend more than we have. If I can do it the government should set a good example and do it too.

The government should be as small as possible not trying to take over everything with more and more people on the payroll to check up on the people that aren’t.

The government needs to uphold the Constitution, promoting privacy and freedom. Have them stop trying so hard to eavesdrop on and control the people.

Have the government fear the people not the other way around.

Have people get off government payments. Now 58%+ get a government check for non productivity. How long can the few productive workers float all the bills? What happens if it all stops? People aren’t used to providing for themselves anymore. No survival skills. TV and a government check doesn’t make you a survivor. I ask people what would you do if the lights went off, the water was off and you have one flush of your toilet left? “I have no idea.” “Sit on the couch till I die.” In the end who will be left are the knowledgeable people, Tupperware, cockroaches... and Cher.

I suggest getting debt free, have a paid for mortgage, grow a garden and save your own food, create your own electricity and water. Don’t need much of any income to still live well. Don’t be dependent on anybody. Get out of the false security zone. Be as self sufficient as you can. If the outside world turns off have it not make any difference to your lifestyle.

 

A fun watch that does everything!

I have been looking for a watch that does just about everything. I have looked at many watches up to $800 and found one for far less ($129 free shipping) on Amazon:

Tech 4 O 2010 Traileader Jet All-In-One Outdoor Watch

It has an altimeter - handy for when I go skiing, barometer and storm watcher to watch for upcoming weather, a thermometer so I can tell people the temp around us, a pedometer, calories and heart rate monitor for when I exercise, digital compass so I don’t let lost coming out of the Costa Rica jungle, and a PC link to track my progress. Also a countdown timer handy for when my homemade bread is done, a stopwatch for how long to get to the cabin and back, 2 daily and weekly alarms. It also tells the time! It has been highly rated so I ordered one and love it.
More detailed specs http://www.tech4o.com/p-80-traileader-jet.aspx

Creating less garbage

I don't like to have bills of any kind and this is how I got rid of my garbage bill.

I started analyzing what was in my garbage and made definite changes that worked:

I saw a cereal box crumpled up. The change: When I go to the grocery store I leave behind the packaging like with cereal boxes. I can tell what it is. If enough people did it they might switch (to look politically correct green) simple biodegradable packaging with just a label on the outside. The disadvantage to them is that we could see how much or little we are really getting without the box to hide it in!

Even better change: I bought a wonderful oat roller/flaker. I run raw oats through it, making my own oatmeal, enough for a fresh bowl of oatmeal in the morning. I put the oats in hot water, add some raisins, cloves and cinnamon and cover for 10 minutes. It's wonderful!

Stop buying cans. I can make homemade pea soup and many others in only a few minutes prep time. I started making my own marinara sauce and putting it into jars with reusable canning lids.

Stop using plastic wrap. We started using real Tupperware that seals great, is made from safe plastic and has a lifetime warranty. If it breaks you get a new one.

Stop using paper towels. Use reusable heavy duty absorbent towels that can be washed. Tupperware has these too. Oops, I sound like a commercial for them.

Fruit and veggie peels, coffee grounds, scraps. These are wonderful to put in a worm bin that is in or by your kitchen. You can create the best potting soil for free.

Newspapers: in your garden put them on the ground spread out next to your plants then cover thickly with grass clippings. This way no weeds all season and no watering needed. Each year your soil will be even richer.

Yogurt cups. Handy for making homemade yogurt for 1/4 the price. They also make good little pots. We don’t buy or drink commercial pasteurized milk as they found it is not good for you and causes illnesses. We get raw milk from Daisy, a cow we know personally and exchange glass bottles.

Shopping bags. We have been collecting and bringing our own cloth shopping bags we keep in our car. You get many positive comments on your effort at the farmers market.

By the way when the city found out I stopped my garbage service they issued a warrant that I could be fined and arrested for "illegal dumping of my garbage." I told them I didn’t have any garbage and could use more garbage for my projects. They came to inspect me. I explained my system. They thought it was revolutionary in reducing community waste but said they wouldn’t go to the trouble of doing it themselves and would still come check and "get me" if I tried anything sneaky.

