Greta Beach

This Swedish company looks like it may have the same technology but cheaper. http://www.parans.com/eng/sp3/

With a little imagination you can have a wonderful greenhouse there. They are making fiber optic systems cheaper and cheaper. This experiment was done in the 1980's. I remember when this was article published. http://www.genesispark.com/exhibits/early-earth/experiments/

Particularly interesting experiments were conducted by the late Dr. Kei Mori of Kao University in Tokyo. Dr. Mori raised plants under special light that filtered out IR and UV radiation. His unique process of fiberoptic sunlight collection and transmission, called "Himawari Sunlighting", is now marketed worldwide.

At first Mori feared the filtered light would be detrimental. But after extensive experiments he claimed it could promote healing and "because the ultraviolet is blocked, this sunlight does not fade fabrics or damage skin.

" (Gilmore, Elaine, "Sunflower over Tokyo," Popular Science, May 1988, p. 75.)

One long-lived tomato plant was grown in a special nutrient-rich solution to be exhibited at the Japan Expo '85. Under piped sunlight and controlled atmosphere, this tomato tree grew over 30 ft high and yielded more than 13,000 ripe tomatoes during the six months of the Expo! (Hiroshi, Koichibara, "Tomatomation," UNESCO Courier, March 1987.)

allen lumley wrote:Erica Daly : I am positive that there are hundreds of still vital senior citizens that have life experiences from their youth that are a good fit for your programs !

My recommendation would be for you to immerse yourself into the Foxfire books, this is a fantastic set of books filled full of crafts of yesteryear. This will help

you quickly Find links to them that can do and have the multigenerational working tools that identify them as your future instructors ! Good luck, and Good hunting!

For the Good of the Crafts Big AL

I have the first 3 books but haven't looked at them in a few years. Yes I will dig them out tonight. Thanks

Erica Daly wrote:Greta,
Sounds like a group I would like to join, but I live in NH. There a few classes in my area, but one that was not on your list was fermentation. I was not just thinking yogurt or cheese, or drinks, but all vegetables I hear can be fermented such as cabbage to sauerkraut, etc. A way to preserve vegetables that does not involve drying or refrigeration(depending on how processed). I learned alot on my own courtesy of the library and now the internet, but I think boyscouts and girlscouts and even elementary schools can have some survival skills classes even if part of social studies or elective classes. I'm sure there would be plenty of interest. I brought up the scouts, because as a cub assistant, they were so restricted to what they were allowed to do, it was hard to keep them interested.
Erica

Great idea, Erica. I still remember the smell of kraut fermenting in the basement... maybe I can try kimchi too.... Thanks I will add fermentation to the list!

Anyway I am in several other clubs including basket making. We are some of the first called on to go into schools and 4H camps when they are having either Pioneer days or "Cultural History" days to do demonstrations and talks on how to use natural materials and how baskets played a role in all cultures and in the development of the cultures. They all wanted to make a basket but they had 30 mins at the most to do it. There is a great need for these kids. This is one of a very few Kentucky counties that are able to get funding to do this kind of community involvement. We are being so careful to keep to the guidelines but I hope to expand what we do.

Hello all,

I am looking for ideas on any topic that older people(mostly women) can incorporate into their normal life to bring back the subsistence living they knew as children.

I live in rural Appalachia and have become involved in a program that is trying to preserve "Cultural Arts" from our past. I taught a class in making Lye Soap that sparked almost everyone in the room and a new club was born at that time. It is about "Homesteading" and Survival. Here in Kentucky we live among the poorest counties in the nation. We are basing everything on what you can find on the land around us and how to live with little. We will have classes on anything from killing a chicken to finding and eating wild foods to spinning yarn and well few topics are off limits.

We have women with experience in some areas that will teach and young couples that have chosen homesteading as a way of life with no idea of how to do these things. So the new Homesteading Club has stepped up to the line. We are starting with cold frames, seed starting, choosing the right ones for the area, herbs and a list that we cannot cover in this year.

So please if anyone has experience in starting out We would appreciate all information. We are anxious to hear from you all.

