Hmmm....a whole entry just gone. Poof! It was there and then it wasn't. Oh well, I don't suppose anyone cared to hear more about the shortages of this and that anyway, heh?
Well, I have to vent a little. Really, I suppose it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but if I truly feel this strongly about something and I don't share it, I will end up regretting it. I much prefer to regret things I have done than to look back and wonder if I had shared, would it have helped any at all, kwim?
We are moving into a food shortage in some areas. I know you already know this. You'd have to live in a cave to not know this. Rice, flour, oil, gasoline...we are moving rather headlong to some serious changes in our daily lifestyles in this country. You have to know I am not the least bit anti-USA. I may have my own opinions about the government and such, but I am very red, white and blue.
However, I can't be the only one out there who sees that the good ol' US of A simply isn't the be all, end all it thinks it is these days, right? We are not the global megaforce we (think) we once were, nor do I think those days are ever coming back. While we have been sleeping in this country, other countries, once behind us in most areas of economy and lifestyle, have overtaken us and pushed us to the back of the crowd. We have a comparatively low educational standard these days, we have a comparatively high standard of living, and we are hands-down, the largest group of selfish people on the planet. We want what we want when we want it. We don't care about the State of The Union really...unless it begins to infringe on what we feel are our rights.
Gasoline prices aren't going to get any better....yet do you see many of your friends making lifestyle changes in terms of gas usage? I have some who are, some who aren't. I am among those who are. We are basically 'home-bodies' around here anyway, so my changes aren't of much significance really. My once-a-week town trip is coming to an end. I don't need to go off the homestead once a week. I could rationalize out why I need to, but truthfully, I don't need to be in town weekly for anything at all...I merely want to be. Could you say the same thing?
What if you had but one tank-full of gas for your car (for us, that translates to 36 gallons, or $120+ out of budget right now! OUCH!) How long would that tank last you? I can get a month, just about, on that here, barring any medical appointments...counting them, I need a tankful just for that! But, do I get a month on that? No...I go into town each week for things I don't actually need. It is going to last me, though. Gas is not getting cheaper and I am not prepared to put money into unnecessary things anymore.
What about our foods? The rice issue is hitting home here. I couldn't get more than 2 10# bags...and they weren't supposed to sell that either. Rationing isn't something from WWII lore anymore. It's here and now. We don't live on rice as a main staple here, but we do use it quite often, and I am not a small bag sort of shopper. I don't buy a pound of anything....even my butter is in 5# containers. And I am just like most folks, well, dare I say Americans....I want to buy what I want when I want it. Awfully selfish of me isn't it?
Why is it we feel like that? What makes us think we are somehow deserving of having our needs met on any given plane of thought? We are throwing one hissy fit after another because India and Vietnam have made a wise decision to save their food for themselves. Have you watched our grain prices rise? We grow our grains...we are a corn-producing kind of country here, and yet, we are walking through shortages here because of our long-range commitment to sell our supply to other countries. We have shot ourselves in the foot...other countries are watching our frenzy with high prices on items we live strongly on, and they aren't willing to shoot themselves. Bully for them, I think.
What preparations are you making for the future? Used to be this meant financially only, retirement and all that. Now that question has little to do with finances, and more to do with basic daily practical living needs. Food is reaching high prices, our standards are lower (note the amount of recalls in the past year....) and our incomes aren't really pacing along with it all. It isn't safe to buy our needs from the grocery store food-chain anymore, yet look how many of us still don't take steps to provide for ourselves at all? Ridiculous people playing ostrich with their heads in the sand, waiting on it to pass.
I don't think it's passing. It's gaining speed, if anything. To continue making a living anymore, you have to be able to push down some fences and redesign your lifestyle. Too many folks won't do it, though. Maybe they don't know where to start, maybe they are scared of change. Like it or not, it's not just coming...it's already upon us. There is talk of removing the gas tax over summer. Whoopie. Prices have gone up every 3 days locally for the past several weeks, and I have no doubt they will continue going up over the next few weeks until Memorial Day when maybe a tax break on gas will come. Like I said, whoopie. By that point in time, removing a mere 20 cents or less off each gallon won't amount to a hill of beans. It will probably create a complaint throughout my local government about how the state is losing out on tax dollars, which will mean I will get to see some other tax rise to take it's place. Do you really think this article is far off the coming point? I don't.
