Good for the Body and Soul

Since May of 2011 I have thrown away several no longer needed prescription drugs, and I have lost 40 pounds, because of things I learned and practiced while prepping.

I learned a lot of great stuff from Kellene. I learned about the right oils to use, including essential oils. I learned about the proper intake and use of vitamins.

I am a much stronger and better health nut today because of prepping. I went from being the pickiest child in the USA to eating kale, spinach, quinoa, chia and flax seeds, and liking them.

I learned so much from my mother. We canned and made jam. We ground our own wheat and made bread and rolls.

There was an unforgettable summer when my mother brought home a 50 pound bag of onions from the packing sheds and told us kids we were going to dry them. Oh, the moaning and crying that went on. One of my brothers even tried swim goggles. But we dried the onions and used them.

So I learned the basics when I was a kid at home. But I’ve gone far beyond that now. It started with my husband about five years ago. We had a beautiful suburban home we designed and built. We loved it. But in the small back yard there was only room for the pool and barbecue and a couple of trees.

We felt uneasy about our ability to sustain ourselves and started our search. We now have five acres in the country with our own well, pond, septic, dogs, chickens and solar. Not to mention a big garden, our own fruit and nut orchard, and DH has just started beekeeping.

In the last three years, I have felt a greater sense of urgency to get prepared, after observing the constant calamities of nature, economics and politics. So the prepping is seriously amped up in quantity and scope.

In the house, I am filling every nook and cranny with food storage, sprouting seeds and grains, freeze dried fruits and veg and everything I can find to make fabulous pantry meals. I’ve learned to make soap and lotion, and I’m willing to try anything new. One of my favorite new things is some solar lights I found.

Some of my efforts have gone a little haywire. My first batch of soap was a lumpy kitchen adventure, and the cheese waxing is a moldy little secret. Those definitely need work. A few of the pantry mixes went to feed the dogs, but we’re working on refining those to be more enjoyable to eat.

I know I have a long way yet to go, but I love the journey. I’m thrilled every day the trucks are still running. And looking forward to our own honey!

S.N. CA

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