City Gal Gone Country
The weekly adventures of a New York City gal, born and raised, who moves with her retired Marine husband to the wilds of the Ozarks and their own cabin in the woods. Funny, poignant and full of commonsense and special "Ozarkian" wisdoms, your readers will enjoy the adventures and journeys as City Gal discovers a place of her own in the wilds of the Ozarks.
An introduction
So, you might be asking yourself - what in the world is a girl from New York City - born and raised - doing in the middle of the Ozarks, in a cabin without running water (yet) or electricity (coming soon), three dogs, five cats and a very patient farm-boy husband.
Well, let me tell you - Had you asked me even ten years ago if this is where I would be, and how I would be living my life, I would have laughed out loud and asked if you were feeling okay. I grew up on Staten Island, famous for its Staten Island Ferry which takes tourists to the Statue of Liberty. I grew up spending Christmases at Rockefeller Center and checking out the window displays in the big department stores on Fifth Avenue. I love roasted chestnuts, am a sucker for giant pretzels, think salt bagels and cream cheese are the only way to go and am a definite pizza snob, preferring the delights of Nunzio's Family Pizza over anything I've eaten since.
You see, when we first moved to Arkansas, I knew absolutely nothing about living the country life, only that Arkansas was the greenest and most beautiful place I'd ever been. Driving to work one morning, I was amazed to see a calf running and jumping in a pasture. I mean, I've seen movies and TV shows, and cows don't run and jump around. So it was with great excitement that I came home that evening to tell my loving husband that cows can run. He looked at me, a grin lit up on his face and he said, "Have you ever heard the term 'Stampede?'
I quickly tried to save face by remarking that stampedes usually involved big cows with cowboys on horses and this had been a little cow, but you can probably guess that I didn't win the argument.
And those are the kinds of stories I'll be passing along in this blog, including the story of how we weathered the ice storm of 2009 in a tent. Now that's a story. So I hope you'll check in occasionally and share a smile or two with me as I continue my "countrification" into a true Ozarks Country Girl.
So, you might be asking yourself - what in the world is a girl from New York City - born and raised - doing in the middle of the Ozarks, in a cabin without running water (yet) or electricity (coming soon), three dogs, five cats and a very patient farm-boy husband.
Well, let me tell you - Had you asked me even ten years ago if this is where I would be, and how I would be living my life, I would have laughed out loud and asked if you were feeling okay. I grew up on Staten Island, famous for its Staten Island Ferry which takes tourists to the Statue of Liberty. I grew up spending Christmases at Rockefeller Center and checking out the window displays in the big department stores on Fifth Avenue. I love roasted chestnuts, am a sucker for giant pretzels, think salt bagels and cream cheese are the only way to go and am a definite pizza snob, preferring the delights of Nunzio's Family Pizza over anything I've eaten since.
You see, when we first moved to Arkansas, I knew absolutely nothing about living the country life, only that Arkansas was the greenest and most beautiful place I'd ever been. Driving to work one morning, I was amazed to see a calf running and jumping in a pasture. I mean, I've seen movies and TV shows, and cows don't run and jump around. So it was with great excitement that I came home that evening to tell my loving husband that cows can run. He looked at me, a grin lit up on his face and he said, "Have you ever heard the term 'Stampede?'
I quickly tried to save face by remarking that stampedes usually involved big cows with cowboys on horses and this had been a little cow, but you can probably guess that I didn't win the argument.
And those are the kinds of stories I'll be passing along in this blog, including the story of how we weathered the ice storm of 2009 in a tent. Now that's a story. So I hope you'll check in occasionally and share a smile or two with me as I continue my "countrification" into a true Ozarks Country Girl.
Survivor Gal
Survivor Gal appeals to all of the preppers out there and self-sufficient homesteaders who are interested in home storage, gardening, defense, reduce/reuse/recycle, and other skills needed to be off the grid and self sufficient. Each week, Survivor Gal covers do-it-yourself projects to help your readers be more aware, more prepared and better able to live off the land. Columns are $5 each and are available on a weekly, bi-weekly and monthly basis.
Top 10 Survival Skills
Several of our friends were sitting around the campfire with us recently, and the conversation turned to the skills every prepper should have. After much heated debate, we settled on ten skills that we felt were necessary to lay the groundwork for true self-sufficiency. These skills can be learned rather easily and may provide beneficial to you beyond your dreams. Some can be learned by reading a book or watching a video, while others will require you to attend a few classes at your local community college.
