Fall Gardens

Its been a while. The garden and kids have kept my wife and I very busy. Summer planting came and went. The squash plants are already huge and I have zucchini almost ready to pick. I finally got the drip system finished tonight. Now the corn is on the system, so the only things not on a drip system are my fruit trees and some blackberries. I still have plans for more blackberries, so that isn't a problem.

We were inundated with lettuce and peas. We couldn't keep up with them, so we gave some to friends who did the local farmer's market. We also have been sharing with friends and neighbors. The lettuce is bolting so much now that I'm not sure that we'll be eating much of our own until September.

We were late getting the Swiss Chard in, so we can substitute with it in the meantime. I still plan on planting more. We will also be starting several varieties of lettuce indoors in a few weeks for Fall planting. We'll be doing Romaine, butterhead and more leaf lettuce. I'll probably do some spinach too. I will be pulling up the current peas once they stop blossoming and will plant more for the Fall.

The bush beans are thriving, but I am a little late getting the pole beans in for Fall. They need cooler weather for better production.

The carrots didn't do terribly well, but I didn't really expect them to thrive in the cool weather. I'll be getting several varieties in this week. I am really looking forward to trying out the SugarSnax variety that was recommended for excellent taste and sweetness.

I think the best thing about all the work is seeing my oldest kids taking responsibility for weeding, watering and harvesting. The work is good for their character development, and it is often a good opportunity to talk about important things to us. The additional benefit is seeing all but my second son eating vegetables right out of the garden. he eats the fruit, but get him near the peas or broccoli.

- Mark

Value is based on perception.

Clean Water

Perhaps it is due to all the rain and snow we have gotten of late, but I want to cover water needs. (The weather has kept me out of the garden for almost a week now.) Water purity can be a big problem in emergencies. How are you preparing to have clean water?

There are two major issues with water. The first is drinking water and the second is sanitation. The later can be easy to prepare for. "Grey water" is often easy to come by for toilets. Water for washing is another story. I like to store water in old two liter soda bottles. They wash easily and when filled with hot water, seal nicely. I don't recommend the tinted plastic as you can't see what might be growing inside. I store mine under the stairs where they are out of the way and can stack easily.

Drinking water can be a more difficult proposition. I have a small filtration pump for my 72 hour kit for mobility. Treatment tablets can also be useful. For longer term water needs, you can store large barrels of food grade plastic. I also recommend having a large purification system such as the Big Berkey water system which can purify as much as 3.5 gallons an hour. That is plenty for a large family.

I'll have to cover laundry needs soon. It's always nice to have clean clothes in stressful situations.



- Mark

Value is based on perception.

Spring Gardens

Now is the time to be planting your spring garden if you live in Utah. My family and I are working hard to prepare our spring garden planting boxes and transplanting the onions and lettuce that overwintered.

Starting a small garden and working your way up is a great way to into gardening. Make it simple and as you learn, you will want to expand. Take the hard knocks as they come and learn to appreciate your successes. It is a learning process.

I was miserable with my initial failures and gave up for years until I start using square foot gardening. I had some success with it and have sought out more productive methods. I do not regret using that method as it got me kick started into gardening. I now understand why it is not the best method for gardening, but if I hadn't started with it, I doubt that I would have ever gotten into gardening. Now I can't stop thinking about what I am going to plant and harvest.

I would recommend finding a good mentor. I've been lucky to have a very generous one in Gordon Wells who grew up on a farm and got a Masters in Agriculture, even though he was a lawyer by trade.

Remember, wheat is not food storage if you have nothing to eat with it. Gardening is a great way to save money on produce, it helps relieve stress and it helps to bring parents and children together in a worthwhile effort.

- Mark

Value is based on perception.

Solar Cooking

A few weeks ago, we had a pumpkin that was starting to go moldy. (Lesson learned on better preservation for pumpkins than in freezing temperatures on the porch for Halloween before bringing them in the house.) Not wanting to waste the whole pumpkin, we decided to cut it up and take the majority of it that was good and prepare it for pies and cookies.

Needing to get this done on a very busy weekend, I pulled out our Global Sun Oven, cut it up into large pieces, placed them into a large roasting pan and put it in the oven before going to church. It was a cold (36 degrees) and partly cloudy day. After getting home from church three hours later, it was over 275 degrees and the whole oven cover was covered in condensation from the moisture the pumpkin was letting off as it cooked.

I let it go another hour to be sure it was done, but I needn't have done so. The pumpkin was perfectly cooked, if not a little overdone and was easily peeled and mashed.

