The New and Improved Questions List-The official thread

BusyBlonde

Enjoys Recycling
Joined
Oct 31, 2011
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I've lurked here for a while, guess I ought to give this a go!


1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like? North Carolina, USA - climate is temperate. We get all four seasons most years. Fairly mild winters, doesn't snow every year. Summers are hot and humid.

2. How many people are in your family? Marital status? Just my DH & I at home, he has 2 grown daughters and 1 son. One daughter is married and we have a 9-month old grandson also.

3. How would you define self sufficiency? True self-sufficiency would be living off the grid, not needing to depend on utilities, grocery stores, feed stores, etc. I don't believe we'll ever get there, but every little bit helps.

4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed? Expand our gardens, build shelter and fences for goats and a couple of beef cattle. Add a couple coops/runs for additional breeds of chickens. Add solar panels to help with the electric bills. Remove our pre-fab fireplace (does burn wood) and install a wood stove.

5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to? I used to be a construction manager for a builder; I have built lots of homes but not by myself. My DH and I have built our garage, a large shed, and an addition to a camper that we ran electric in and plumbed. We also built our two coops.

6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet? No

7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient? The economy; our government; a desire to know where my food comes from and know that I'm doing what I can to reduce my dependency on others.

8 Cloth or paper? Not totally off the paper, but cloth more and more.

9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more? We have a good-sized garden, raise our own chickens and chicks. Have done some water-bath canning, want to learn how to pressure-can. Want to learn more about dehydrating. Will be adding goats and at least one beef cow, and some rabbits.

10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient? Interesting question. Given enough land and resources, I don't know that there's anything I wouldn't do to become self-sufficient. Right now, I don't have enough of either to get there right now.

11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs? I already do, and want to do more.

12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world? In the middle of the woods in West Virginia.

13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? Not yet, but I can learn.

14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these? I don't make any useful crafts.

15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds? Yes, we are in an agricultural district. We currently have 42 Barred Rock chickens. We want to get a couple more breeds of chickens, rabbits, 2 or 3 goats, and at least 1 beef cow.

16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood? No

17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing? Yes, I love to garden. We grow most everything we like to eat. Everything from Artichokes (which are still growing, haven't gotten a darned 'choke off one yet) to Watermelon, all things in between. I grow my own herbs also. Planted some raspberry canes & grape vines this year, have an asparagus bed, and am growing horseradish root. The next foray will be into fruit/nut trees.

18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives? Occasionally - bait or lures.

19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country? We live next door to my in-laws; between us we have 3 acres. We're in a 'neighborhood' in the country.

20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? Novice, I guess. My DH and I have a lot of skills, but have just started working towards more SS the last couple of years.

21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn? I grew up with lots of farm animals, so I have a good idea of what's involved in raising cattle & rabbits. We raise our own chickens and have their eggs. I have a green thumb when it comes to garden plants (not so much indoor plants). I cook from scratch.

22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take? Living SS - I'd love to take classes in alternative energy, animal husbandry (to better be able to care for my herds/flocks), organic gardening (again, for more information to do even better in the future). I'd like to learn to sew.

23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet? We do framing and finish.

24. Are you interested in herbal medicine? Yes, don't know much about it now but I think it's very interesting.

25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be? Mid to Northern Arizona.

26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? Not yet, but hoping to in the next year or two.

27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be? Super villain - our government right now. They scare me, all out for their own gain and not doing much to help our country.

28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency? DH is. His kids think we're kinda nuts. His parents are interested, but do not have the ability to do much of it themselves.

29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs? LOVE to cook. We already have fresh eggs, are getting to the point soon where we won't have to buy chicken. Working towards expanding my garden so I can have more of my own fresh produce. When we have goats, we will be getting raw milk.

30. What was your MOS? IDK

31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs? No. DH would hunt if he had more time.

32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient? Like to learn, love to cook & garden. We can salvage/build our own shelters/pens/etc. We do almost all of our home repairs (we are both in construction). We are willing & able to raise our own livestock.

33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live? none

34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy? No, we don't have them, but we'd like to - got a roof with good southern exposure.

35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England? I'd like to see that swallow try!

36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to? We haven't, but would like to.

37. In what do you trust? My DH and myself.

38. Do you make things yourself to save money? Yes. Greeting cards, pasta, bread. Buy almost no pre-prepared foods, I cook from scratch. Going to start making my laundry soap once the box I have is gone (got everything to make it). Made our coops from mostly salvaged materials - probably only have a couple hundred dollars in two coops/runs, which includes 32' of tinned roof shelters that are not part of the coop.

