Creative Ways to Container Garden . . .Cheaply !

Not our actual neighborhood but a general idea of our local terrain

When you live near inactive cinder cones your home is built on  lava rock! With very few inches of topsoil.

Gardening requires creative thinking. And it is best when the ideas are simple and inexpensive.

 We've tried various things over the years and have posted some of them.

These fun heavy plastic tubs were a thrift store find. This year they are
holding herbs.  The tub with flowers to the right is a bargain store dishpan.

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/search?q=gardening

Reusable, non-woven fabric grocery bags, folded down to height we wanted,
with few holes punched in the bottom,
filled with lettuces and spinach which lasted the entire season

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/gardening-in-bag-or-bags.html

These plastic dollar store pots are planted with equally bright
insect-deterring marigolds. Tomatoes are in the tires.

 The tires are tire store rejects (they gladly give you as many as you want), painted white to reflect the heat.
We didn't want to fill the entire planting area with soil (because of how much it would take), nor did we want to have the planting soil come in contact with the inside tires because of possible leaching so . . .

We have used three different methods of making  planting "cylinders" that fit inside the tires:

1. We formed cylinders from heavy plastic, taping it to hold it together.
2.  Dog food bags! Just cut the top zipper part and the bottom off  --- ready made cylinders!
3. And, when we needed more potting soil for more tires we carefully cut a large bag of potting soil in half
and inserted each half into it's tire home.

Three different ways to create the same thing.  And, they all worked well.

The tire containers also cut down on watering (especially if you   run a drip line), the need to weed is almost nil,  and you don't   
have to bend! 

You can make them taller by simply adding tires.  For our potatoes we planted them in two stacked tires and added tires as the plants grew above the previous ones. When it is time to harvest them, you remove one tire at a time.

But, like most good things, there is a  but  . . .


There is one problem with tire gardening.

If you ever want to get rid of them, it is not simple and it is expensive. You can't just put them out with the trash! And the dump charges more than regular trash or building materials, etc. to  take them off your hands!

Our solution?

We camouflaged them!

The tires, covered with stacked rocks from our local area, are planted with daffodils and day lilies.

Disclosure: The daffodils are artificial ones "planted" with each real plant providing a little color before the
day lilies were ready to bloom.

The really fun part is, not one person  realized  they weren't real.

Isn't nature's landscape wonderful --- no matter whether it's stark lava beds or fertile vegetable and flower beds.

I am Simply, Gail.

Please have a great and grateful day.

Still Another "Have at the Ready" bag for Emergencies

the big dog in the little car

As I have "Shown and Told," the variety of methods/containers for holding necessities for a sudden emergency get-away is only limited by your imagination!

Since I have been talking about the need to be prepared since I resumed posting . . .

And, since  I have shown you how we have repurposed (I think that is the current term for using something for something other than it's original purpose) a dog food bag . . .

And, since I have also told you we are taking a trip in a little car with a big dog and are struggling with compacting stuff to make room for all our stuff and . . .

I thought I would show you what I am calling my
                    "second empty dog food bag project."

I took another of Milo's empty dog food bags and, using the largest stitch on my sewing machine, sewed two vertical lines creating three sections or "tubes" in the bag.

Notice: I didn't stitch all the way to the top or bottom

And we now have . . .

Yup, this recycled bag now holds 18 sustaining meals (a 72 hour kit for two people).

Each "tube" holds a one day supply of food for two people.

We have packed our doggy bag from the bottom up so breakfast is the top meal in each  "tube."

Each meal is contained in its own plastic bag, which then becomes the its own trash receptacle.

Our doggy bug-out bag contains the following:

Breakfasts consist of 2 packets of oatmeal (3 flavors), 2 packets of tang, 4 whole wheat fig bars (2 flavors), with two pint size zip lock bags for mixing, drinking, etc., and two hand wipes.

Lunches consist of one package of Ramen noodles (3 flavors), spam, or tuna salad with 10 melba toast and plastic knife, two zip lock bags and two hand wipes.

Dinners consist of one package of Ramen noodles, 2 packets of jerky, two zip lock bags and two hand wipes.