What kind of future are you prepared for, or are preparing your children for? Are you continuing to live a normal life in a world that has no normal? You aren't preparing your children at all, then. You are creating another generation of selfish 'I want what I want when I want it' folks who won't be equipped to put a meal on their table that is safe to eat.
So....do you have to run out and buy the farm or something? Of course not. I've seen some of my city friends up close....I would hate to see them heading for the country in their current state of preparedness. They simply don't have a clue, and honestly, some of them aren't of the right frame of mine to be taught how to live in the country. They'd bring the city along with them and mess up my country lifestyle 10-fold.
How do you feed yourself? Do you have animals for food, or are you relying on Uncle Sam to purchase your food needs? Look at the recalls....he isn't doing a very good job of keeping your family safe. Are you afraid to take that step to raise any animals yourself? Start small. Chickens are easy to care for, depending on your level of personal standard for meat, they can be cheap to raise or somewhat expensive. It's your choice. Either way, they are a good start.
Even better...rabbits. You won't find an easier animal to start with. They aren't expensive to start with, and pay for themselves several times over during their first year. They are easy to house, easy to feed, easy to tend and even easier to butcher/process yourself. Visit FaithFarm's articles and reposts on raising rabbits.
Did I have a point here? Sure I did...I tend to get carried away and sometimes those points can be lost in the shuffle, I know My point here is simple....the world is changing and you are going to have to change to some extent with it, period. This will play out differently in each family, but it's going to happen. This isn't the same good ol' USA anymore...we are in a global playing field now. We don't keep our own supplies for our own people these days. We grow wheat to turn around and buy it elsewhere; we push biofuels only to continue relying on someone else to power our lifestyle. We don't believe in doing for ourselves anymore and it's coming back to bite us on the backside finally.
Matthew 6:25-26 says we are not to worry about such things.... Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
I agree completely. The Lord is bigger than my greatest worry or fear. I am exhorted many times over not to fear but to rest in the knowledge that He alone will supply my needs.
However, I am also exhorted many times to not take on the life of the slothful man, but to put my hand to the plow and to work for my needs. Proverbs 12:11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain [persons is] void of understanding.
Proverbs 12:14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of [his] mouth: and the recompence of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.
Proverbs 14:23 In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips [tendeth] only to penury.
Proverbs 21:25 The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
Proverbs 18:19 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
I prefer to aid in my future. Our goal here on Abundant Blessings Homestead is to be self-sustaining and God-reliant in our endeavors. That means we change to suit the needs of the day around us in many ways, without failing to continue in our life-chosen path. We do not change to meet the blowing of the winds around us, but it has always been our goal to move away from the world around us and into the path of The Lord....right now, that means move away from the reliance on fuel costs to keep us going, and the rising costs of food and feed needs to sustain us daily.
I am so worried about the issue of food. For us we are big users of rice, and flour. When i can not even buy enough rice to feed a large family like mine it worries me.. It is one of our biggest meals here. Rice and beans.. Now I am having to look at what i can put into our mouths that does not take rice or much flour.. NOT good...
On the issue of Gas We can drive our car off about 90.00 for a little over a month.. I could go longer if i had to.. I am looking at putting my house cleaning jobs i have in one day..That will save me a trip.. We also do not go anywhere we do not have to.. When we go to church on wednesday night we stop and get anything we need. Same with Sundays if we need anything it is picked up then.. Other wise we do not leave the house. I do everything i can to save on the gas, oil and maintenance of the car..
God bless
glenda
~~that's where we are for sure. It's necessary that we have such a large vehicle with this family size, but still...considering we aren't going much of anywhere, I suppose it really doesn't matter one way or the other.
Gas isn't going down, and we still have to do what we have to do, we are just much more aware of if those things are wants or needs. No room for wants right now.
Deanna
Edited by HandsNHearts on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 12:28
We are being homebodies around here as well, and we are finding ways to entertain ourselves at home (playing cards and trivia games, baking cookies and cooking supper together) and really having fun doing so! I have lots of fabric and a sewing machine to keep me busy and scrapbooking papers and albums to work on as well. Things I felt like I didn't have time for before and moving up on my list of things to do.
Hubby works 25 miles from home right now, so the only gas we are using is to and from work and a monthly trip to the store. Unfortunately church is 25 miles away as well, so we have been having church at home instead. I miss my church family, but they understand.
