Wife and I have most of elements of semi-sufficient living down. It interesting to note that most people we inter-act with such as co-workers and acquaintences are simply candy asses.
We live on 250+ acres (family farm) and our home is mortgage free, drive 10 y.o. cars and trucks by choice
We heat our home with a hydronic furnace and it also heats our water 6 months of the year. Raise a large garden about 90'x60' (large to us) and have 400sqft greenhouse. Perennial spring-fed stream beside the house supplies water for irrigation. Have a small peach orchard and mature other apple and pears. Every summer we pressure can hundreds of jars of garden produce and have nearly 2k mason jars if things are adundant. Keep 4 deep freezers buzzing with stored items, wild game and meat we catch on sale. Have propane back-up heat, 2 generators and are installing a well this year to sever ties with "city water". TVA electric is cheap at. .09cents pkw so really can't complain too much. Have three Stihl saws ready to go all the time. I measure a man's worth if he knows how to sharpen a chain saw correctly.
Used to the have about 40 rabbits and also did the 'chickens thing' till coons killed my chickens and the kids cried when took a piece of re-bar to the 'bunnies'- so what do you do?
That's probably nowhere near the criteria for minimalistic living certainly not with 3,000 sqft home. Four full baths and 80 gallons of reserve hot water, sorry but I ain't crapping in a pickle bucket in my living room. Still working the 8-5 till Aetna buys me a kidney. Then maybe I'll gets me one of the blue fat-ass wherlchair danglies and start suckin SSI and lettin the poor people pay my way for a change- not likely but I can dream.
Wife and I have most of elements of semi-sufficient living down. It interesting to note that most people we inter-act with such as co-workers and acquaintences are simply candy asses.
We live on 250+ acres (family farm) and our home is mortgage free, drive 10 y.o. cars and trucks by choice
We heat our home with a hydronic furnace and it also heats our water 6 months of the year. Raise a large garden about 90'x60' (large to us) and have 400sqft greenhouse. Perennial spring-fed stream beside the house supplies water for irrigation. Have a small peach orchard and mature other apple and pears. Every summer we pressure can hundreds of jars of garden produce and have nearly 2k mason jars if things are adundant. Keep 4 deep freezers buzzing with stored items, wild game and meat we catch on sale. Have propane back-up heat, 2 generators and are installing a well this year to sever ties with "city water". TVA electric is cheap at. .09cents pkw so really can't complain too much. Have three Stihl saws ready to go all the time. I measure a man's worth if he knows how to sharpen a chain saw correctly.
Used to the have about 40 rabbits and also did the 'chickens thing' till coons killed my chickens and the kids cried when took a piece of re-bar to the 'bunnies'- so what do you do?
That's probably nowhere near the criteria for minimalistic living certainly not with 3,000 sqft home. Four full baths and 80 gallons of reserve hot water, sorry but I ain't crapping in a pickle bucket in my living room. Still working the 8-5 till Aetna buys me a kidney. Then maybe I'll gets me one of the blue fat-ass wherlchair danglies and start suckin SSI and lettin the poor people pay my way for a change- not likely but I can dream.
I like it. Got a nice rural feel to it.
Communists: I still hate them even after they changed their name to "liberals". ____________________
My boss asked why I wasn't working. I told him I was being a democrat for Halloween.
I just moved into a one bedroom house with 40 acres to hunt on. After I got done hunting I got started cutting wood. I had not realized it needed to be split and dried for a year. I only have one saw and the dealer is 30 miles away so when the saw needs work I got behind on cutting. When it gets 20 or 30 below it is hard to heat a house with freshly cut wood. The forced air furnace runs 24/7 and very little heat. There is a learning curve! Luckily I ca n hunt and Butcher myself. There is no TV and no Internet either. I wonder what happens when the truck craps out? I am a long way from a mechanic. I don't have traffic, nosy neighbors or barking dogs though.
I like to do my hunting BEFORE I pull the trigger! There is only one kind of dead, but there are many different kinds of wounded.
Way to much work and I can afford not to. If I went that route, I'd have to move to a more friendly and productive climate. That or start a growing operation.
perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add but when there is nothing left to take away...
Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other the person to die ......
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."
n hunt and Butcher myself.