Snacks include survival bars (recipe below), dried fruit and gum (wrap the entire package tightly so the smell/flavor doesn't permeate everything else!)

Our extra items include scissors, 2 forks and spoons, flashlight, 2 mosquito bracelets, 2 tooth brush kits, hand sanitizer and toilet paper. These items are divided among the tubes at the top so they are available when you first unzip your bag.

Our bag, filled, weights 5 pounds and 6 ounces. and when laid flat is less than 3 inches thick.

You select whatever items you want to include.   Based on what you choose to include (i.e. MRE's would need a wider tube) just stitch the columns accordingly. Having sections keep the items spaced rather than falling in a heap to the bottom.

This may not seem like much food, but again, it is enough to sustain you. Reports say it is possible to survive  3 minutes without air, and 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water. (and what a miserable three days it would be!!!)

You must have water!  We carry ours separately.

I am Simply, Gail and I am having fun discovering simple ways to consolidate things we need for our vacation as well as things we may need in an emergency.  Most of our clothes for this trip have been compacted into ZipLock brand resealable vacuum bags, while the clothes we have set aside for our bug out bags are sealed in Food Saver vacuum bags. Vacuumed bags don't change the weight of the items but they sure cut down on the required space.

Homemade (civil defense recipe) survival ration bar 

Each bar contains 1000 calories and will provide sufficient food for a one day ration.

2 cups whole grain cereal (oatmeal or wheat flakes)

1 cup white sugar

2-1/2 cups powdered milk

3 T water 

3 T honey

1/2 of a 4 ounce package of orange gelatin

Combine first three ingredients and set aside. Combine honey and water and bring to a boil. Add gelatin, stirring until dissolved and then add to the dry ingredients.

Mix well, adding up to 3 more Tablespoons water as needed. Shape into four 1-inch thick bars. Dry in 200 degree oven for two hours. Turn over and dry another 2 hours. 

Make sure the bars are completely dry so they will not sweat and mold. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then wrap again in aluminum foil, and store. They should keep indefinitely. They can be eaten dry or cooked with about 2/3 cups water.

Hope you have a great, and grateful, day!

YES! Mormons ARE Christians!!! . . .

In spite of what many others would have you  believe.

Mormon is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Jesus states in the Bible  (New Testament) "Other sheep I have which, are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
John, Chapter 10, verse 16.

In the Book of Mormon, Jesus states "And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: 'Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.'"
3rd Nephi, Chapter 15, Verse 21.

Mormon was a prophet on the American continents,  as was Nephi, some of the sheep Jesus talked about.

Mormon was the prophet that abridged the scriptures of those sheep -- "The Book of Mormon"

The Book of Mormon is
Another Testament of Jesus Christ

LDS members do not worship the prophet Mormon rather we respect the prophet Mormon, just as we respect all of Heavenly Father's prophets---from ancient times through the present.

Following are the 13 basic points of belief  of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, set forth by Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the restoration of Christ's Church on earth. Again, we do not worship Joseph Smith, we respect him and honor him.  We WORSHIP God and His Son Jesus Christ.

We call these points The Articles of Faith

 1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

 2 We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

 3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

 4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third,Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

 6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

 7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth. 

 8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

 9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

 10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

 11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

 12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

 13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

I hope this post has helped you understand that "Mormons" are diverse, unique individuals who share a common belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

If you would like to know more. you can go to https://www.mormon.org/  the Church's  internet site  which  offers videos on a variety of topics to watch, information to read, offers you a free Bible and/or Book of Mormon and even gives you the opportunity to chat one on one with a Church representative who can answer any questions you may have.

I am Simply, Gail and

Mormon.org is a simple, non-threatening way to discover who we really are from the proper source. Isn't this the correct way to gain correct knowledge about any subject?

Needing to Suddenly Grab 'n Go or (Hopefully) Just Getting to Go: Easy Ways to MAKE IT FIT BETTER

If our family or area ever faces a disaster . . .

Our first hope is that we will be able to stay in place---shelter in place---even if there is a lot of damage and all the utilities are unusable. Hopefully we could uncover, salvage or scrounge up some things from the wreckage.  

