Mother

Betty, it looks like it's going to be a whole lot more than just two things. I wasn't expecting this response but I'm really excited to see it. Michelle, I had planned to start a different thread for each of the different topics. I'm going to start by getting a list of skills, both what you all have listed and some that I have. I'll post it in one thread and then if someone has info on a topic they can start a separate thread for that particular subject. I'll do the same with the food, shelter, water and etc. Some of the threads may be just handled in that particular thread but others may take several to handle the subject. We'll see how it goes. If by some chance we have two similar threads I'll combine them. We might have to play with it a bit but eventually we should have some really great info posted here. I hope to get the list of skills and etc up tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your offers of help on this. I WILL be taking you up on them. Angela, scroll back a couple of post to what I said about the two subjects.

Hang on to those thoughts everyone. I'm going to try to set this up so each section, skill, task whatever has it's own thread so people won't have to wade through a bunch of stuff they aren't interested in. I'm going to start with putting up several threads and you can jump into them. Once we get them all up we should have a nice bit of info all sorted into neat little packages (yeah right LOL)!!! Keep the IDEAS coming though. We'll try to work in as many as possible.

Hey, I might resemble that remark!!!!!!

Leah you are great at that, thanks for the offer. Quilty's, get your DH thinking more. Then get his ideas on HOW to do all this Quilty's and the others, would a discussion on how to handle a potential suicide victim be out of line? I believe that could be an important part of home health. We can bump any talk of euthanasia to the Edge if some still want to discuss it for their pets and such. We may be talking of some serious and even perhaps unsafe stuff here in these threads so please be prepared to sift through the info for it's place in your life.

Wow, these are all a lot of good ideas. While some of them, like growing an urban garden might be readily found in the Urban Homesteading forum, I believe we should cover the more unsavory survival ideas for urban living here as well. I especially believe this true of park fods, animals and birds and using what we find to survive. Maybe we can entice Cookie from her forum to come help us with this at a deeper level. The basic sewing/knitting/etc is also a good idea with the exception that we might stick with what might be very pertinent in a SHTF situation or those that were standard for past necessities. We might add spinning and etc to that. If we get to the point we can't buy it we need to know how to make it and that includes all sorts of necessities not just clothing. Liss,Betty if you and the others would like to post links, either to other posts in Mrs S or off site links to the "necessities" of life that would be great. Quilty's, great idea to learn how to make needles and etc. We'll maybe put that under something like Primative skills? Definitely we need a thread on the home nursing and grass roots diagnoses. Some of that can be found in the back threads of Nature's Prescription but there is nothing saying we can't get deeper into that also. Good idea Ambergris. Susie, I actually agree with you on the Suicide subject but in a different way you may have meant. If the SHTF we could easily be having to deal with those attempting suicide either because they no longer have medicines or because of the stress of the situation. It would not be amiss to learn how to deal with those despondent people without medications or with natural ones. I am not so sure on the euthanasia though, at least as it pertains to people but only because in the minds of most of the members that would be murder. Even if times did get that tough that situation would only occur in desperation. Desperation not premeditation. However, I am not so sure we might touch on the subject as it pertains to animals. If TSHTF we might have to decide what to do with pets and animals to keep them from going ferral or from suffering. I probably missed someone but I'll go back and start adding these to the list. Then I'll start some different threads so we can start on this right away. Thanks, keep adding,

Of course you can copy what's here Mama Tiger. M2tb, we can easily give the instructions for how to 'birth a baby' as an educational only thing. In fact, as dogmom says, we can think outside the box with all of this and be safe in posting it as the Cave comes with a warning. Adding to the list.

Good suggestions. Guess that means you are for this series

This was the opening thread for the Pioneer Living series in the Cave. We are moving the PL threads to Are You Really Ready so everyone will be able to learn from the information. I will be moving the specific threads and others that fit with this thread but I hope others will add their pioneer living knowledge to this subforum. In another thread you will find a table of contents that will give you some idea of subjects that might be covered but feel free to add your suggestions here or start a thread of your own. I realized that many of the members here live a modern pioneer lifestyle already but I am hoping that we can start some threads that give some ideas of how others can do likewise. It's a huge subject of course but if we try to organize it into various subjects perhaps we can get some serious looks at the possibilities. I'm sure much of this information can be put in the public forums but I felt that by having it here we could add some of those 'iffy' ways to live that might not be accepted as totally safe. It will also help us get it all together in one spot even if we use links to other Mrs. S posts to do so. I'd like your ideas on what subjects you might want to see included. The object would be to learn about skills and ways of the past and from different parts of the world that we might be able to incorporate into our lives today AND to use in case of TSHTF scenarios. As an example of possible specifics, we might learn how to make pickles using old time recipes, tips and etc but using modern plastic buckets instead of crocks, or perhaps pickling meats and fruit as well as vegetables. Making tools by hand from natural woods but using modern tools to do so. Using 'found' things to make other things from such as gate locks from old hinges. Using horses/bicycles/goats for transportation but using modern conveiences and equipment. Cooling foods but using coleman coolers or solar but learning about springs. Etc Etc. To get you started here's some ideas. Food: Not only how to grow it traditioinally but how it might be grown so as not to be found. Wild crafting foods Preserving it by traditional and perhaps non-safe methods ??? Water: Where to find Questionable sources hauling Storage Conserving Housing: Non traditional homes (tents, yurts, log, converted buildings, etc) Hidden homes Extended families and how to cope ?? Energy: fireplaces, wood stoves, etc Solar, wind, hydro Cooking with and without Heat, cooling and refrigeration Making and storing ice ?? Skills from the past and around the world: Listings of skills Places to learn Animals/livestock: traditional methods of care Alternative animals Pack animals Transportation farming with ??? Lifestyles: Ideas for different areas and situations Changing lifestyles ?? ???????? Please give me your input on this. Are you interested? What additions would you like to see? Once we get a list I will start posting threads for each.