We stocked up on many grocery pantry and freezer items in the last few months and I am so glad we did. We were able to help one of my hubby's friends out in February when he called and said he had no groceries left, no money, and no food stamps, etc. We were able to give him about $150.00 worth of groceries. This month, with things being tight, we are going to be able to forgo the trip to the grocery store and just eat from the pantry and freezer! When we catch up and have more money on hand, we will stock up the pantry again.
Hubby thinks I have gone crazy in some ways and has been shocked at how thrifty and frugal I have been lately (I grew up as a spoiled brat who got anything and everything I ever wanted at home. Complete turn around now. LOL) encouraging no more packaged snacks, and encouraging leftover nights instead of tossing them out, etc.
God's Blessings,
Amy Jo
~~How wonderful that you were not only able to help your friend, but willing as well. As prices work upwards, folks are feeling too crunched to offer much help it seems. They begin to worry about if they have enough....there is a great blessing in being well-stocked, but it is a fine-line between that and plain ol' hoarding.
Our evenings are about as busy as our days around here...we do have a book we've been reading aloud that everyone enjoys each night. They have already selected 3 more for when this one is done! That and board games :o) If anyone claims they are bored, we can always go clean out the coop or barn stalls....that usually brings plenty of ideas of things to do to their suddenly un-bored minds!
Bored is for folks who have no imagination ;o)
Deanna
Edited by HandsNHearts on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 12:33
Yep my thoughts exactly except your put it much more eloquently than I could. Thanks for this good read. I know the kids and I while hubby are away making sure the debt is paid off, and our savings gets stocked up, and learning this Gardening thing will defiantly help in the long run when we get our homestead bought.
~~Not sure about eloquent...I was rather on a rant here. Tired of folks griping about the price of this or that yet not making a inch of change in their lives to even it all out. I don't understand that kind of thinking, I guess.
We passed some gardens well underway today coming home from the spring...some of the corn was nearly knee high already! I don't even have a tilled area yet! UGH!
Deanna
Edited by HandsNHearts on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 12:38
Great job! Wonderful post! I am so glad to hear others singing the same song. I think in the last 100 or so years we have forgotten were we come from. There is such joy and reward in providing for your families needs, be it growing or raising or both. Blessings>faithfarm
~Always Planning for Whatever May Come... Mrs Survival site
~Sewing and baking, of course
~write letters
~Pasta made, dried and stored away
~barn repairs, on-going
~bush hogging & timber clean-up, on-going
~clean & organize workshed
~DECLUTTER ONE ROOM WEEKLY!!
~build a new mailbox post
~monthly quilt blocks
No indulgences of self will can be trivial, no denial unprofitable; Heaven or Hell depends on this alone. A parent who studies to subdue it in his child works together with God in the renewing and saving of their soul. The parent who indulges it does the devil's work, makes religion impractical, salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his child, soul and body, forever.
Susanna Wesley
At Our School Desks
We are a Christian family desiring to raise our children with the primary focus of Training their Hearts!
I have no greater joy, than to hear my children walk in truth... III John 1:4
Train up the child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it... Proverbs 22:6
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!... Deuteronomy 5:29
Our mission in life is not to go to some far-off foreign land, but to work at home and in our churches and home communities. Our goal should not be to leave behind riches and possessions, farms and homes for our children, but a priceless heritage they will cherish enough to work fervently to pass along to their children. It has been done for generations and with God's help it can still be done. In teaching our children, we are striving toward a deep understanding of who they are In Christ. I am . . . a child of God, a gift to my parents and my country. I'm a person of great value because God made me. I can . . . do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God has made me able to do everything required of me. I ought . . . to do my duty to obey God, to submit to my parents and everyone in authority over me, to be of service to others, and to keep myself healthy with proper food and rest so my body is ready to serve. I will . . . resolve to keep a watch over my thoughts and choose what's right even if it's not what I want.
My point here is simple....the world is changing and you are going to have to change to some extent with it, period. This will play out differently in each family, but it's going to happen. This isn't the same good ol' USA anymore...we are in a global playing field now. We don't keep our own supplies for our own people these days. We grow wheat to turn around and buy it elsewhere; we push biofuels only to continue relying on someone else to power our lifestyle. We don't believe in doing for ourselves anymore and it's coming back to bite us on the backside finally.
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