I just realized, I never did my new member introduction :D: Been on this forum for almost a year. Oops.
Jacksonville, FL native. Born-again Christian. IT professional. Former Republican. Not a Democrat or Libertarian. Just a born-again Christian, and that's how I vote :D: Three red-headed kids, one of each. (Winky face.) Ages 5, 7, and 9. Daughter (5 year old) may have autism.
Started thinking about having a plan B (and plan C and plan D) in the event I lose my job many years ago but in October 2008 things really set in at the height of the financial crisis. That's when I started learning about agriculture.
I was one of the million plus laid off at the beginning of 2009 in the United States, with a nice severance package. Spent 4 months jobless then finally found something in a distant city, just as the severance was running out. In fact, the first paycheck came in the very week the last of the severance was spent! That job lasted me until I got something better in my city. But they didn't think I was a match, so at the end of 2009 I was jobless and this time, NO severance package, in a still-bad job market.
At the time I was thinking I'd like to go into ministry, but there are certain Biblical qualifications that I hadn't quite met yet. I was talking with a friend who built his small business on the idea that he can make money to be a pillar of support for his local church. I thought, that's a good idea. I can't do ministry but I can do that. I should pursue a career where I'm working with Linux, clusters, SANs, in a big enterprise environment.
Two days later I got a call out of the blue from a friend who had an opening. He didn't even know I was out of work! It was a job working with Linux, clusters, SANs, in a big enterprise environment. And a 60 percent pay raise. Talk about precise!
So I make a good income, much of which goes toward my health. Been suffering chronic fatigue for almost seven years, so my number one prep that I have literally spent thousands of dollars on: My health. Having a nice BOL with self-sustaining food production means nothing if I don't have the energy to manage it. But with good health I can learn lots of skills to supplement the preps we don't yet have.
I think I may finally be making some headway on my health. Too soon to tell, but a recent change has had some positive effects. If I am indeed healed, the dream of my wife and I is to grow our own food Permaculture-style and teach it to others like Geoff Lawton does. Ideally we'd group up with other like-minded Christians, practice Biblical conflict resolution and peace-keeping, and prove to an unbelieving world that hey, Christians *can* get along :D:
In the mean time, my second-most important prep is to try to learn Oracle database administration, so that I can be in demand for a job as long as there is some semblance of economy left.
My wife and I both reasonably expect to face at least one of, and probably all of, these difficulties within the next 50 years. Sorted by likelihood.
* Hurricane
* Tornado
* Job loss
* Break-in
* Family illness
* National economic crisis (deflation or hyper, doesn't matter)
* Peak oil/coal/water/etc.
Not to mention other disasters. EMP, foreign invasion, totalitarianism, whatever.
I'm tempted to look at what I lack, what is left to do, and despair. But then I think of all I have to engage a possible crisis:
* Some skills
* Lots of knowledge (you should see my library!)
* Data regularly backed up offsite
* Valuables locked up safely
* Some friends that can help
* Several plans, and backup plans
* Some resources
* Some physical strength
* Wisdom about what to do, when
* Direction where I am going, what I am doing
* Family who would gladly have us who live in rural locations in two states hundreds of miles apart
* Some friends in other states who might take us in
* A house on a relatively quiet street on the edge of the city with several relatively traffic-free routes to bug-out-location A
* Almost no debt
* A wife and family members that are also on board with me
* A mother-in-law who's an expert marksman and experienced at homesteading, who conveniently lives at bug-out-location A on 2.5 acres with a well, a septic tank, several chickens, and some gardens
* Some conflict resolution skills
* A robust theology about disasters -- What some call "bad luck" doesn't make me question God or get flustered
* A God who promises that He will never leave me nor forsake me
* A determination to press on no matter what
* Hope!
I was thinking through our plans the other night, thinking about what we would do if this or that happened. I realized, it could be a lot worse. We really are prepared beyond the beginner level, and that brings me comfort.
