Tess Misch

What are your thoughts?  What would you like to do in your community to make a change?  As I was perusing YT, I came across this video.  It inspired me and reminded me what WE can do and what WE can accomplish if we just make the choice to do so. If we stop relying on corrupt government systems to make amends and do what is right, we can impact our world in the way that is right for us.  I hope you will be inspired as I was to think through the problems you see or experience in your community and use Permaculture ethics & principles to guide you.  --Tess

Tess Misch wrote:Here is my clean oven pics for the BB:

To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
 - manually clean an oven
     - use only water and baking soda

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must provide:
  - a before picture of the dirty oven
  - an action shot of oven during cleaning with water and baking soda
  - an after picture of clean oven
  - OR a 2-minute video of you doing this

Tess

As this is part of the   PEA    for apartment dwellers BB, we inherit an already baked on 'stained' oven.  I feel that to get a "perfectly clean" oven is unreasonable and quite honestly not possible with just hot water & baking soda.  I don't have any scrub brush that is stiff enough to clean it. I can't afford to go get one.  Normally I use foil in the bottom when I am cooking something I know could drip.  But I had run out & the dish spilled over. I cleaned the entire mess made from MY dish.  What you see is what was there when we moved into the apartment.  I feel that my BB should be reconsidered as complete.  Thank you.  --Tess

Nancy Reading wrote:Thank you Tess - so she is an Irish lady, now growing fermenting and making films in Sweden.
I like the laid back way she makes her ferments - I wonder if she shares more of that somewhere. It makes sense in a short season to grow for preserving to a certain extent.
Did you see the dough disks hung up in the fermentation kitchen? I wonder if they are stored sourdough starters?

Nancy, I know, I saw so much.  This video was a wonderful documentary, there may be something in the description with a way to contact her.  I am Irish by heart, so her accent was like a familiar lullaby to me.  She  just made me want even more, to be living in Nature, surrounded by Mother Earth's abundance & wisdom.  I can watch this one again & again.  --Tess

Here is my clean oven pics for the BB:

To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
 - manually clean an oven
     - use only water and baking soda

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must provide:
  - a before picture of the dirty oven
  - an action shot of oven during cleaning with water and baking soda
  - an after picture of clean oven
  - OR a 2-minute video of you doing this

Tess

Jeremy VanGelder wrote:The SKIP program has a whole set of badges for dimensional woodworking There are a bunch of fun projects and your daughter could prove her skills. In the past Paul has invited people to teach at SKIP events once they have accrued a certain number of Badge Bits. So maybe she could teach woodworking at one of those someday.

There is a pathway for people to teach at Washington's career and technical high schools. All you need is a couple years of experience in a given career. I believe you can get hired, and then earn your teaching certificate as you teach. That is how my Dad taught at a Skills Center for 30 years.

Down here in Vancouver, WA we have Friends of the Carpenter which teaches woodworking to homeless people and others.

Jeremy, I will share this info as well with her!!  SO much knowledge among this wonderful group of people here on Permies.  Appreciated more than you can know!  --Tess

Steve Zoma wrote:My suggestion is to just be very open-minded.

I say that because where I live you might not find classes on how to make kitchen cabinets but there are multiple schools on how to build small wooden boats. She might find out she LOVES working on boats, and even if not, the boatbuilding skills I learned when I built yachts carried over into skills I used last week to build new kitchen cabinets. There is a great carry-over with woodworking skills.

But if not boats, what about wooden toys, or what I specialized in… wooden models.

Another great area to look is with Adult Education Courses through your local high school. Years ago I could not make the class on making hand cutting dovetails due to my schedule, but I could with the beginning woodworker course. Because it had the same instructor, I asked him if he would teach me to cut hand cut dovetails… he taught the whole class and some had never picked up a chisel before in their lives! So be very flexible and you might find something for her. And… do not miss this either, she could TEACH adult education too so the dream of hers may not be as dead as she thought!

Also consider woodworking kits that you can buy. You can buy wooden models on Amazon to build wooden truck models… or anything else for that matter, or if the idea of small boats appeal to her, have her check out the kits available at Chesapeake Light Craft. Kits works good because they often cost relatively little money to buy, but take a long time to do… perfect for someone who is currently unemployed! And when she is done, she has an incredible kayak to float around in. I think Cape Falcon is located in Washington state and the cost of wood to build a skin-on-frame kayak is something like $350 and takes a few weeks to build. They also have boat building classes…

And keep in mind currently there is a 425,000 carpenter shortage in this country. There was never a greater time to be a skilled woodworker…

In the meantime, has she considered being a substitute teacher? My daughter is 19, going to college but does substitute teaching on the side as it pays well, the need is great, and only takes having a high school diploma.

Here is a picture of my daughter's train cradle/toy box. At the time I worked for the railroad. The first was of the cradle and all the compartments closed, and the next is of them all opened.

Woodworking is just plain awesome!

Steve, this is AMAZING!!!  I will definitely share all of this with her.  Thank you so much!!!   --Tess

Every so often I need a hearty laugh.  These videos give me that.  I found them a few years ago and love when I find one.  It is full British humor and I have a deep appreciation for British humor!!!  Anywhooo, celebrities read letters written my everyday folks and it just sends waves of laughter through me.  You may find a favorite UK movie/TV star reading one if you type in their name.   I hope you enjoy as much as I do!!  --Tess

Cristobal Cristo wrote:Tess,

I would hire her for a month or two if you were closer, as my woodworker disappeared. I have a lot of serious projects, all machinery and material.

Cristobal, thank you for the thought!  I know that even over distance, we all have a way to connect & share in some way.  Just your thoughts & support are encouragement!!    --Tess