Self-sufficiency . . . have you thought about it?

[dbjay417]

I was born a rebel. Paranoia, distrust, and disreguard for law and order run far back in my bloodlines.

Without direction those qualities would land me in prison for sure. In fact back home in Massachusetts, my old entrepreneurial enterprise, what passes for self sufficiancy among urban youth, surely would have gotten me locked up or killed.

Out of the city, away from the overbearing government, and with a small piece of land, self sufficiancy takes on a whole new meaning.

i can have my chickens, i could get a pig if i wanted, i could even raise a cow or two.
I can plant my own fruits and veggies. my corn went in the ground last friday and already I've got seedlings with three leaves. Its beautiful.

the only piece of the puzzle missing is to be able to turn my crops into cash for those necesseties that cant be grown raised in a pen.

Food for body, mind and soul.

This is My Religion.

Now its just time to kick the energy company in the crotch with a windmill or two. if only there was a way to say sayonara to the water gestapo that keeps comming to concern themselves with my water consumption.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Well, that post made me smile, .... and wonder just exactly was your old entrepreneurial enterprise?.........:mow,

 

[dbjay417]

this is a family site far from suited for that sort of dicussion. I'll just make it known that reguardless of legality it was just as tedious and demanding as any low level retail operation, and i never ever physically harmed anyone.

Professionaly i was a painter. Good money. Hard work. mean mean bosses.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Never meant any offense by my response, just my sick, cold- induced attempt at humour. Done alot of painting in the last few months. Kudos to making a career out of it. I've finally gotten to the point of being good enough at it to not panic when I have to paint in a carpetted room. Luckily, b/c the next two rooms I need to paint have carpet in them.

 

[dbjay417]

LoL I wasn't offended that was my poor attempt at being charming. I couldn't think of a family friendly way to describe it. i think I got something that will escape anyone under 16 at least. I was a pharmasist specializing in powderous stimulants with anesthetic properties. That might just escape some of the more innocent adults.

Painting is fun, its the prep work thats really a pain in the butt. the stripping, scraping, sanding etc.

the one thing I really loved about it was learning how to stain and clearcoat wood. one time I stained almost a whole Unos Bar and Grill by myself. doesn't seem like a lot but all the trim, molding, wall panels. Then i had to stay ahead of the 20 carpenters assembling it all. I'll paint a residence to turn a quick buck, but i'll never go back to work for a subcontractor.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Completely off topic of this thread, but any advice on painting over nicotine stained ceilings and walls? Seems the previous owner like to smoke whiile sitting on his throne. (aka toilet)

 

[Reinbeau]

Completely off topic of this thread, but any advice on painting over nicotine stained ceilings and walls? Seems the previous owner like to smoke whiile sitting on his throne. (aka toilet)

Isn't that gross? The people who owned my house were the same, smoked like chimneys! If you can reach everything, I'd wash down the walls as well as I could before painting. It's amazing how the paint will seal in that smell, too, you'll be very happy with the results.

Now back to self-sufficiency, frugality and.....entrepreneurialism

 

[dbjay417]

you wanna look for a product by the name of Killz or Binz. Its important to note that the stain may bleed through the coat of stain blocker, but it will not bleed through the two coats of finish paint. It also works on magic marker and wood knots.

I know at least one of those products is available in a spray can, if you dont need a quart or bigger for your product.

Sorry, that'll be my last off topic post.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Thanks, and sorry to combine your work and play :bouquet

 

[momsgarden]

I'd like to become more water self sufficient. Here in Texas we seem to have drought for at least part of every year. If I every get the chance to build my crunchy-granola dream home, it will have a rain water collection system. I think that in addition to oil dependence and impending scarcity, the western US is facing serious water issues, especially as the southern migration continues. Rain on my rooftop could provide all the water needs for my family, even here. But where I live now metal roofs aren't allowed and I don't have room or money for the kind of tank I would need. We also get about 300 sunny days a year so solar is also a possibility.

Regrettably, I can hardly even garden here due to my very shady yard. I love my shady yard, it helps beat the summer heat, but I miss the veggie garden I had in NY. I grew all kinds of heirloom veggie, and it was fun.

I'm hoping for some dwarf fruit trees in pots, that I can move with the sun. I also want to put in blackberries. For now I'm shopping more and more at the farmers markets.

Karen
moms'folly at byc