We could take on a hurricane, no problem. For one, our home isn't even in a Cat 5 evac zone; We're on high ground. Never floods here. And it's far from water. Fortunately 'canes are rare in my county; Last big one was 50 years ago. (Course that means we're overdue, but anyway...) And I'll take a hurricane that I can see coming 3 days in advance over any earthquake. A big hurricane could almost be fun to deal with :D:
Almost. Hurricanes bring tornadoes, which are our bigger concern. We are in a trailer park, and tornadoes have been scientifically proven to be attracted to trailer parks. (Winky face.) But we'd bug out to location A if we had any reasonbly-sized hurricane come our way, so I think we'd be OK with that. If we get a freak tornado, there's a sturdy storm shelter 1 block from our house. Recently we had a scare 10 miles away and our phones all lit up, warning us if its approach. Got to finish those BoBs!
I probably would be OK with a job loss, as long as I'm not one of millions (e.g. economic crash). It's hard to starve to death in the United States :D: I'd gladly take a McDonald's or Walmart job if I had to. Opportunities in the U.S. are more plentiful than Democrats (or even some Republicans!) want us to believe.
A break-in would be difficult to deal with emotionally, but we've got security cameras, a good alarm system, spikey plants placed strategically under windows, outdoor lighting, and we live in one of the least attractive homes on our street. Other houses are better targets. You don't have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun everyone else :D: Soon perhaps we'll get some dogs. Even ankle-biters are better than nothing. If well-trained, they make good watchdogs, and frequently just the barking scares would-be-intruders. Also in the future is more self-defense beyond some non-lethal weapons. One step at a time.
Family illness: I have insurance, a job where I can work from home and take time off, a good church, and a big God.
Economic crisis: We're not as ready as we should be but we're better off than people like that guy who survived the Serbian crisis (can't mention his name here), or FerFAL were at the beginning of their crises. So probably we'll plug through just fine.
Peak everything: Same as economic crisis.
Unknown crisis? Anything is possible. So much of the prior-listed preps overlap into situations I'm not expecting. We'll just take whatever hand we're dealt. Plug away and trust the Lord.
The hardest bit has been stockpiling food. We're only now at about one month's worth of food stores, after prepping since 2008. Some of that has been because I've been so focused on my health (as I should be), some of that has been because our diets have radically changed many times, some of that has been because before my wife got on board she'd use up our storage food but not replace it. And I being too tired to keep after it, just let it go. But now that she's on board we're finally getting some traction.
I did daydream about collapse for a while, even looking forward to it. (!) There's a certain kind of appeal to the change up from the routine, the new challenges, the ability to stop having to come into the office every day. Then I realized, that's stupid! It sure is nice to be able to eat out once in a while, to go to church without fear of being sniped, to not have the threat that my daughter might die of cholera.
No, I'll keep things the way they are, thank-you-very-much. These really are the golden days of my life, despite the sickness. I'm in one of the best parts of one of the best cities, in one of the best states, in one of the best countries of the world. I have a good job at a good, stable company that doesn't demand ridiculous working hours, that's close to home and I go to work at an odd hour so I never have to sit in traffic. Shoot I can even bicycle there. I have a rich IT resume. I have a good church, good doctors, a good working car, a good (albeit small) roof over my head, a good family, with health that could be much worse. I have high-speed internet and the means to eat out occasionally. The stores I need are not too distant to drive to. If collapse happens I have lots of resources to lean upon. I am richly blessed.
Are we ready? No.
Will we ever be? No.
Are we grasshoppers? No.
Are we ants? Getting there.
Are we going to make it? Probably :D:
Are we as well-off as some of you here? No.
Are miles ahead of Joe Sixpack who just *has* to have that new iPhone? Certainly.
Thank you Jesus for getting us this far. Please keep crisis off us as long as possible.
That's my story. As you can see, I have the gift of gab :D: May my story inspire you with optimism. The fact that you're even on this forum says a lot. You're probably doing better than you give yourself credit for.
Favorite verses pertaining to hard times:
Luke 12 (The survivalist's chapter! See this thread: http://ift.tt/1BdxLOb)
Some trust in [their guns] and some in [their government], but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7 ESV)
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble. He knows those who take refuge in Him. (Nahum 1:7)
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
(Isaiah 43:2 ESV)
List of links with ~500GB-1TB of free and legal survival/TEOTWAWKI/homesteading downloads:
http://ift.tt/1rhjj7N
(I may move that thread to this forum. We'll see.)
