secret cheers

[Ambergris]

A neighbor tried to keep sheep up the road this year. It didn't work out, but it could've.

 

A friend of a friend has a pair of goats as pets, but was thinking of getting a couple to milk as well.

 

Another buddy has brand-new milk goats and is considering chickens.

 

I caught another neighbor poking through a roadside pile, gathering a bucket full of used decorative candles. "You can melt them down and make new candle," she says. "String works for a wick, but it's much better to get actual wick material."

 

Someone else comes up to my husband. "I hear you can show me how to sharpen scissors. My wife just got a new pair, but it got me thinking how knives don't get thrown away when they're dull. I just um...kinda...want to know how it's done."

 

Clotheslines are becoming much more common around here.

 

I smelled bread baking more than once on the way home from work today.

 

I'm not the only one I know growing peppers in the front yard.

 

 

[TractorDiva]

Each one a little miracle...

[Dee]

I've noticed people doing a little more working at gardening, recycling/reusing instead of throwing out and replacing, etc. this summer too Ambergris. Like you, I quietly cheer them on.

 

It's nice to see and I so hope they have enough time to learn some valuable life saving skills.

[zophiel]

Yes, I've noticed this too! Many, many people here in the suburbs-- I'd say well over 50% of front and/or backyards have fenced in sections for veggie growing. "Backyard Farming" is really starting to take off-- there have been several articles in the WaPo about it in the past few months.

 

This supports my theory that deep in people's subconcious, they know things are getting bad. Even though this area is much better off than most of the rest of the country, due to the artificial life-support of gov't employment, people know that it might not last, that it might collapse. Even if they're conciously confident and blithe, deep inside where they don't often look in themselves, they know things aren't right, and they're responding by growing tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and what-have-you. Either that, or God's taking over when they sleep and taking care of things despite them ^_~!

 

And like you all, I cheer, because every small step they take is one less they have to leap when TSHTF. And the more self-sufficient each individual is, the less weak the community is, and the better the prospects for the collapsed world look. Yeah, it'll be rough, and there's real possibility around here of social unrest . . . but these little signs make me think that we might just pull through after all.

 

Huzzah for suburban gardens!!

[ANewMe]

We have a Tea Party mtg tonight and my friends mother is doing a presentation of Prepping. My friend, her husband and child moved in with her Mother so she could go through school. They are pooling their resources and have a little homestead now. I can't wait to see it. I referred them to our site because I think they'd love it.

 

Our neighbors are young....19 and 23 yrs old.....not much into what is going on in the world, but very open minded to thrifty living. Not your regular party couple. I took her coupon shopping the other day and taught her how it works and we also went to garage sales Sat. I'm hoping that they may become a little more prep minded and start paying attention to what is going on around them.

[Annarchy]

On my trip this time, I noticed many homes with huge wood piles stacked up, gardens flourishing and homes with animals, horses, cows, goats and chickens, in fenced front yards, where there weren't any previously.

 

Makes me miss the chicken who camped in my yard for 5 years leaving me an egg a day under my pomegranate tree. One of the neighbor kids decided to take her and her chicks. Their dad said, "they are not pets, they are food". Haven't seen her since.

 

 

[Amishway Homesteaders]

Good Post!

yes we too have noticed a increase in questions asked of us from both friends and people we meet while out and about.

 

We can't go out shopping or even yard saling laterly without someone coming up to us (now we do LOOK Amish/ homesteaders) and asking:

 

"I hope you don't might me asking but....."

 

We ALWAYS start off by telling them we are glad that they asked and that we don't mind questions- thats how you learn.

Then go on answering the question - everything from 'how do you homestead in todays world"

to " do you can? I was thinking of starting but just don't know where to start?" we tell them to go to the Library and get out books, or get a 'blue book' and some jars and pick something simple like jelly or picles to start with.

 

If you want to 'talk' canning an dgarden just hang around the canning section of a big box store. LOL

 

Most of the time they can't believe we don't have a cell phone, credet cards, or watch TV all night long. And STILL be able to 'get by'. You should see the look we get when we tell them we still do clothers in a Magtag wringer washer and hang the clothes out on a line to dry.