"I wish to urge again the importance of self-reliance on the part of every individual Church member and family. None of us knows when a catastrophe might strike. Sickness, injury, unemployment may affect any of us. We have a great welfare program with facilities for such things as grain storage in various areas. It is important that we do this. But the best place to have some food set aside is within our homes, together with a little money in savings. The best welfare program is our own welfare program. Five or six cans of wheat in the home are better than a bushel in the welfare granary." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)
This week we have been having hot weather but so far the garden is doing okay. I weeded it this morning while we were still cool. The asparagus is starting to finish, I only got three. The raspberries will be next. They are starting to turn.
The young men came to learn about the telescope my husband built. They got to look at the stars and planets so I made them cookies of stars and planets. I know it is hard to see but the cart we have it on was a free "by the side of the road" find.
I have the first harvest of rhubarb chopped and in the freezer and then made two batches of strawberry rhubarb jam.
After my success of growing strawberries from seed (they were doing so well, I had planted them but within the hour they were eaten) I thought I would try again, only this time I will wait to plant when they are way bigger and totally protected. I thought I would tell you how to get the seed...
What I do is peel the strawberry skin very thin. I lay it down on a plate, cut-side down, and leave it for three or four days. Then I rub the top of the skin with my finger. If you look closely at the picture, you see dark flecks like pepper - those are the seeds. I rub them till all seeds are off and I plant them. The skins stick hard and fast to the plate so it's easy to do. I just run the plate and the now seedless-skins in the dishwasher. If you hand it to a kid, they can eat those skins like fruit leather but they wash off.
The other thing I did last year was I put the peach pits from our peaches into three holes in the backyard. Well I was weed-whacking and I noticed nothing so I took the markers down but when I got to the third one, I thought there were peach trees but I couldn't be sure. Our neighbor brought us tiny ones all those years ago which the tree we have now is from. Well, I asked him to come and check. He came and checked and confirmed they were peach trees! I am so excited! I put two out front and have three going out back which I can divide further in a while. The apple seeds I planted and grew, I put out back as well but rabbits ate them this winter, but they both have shoots - so this year I'll do more protection.
For someone who hates gardening with a passion, I sure seem to be doing a lot of it!
I do like having our yard give us food. So think how you can plant food that will keep giving you food.
They are saying prices are to go way up over the next two months...
Both cats are horrified by that news.
I put in a grocery order and one thing that said out of stock was a 25-pound bag of flour. Usually when Walmart doesn't have something in stock they ship it, but this time it said ITEM NO LONGER AVAILABLE Nothing about getting it soon or temporary - nope! And someone else remarked the shelves again at Walmart were empty where the flour usually is. This could just be temporary but I think we should take notice that some things are getting harder to get.
So just keep working on your storage - no reason to panic. We just keep working on it. Get your basics in.
Keep working on those skills. No matter where you are in the world, pick up extra items when you go to the store and work on building your skills. Things are hard for everyone right now.
Our town had their town-wide yard sales this last weekend. We went to a few. My husband got a router for five dollars (his died). We just missed getting a wood planer. With my five dollars, I found sewing books that were 25 cents each.
And I got ten sewing magazines a dime each.
Then I got some cooking magazines for free.
We have a wheelbarrow that we got years ago from a yard sale for five dollars but we could no longer fix the tire and the wood was getting rough but the bucket is okay. Well, there was a wheelbarrow for free! It was good except the bucket had rusted through from cement that they left (so people be sure to wash those out!) but we got it and will trade out the bucket part and it will be like a new one. So that was good! We also got a nice free grill, it just needs a good clean..
Even though I wasn't really going to go, we did, and I am glad that we did! So don't rule out yard sales or thrift stores. I did go to four thrift stores in the last little bit and found nothing - it was kind of creepy for me to find nothing. Remember when I said patterns went up? Well now they had none and remember that I complained about yarn prices at the thrift store? Now there was none. So either I have to quit complaining or things are getting worse but I say, if you can, still try to haunt them. Also, hang onto what you have and remake, reuse - that sort of thing.
Just a side note - I totaled the books I got for four dollars pictured above. They came to $401.67!
I think it is fair to say I couldn't have gotten the cheapest book for the four dollars I spent.
Was it worth it? I would definitely say so. There were a lot of others but I had a limit and got the ones that were of interest or that will further my skills.
Missy says we can do this so don't be afraid, it may be hard but we can do it!
Tippy Longstockings says be kind to others, it is badly needed and we will all get through this time.
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