:upsidedown:
Jacksonville, FL native. Born-again Christian. IT professional. Former Republican. Not a Democrat or Libertarian. Just a born-again Christian, and that's how I vote :D: Three red-headed kids, one of each. (Winky face.) Ages 5, 7, and 9. Daughter (5 year old) may have autism.
Started thinking about having a plan B (and plan C and plan D) in the event I lose my job many years ago but in October 2008 things really set in at the height of the financial crisis. That's when I started learning about agriculture.
I was one of the million plus laid off at the beginning of 2009 in the United States, with a nice severance package. Spent 4 months jobless then finally found something in a distant city, just as the severance was running out. In fact, the first paycheck came in the very week the last of the severance was spent! That job lasted me until I got something better in my city. But they didn't think I was a match, so at the end of 2009 I was jobless and this time, NO severance package, in a still-bad job market.
At the time I was thinking I'd like to go into ministry, but there are certain Biblical qualifications that I hadn't quite met yet. I was talking with a friend who built his small business on the idea that he can make money to be a pillar of support for his local church. I thought, that's a good idea. I can't do ministry but I can do that. I should pursue a career where I'm working with Linux, clusters, SANs, in a big enterprise environment.
Two days later I got a call out of the blue from a friend who had an opening. He didn't even know I was out of work! It was a job working with Linux, clusters, SANs, in a big enterprise environment. And a 60 percent pay raise. Talk about precise!
So I make a good income, much of which goes toward my health. Been suffering chronic fatigue for almost seven years, so my number one prep that I have literally spent thousands of dollars on: My health. Having a nice BOL with self-sustaining food production means nothing if I don't have the energy to manage it. But with good health I can learn lots of skills to supplement the preps we don't yet have.
I think I may finally be making some headway on my health. Too soon to tell, but a recent change has had some positive effects. If I am indeed healed, the dream of my wife and I is to grow our own food Permaculture-style and teach it to others like Geoff Lawton does. Ideally we'd group up with other like-minded Christians, practice Biblical conflict resolution and peace-keeping, and prove to an unbelieving world that hey, Christians *can* get along :D:
In the mean time, my second-most important prep is to try to learn Oracle database administration, so that I can be in demand for a job as long as there is some semblance of economy left.
My wife and I both reasonably expect to face at least one of, and probably all of, these difficulties within the next 50 years. Sorted by likelihood.
* Hurricane
* Tornado
* Job loss
* Break-in
* Family illness
* National economic crisis (deflation or hyper, doesn't matter)
* Peak oil/coal/water/etc.
Not to mention other disasters. EMP, foreign invasion, totalitarianism, whatever.
I'm tempted to look at what I lack, what is left to do, and despair. But then I think of all I have to engage a possible crisis:
* Some skills
* Lots of knowledge (you should see my library!)
* Data regularly backed up offsite
* Valuables locked up safely
* Some friends that can help
* Several plans, and backup plans
* Some resources
* Some physical strength
* Wisdom about what to do, when
* Direction where I am going, what I am doing
* Family who would gladly have us who live in rural locations in two states hundreds of miles apart
* Some friends in other states who might take us in
* A house on a relatively quiet street on the edge of the city with several relatively traffic-free routes to bug-out-location A
* Almost no debt
* A wife and family members that are also on board with me
* A mother-in-law who's an expert marksman and experienced at homesteading, who conveniently lives at bug-out-location A on 2.5 acres with a well, a septic tank, several chickens, and some gardens
* Some conflict resolution skills
* A robust theology about disasters -- What some call "bad luck" doesn't make me question God or get flustered
* A God who promises that He will never leave me nor forsake me
* A determination to press on no matter what
* Hope!
I was thinking through our plans the other night, thinking about what we would do if this or that happened. I realized, it could be a lot worse. We really are prepared beyond the beginner level, and that brings me comfort.
