Stacie Kim

I forgot to mention in a previous reply that I'd miss searching for recipes. Do you have hard copy cookbooks?

I have a few tried and true cookbooks, but I more often print out recipes from the Internet and put them into a notebook.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/123722253008?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=123722253008&targetid=4580909047876964&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=410488100&mkgroupid=1236950807674763&rlsatarget=pla-4580909047876964&abcId=9300489&merchantid=51291

This might give you some ideas. It's a basic "slider" phone. You can opt in for a one year TracPhone agreement.  HOWEVER, the details in the listing say it's locked for Verizon.

***I don't have any experience with this, I am only passing along what I've found online. You'll have to find out all the details for yourself.***

I have a basic slider phone with Verizon. My hubbie has a basic flip phone. We have an OLD plan that's been grandfathered in to their current company. We get a "basic phone" discount and a military discount. Hubbie and I pay almost $60 for both ($30 each).

My brainstorm:

1. A subscription to KiwiCo: https://www.kiwico.com/?utm_source=Bing-s&utm_medium=SEM&utm_content=1233652229907864&utm_campaign=BB_Kiwi_Brand_US_Alpha&utm_term=kiwico&utm_ad&utm_adset=e&utm_placement My boys had a subscription at one point. Once a month, you get a box with a building-sort of project like a paint spinner machine, a "hydraulic" arm, etc. It's all built around STEM ideas. The price was too expensive for our family to continue, but my boys did enjoy the projects.

2. Something to build from a kit. A clock, a bat house, etc. I'm not thinking "toys" so much as something actually useful for years to come.

3. A book related to his interests. My youngest one LOVES bird watching. He has several field guides he likes. My older boy is very musically gifted and loves guitar books.

4. A special "heirloom". Do you have an old pocket watch, bolo tie, pocket knife, something like that?

I don't know the etiquette for reviving old threads here on permies, but...

Me either! But I'd love to see an update.

If I were to go offline, I'd definitely look into a physical phone book. Do they even publish them anymore?

I'd make sure I had phone access to my bank so I could keep track of my daily balance.

I'd miss search engines most of all. The knowledge base that Internet gives me is amazing! I'd definitely look into buying physical books. As you intend to visit your library, that'd be another great resource.

D Nikolls wrote:Thinking about food security related gear & projects...

A few fairly obvious projects jump out. If you have a bunch of them, are you happy with your prioritization?

THE LIST, in no particular order:
Greenhouse
Dehydrator, in my case solar
Root cellar
Butcher setup; workspace and coolroom for hanging meat
Intensive outdoor canning setup & supplies
Chest freezer/s
Freeze drier

When I read "food security", my first thought was perennial foods on my property, plus seeds for sowing annual crops. That by far is my "Number One". But as I read your post more thoroughly, I understand that you're talking about food preservation tools? What a great topic! It got me thinking about my own list:

Greenhouse--where I am, I don't have a greenhouse. I've had mixed success with row covers. We have a long enough growing season that I can start most of my early seeds indoors. I harden them off as the weather warms.
Dehydrator--in my case, I have two electric ones. Our climate is very humid, so I don't think solar dehydrators would be beneficial. I do often put trays of herbs and tender veggies on the dashboard of my van on hot days. Works great!
Root cellar--I've never had one. I've made do with our workshop. Not ideal, but serves our purposes for the time being.
Butcher setup--we aren't zoned for livestock, so the only butchering we've done here at our current homestead is chicken and line-caught fish. Easy enough to do outside. If we were gifted with venison, we'd probably be a sight to our neighbors getting it hung. (Meh...they already think we're crazy...but we'd offer them a few steaks to maintain good relations, LOL)
Intensive outdoor canning--I have two pressure canners, plus a couple of water bath canners. They are easy enough to move to our large 2-burner outdoor propane stove. We also have a propane turkey fryer.
Chest freezer--we don't currently own one. We've considered getting another one. Our concern is that during an extended power outage, I'd have to utilize my previously mentioned outdoor canning in a big hurry!
Freeze drier--a girl can dream, right?!

A skill I'm still developing that I think is important to food security is seed saving. I'm focusing my efforts on crops that easily self-sow, but I need to hone my skills for crops I need to start manually.

Dan Fish wrote:You aren't lying. I love IBCs but I have a question about the threads.

I just got 4 new ones to bury for rain water storage but for the outlet they have a 2 inch (or so) fine thread. It's not NPT. Does anyone have these or could tell me what the threads are so I can get an adapter for them? Thanks!

We couldn't find an adapter for ours either, so hubbie made one. He heated up some PVC pipe with a heat gun until it was soft enough to fit over the IBC's outlet. He did need some plumber's tape. It still wasn't quite water tight, so he zip tied a piece of garden hose around it. Now that sucker ain't goin' nowhere!

I don't know the technical names for the other parts, so here's a picture. Maybe it'll help you brainstorm?

Today I'm grateful for a crate full of free cotton yarn.

My daughter's sister-in-law is a hoarder. I mean like, overdue on rent for 5 different storage units plus taking over her mom's house kind of hoarder. I don't know the why's and wherefore's of how it came to be. I'm not going to pry. But nonetheless, her family has had to hold a few "interventions" for her.

She gave up some of her stuff, and I was gifted a box of yarn.

I promised that I'd give it a good "home" by making something useful. I've finished one hot pad and am working on another. I've been able to take pictures to show her my progress, and hopefully she'll be emotionally ok knowing that it's getting put to good use.

morning I was thinking about a rather silly thing I am grateful for. Tape in all its various varieties

I don't think that's silly! My great-aunt OFTEN used to say aloud, "I am grateful to whoever invented the zipper."

Today I'm incredibly grateful that my husband has quit his job. It's not under the best of circumstances, but it's for the best of his sanity and health. I'm INCREDIBLY thankful that we have other income streams to cover our bills, and he can finally pursue his own entrepreneurial dreams.

Incredibly grateful for our good health and strength to work outside expanding our garden/homestead.

I thought I was doing my mom a favor by "weeding" her flower bed. I pulled up a chrysanthemum. That was not a good day. But I've never forgotten what a mum looks like!!