The disaster would be that much more difficult if we had to travel in a vehicle,  pull a wagon, ride a bike or walk to get somewhere safer.

We are getting old, our car is a compact and we have a very large dog.

Even getting three days worth of bare essentials in our car would be a challenge. And how much greater the challenge if we had to grab and go without having prepared for what we would take!

72-hour kits, grab 'n go or bug-out-bags need to be assembled before there is a need !

If you check out our four posts on  grab and go bags you will see the various combinations                    
we have put together over the years---some from when we had either a larger car or a much smaller dog!

I have read internet sites that not only cover B-O-B's but an EDC or every day carry.

We are somewhere in between the two. We have chosen to have our most immediate needs as portable and light as possible, with others portables packed in hope we can somehow manage to find room for them to go along for the ride.

We keep lists of what is in what pack. Our memories are bad enough as is, without bringing stress into the mix. 

We substitute or replace things periodically, and hopefully remember to change out summer/winter clothing.

We have a relative who has chosen not to prepare for the first 72-hours on the illogical thinking (in our way of thinking) of not  knowing what the emergency might be. 

I hope his way of doing nothing spurs you to do SOMETHING!

In the fall, we and our big dog (in our small car) are traveling across a few states to stay for a period of time near a lake. This has provided the impetus to find ways to compact our vacation stuff, while still having room for our emergency essentials in containers other than our bulky, and pretty heavy, backpacks.

My first efforts were packing the smaller of our emergency clothing in  food saver vacuum machine and bags and vacuuming them flat. We packed the more bulky emergency clothes and most of our vacation clothes in Ziplock-brand vacuum seal bags.

We don't plan on opening the food-saver vacuumed clothes (but they will be there is a need) and the Ziplock bags open easy and are reusable.

SHOW AND TELL

Milo eats a lot.  In preparing for this trip we marked the date we opened the bag of his dry food  to see how long it lasted. The 15.5 pound (7.03 kg) bag measures approximately 17" across and 27" long when laid flat.
When it is full, the bottom 12" of the bag has a bulky girth of 36!!

I measured the food in two cup portions--sealing each in its own zip lock bag. I laid the now-empty dog food bag out flat and layered the small  bags in it. One 17x27" bag holds 14 of these serving-size packets and will neatly lay flat in the trunk, being only  2-1/2 inches deep or high or thick or whatever it is called.

And, there is still room for some of his snacks bagged the same way and a beach towel! Remember? We are going to a lake and he loves water!

Collapsible Water or Food Bowls

You can find them but they are not cheap most are still a little bulky, and some admit they are only water resistant.  I found this genius idea on the internet---a two-minute youtube video. My thanks to Claude Pageau for sharing it. You may want to check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddm-c0dW7Jk


Stay in touch for more of our space-saving ideas --- even more uses for the empty dog bags.

In the meantime, put on your thinking caps for ways to reuse these very sturdy, probably waterproof (I'll test that next), handy, dandy bags.

I am Simply, Gail

Prepare NOW: Realists are NOT Alarmists

I am still Simply, Gail and I'm baaack!

It has been 17 months since I signed off. I needed that time to handle some health issues. I keep coming across things I need, or want, to share with you.

In my  last post in March of 2014 I said  it was my understanding that old posts never fade away.  It has been gratifying to find that my inactive blog continues to be active in the  "hits" department. It makes me feel good to think that I have been able to be of help to some.

I am not going to add pressure for myself by setting a posting schedule. I will post whenever on (as previously) whatever.

I don't have anymore computer knowledge than I did two years ago (actually I have immediately discovered I have forgotten most of what I did know!).  This is to let you know that I still don't know how to let you know when there is a new post but if you are a previous reader you figured it out last time. . . and others manage to keep finding them so I guess it will work out.

I am a "Mormon" --- a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Previous readers probably figured that out. I joined the Church 53 years ago after a period of searching for the right one. I will write more about my conversion another time. I introduce the subject at this time because, as many of you know, Latter-day Saints are encouraged to be prepared for a time of need---to learn how to do practical things to ease any situations that might arise.

