Susan Mené

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since Sep 16, 2018
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Biography
      I'm a 60 year old adventurous, curious, retired nurse who lives on Long Island, NY.  Married to a type A (husband) and I'm a type B. It works shockingly well. I have a grown daughter and son; we are a close family.
      I live my permaculture dream on shy acre, half wooded (evolving food forest) and the other half for the house, garden and dog. I make my own jam and eat the weeds, especially lamb's quarters and wild onions. My vegetables grow in garden beds, pots, nooks and corners, and vertical planters.  Permaculture, hiking, and gardening are my current passions.
    I don't use alcohol or drugs because I can't handle them. Have one for me!   
     I've zip-lined and rock-climbed in Alaska, jumped off the 108th floor of a building in Las Vegas and I'm still terrified of heights.  I've hiked glaciers and on Mt. Etna, and hundreds of trail but super advanced. 15 years of martial arts (mid-life) until I fell on my head. Now I need a new knee and it was all totally worth it.
     Everything considered, being at home with family, friends, dog and garden is the best. 
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Suffolk County, Long Island NY, Zone: 7b (new 2023 map)
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Recent posts by Susan Mené

John C Daley wrote:What are these please.

We have some ROCs here in our state already and hopefully there will be more



I found this:
https://rocusa.org/why-resident-ownership/
5 days ago

Lina Joana wrote:

Susan Mené wrote:
    I am living kind of like Gert; Gert in densely populated suburbia.  I aspire to be full Gert. Can I grow all my own food? Nope, not yet, working on it on my shy acre. I forage, I pressure can/water bath can, I make my own bread when I want it, make "yarn" from old clothing and crochet into mediocre rugs and blankets among other skills that seem useless to the outside world. Leaning into, immersing myself, living permaculture and homesteading in place is my new career.  I know where my money is if I need it.
     
   



I am curious how you achieve this? As I said, I haven’t seen any real life examples of gert.
My understanding of the gert story is that she doesn’t need a paycheck, doesn’t need to work hard most of the year, because she just doesn’t have big expenses and can save money from selling a bit of her easily grown food.  How does it work in suburbia? You mentioned growing and foraging and making rugs - how about water, power, garbage bills? Repairs to the (presumably mortgage free) house? Internet/phone bills? Transportation costs?
I am really curious: my family recently went down to one income, with a toddler I stay home with. I garden, can, cook, haul ass to use wood heat, and do various fiber arts. Seems like we are getting ahead, and then the pressure tank breaks, the wood stove’s baffle is broken, the solar panels don’t cover our electricity usage, the baby needs a hospital visit that reinforces the need for health insurance, and a dozen other little things come up.
I don’t want to suggest we are struggling - one income is enough for our current lifestyle. But gert, we aren’t even close. Either in finances or in the time we spend putting up our own food and all the rest of it. Heck, I can’t even keep the dishes done after all the cooking.
I would love to here how others manage!


     
     Be very proud of yourself!  In my opinion, and this is only my opinion, of value only to me, and not official gert policy and procedure:  You are Gert, way more than me!  And thanks for addressing the overwhelming exhaustion of facing the clean-up after cooking, canning, etc. That is solid truth, so holler it and don't hide it!  I feel it and I don't have a toddler. Everything you do everything while having a toddler besides?  Woman, you are living the Gert life, with all the struggles and joy involved. Getting to a fully stable Gert takes time, luck, and work and you are living the path to achieving it.
      How do I do it?  I'm decades older than you.  My children are grown. We have a nest egg.  So, I guess I am an early retirement Gert-ish woman.  My husband works and always will, because what he does is a calling, not a job. And when I list what I do (canning, etc.) it's not bragging, it's just stuff I learned over the years because I knew what I wanted my life to look like.  
        Be gentle with yourself. I worked part-time as a nurse, plus I was the home anchor for my husband, my daughter, and my wonderful neurodiverse son.  There was probably a decade where I was, well, can't even find the words. Let's just say there was no bread making going on.  
        Oh, the struggle is a difficult, painful, yet achingly beautiful time of life.  At least for me it was.  I don't believe there is any way of life free of struggle and imperfection.  So let the life that you live be all that you need. That to me is Gert.  If I offend the originators of the term, I will give it a new name. And know you are doing well!
         
1 week ago
Wonderful achievement!  Congratulations!
1 week ago
pep
    Here on Long Island, we have trucks pick up recyclables once a week.  Glass and plastic (#1-#5) one week, alternating with paper and cardboard.  The problem is that we don't know where these truckloads of plastic are going since other countries have stopped taking our trash and we don't know how to efficiently do anything with it here in the USA.  Now  I focus on buying/using as little plastic as possible and avoiding single-use items.
1 week ago

paul wheaton wrote:

Susan Mené wrote:      We all wandered down the wrong path, I guess.  Just to clarify, What solutions were were you looking for? Solutions to get more people into permaculture, or skip, or ERE. or FIRE?  Or was it more personal to your situation, like getting people into bootcamp?  Or raising awareness of what is to come and the need for society to rapidly shift the definition of success? Or expanding permaculture communities?
     My original response was suggesting that aside from working the land, both hands-on and compassion type life callings are largely robot proof.  And will be needed/beneficial in all communities.
 