My point is that if it had been an emergency, it would have been just as easy to cook a stew, make some biscuits, or cook some potatoes despite the cold weather. On warm spring days, I have gotten the oven up to over 400 degrees. As long as there is sun, it will cook or bake.

Having multiple methods with which you can cook is very important. I'll discuss other options later. Just rest assured that a solar oven makes the best baked potatoes. They're my favorites.

- Mark

Value is based on perception.

Dealing with Job Stress

How prepared are you for increasing job stress? Is the fear of losing your job causing you a lot of stress? How about the stress of picking up the slack caused by cutbacks? Is your company asking you to now do the work of two?

I have found that there are several major ways to relieve stress under these types of circumstances.

• Get enough rest. Sleep is often ignored when stressed, and this is one thing you will really need.
• Eat properly. Not only should you not overindulge to chase the stress away, but make sure you are eating fruits and vegetables to keep your health up. Getting sick will only add to your troubles.
• Exercise regularly. Working the stress out will not only make you feel better, it will keep you healthy. (You may want to visualize yourself overcoming, going through or solving your challenges while you work out. It adds to your mental health and can be fun to do when there may be no other alternatives.)
• Reduce your financial stress. Avoid eating out or going to the movies if you are worried about money. The short term benefit will not outweigh the long term load you are placing on yourself, regardless of what your friends tell you. Remember that this mess we are in was created by a "feel good today" attitude.
• Talk openly about your problems with your loved ones. Hiding the problems you are having today will only make it harder tomorrow to deal with them, especially if you have to explain why you did not communicate earlier. A little pain today can help make much happier tomorrows. Honesty really is the best policy.
• Find spiritual peace. Get to know God and the love He has for you. You'll find your very best friend.
  

Following these principles have made an otherwise stressful life very bearable. Try it, you'll like it.

- Mark

Value is based on perception.

How to Entertain

I attended a free concert tonight put on by our local library. The performers were the New York Chamber Soloists. I was pleased that my seven year old son enjoyed the performance. I was soothed by the music after a long day at work. My older daughter enjoyed herself as well.

The point is that listening to a small group of talented musicians was a very enjoyable experience and relaxing. I recently acquired a violin in the hopes that one of our kids would show interest in learning to play as we have a friend who will teach them for free. Instead, I am in negotiations to learn to play.

I am seeing it more and more as something that my family will need in the future. Whether it is piano, violin, drums, fiddle, guitar, or another instrument that you may play, the fact that you could provide entertainment for not only yourself, but also for family, friends, or those who are down and out, is a blessing to be shared.

I am beginning to truly believe that it will be very important to have those skills to share.

- Mark

Value is based on perception.

Mental Preparation

How well do we prepare for unforeseen events that are not catastrophic but are sometimes hard to endure? I was reminded of this today as I sat in major traffic jams going to and from work.

The first was in the midst of light snow and icy conditions as the highway patrol extricated a semi that had jack-knifed and was blocking the pass to the next valley. Sitting several miles from the accident and creeping along, I had to keep reminding myself that I was trying to work on patience and that I needed to relax and just wait until things got moving. I had classical music playing on the radio and thought about more important matters than how delayed I was.

Coming home, I had left work early for an arranged date with my wife but was once again held up due to a major pile-up between a couple of semis and several cars. By the time I hit the backup, I was still miles away from the accident site. I knew it was going to be a long crawl home. I again reminded myself to be patient and enjoyed the music.

By the time I got home, I was too tired for the special outing we had planned, so we changed our plans and went out for a quiet dinner together. Though the evening wasn't the special event we had planned, it was still a nice time together. Despite the difficulties, my attitude had helped to slavage what could have been a terrible day.

If we aren't preparing ourselves to deal with disappointment and trials, we will not have the mental strength to say, "It's OK. I'll go on despite this." How are you trying to prepare yourself?

- Mark

Value is based on perception.

Vacuum Canning and You

My wife got a great introduction to vacuum canning last month. If you want to make your nuts, chocolate chips, candy bars, dehydrated fruit and much more stay fresh for at least a year, vacuum canning may be for you. It takes a FoodSaver and a jar sealer for the FoodSaver along with a mason jar and lid.

My wife and I have been putting up almonds, dried peaches, candy bars, dried bananas, chocolate chips, marshmallows and bubble gum with a lot more on our list like dried herbs. The idea that we have long term storage of some of these items is comforting to us to know that we will have something put up for our family, no matter how economically stressing times may become.

- Mark

Value is based on perception.