Sunday, May 13, 2012

Are You Storing Up Gold And Silver?


Many people are scrambling to store up gold and silver for the
upcoming economic meltdown. 

Radical Homemakers {the book} has another idea ~

The greater our domestic skills, be they to plant a garden, grow tomatoes on an apartment balcony, mend a shirt, repair an appliance, provide for our own entertainment, cook and preserve a local harvest or care for our children and loved ones, the less dependent we are on the gold.

You can't eat gold. Who knows if it will be worth anything if the economy crashes. Getting back to the land seems to be a much smarter way to prepare for an unstable future to me.

The more homemakers are able to do for themselves - whether it be cooking, preserving or growing food, mending clothing or purchasing it used, fixing cars and appliances to avoid replacing them, cleaning with vinegar and water rather than toxic chemicals, or making rather than buying gifts and toys - the less time they exchange for money, the fewer natural resources they require from the planet, and the less they rely upon the global extractive economy.

I have always had a desire to get back to the land. Most of the plants I have in my small yard produce food. I would love to own chickens and have fresh eggs every day. I love fresh tomatoes off of the vine. My citrus trees provide me with Meyer lemons and oranges. I get plums, peaches, and nectarines in the summer. I also have Anna apple trees that produces wonderful apples. 

I have a ton of strawberry plants, oregano, peppermint, bay leaf, and Swiss chard plants.  The fruit you see in the picture is what I picked from my yard this morning. Ken will have it for breakfast. There is a big fig tree along with Ken's favorite guava tree outside my living room window. We have a small grassy area that a cow would love! ;)

As you can see, we have quite a few food producing plants in our little yard. However, since I have such a bad neck, I am unable to garden at all. I am okay with that. I still know God will provide. I love having plants in my yard that produce food instead of just ornamental plants.

I hang all my clothes in my back yard to dry. We get westerly breezes from the ocean every day so my clothes dry real fast. I am a back-to-the-land type of girl! I like living close to the land and as close to the way God intended us to live. I love being a keeper at home.

Radical Homemakers also states ~

The most dangerous of team efforts between home economists and corporate America - the destruction of the American palate and the rise of the industrialized food system.  With our palates destroyed and our homemakers now divorced from the food production process, Americans know nothing about their food.

I never wanted this to happen to me.  I want to be wise about the way I live my life.  I love learning from other wise people.  You should also.  Your health and well-being may depend upon it.

Genuine, enduring wealth is not found in a stock portfolio or in gold bullion.  It comes from the ability to access those things in life that keep us happy and healthy - fresh air, rich soil, clean water, sustained friendships, healthy relationships and time to rest and play.  {And I might add, the most important thing of all, loving and knowing Jesus.}

He who tills his land shall be satisfied with bread,
 but he who follows worthless pursuits is 
lacking in sense and is without understanding.
Proverbs 12:11