Monday Message

"A cardinal principle of the gospel is to prepare for the day of scarcity. Work, industry, frugality are part of the royal order of life." (Bishop Keith B. McMullin) 

Those who came before us this is what they did, it was a way of life. They practiced this 24 hours a day.

There are so many things we can improve on.

It is easy to be complacent and say I will be frugal when I need to be. But the real skill is to be frugal when you don't have to be.

What does frugal look like? It is using up things and making do.

What do you do with that small amount of veggies not quite a serving size? Start a container for your freezer adding these to this container, when full make a soup.

It is mending your clothes when they need it.

https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/how-mend-your-own-clothes/ - this will get you started. One thing I would add that I find - mend each thing when you find it, don't stack it as that is a lot harder to do for hours when most repairs take less than five minutes to fix. So I do each thing right away, I do not keep a mending pile.

https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/how-build-your-own-clothing-mending-kit/ - this is helpful.

You can do this. It will be a skill you will be able to use all the time.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/five-reasons-every-child-learn-182257884.html - we need to teach our children and their children. Yes, we need them to know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ynBWa5ej1Q - this will show you how to mend a rip by hand if you do not have a sewing machine.

I went to a yard sale quite a few years ago and got this serger. Did it work? I did not know. I approached the girls taking the money and asked if it worked, they said it had been their grandmother's but did not know. I did not know either. They said ten dollars? I thought okay but was taking a huge risk, ten dollars is always huge to me. It had thread messed around things but it wasn't threaded. I did buy it and it was fantastic.

I believe every home should have a sewing machine whether or not you like to sew. If you do not have one, start looking at thrift shops and yard sales but try it out while you're there. Plug it in and see if it runs. Take a friend who knows how to sew if you need to.

If they don't have a manual you can find one online.

There is so much out on the internet you will be sewing in no time.

Willing to learn is half the battle!

We are under threat of this Coronavirus, we do not know if it will get as bad here as in China but I notice some preparations being made here by the CDC, even government assigning air bases for quarantine spots.

We should be planning as well. We all see how fast the food went off the shelves. If you are asked to shelter in place could you do it?  Or would you have to run to the store?

It makes us think, are we prepared?

Can you make bread? If you can, do you have the stuff stored to make said bread??

Fresh vegetables is something people keep trying to get as well this is why having canned is important to have stored along with fruit.

Knowing how to sprout also gets fresh into your menu...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmEMkJOUawQ - a very easy to make your own sprouting jar lid.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-itm-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=itm&p=how+to+make+your+own+sprouts#id=60&vid=5cd8ff968c9583f77d49ca1a7609c0df&action=view - here she shows you how to sprout. Now I have some more to say that she didn't say. The seeds you need to use for sprouting are not garden seeds as they have been treated with chemicals. So get your sprouting seeds from a health food store. Another thing when she shows the green lid, as it has smaller holes, you can just use your nylons, provided they are clean. Cut them and use with a ring on the jar and do the same, rinse, repeat, etc...

My favorite is alfalfa seed with some radish mixed together. Best combination ever! So I put alfalfa in one jar and radish in another for storing as seed but when I put them in sprouting trays I toss some of each that way you can make other combinations. I vacuum seal my seed in the jars for long lasting.

I found sprouters at yard sales so I have two that you water the top tray and from there it waters the other trays then you just empty the bottom, pretty simple.

I know every time I mention yard sales you probably groan but I went to yard sales a lot when the kids were growing up and I always had a mind to prepare. I wanted you to see though that you can do it with things you have on hand.

My favorite thing to have them on is my chicken salad sandwiches on homemade bread. Yes, having skills is very helpful.