39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending? Very much. I think about whether I really need something before I spend money. I have always been a comparison shopper and gotten great deals, but I now find myself stepping back more, and deciding not to purchase things that I wouldn't have thought twice about before. We recycle almost everything, our 'garbage' has been reduced dramatically. I try to buy what is seasonal as much as possible.
 

Yelhsa8642

Sustainable Newbie
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
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Not ready for a journal yet... Lurked for awhile, finally decided to join....


01. Name? Ashley
02. Gender? Female
03. Where Do You Live? Indiana
04. What is your favorite colors? Blue & Green
05. What is your favorite kind of gum? Big Red
06. How Many In Your Immediate Family? 6
07. How tall are you? 5'1
08. Can you swim? Yes
09. Do you like to swim? Sometimes
10. Do Like To Garden? Yes, have a small vegetable patch
11. What's on your mouse pad? Golden Retriever puppies
12. Favorite board game? Life / Monopoly
13. Favorite magazine? Hobby Farm
14. Favorite Actors? Mark Harmon/ Dale Midkiff / Will Estes / Tom Selleck
15. Favorite Actress(s)? Natalie Portman / Cote de Pablo / Pauley Perrette / Bridget Moynahan / Amy Carlson Jennifer Esposito
16. Are You Interested in Wind Power? Yes
17. Favorite smells? Strawberry/ Vanilla / Fruity
18. Least Favorite Smell? Smoke,
19. Favorite sound? Nature
20. Do you prefer pools or oceans? Oceans
21. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? No
22. Pencil or pen? Pen
23. Who's better - boys or girls? Girls
24. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? No
25. Do you sing in the shower? Sometimes
26. Do You Fish? Very little
27. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? Going back to sleep... ( Not a morning person)
28. How many rings before you answer the phone? Depends on what I doing... Between 2-5
29. Are you interested in herbal medicine? Yes, but dont much about it
30. Plans to use solar energy? Yes
31. Gold or silver? Silver
32. Would you ever go bungee-jumping? Maybe
33. Do you like dressing up? Sometimes
34. Would you rather be short or tall? Tall
35. Do you enjoy reading? Love to read
36. What book are you reading now? The Messenger by Siri Mitchell & Ill Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark
37. Favorite books? OMalley series by Dee Henderson / The Red Gloves Collection by Karen Kingsbury / Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark
38. What was the last movie you saw? We Bought A Zoo
39. Favorite movies? Saving Sarah Cain / National Treasurer / Lord of the Rings
40. Would you like to own a motorcycle? No
42. What are your personality traits?
43. What's your biggest fear? Insects / Bugs / Spiders
45. Future child's name?
46. Favorite foods? Seafood / Pizza / Chocolate
47. Chocolate or vanilla? Both
49. Storms - cool or scary? Cool
50. Favorite Authors? Mary Higgins Clark / Dee Henderson / Karen Kingsbury
51. Do you do drugs? NO
52. Do you smoke? NO
53. Would you ever have cosmetic surgery? No
54. Do you drink? Green Tea / Water / Milk / Mountain Dew / FUZE
55. Favorite drink? FUZE Orange Mango / Ovaltine Chocolate Milk
56. Do you think men and women could ever be just friends without wanting each other? Yes
57. Do you eat the stems of broccoli? Sometimes
58. If you could have any job you wanted, what would it be? Not sure
59. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? No
60. Do you bite your nails? Used to
61. Any siblings? Yes
62. Have you ever called a 900 number? No
63. Do you believe in God? Yes
64. Are you single? Yes
65. Have you ever stolen anything? No
66. Do you procrastinate? Yes
67. Do you believe in fate? Yes
69. Do you organize your CD's? With my own unique style
70. What is your favorite kind of music? Country
71. What are your favorite bands/artists? Carrie Underwood / Martina McBride / Taylor Swift / Rascal Flatts / Reba McEntire/ Josh Groban / Celtic Thunder / Celtic Women
72. What was the last CD you got? Carrie Underwood
74. Who do you admire the most?
77. Favorite TV shows? Bones, Blue Bloods, NCIS, Jeopardy and Unforgettable
79. Glasses or contacts? Both
80. What color are your eyes? Green
81. What is your natural hair color? Golden Blonde
82. But what color is it now? Same
84. Any pets? Yes
86. Is the glass half empty or half full? Half full
87. Do you type with your fingers on the right keys? No
88. Internet Boyfriends and Girlfriends? No
89. What is your favorite numbers? 86 & 24
90. Favorite sport to watch? Not a sports fan..
 