What if the girlfriend gets cold?

It can get cold and snowy here and I enjoy using my wits to live well, but most ladies would rather be where it is “civilized” and warm during the really cold months.

We haven’t build our house yet, using several separate buildings. We have an outdoor kitchen which is really nice in the summer with the windows all the way around. But when we’re in the “office” and want something to eat and she’s making it, this is Tina bringing in the meal from the outside kitchen.

So what to do? Due to some unexpected circumstances Tina now has no mother and a condo in Florida. We drove down in her Prius and are enjoying some warm while it can be so cold up north.

What’s it like here? Are you Jewish, No? Almost every one else is in Delray Beach. Oy! I learned a lot about the Jewish people. As Mark Twain said long ago (see below), they are smart, good natured and humorous. They have always valued education very highly, building schools before synagogues if funds were short. They help others. Often Jewish charities are one of the first to quietly arrive at international disasters with assistance, almost never being mentioned in the media, most recently setting up the first medical facility in Haiti after the earthquake. They have strong ethics of personal decency and getting along with others. I feel sorry for people that condemn them and others without taking the time to know anything about them.There are lots of seniors in south Florida. Lots of new 55+ condos being built with perfectly manicured landscaping. “So, who do you belong to?” “Don’t get on the grass,” “Slow down,” “Are you old enough to be here?”
South-east Florida is crowded with lots of late people on 6 lanes of traffic going each way. It’s noisy from fire trucks, ambulances and police cars stopping people. In the areas with lots of senior citizens, people hardly cook. There are lots of restaurants at almost every street corner with many good early bird specials. I love Italian restaurants! Burp! I am available if you want to invite me.
You think it would always be sunny and warm but it can be cold, rainy and windy like today in Florida.

South Florida is also a good low-cost airport. We just booked a trip going to Costa Rica for $69 each way. So we’re getting untangled and getting booked for some fun adventures. You can get 8 day cruises for $499 - almost cheaper than staying home.

They also have many events happening: Wednesday I’m going to a fancy brass band show at the condo. Thursday is the Miami Boat and Yacht Show. Friday is the Garlic Festival. Saturday is the Renaissance Festival.

Winter time on the West Virginia Farm

It can be cold with snow coming down hard and the people in Florida pity us but let me tell you the inside story why we are here. We have been making preparations for this all year.

While the warm weather people are going off to work so they can pay their big mortgage, food, electric, cable TV, air conditioning, condo fees, garbage and water bill... that stuff doesn’t even apply to us. We have paid off the farm years ago in the first year, we are debt free and pay off any credit card payment at the end of each month with an automatic payment, run so little electricity for what we actually use we can run with four solar panels for free electricity.

My paid for 1998 Chevy S-10 pickup truck works great and insurance costs only $33 a month. We grow, preserve, can and dehydrate more food than we can eat. We don’t have to waste gas and time to go to the store shopping, we just pick the best organic home grown food from a well filled shelf. Picking some stored golden potatoes and opening a jar of applesauce and chicken meat doesn’t create much garbage. The peels go to the worm bins which are making me free fancy potting soil for springtime. We harvest rainwater in several 550 gallon tanks for more free water than we can use.

Winter days are good for a crockpot of stew, some homemade bread, some elderberry wine and a peach cobbler all a pretty much no cost. As you read your book in the soft padded rocking chair by the fireplace you can smell all the goodness getting ready. The content cat is loving being inside licking her paws just right. I may even go for a 30 minute nature walk in the snow with the rich blue sky to come back just as everything is done. What a burst of smells greets me at the door!

After dinner it's fun to play some music or get a game of gin rummy going with your sweetie. No TV or video games are needed. Are we lucky? No, this was just our plan. Just good country living. Now go create a life plan that really works for you, so good, people say “wow, I wish I was living YOUR life!"

Our 12'x54' greenhouse stays warm all winter growing bananas, tomatoes, papyas, hibiscus, geraniums and much more.

It can look snowy but still excellent for a walk down our driveway.