Preparedness Challenge #16

This is the first week of the summer that I felt like I could actually catch my breath! To say it has been busy  would be an understatement. Perhaps it's just the older I get the less balls I can keep in the air. Never-the-less, I did a few small things toward being prepared.


• I've been reading a fairly controversial book that certainly challenges the reader to think outside the box in terms of preparedness: Surviving Off Off-Grid by Michael Bunker. What this isn't is a book on alternative power sources. It's not even an emergency preparedness book. Instead, it takes a hard look at the common notions of being off-grid, being truly sustainable, and how to think differently about it all. I won't tell anymore than that for now because I want to do an entire post on it when I'm done. So stay tuned (although I read slow!).

• I purchased two fermenting jars for the eCourse I'm taking, but I can't really wait to get started, so I'm going to try making fermented pickles this weekend (I bought 10# of cucumbers since my plants are just babies right now). The jars come with a neat device that allows air to escape and your food to ferment without growing mold. Nice! (I hope to have a link to this as soon as possible, so check back HERE. Otherwise, click on the Cultures for Health Ad on the right sidebar with the crock and you'll find the item).


• I got some more vegetables planted in the garden. Keep in mind our summers are mild by comparison, so while others have already harvested tomatoes and such, ours haven't even filled out on the vine! I hope to get some seeds started this week for a fall garden.


• I started drying my clothes off-grid this week - finally! My clothesline is nearly finished so in the meantime I set up my drying rack from Forgotten Way Farms on the back porch just off the laundry room and started drying clothes on it. I will come clean and confess that I will probably still use the dryer for the towels. At least for now. Seems like they just need that high heat and bouncing around to get soft.  But I could do it if I really had to.


Join the Challenge


To join the Preparedness Challenge, just write a pots on something you did this week to prepare and then link up below or leave a comment. Be sure to take the Preparedness Challenge Picture and add it to your blog so others know you're participating and hopefully they'll join up, too!


It was really exciting to see 26 of you join up this past week! Way to go!