Liz Demag

Enjoys Recycling
Joined
Jun 18, 2012
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Location
Vermont
01. Name? Elizabeth
02. Gender? Female
03. Where Do You Live? Vermont
04. What is your favorite colors? Greens, blues, yellows...
05. What is your favorite kind of gum? do not chew gum
06. How Many In Your Immediate Family? 3
07. How tall are you? 5'2
08. Can you swim? Yes
09. Do you like to swim? Love it
10. Do Like To Garden? Yes, we have a HUGE Garden!
11. What's on your mouse pad? Comcast ( only have a computer at work...shhh...)
12. Favorite board game? LIFE
13. Favorite magazine? Mother Earth News
14. Favorite Actors? Collin Firth, Johnny Depp, Bing Crosby, John Wayne, Sam Elliot, Steve Carell...
15. Favorite Actress(s)? natalie portman, Kiera Knightly, Jennifer aniston, Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn, Doris Day, judy Garland, Sissy Spacek, Dianne Keaton..
16. Are You Interested in Wind Power? Yes
17. Favorite smells? Lavender, citrus, sandal wood incense, gasoline, Hockey rinks, fresh cut grass
18. Least Favorite Smell?
19. Favorite sound? Nature
20. Do you prefer pools or oceans? Oceans
21. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? Yes
22. Pencil or pen? Pen
23. Who's better - boys or girls? Neither, we should be partners and work together, men and women both bring wonderful things to the table!
24. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? Yes for heating! Would love to break into using wood for cooking all the time not just outdoors
26. Do You Fish? Would love to be able to go much more than I am able, Darn job gets in the way! i can't wait till someday I can afford to quit my job and work the land full time!
27. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? I wake up quite early to take care of my baby chicks and the garden and spend time with my wonderful husband before we go our seperate ways for the day
28. How many rings before you answer the phone? At home I don't answer the phone, infact I personally don't have one, my husbands works just fine if I need to make a call.
29. Are you interested in herbal medicine? for sure, I try to use as much herbal medicines as possible instead of putting unknowns in our bodies
30. Plans to use solar energy? Yes!
31. Gold or silver? Silver32. Would you ever go bungee-jumping? I wouldn't go bungee-jumping if you payed me a million dollars...
33. Do you like dressing up? Sometimes
34. Would you rather be short or tall? Tall
35. Do you enjoy reading? Love to read
36. What book are you reading now? Girl with a dragon tattoo... I am a little behind the times
37. Favorite books? Anything by jane Austen especially P&P, The Monk, Jane eyre
38. What was the last movie you saw?
39. Favorite movies? BBC Version of P&P with collin firth and jennifer ehle, Horatio Hornblower series, Harold and Maude, Tombstone, V for Vendetta, Nick and Nora's Infinite playlist...tons
40. Would you like to own a motorcycle? My Husband and I do own a motorcylcle
42. What are your personality traits? loyal, quiet, shy at first, impulsive...
43. What's your biggest fear? Heights,
45. Future child's name? Katherine
46. Favorite foods? veggies, venison,
47. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla
49. Storms - cool or scary? I love storms
50. Favorite Authors? Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte
51. Do you do drugs? Not at all
52. Do you smoke? unfortunatly I do, not for much longer
53. Would you ever have cosmetic surgery? No
54. Do you drink? I drink fluids but only partake in an occasional adult beverage
55. Favorite drink? Orange juice
56. Do you think men and women could ever be just friends without wanting each other? Yes
57. Do you eat the stems of broccoli? Always
58. If you could have any job you wanted, what would it be? Doing something creative and rewarding, working with art either in a museum or gallery or working outdoors or making my own art or combining all of the above
59. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Yes
60. Do you bite your nails? off and on
61. Any siblings? one wonderful brother who just graduated from High school and is off to college this fall!
62. Have you ever called a 900 number? No
63. Do you believe in God? yes
64. Are you single? Married
65. Have you ever stolen anything? Never
66. Do you procrastinate? Yes
67. Do you believe in fate? Yes
69. Do you organize your CD's? a-z by artist
70. What is your favorite kind of music? Rock , Classic Rock and folk
71. What are your favorite bands/artists? The Beatles, The who, Peter Paul and Mary, Alice in Chains, Led Zep, Skid Row, Kansas, Carol King, Judas priest, The Ramones, iggy pop, Dio, Black Sabath, Harry Neilson, Rod Stewart...
72. What was the last CD you got? The best of Neil Diamond
74. Who do you admire the most? My Beautiful, Talented Mother
77. Favorite TV shows? Masterpiece, cooking shows, gardening shows.. all i watch is PBS, we don't have cable
79. Glasses or contacts? Glasses
80. What color are your eyes? Brown
81. What is your natural hair color? Reddish Brown
82. But what color is it now? Same
84. Any pets? 25 baby golden comets currently
86. Is the glass half empty or half full? Half full
87. Do you type with your fingers on the right keys? Yes, I have to as a receptionist.
88. Internet Boyfriends and Girlfriends? NAH
89. What is your favorite numbers? 7 & 23
90. Favorite sport to watch? Hockey.
91. How old are you? 25.
Here wego with another