Many of my posts addressed ways to be prepared. Things that Dave and I have learned, practiced and taught over many, many years. All of them simple to do, cheap to do, and .. . doable!! Even quite quickly. The only hard part is getting started!!!

I was recently asked to prepare a hard copy  listing of the preparedness posts my blog has covered.

These hard copies are making the rounds locally and are seemingly helpful. Hopefully what follows will help you and others on-line.

                  Bad Things do happen!

Bad things happen! Somewhere, sometime, sooner or later, there will be an emergency that will affect you, your neighborhood or town, or even a wider area.

Often without warning.

Some global---others local---many personal.

Most caused by Nature's unrest---some by Mob unrest---Others by an Individual's unrest.

National emergencies and local emergencies that affect many --- that affect some --- that affect one.

You could be the one!

If you haven't already, it is important to begin to prepare now!

Although many would have us think otherwise, being a realist is not being an alarmist. Simply think of it as insurance. Do you hesitate to pay for insurance? Do you consider it a waste of money if you never have to use it?  How 'bout Thankful?

I posted at  thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com for 2-1/2 years. It is still accessible. Many of the posts covered topics of simple ways to help you prepare. To access these posts type what you want to search for in the small search bar box on the upper left of the blog.

In bold I have listed the subject as you would type it in, followed by what the post(s) covers.
Insurance Why are realists called alarmists? a photo essay
Begin now to prepare The whys of getting started
Human waste  Ways to prepare for disposing/supplies to gather (2 posts)
Water Importance of; storing/purifying of, quantity to store
Grab and Go Bags  Ways to be ready for emergency evacuations (4 posts)
Contact information: Need for keeping hard copy contact information
Cheapest survival foods Food for bare bones surviving
Bare first aid cupboard  Putting together a comprehensive first aid kit (2 posts)
Hydrogen peroxide Many first aid, home cleaning and garden uses of
Matches Matches to make for adverse conditions
Emergency lighting  Simple, non-flammable oil lights/other lighting/cooking sources & info (2 posts)
Disaster without a plan Things you need to plan for
Hurricane Sandy Many thoughts/suggestions from one who was there
Batteries: Dangers of improper storing/how to store properly
Personal products Making cloth wipes, sanitary pads and deodorant
Eating the elephant Getting started with a food storage plan
Food storage and canned goods Ways to obtains, maintain, and find places to store it (5 posts)

Plus, you can type in the following for all you need to know about these basic products.
#2 dry milk
#5 wheat
#6 rice
#8 eggs
#9 beans

I feel it is very important for each of us to be prepared to the best of our ability for whatever comes our way. Our level of preparedness may not mean the difference between life and death at the time but, at the very least, it will definitely increase our peace of mind and comfort.

There are many internet sites providing a wide array of preparedness information. This one                     gives you a quick way to access a variety of subjects from my blog that follow my priorities of being simple/quick/effective/cheap---tried and tested by myself and others. And, correct to the best of my ability.

Sooooo long --- I know this post has been that --- and I am sorry.   I promise the rest of my posts will be reasonable...at least their length!

I am Simply, Gail

Simply Gail, the Creative Cheapskate, Signs Off

I don't know if any of you have ever noticed the simple background of my blog --- and/or have given it any thought.

I love dandelions. They brighten a lawn --- if you choose to look at them in that way. 

Maybe it's because I love the memories of our children, throughout their young years, picking one and happily bringing it to me.

Maybe it's because of how special it is when you are able to pick a mature one,  intact, to  gently blow its contents on its way to continue anew somewhere else.

Maybe it's simply because they are simple, like me.  

It seems fitting to end the blog the way it began. A tiny seed 

that somehow developed and is somehow spreading itself, 

all by itself without help from me, all across the globe.

While this is my last post on what was my first blog and will most likely be my only blog ---- if I understand how the internet works (which I definitely don't) my postings will be out there somewhere, for someone to happen upon, for a very long time.

It has been a special experience, allowing me into your homes time after time to share the simple things I have learned over time. I hope it has been worth your time.

Thank you.