Sadie, Wood sorrel lemonade can be made by steeping the leaves for ten minutes in hot water, similar to make a tea, then chill. I have also made it like sun tea where I steep the leaves in cold water in the sunshine. It's a great addition to other herb teas. You can use fresh or dried but I like fresh better. I have dried the leaves for winter use. They are okay that way but I have other dried lemony herbs that I would use quicker such as lemon balm, lemon verbena and etc. for a drink and use the dried leaves of wood sorrel mostly medicinally in the winter. Fresh leaves can be tossed in a salad for a refreshing sour/lemony taste. Even the flowers look pretty in a salad. Adding the leaves to soups just when they are ready to be served gives low sodium soups a bit of flavor. Historically the leaves were chewed for nausea, mouth sores, and sore throats. I've used them for that myself with good results. The leaves can be used as a poultice on old sores and ulcers that won't heal. The tea is used for fevers, urinary infections and in the past for scurvy. They are rich in vitamin C but are also high in oxalate acid which could interfere with the absorbtion if used for long periods of time or in large doses. It can also cause oxalate poisoning. Some are more sensitive than others. I use this plant sparingly and occassionally but I love to chew on the leaves when I'm working in the garden. They are a great thirst quencher. As always, be positive of your ID before you eat them. Hope this helps some

Karen, I apologize for not catching this post earlier. It is excellent but somehow I missed it. I've already thanked Cat for bumping it back up. Thank you for doing all the work to post it. I have printed it off to keep in my notebook. ((( Karen )))

again. That's good information. I tucked it away with the recipe. Rather, I wrote it on the recipe. I'm hoping to make them soon so left the recipe on the refrig.

Judy, these sound great. I'm always looking for a gluten free cracker to try.

Thought that was you MtnMama from you picture. I like the new name. Do you recreate medieval history? ((( )))

I found that system very intereesting Westy. Kind of pricey for my budget but might be well worth it. I'm considering feeding my chickens with worms. By the way, ground, dehydrated worms make a good protein additive to baked products and other foods. ((( )))

You are right, Westy, there's lots of useful info here for this forum, especially among the spices. Because there's also a lot of other good simple and easy to understand other info you might ALSO want to put it in Are You Really Ready or one of them. I like the idea that she gives the reasons for storing a lot of the foods. Thanks for the link. ((( )))

Nana's pretty incredible. Wait until you read some of her stocking up lists on Are you really ready. She has a definite talent for getting it all together. (((( ))))

You know, we have the Edge where we look at the really bad stuff out there, maybe we need a forum called the Peak where we post about the highest good that can be found about prepping and survival. ((( dogmom4 ))))

That's a great start on urban survival. I'd like to see more of this. Thanks for the post. (((( ))))

You forgot to add that you might be one if you buy your canning flats by the sleeve of 24 dozen or more instead of by the box. I resemble THAT one for sure. I do not buy my canning jars by the pallet, I buy them 10 and 12 boxes at a time at auctions for a dollar or two a box. I CAN'T hide how many I have from DH cause he helps me can. I don't get mad when canning jars are used for non-canning items because I have plenty to go around. I never quiver when going past the canning section cause I'm usually stopped there. You also forgot to mention that the number of canners a person owns might also factor in if you are a canning-o-holic. I won't tell you how many I have. But I think I might resemble that title.

I'm with you Leah, I COULD become a nudist but after one look at me I'd be one LONELY nudist cause everyone else would die laughing. That's why I have a... ahem,,,,small stash of material also. TEE HEE!!! Oh yeah and a little bit of yarn.

No Westy, that is AWESOME !!!!!!! (: ((( )))

OH Cookie, I'm glad you bumped it up also. I too just found it. AND LOVED all of them. I've done so many of them I'm certainly a survivalist. Especially the Pioneer Antique decor. Here's a few more. When you stuff your RV with more survival supplies than you do vacation items. When you take vegetable seeds with you on vacation. When you eyeball the used RV lots as places to hide out if the SHTF when you're on vacation. When the only things you bring home from a vacation is 20 pound bags of oatmeal, rice, beans and etc bought at Amish run bulk food stores.

Please do post pictures of your furniture. I love doll houses and miniatures. This thread is super, as usual. You may have been gone a bit but you certainly haven't lost your touch for details.

Welcome back Nana, I'm SO glad you are here again with your wonderfully concise suggestions and lists. They are always extremely helpful for the newbies and even *I* have my pencil sharpened and ready to go. We don't have a garden this year for the first time and being able to order items like this the cheapest way may well be a God sent. Thank you ahead of time for doing all the planning for us. ((((((( Nana ))))))

Westy, you are just amazing. Now if I could just GROW it here. I'd be happy. Guess I'll stock up some more.