1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like? Northern Vermont abutting the Canadian Border. Can be very cold and the next very warm....

2. How many people are in your family? Marital status? My Husband and I and my Step-Son, not to mention our parents and grandparents and sibs and aunts and uncles and all the cousins... can be a little overwhelming at times. especially when we have to buy Christmas cards or invitations.

3. How would you define self sufficiency? i would love to live off the grid and not have to shop for food or clothes or matrerials to make them, or feed for our animals, it may never happen for us completely but as close to it as possible would be wonderful
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live? Narnia :)

34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy? We don't, but would love to

35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England? A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut. Listen. In order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right?

36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to? We haven't, but would like to.

37. In what do you trust? My Husband and My Parents and a few of our wonderful friends

38. Do you make things yourself to save money? I bake, I make our own bread and as much as I can from scratch, I sew, knit blankets, hats, scarves, mittens, make my own pillows and quilts, we make our own coops at very minimal to 0 cost and have a huge graden, which lasts throught the winter because we can and pickle and freeze. We use our leftovers to compost and have very little to almost no waste.

39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending? we live without the frills and find that we are very happy with that. I have never been a spender. I feel guilty spending our hard earned money unless it benefits what we are trying to acomplish.
 

windyoak

Power Conserver
Joined
Oct 4, 2012
Messages
18
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27
Location
Central California
1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
Central California arid country. No rain during the summer. We get rain and some
Snow between November and March. I believe we are in zone 9.
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?
Wife and I
3. How would you define self sufficiency?
For my shovel, I depend on those who dig and process the steel, those who form the shovels head, and those who retailed it. Once I have it, I am self sufficient. For my
car, I depend on a lot of people with no end in sight I am not self sufficient.
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?
Continue doing what I am doing now.
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to?
Numerous other types of buildings, but never a house, but I would like to.
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?
I weld steel with wire. I can use Oxy-Act, and I have experimented with aluminum.
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?
life - I have always wanted to do things myself.
8 Cloth or paper?
Paper for which I am not self sufficient.
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?
Just learning We are on solar for quite a few years, we raise our own chickens and we want to expand to milk cow and a few sheep. We garden and
freeze/can our produce.
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient?
I will not give up my computer.
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?
Yes
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?
I can drive a tractor
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
I can sew my own clothes. I can fabricate many replacement parts from metal.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
Yes, we can legally keep livestock. We currently have chickens and four horses
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?
Yes, I have a wood lathe, and I would like to purchase a metal lathe.
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?
Yes, we like to garden. We plant veggies and flowers, and we are planning an orchard.
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
I love to go deep sea fishing.
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?
We are in the county with 113 acres.
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL?
In what?
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?
There is much I would love to learn, but currently, I am interested in learning foundry work
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes
would you take?
I dont have to create it, I would like have a degree in chemistry.
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?
Yes, whatever is needed, from framing to furniture.
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine?
Yes
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?
Where I am now.
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
We use wood for heating, but she would also like to have a wood stove for cooking.
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency?
Yes
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?
Yes to all
30. What was your MOS?
What is MOS?
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
No, but if those boars cause me anymore trouble, I will!
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?
Common sense and a willing to work
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?
Yes, we have been off the grid for more than 15 years.
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England?
I dont know
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?
Yes, and yes, I like it.
37. In what do you trust?
Nothing - I dont even trust me!
38. Do you make things yourself to save money?
Whenever I can.
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?
Yes, or rather it is the other way around - money/spending has changed my habits about self-sufficiency.
 