Thank you

OK I didn't look at the proportions of the recipe so I didn't use the one at Wellness Mama but it is close. Here is the recipe.

Homemade Natural Stick Deodorant

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbs coconut oil
1 Tbs shea butter
1 heaping Tbs beeswax
2 Tbs cornstarch or arrowroot powder
2 Tbs baking soda
10 drops essential oil ( I use tea tree, lavender, or lemon for their anti-bacterial properties)
Few drops of vitamin e (optional)

Directions: In a small pot or sauce crock pot melt coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax. Once melted mix in baking soda and cornstarch really well. Turn off heat and stir in essential oils. Pour into an empty clean deodorant container. Let cool. I put mine in the freezer so that it would cool quickly and decrease the chance of the baking soda and cornstarch from settling. That’s it!

This stuff goes on really smooth and my armpits feel so moisturized without feeling overly greasy and it goes on clear! To me if feels more like commercial deodorant, but I can feel better about not putting on tons of chemicals and aluminum. Better for the environment and myself! Yay!

FYI If your just switching over from the commercial products your body may go through a 1-2 week transition period where this deodorant may not seem to be working as well as you might think. But once your body gets used to it it will work wonders! So don’t give up your body will thank you!

Claire Skerry wrote:

Greta Beach wrote:Hi Michael,

I have been Poo-less for quite a while now. This includes deodorant. I found a great recipe for a quick mix that makes just over 2 sticks of deodorant. It works as well or better than the store bought brand and for safety, you can just about eat it. I am looking for a good shampoo recipe made from anything other than castile soap. Has anyone got one to share or other things they do for themselves? I'll give you the website for my stuff if you want to try!

g

Don't suppose you could give us the recipe? We have hot summers down here and while I'm alright with loosing the shampoo, loosing the deodorant might be one step to far.

Absolutely! While I could give you the recipe it is better to give you the website of Wellness Mama where I found it. She has so many other good recipes too. The best buy is to get a pound of the wax and butter (got my at Amazon). (If you have a problem with the cost of shipping I buy a lot at Amazon and get a lot of free shipping with A/Prime) It only takes about a heaping tablespoon to make 2 bars the cost really isn't that high. I use a lemon blossom fragrance oil and haven't needed to use the probiotics. http://wellnessmama.com/4901/deodorant-bar-recipe/ Good luck!

Hi Michael,

I have been Poo-less for quite a while now. This includes deodorant. I found a great recipe for a quick mix that makes just over 2 sticks of deodorant. It works as well or better than the store bought brand and for safety, you can just about eat it. I am looking for a good shampoo recipe made from anything other than castile soap. Has anyone got one to share or other things they do for themselves? I'll give you the website for my stuff if you want to try!

g

I appreciate all the info too. We have learned to control them somewhat but now with your input can get the little opportunist in a much better way. Fungus flies be warned we are dusting off the old credit card.

Thanks again

Oh I love your kitchen! I would have loved to be in on building your house.

So far the coldest night we have had was 8°F but we are pretty temperate. We have some winters with the nite temps hardly out of the 30's and sometimes in years past we have had several blizzards one after the next. Good thing for us is they seem to melt pretty quickly. In 1997 or 98 we only had snow in March and that blizzard stopped Lexington for days. Summer is hot and muggy Our humidity stays at or over 80% most of the summer. Temps in the 80's and 90's. Fall and Spring are wondeful with September being best.

I have always been footloose and fancy free. I took my kids all over to live and experience life. I have had jobs in all fields. I am left handed and get bored easily. I wish Dale was that way. He is so right handed he has very little imagination when it comes to how you are living. So we are in a little trailer trying to survive.

Dale and I drove truck together for over 4 years before we bought land here and I got off the truck. Dale retired this spring but we still have to work until the land is paid off in under 2 years. He took my job merchadising local stores for a national company over the internet and am going into a store as part time work. It will be 5 more years before I can retire. "sigh" If you are on Facebook I can show you pictures of our place and local history.