Suppose 70% of jobs are gone.  

Without exploring politics and what the world will be like ...   I am attempting to explore what does permaculture provide as solutions.  

My brain seems thoroughly stuck in "gertitude".   A humble home and a huge garden.  

My brain also offers up the automatic backyard food pump.  

My brain also turns to how to get land.  SKIP.  Bootcamp.  

I am thinking that there are a dozen more things to add to this list, but I am so biased with my own stuff, maybe I cannot see it.



Thanks, Paul for clarifying.
          Reading your OP over and over made me think that maybe we don't need more solutions, but ways to awaken people to "real" living and a new perspective on luxury.
          Gert is a huge part--if not the best--answer.  Not sayin' it to stroke your ego.  This is not a situation in which one needs to need to be ringing bells or kissing rings.
          But how to spread the message?  In my experience, the best way to introduce the message of GERT is through through appealing to their tastebuds, stomachs, and wallets.  If I talk about soil, or seed saving, or planting sprouted onions, garlic or potatoes, or the exquisite luxury of getting clean after getting filthy in the dirt, their eyes glaze over.  When I give them homemade raspberry jam made with home grown and foraged berries, a bag of tomatoes or peppers, and do it again, and maybe again, then invite them to "pick their own" while visiting, their minds slowly open, questions get asked, and a few have started their journey into gardening.  So, I feed people to spread the message.  Feeding people in some way, sharing the harvest with food banks, or allowing some supervised gleaning, invite the local TV news team for a meal and a tour: feeding people can be used to inform and inspire interest in skip, bootcamp, Gert, permaculture, and a change in priorities.
    I am living kind of like Gert; Gert in densely populated suburbia.  I aspire to be full Gert. Can I grow all my own food? Nope, not yet, working on it on my shy acre. I forage, I pressure can/water bath can, I make my own bread when I want it, make "yarn" from old clothing and crochet into mediocre rugs and blankets among other skills that seem useless to the outside world. Leaning into, immersing myself, living permaculture and homesteading in place is my new career.  I know where my money is if I need it.
    How many times have I heard, "You know you can buy that in a store, right?".
     I respond with "You know I can grow that myself, right?"
     It definitely makes them think twice.
     
   
     We all wandered down the wrong path, I guess.  Just to clarify, What solutions were were you looking for? Solutions to get more people into permaculture, or skip, or ERE. or FIRE?  Or was it more personal to your situation, like getting people into bootcamp?  Or raising awareness of what is to come and the need for society to rapidly shift the definition of success? Or expanding permaculture communities?
     My original response was suggesting that aside from working the land, both hands-on and compassion type life callings are largely robot proof.  And will be needed/beneficial in all communities.
 
  This is the first year I tried carrots.  What do you all use for companion planting with carrots?
  From what I've read here, I need to plant in sandier soil, which will be easy to do here on Long Island.  I'll seed more heavily too.
   I harvested one carrot this year, and it was somewhat embarrassing!  Keep in mind my husband is a urologist, so it it quite appropriate.
       I don't know that I have any ideas that fit into the strict definition of permaculture, but they are about the things that robots cannot replace , like human touch while keeping a sick or dying person as comfortable as possible.  In my opinion, community and and caring for one another fits well into permaculture.
      Some of this may seem a little graphic to many people, but stuff I'm going to mention is dinner table conversation in my house.  
       While AI may replace some functions in health care, but it's not going to replace cleaning a person who is incontinent or first line care of bleeding wounds/trauma.  I'd like to see a robot elbow deep in excrement or blood.  I've been there countless times, and have been through enough that if I came across some poor soul mauled by a creature or shot it would not shock or horrify me.  
        A robot won't massage sore muscles, give a hug, put a cold cloth on a fevered head.  One can use AI to chat about one's fears of dying, but it can't replace a loving, human presence.  While blood, poop, sputum, and appalling injuries disgust many people, humans can become immune to the disgust and turn it into something good.  
        Hands-on, caring professions cannot be replaced by AI or a robot, and forgive me, but they can't be replaced by growing your own food.  Get some Valley Fever from the soil and you'll know what I mean.
        Weaving nursing and healthcare into permaculture communities is an idea that nags at me.  Whether you embrace natural care, western medicine, or both (which I recommend), I think it's something to be considered as an important part of permaculture communities (or any community).  And education is a major part of being able to do that.
       The fear among health care professionals is not of AI that will improve diagnosis and treatment, but the fear of the fact that as we move towards health care for all, it will be managed by private equity firms that have almost completed taking ownership of the health care system in the USA, and now they are eyeballing the rest of the world.  
      Take heed, and be scared.