IW

Enjoys Recycling
Joined
Dec 16, 2012
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1. I live in New Mexico at 7,000ft. elevation. It makes for a short growing season.
2. My husband and I live here on the land. All the kids are grown and on their own.
3. I would describe true self-sufficiency as living a sustainable life without any need of retail purchases.
4. If I had unlimited resources I would replace everything on the place that requires propane. When we built this place propane was .44 cents a gallon. Now it's near $3.00 per gallon.
5. It asks if I had ever built a house. Yes, we built 3 domes here ourselves.
6. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs? Yes and the more the better. Still, all the stocking up you can do will eventually run out so I believe in trying to make the place as self-sustaining as possible.
7. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds? Yes, livestock is legal here and we have chickens and horses. We plan to add Royal Palm turkey in spring. We also have lots of local wildlife.
8. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing? I LOVE gardening and will plant just about anything I can find but our altitude and weather limits things. I would love to have a greenhouse and may try to get one this year.
9. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country? We live in the country on 20 acres of our own land.
 

ashylove1

Enjoys Recycling
Joined
Feb 17, 2011
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I like this idea!

1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like? We are in okaloosa county Florida presently, climate is pretty good, right now it is about 70 at 10 pm... Yeah I think we will stay!

2. How many people are in your family? Marital status? There are 5 of us, me, hubby, and 3 little ones. We are married.

3. How would you define self sufficiency? Being able to have everything right there on your property, not having to leave to go to the store for too much.

4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed? Garden, and dehydrate or can.

5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to? No, but someday we would like to.

6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet? No and no...

7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient? Not sure. The gardening I grew up around, but everything lose just seems right for me.

8 Cloth or paper? Cloth for me, hubby prefers paper. Grr.

9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more? right now, I can, garden, dehydrate, sew clothes, and towels, and diapers, we use cloth for most everything, and I have even been known to make dog food. Oh and I can cook really well too. I want to learn more about canning, and someday I want chickens an maybe even a cow or goats.

10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient? Um, not sure. So far everything seems doable to me!

11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs? Yes, but not yet. We are not financially ready nor do we have the space for more than a 2 month supply of food.

12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world? In a beautiful garden with a cottage and chickens all around.

13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? No I can't, hubby prob could though.

14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these? Yes I do!and maybe, I'm not too good at teaching people things... I'm too quiet.

15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds? No, we live in military housing right now.

16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood? No, don't know what it is...

17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing? Oh yes!!! Veggies mostly, but some fruit too.

18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives? No, not me. Hubby can, with bait.

19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country? Very small...

20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? N/a

21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn? No specialty, unless cooking counts. And I'd like to learn more about canning...

22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?

23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet? I have been known to use hammer and nails, but not an actual wood worker.

24. Are you interested in herbal medicine? Yes very

25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be? Here, but with lots of land.

26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? Neither but I would use it for both.

27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be? Super hero, and her power would be super quick growing speediness... Lol.

28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency? Yes, my BFF and her hubby already have chickens and all that. She isn't too thrilled but her hubby is totally into it.

29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs? yes to all. I prefer the taste of it all.

30. What was your MOS? None for me, should have been security forces though... Ended up pregnant. Lol. Oh well! :)

31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs? No, would like to though.

32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient? I can do a lot. Lol. Gardening, soap making, cooking, just to name a few.

33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?

34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy? No

35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England? Lol how can a 1 oz bird carry a 1 lb coconut??

36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to? No, and yes!

37. In what do you trust? Hmmm... Hope.

38. Do you make things yourself to save money? Yes, I make everything I can to avoid buying it.

39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending? Yes, but now I spend the extra on stuff to help being more sufficient.
 

Blaundee

Power Conserver
Joined
Nov 9, 2012
Messages
236
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5
Points
47
Location
New Mexico
1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like? NM/USA, very arid 9% humidity over 7000' above sea level"high desert" We have a lot of pine and pinon trees, sagebrush, and only get grass if it snows enough (and it snows a LOT... our town holds the record for 3rd lowest winter temp in the lower 49 states) I swear every year that I'm moving to Florida... but never will lol I will probably die here like the last several generations of my family.

2. How many people are in your family? Marital status? married Just me & hubby, but we have a very large extended family.

3. How would you define self sufficiency? Not needing anything from the store or government, only needing to do some business with your neighbors if you feel like it, being able to live a good, well fed, happy life even if hubby had no job.

4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed? I dont have "spare time" hahaha

5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to? No house, lots of other buildings, and yes, we want to build a house.