Simply, Gail

The Yellow Book aka The Best Help is No Help: An update and a wrap up . . .

The mantra of recovering addicts/alcoholics is
"One day at a time."
And that must also be the mantra of the loved ones.

Over the last few weeks Gail has been serializing this little book based on our experiences with our addicted son. The title of the series was "Help for the Loved Ones of Addicts and Alcoholics."

She ask that I add a few observations on what has transpired since the book was first printed.

Our son, Brin, began his recovery about eight years ago. Approximately the same time I gave the talk in church, which was the genesis of the book.  Gail's inspiration and effort transformed the words into The Best Help --- with his  permission.

He was in complete recovery for about seven years. Then he relapsed and was in that state of relapse for a few months. He is in recovery once again and has been for several months.

We had learned relapse is often a part of the process of most addicts as they are in recovery. Consequently we were not complete surprised but we were, of course, terribly disappointed. However, as a result of the tools we had acquired we were once again able to leave our son's decisions in his own hands, and of course in the hands of the Lord.

The mantra of recovering addicts/alcoholics is "One day at a time."

We realized just how true this was when we were in an AA meeting with Brin a few years ago when one of the visitors shared the following:

"I have been clean and sober for 53 years; give me another day."

This must also be the mantra of the loved ones.

The yellow book is obviously about addicts and loved ones, but ultimately about agency and accountability. That is the agency and accountability of everyone, each of us and all of our loved ones. Here is that redundancy again. . .We must not, we can not take that away.

Not surprisingly, not everyone agrees with the "no help" concept and we've had some interesting discussions with others. We still attend a family support group. We still learn and hopefully we are also able to help others from our experience.

WARNING

It is very easy to become addicted to your addict!

What these groups teach us is that we must take care of ourselves and not get caught up in the madness that is addiction. We have learned we can't cure our loved ones addiction, we can only control ourselves.

One subject which recurs from time to time is the story of the "prodigal son" in The New Testament. The conclusion we draw from that parable is that the son made the decision to change his life. In Luke 15:71-18 "And when he came to himself he said, I will arise and go to my father..."  

Read Luke 15:11-32 to get the entire context of the parable. You will note the father did not go after his son; he had to wait until the son was prepared to make the change in his life.

What a hard decision that was for him and what a hard decision that was for us.

But it was the decision we had to make for our son.  His life. His agency.

A couple of other things we have learned which I will share.

When we first watched our son begin his recovery process we expected that as soon as he quit using drugs, the son we knew before would immediately and miraculously reappear.

It didn't happen!

We discovered that years of addictive thought and behavior  becomes a part of their persona.  And it takes a long time, even years, for those traits to change to a more rational thought process.

The good news is it can happen!

Another major issue to be addressed is the loss of trust that has taken place. We have often been asked, "Will I ever regain trust in my loved one? or "How long before I will trust my Loved one?" The answer to those questions is "Yes. It can happen. But it will take a long time."  I will tell you when we knew he had regained our trust.  One day he had to use a credit card to make a purchase and, not having a card himself, he called and asked if he could use ours.  And we could say, yes!

There is hope for our addicted love one. When they are ready to change. And there is peace for us when we turn them over to our Heavenly Father and seek that peace.

There are many more things I could say, and probably will be sorry when they come to mind after I have wrapped this up. But here is one more very important thing:

When your loved one finally makes the decision to clean up and takes the necessary steps to successfully do so, it is important to remember that they own that success.  As we repeatedly stressed, they made their own choice to use.And then they made the choice, and put in the hard work,  to overcome it.

 They are accountable for the extraordinary effort it takes for them to succeed. And . . .
the success is theirs.

May the Lord bless you and your family.


Notes: 

1. If you missed the beginning of this series, or if you want to share it with someone, you can go back to the beginning.  "Help for Loved Ones of Addicts and Alcoholics" began on January 31, 2014. The first few posts were weekly but quickly went to Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays when we decided it wasn't  fair to "string" them out if they were helpful to you. 

Older posts on  April 20 and 24, 2012 also "introduce" the yellow book.

2. I, Gail, will say my final good-by to you  on Friday.