The Winding Down of the Garden

ז Zayin

She considereth a field, and buyeth it:
with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
Proverbs 31:16

At the present my garden is winding down. Next week my husband plans to start cleaning up the pots where the vegetables are dead. He will have to dig the potatoes. That will be fun! I have a blog for my garden and other Sustainability ideas. http://thoughtsfromwisdom.blogspot.com/

In between my husband will also organizing the garage and storage areas for winter. It is busy times but it is good to be outside in such nice weather.

Enjoy your garden!

Judy

Being Prepared for the Unexpected - Be like the Stores Stock the Shelves!

ל Lamed She is not afraid of the snow for her household:

for all her household are clothed with scarlet. Proverbs 31:21

"Not being afraid..." brings up many issues in my mind. Today I will address the ability to Sustain my family during the unexpected. Mexico right now is trying to contain a very deadly flu. Now I live in the Pacific Northwest. But the Mexico to my region connection is active. It could be in my backyard quicker than I would want to think about. In a situation like this I would not want to be out in the public very much. It is critical that I maintain a supply of what my family needs and uses at home. A harvest to harvest [1 year] approach is good.

Spring is a perfect time to reassess the family pantry and bring it back up to "filled". It is easy to let the pantry slide during the winter months. We have eaten quite a bit out of ours. It is time to reshake the shelves and see what needs purchased. Fortunately the garden [I hope you are planting one!] will give wonderful fresh food this summer. Yet the need to have the necessary items is all the more critical now. Be like the stores and Stock to those shelves!

Happy Pantry Stocking!

Judy

P.S. A helpful article "Stay at Home Toolkit for Influenza"

http://www.co.nezperce.id.us/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=5FH434lyuKo%3d&tabid=450&mid=1057

Hard Asset Economics and the Sustainability of My Family

ל Lamed She is not afraid of the snow for her household:

for all her household are clothed with scarlet. Proverbs 31:21

My problem is I was too close to my Mother and Grandmother both of which went through the “Great Depression”. Through the years I have watched as the economic cycles have gone up and down. I remember in the 1970s when it seemed like one day everything was fine and the next day gasoline and toilet paper were scarce. Hard Asset Economics includes such items as: food, clothing, household necessities and cash has always been important.

My husband and I were in Eastern Washington State at the time of this 1970s economic “dip”. We were living in agriculture country. I was standing in the grocery line and a woman in line was talking about the costs of food. She thought it was not worth the costs to put up a store of food at home. At that moment my “keep a financial costs journal” button kicked in. I recorded all the costs including a freezer. I saved at that time over ½ in food costs. Now I worked hard and was living in an agricultural region.

What are “Hard Asset Economics items? They include for a family items such as: food, clothing, household necessities and cash. “Sustainability of My Family” is number one to me. I have a theory. If I take care of “me and mine” and “others did the same for their families”, there would be few families that would need help. I always set aside though extra for those individuals that are in real need.

In April 2007 when food for a short time was an issue, my “Hard Asset Economics” and the “Sustainability of My Family” buttons kicked in. I no longer live in an agricultural region. Therefore, I used the tools I had – the Internet. I purchased in bulk a wide variety of necessities. The saving has been amazing as prices have risen.

Sometimes this approach is not the “cheapest” approach. Even though by shopping when there are sales and planning ahead, it usually means a family will save considerably. It does though mean my family will have the items when I need them – not when the stores have them.

Next time you are in the store purchasing your necessities, take a peek at the number of the items on the shelf. You will discover that in this “Just-in-Time” supply chain business model there might be 6 of each of the items. If there was a breakdown to the supply chain such as a natural disaster, those “6” would be gone in a minute! By planning ahead using “Hard Asset Economics” and the “Sustainability of My Family” you will not be in the rush to get the basics of life.

Judy

An Orchard in Pots and Containers

ז Zayin She considereth a field, and buyeth it:
with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. Proverbs 31:16

I enjoy the song in a variety of ways - Spiritually, Metaphorically and today literally. If you ever wanted an "Orchard" but did not have the space consider growing the trees and grape vines in pots and containers. My husband and I did that this year. It also fits into my security level of prepareness. Want to look at the process?

Check out my blog on Sustainability -http://thoughtsfromwisdom.blogspot.com/

Enjoy! Judy

A Celebration Tip - Have the Dishwasher Empty!

צ Tzadi She looketh well to the ways of her household,

and eateth not the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:27

Oh my! I have a sink and counter full of dirty dishes. I usually have my dishwasher empty and ready for the dishes after a holiday or party dinner. That way when I am done with the party or holiday dinner I just push the button and the kitchen is basically done. It did not work that way this time. My dishwasher was full of dirty dishes when I started. Next time I will make an effort to plan that one better! Instead of waking up to a clean kitchen I woke up to the work. This should help me remember for next time! Being prepared involves even little things like this to make life a little easier.

Judy

P.S. Because I am a "Woman of Sustainability", I recycled everything I could from the dinner!

Combining Verses for Answers

א Aleph Who can find a virtuous woman?
for her price is far above rubies. Proverbs 31: 10

One method I enjoy when applying the song to my life is to combine verses. Lets say I was concerned about the economy. These verses would help me:

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet [double].

By doing this I have asked the question -

How can I be the prepared [virtuous/valor/wise/warrior] women?

The answer is not being afraid and move into action to see the family is prepared with double or multiple of everything for the snow [economic downturn].

Now I have an answer on how to handle this economic downturn!

Judy