6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?No, but Dad and hubby can

7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient? Were we live and how we were raised, and now watching our govenment make bad decision after bad decision.

8 Cloth or paper? Both- depends on what you're cleaning up!!! LOL

9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more? We are ABLE to be completely self sufficient, but currently are not because we like convenience- but have most of the skill and stuff that we'd need.

10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient? I love love love electricity.... washer, dryer, microwave, TV! lol But I have been and could be again completely happy without them.

11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs? Yup. Already do. Of course, living so far away from the city, I already live like that lol

12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world? Asleep hahaha

13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? Never tried driving a semi.... tractor, yes.

14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these? Yes, I handspin wool and crochet, and make other things as well. When I was a kid, we made many of our birthday and Christmas gifts for each other. I teach what I know to anyone who wants to know

15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds? Yes, yes, and LOTS... chickens, ducks, horses, sheep- Mom has goats and geese as well- neighbors have llamas. We have had cattle, been there done that lol Wild Turkeys, deer, and elk fill our freeser well enough each fall.

16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood? Never tried. Hubby does.

17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing? yes. I love to grow tomatoes, since they are my fave, and green beans and peas are fun to eat as you pick them lol I am happy to grow anything that will grow here, our growing season is very short- last frost is Jun 10, first frost Oct 10, and if it's that long, we're lucky.

18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives? Fly fish sometimes- fishing isn't my cup of tes. hubby LOVES fishing, as do Dad and Bro. I dont even like to eat fish.... gag. But better than starving hahaha

19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country? live on in laws ranch, 2 miles from my parents ranch.

20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? I dont know what that means

21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn? I dont know that I have a "specialty", we all learn everything we can about everything... but I'd guess my specialty would be the medic? Everyone teasingly calls me "doc", and I am alwasy the first one called when something medical is going on with an animal or human. I was a CNA for many years, and a Dental Aide too, and have studied animal health since I was very young (as well as having many years of practical experience).

22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take? I would love to be a doctor, but live so far from town and have many things tying me down (happily).

23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet? No.

24. Are you interested in herbal medicine? Yes, very much so. I've learned a lot from my mother, and have a new friend who is teaching me herbal uses, plus I read a LOT.

25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be? Here. I complain when it's 20 below, but I won't move.

26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? For heating. I would love to have one for cooking. I have used one before, and have used Dutch Ovens too- I love it.

27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be? Always has been the Lone Ranger.

28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency? Yes, there's a whole group of us - we were all raised that way!!!

29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs? I LOVE cooking, and am very good at it. I raise my own chickens for eggs. Yes, raw milk from our own animals, and yes, whole/natural foods.

30. What was your MOS? I dont know what that is.

31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs? Hunt, fish.

32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient? Between the bunch of us, the only area we are not covered is emergency medical attention- but we are used to living without that anyway, because we are so far out from the city.

33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live? None, I'm happy with reality lol

34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy? no

35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England? As if I care! I'm FAR more concerned with HOW MUCH WOOD CAN A WOODCHUCK CHUCK????

36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to? Yes. No. But am willing to if need be, and will be perfectly happy about it.

37. In what do you trust? God, and Him alone.

38. Do you make things yourself to save money? Yes.

39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending? Not really- I was raised this way! lol Make what you can, grow what you can, and earn the money to get those that you can't make/grow. Don't expect someone else to provide for you, you get what you earn. There is NO shame in hard work!
 

Blaundee

Power Conserver
Joined
Nov 9, 2012
Messages
236
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Points
47
Location
New Mexico
I copied this from the ones above, and dont know where they got it, so some of the numbers are missing...


01. Name? Michelle

02. Gender? Female

03. Where Do You Live? NM

04. What is your favorite colors? pink, purple, blue

05. What is your favorite kind of gum? depends... usully Trident

06. How Many In Your Immediate Family? 2

07. How tall are you? taller than my sisters lol

08. Can you swim? Yes, but rarely have a reason to... we live in the desert lol

09. Do you like to swim? not especially

10. Do Like To Garden? Yes

11. What's on your mouse pad? dont have one... laptop

12. Favorite board game? I like many board games... the one my sisters and I play the most often is Clue

13. Favorite magazine? Barrel Horse News

14. Favorite Actors? The new James Bond guy, can't think of his name, and Matt Damon

15. Favorite Actress(s)? Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson

16. Are You Interested in Wind Power? Yes

17. Favorite smells? good clean leather

18. Least Favorite Smell? ammonia

19. Favorite sound? the hymn "His eye is on the Sparrow"

20. Do you prefer pools or oceans? pools

21. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? tractor, yes. never tried a semi.