We could take on a hurricane, no problem. For one, our home isn't even in a Cat 5 evac zone; We're on high ground. Never floods here. And it's far from water. Fortunately 'canes are rare in my county; Last big one was 50 years ago. (Course that means we're overdue, but anyway...) And I'll take a hurricane that I can see coming 3 days in advance over any earthquake. A big hurricane could almost be fun to deal with :D:
Almost. Hurricanes bring tornadoes, which are our bigger concern. We are in a trailer park, and tornadoes have been scientifically proven to be attracted to trailer parks. (Winky face.) But we'd bug out to location A if we had any reasonbly-sized hurricane come our way, so I think we'd be OK with that. If we get a freak tornado, there's a sturdy storm shelter 1 block from our house. Recently we had a scare 10 miles away and our phones all lit up, warning us if its approach. Got to finish those BoBs!
I probably would be OK with a job loss, as long as I'm not one of millions (e.g. economic crash). It's hard to starve to death in the United States :D: I'd gladly take a McDonald's or Walmart job if I had to. Opportunities in the U.S. are more plentiful than Democrats (or even some Republicans!) want us to believe.
A break-in would be difficult to deal with emotionally, but we've got security cameras, a good alarm system, spikey plants placed strategically under windows, outdoor lighting, and we live in one of the least attractive homes on our street. Other houses are better targets. You don't have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun everyone else :D: Soon perhaps we'll get some dogs. Even ankle-biters are better than nothing. If well-trained, they make good watchdogs, and frequently just the barking scares would-be-intruders. Also in the future is more self-defense beyond some non-lethal weapons. One step at a time.
Family illness: I have insurance, a job where I can work from home and take time off, a good church, and a big God.
Economic crisis: We're not as ready as we should be but we're better off than people like that guy who survived the Serbian crisis (can't mention his name here), or FerFAL were at the beginning of their crises. So probably we'll plug through just fine.
Peak everything: Same as economic crisis.
Unknown crisis? Anything is possible. So much of the prior-listed preps overlap into situations I'm not expecting. We'll just take whatever hand we're dealt. Plug away and trust the Lord.
The hardest bit has been stockpiling food. We're only now at about one month's worth of food stores, after prepping since 2008. Some of that has been because I've been so focused on my health (as I should be), some of that has been because our diets have radically changed many times, some of that has been because before my wife got on board she'd use up our storage food but not replace it. And I being too tired to keep after it, just let it go. But now that she's on board we're finally getting some traction.
I did daydream about collapse for a while, even looking forward to it. (!) There's a certain kind of appeal to the change up from the routine, the new challenges, the ability to stop having to come into the office every day. Then I realized, that's stupid! It sure is nice to be able to eat out once in a while, to go to church without fear of being sniped, to not have the threat that my daughter might die of cholera.
No, I'll keep things the way they are, thank-you-very-much. These really are the golden days of my life, despite the sickness. I'm in one of the best parts of one of the best cities, in one of the best states, in one of the best countries of the world. I have a good job at a good, stable company that doesn't demand ridiculous working hours, that's close to home and I go to work at an odd hour so I never have to sit in traffic. Shoot I can even bicycle there. I have a rich IT resume. I have a good church, good doctors, a good working car, a good (albeit small) roof over my head, a good family, with health that could be much worse. I have high-speed internet and the means to eat out occasionally. The stores I need are not too distant to drive to. If collapse happens I have lots of resources to lean upon. I am richly blessed.
Are we ready? No.
Will we ever be? No.
Are we grasshoppers? No.
Are we ants? Getting there.
Are we going to make it? Probably :D:
Are we as well-off as some of you here? No.
Are miles ahead of Joe Sixpack who just *has* to have that new iPhone? Certainly.
Thank you Jesus for getting us this far. Please keep crisis off us as long as possible.
That's my story. As you can see, I have the gift of gab :D: May my story inspire you with optimism. The fact that you're even on this forum says a lot. You're probably doing better than you give yourself credit for.
Favorite verses pertaining to hard times:
Luke 12 (The survivalist's chapter! See this thread: http://ift.tt/1BdxLOb)
Some trust in [their guns] and some in [their government], but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7 ESV)
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble. He knows those who take refuge in Him. (Nahum 1:7)
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
(Isaiah 43:2 ESV)
List of links with ~500GB-1TB of free and legal survival/TEOTWAWKI/homesteading downloads:
http://ift.tt/1rhjj7N
(I may move that thread to this forum. We'll see.)
:upsidedown:
Been here almost a year and hadn't done my new member intro (-:
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