22. Pencil or pen? Pen, unless I'm drawing or writing on hatching eggs lol

23. Who's better - boys or girls? If we're talking horses, chickens and goats, GIRLS! Sheep, boys. Humans, both.

27. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? All the things I have planned for the day :)

28. How many rings before you answer the phone? One, unless I dont hear it lol Better to text me lol

31. Gold or silver? Silver

32. Would you ever go bungee-jumping? yes

33. Do you like dressing up? Yes... but wearing a dress and heels looks rather funny out in the chicken yard LOL

34. Would you rather be short or tall? just as I am

35. Do you enjoy reading? Yes, when I have time.

36. What book are you reading now? The Great Controversy by EG White

37. Favorite books? the Bible, how to books, medical/herbal books

38. What was the last movie you saw? the 4th Bourne movie.... not nearly as good as the first 3 Bourne movies

39. Favorite movies? the first 3 Bourne movies

40. Would you like to own a motorcycle? not anymore, Hubby sold his

42. What are your personality traits? loyal, strong willed, bold

43. What's your biggest fear? Losing loved ones

46. Favorite foods? veggies, esp tomatoes

47. Chocolate or vanilla? CHOCOLATE!!!!!!

49. Storms - cool or scary? Depends- usually scary, because cool temps+wind+noise makes the horses excited and they run, which is not a good thing with a large herd of hotblooded horses.

51. Do you do drugs? No

52. Do you smoke? no

53. Would you ever have cosmetic surgery? yes, I'd have a facelift or eyelift (but not now, I'd wait another 25 years)

54. Do you drink? no

55. Favorite drink? coffee:( nasty stuff

56. Do you think men and women could ever be just friends without wanting each other? Yes

57. Do you eat the stems of broccoli? Always

58. If you could have any job you wanted, what would it be? Veterinarian

59. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? No, I sleep with a real animal, who is the most spoiled kitty ever lol

60. Do you bite your nails? never

61. Any siblings? yes, one brother who is married to a wonderful young woman who brings out the best in him, and 2 amazing sisters.

62. Have you ever called a 900 number? No

63. Do you believe in God? yes

64. Are you single? No, not for many years

66. Do you procrastinate? Yes

67. Do you believe in fate? not in the way most people think of "fate"

69. Do you organize your CD's? no

70. What is your favorite kind of music? Country (Alabama, Reba, George Strait- can't beat that!)

74. Who do you admire the most? Jesus Christ

77. Favorite TV shows? NCIS, Fox news, Suits, and Covert Affairs

79. Glasses or contacts? neither

80. What color are your eyes? Blue

81. What is your natural hair color? blonde

82. But what color is it now? Same

84. Any pets? yes- horses, sheep, chickens, ducks, cats, dog....

86. Is the glass half empty or half full? depends on the day and how thirsty I am.... lol

87. Do you type with your fingers on the right keys? usually

88. Internet Boyfriends and Girlfriends? no way

89. What is your favorite numbers? Not telling :)

90. Favorite sport to watch? barrel racing

91. How old are you? 31
 

KnightMare

Enjoys Recycling
Joined
Apr 6, 2013
Messages
33
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0
Points
12
Here goes....

1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like? USA... 4 seasons, short growing season.Farming/rural area
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status? Does this matter?
3. How would you define self sufficiency? Being able to live on your own...make what you need, barter the rest
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed? Farm, read and make stuff in my shop
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to? yes, and yes
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet? Yes to MiG, Stick and Oxy-Acet. No Tig
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient? My parents suffered through the "Great Depression" I decided I didn't want to Suffer through the next one...
8 Cloth or paper? CLOTH. It implies good breeding.
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more? Well, I have a nice garden, tools to work it and enough ground to enlarge it.
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient? SEX
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs? Makes sense to me. I am the "ant" not the grasshopper
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world? in my shop or in my garden
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? Yup...can plow a straight furrow, too!
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these? I'd be happy to teach anyone anything I know. They'd need to be interested and willing to learn. Not many folks are interested these days.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds? Yes...some of each...
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood? both
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing? I only grow what I can eat. Kind of a Function over form type
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives? Both...depends on what the fish look like and where they live and who they are...
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country? Own. No debt.
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? Technician
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn? No specialty. I like to be "well rounded".
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take? I'd probably go to an Ag school and learn how to do stuff...
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet? All of it
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine? Yup. I grow a number of herbs and medicinal plants. Spent a long time learning to ID many of them.
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be? Where I am NOW.
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? I can if I need to. I've prepared for that contingency and a few others as well.
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be? McGyver/BHO
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency? Nope, they think I am "out to lunch" on this. They don't even come to visit me. I make acquaintances easily. Friends are a bit harder to come by...if you know what I mean.
29. Do you like to cook? Yes, but don't get much time to do it.
Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs? Yes, all of them.
30. What was your MOS? 8404/91Z5S and a few more
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs? only if I have to...
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient? See above. Over my lifetime, I have acquired a unique skill set which makes me confident that as long as my health holds out, I will be able to deal with whatever is coming...maybe sooner than we would like...
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live? Not sure what that means...I'm kind of a "Be Here Now" kind of person.
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy? Solar is the way to go...
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England? That depends on the wind speed and direction. European swallows generally don't get coconuts because they only grow in the tropics...
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to? yes/yes/ and I can if I have to do it again.
37. In what do you trust? G*d
38. Do you make things yourself to save money? Absolutely. I was brought up to fix what I have and to take care of what I have. I was taught to be a good steward of the blessings G*d has given me.
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending? You bet. Why do you think I am doing it?
 

naturegirl

Enjoys Recycling
Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Messages
6
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Location
Western Cape, South Africa

1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like? Western Cape, South Africa, and the climate ranges from freezing in the winter to about 45 Deg Celsius in the summer! We also have a lot of rain! In fact in the second week of January we had 3 floods in four days!
2. How many people are in your family? 2 now, our kids are gown up and have flown the coop! Marital status? Married - 29 years!
3. How would you define self sufficiency? Basically feeding ourselves from our land, as well as supplying our own energy from the ample wind and sun we have here!
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed? Huh?? What spare time? Otherwise my spare time is spent reading and gardening.
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to? We have never built our own home from scratch, but have renovated our home that we live in at the moment, and will be building on our small farm.
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet? Nope!
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient? Grew up in the life style, both my parents came from farming stock, and my mother always fed us from her garden and by raising rabbits for the pot! At one stage my parents lived on a small farm and all our food apart from flour, sugar, rice and coffee came from it.
8 Cloth or paper? Both
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more? Have a vegetable garden at our town house, and have always grown vegetables.
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient? Not sure, am willing to try everything at least once!
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs? Yes, will definately be doing so!
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world? Far away from civilisation!
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? Yes, a semi, have never driven a tractor, but willing to learn, and in fact will have to!
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these? I sew and have taught my daughter to do so as well.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds? Yes we can. We are allowed to keep six hens in our area (Cape Town), but do not have any. My seaman says to wait until we get to the farm in 2 years time, meanwhile my 3 dogs, 3 cats, 3 parrots and other birds and fish will have to keep me happy!
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood? My seaman can. Wood
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing? I have ten green thumbs, and love to garden, both vegetable and ornamental.
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives? Yes, and WHAAATTT? Who on earth uses explosives to fish!!!!!
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country? City - 1000 sq metres Country 15 acres
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? Huh? Not sure what you mean?
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn? I am a gardener, and know how to raise chickens, rabbits, pigs, cattle.
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take? Anything to do with plants and animals.
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet? I love to restore old furniture.
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine? Yes
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be? On our little farm in Riversdale
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? Gas in Summer, and a restored dover stove in winter for both cooking and heating.
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be? No Idea
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency? My brothers are very interested, as they grew up the same way I did.
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs? Yes, Yes and YES!!! Love to cook and experiment, and also love to bake bread, preserving, etc.
30. What was your MOS? ????
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs? Have foraged a lot in the past, but never hunted.
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient? Gardening, raising animals, restoring old furniture, sewing, renovating a house. Am very resourceful, can turn my hand to most things.
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live? Never though about it.
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy? We will be using both solar and wind power, as well as staying on the grid to a minimal degree.
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England?
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to? Yes we have, as a little girl back in the sixties, and I felt sorry for my poor mum with 5 small kids. In those days they did not have the resources we have now, and am very willing to live off grid completely. We have ample wind and sun to make our lives easier.
37. In what do you trust? My husband, nature and common sense.
38. Do you make things yourself to save money?Yes
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending? Always have tried to be more self sufficient to a degree, so that will definately change my attitude once we get to the farm.
 
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