#1. STICK WELDING
Learning to stick weld is not that hard. You just want to get proficient enough to be able to know which rods to use or which amp setting to use, so you can join two pieces of metal. Once you own a welder, you’ll find a million and one uses for it. Not to mention, should you ever need some extra cash, you can barter or start your own small welding business on the side.
#2 SMALL ENGINE REPAIR
Knowing how to repair your generator motor or any other small engine (such as Garden tractors, pumps, etc.) is a must. Sure, you could either take it into town or call a repair guy out to your place, but in a crisis situation, do you really want to put yourself at that risk? Once you’ve learned the basics, the rest is a piece of cake.
#3 HOW TO FISH
No, I’m not talking about grabbing a can of worms and heading off to a stream. I’m talking about putting up a ton of fish quickly. If you live remotely close to a large body of water such as a lake, river or pond, you should learn how to catch a lot of fish and do it quickly. Learn how to make fish traps, nets and trotlines. Then learn how to use them properly. Many fish have seasonal spawns where they will congregate in schools and move in mass to spawning areas.
#4 HOW TO BUTCHER ANIMALS
This skill will come in very handy for those of you who wish to raise your own livestock and to take advantage of the Wild Game in your area. You may need to connect with another like-minded individual who already knows how to do this and convince them to show you as well. Learning how to properly cut up an animal, whether it’s a Deer, Cow or Chicken, is a valuable skill that every survivalist or person wanting to be self-sufficient should learn.
#5 LEARN TO TRAP
Trapping gives the self-sufficient person or survivalist a whole other avenue for procuring fresh meat. Unlike hunting, traps that you set are working for you around the clock. You can also set a lot of traps in order to cover a wide area. This increases your chance of catching something for the Supper table. What’s more important is knowing what type of trap to use in order to catch your intended target. You need to know how to use Snares, Live/Box traps, leg hold traps and body gripper traps. All have their use in the Survivalist tool shed. Most States have a Trappers Association. They routinely have meetings or weekend get-togethers where there are seminars on basic and advanced trapping. Look yours up and get on the list today.
#5 GUNSMITHING – LEARN TO REPAIR GUNS
If you’re living the Self Reliant lifestyle or you’re a Survivalist, then chances are good you have some firearms around, or you should! But do you know how to fix those guns if they break? Can you disassemble your guns, clean them and reassemble them and have them work properly? Sadly, from what I’ve seen, most people can’t. Some believe they can, but their idea of cleaning is spraying a half can of WD-40 into the action and calling it clean. Do you keep spare parts around for your guns? Probably not. But you should, and you should learn how to fix a firearm if it breaks, especially the military type firearms.
#6 LEARN BASIC CARPENTRY SKILLS
Can you plumb a wall, build a barn, square up walls or plumb a house? If not, these skills are easily learned. If you’re the type that can learn from a book, then you can find many fine books on building and carpentry at Amazon.com. These skills are necessary should we face a long term crisis. Carpentry, Electrical and Plumbing skills will all be in demand and you could make a lot of friends quickly if you’re the one in your area who knows how to fix things.
#7 GARDENING
Being able to grow your own food is a must for every person living a self-sustaining lifestyle. It’s a lot more than having a green thumb – you need to learn how to create the right ph balance in your soil, when the best time is to plant, how to rotate your beds and how to keep your gardens going all year round. Plus you need to learn how to save your seeds, to ensure future harvests, along with finding the species and varieties of plants that grow best in your region.
#8 OPERATE A HAM RADIO
I have to confess that this is one skill I don’t have right now, but I’m certainly going to work on it very soon. In the case of a disaster, a HAM radio will allow you to communicate with the outside World to find out what’s going on. There are plenty of books and courses on operating a HAM radio - all that is required is a little time and effort.
#9 HUNTING SKILLS
It’s easy to assume that all self-reliant families or survivalist know how to hunt. But that isn’t the case. Many don’t even have the skills to find and harvest squirrels or rabbits, not to mention big game. To be successful on a regular basis, these skills will have to be learned and will usually take some time. Most hunting skills can’t be learned from a book or video. Your best bet is to find someone who is successful and tag along. Have them show you what to look for and specifics on each game animal. At the very least, you’ll need to get out in the woods and watch how animals exist in their part of the World. Once you understand how animals move and use the woods, you’ll be on the right path to being a good hunter.
#10 ADVANCED FIRST AID
Knowing advanced life saving first aid skills should be the goal of every person who is prepping for the worst. It’s just good common sense that you should know these skills. And I’m talking about skills that go above and beyond those taught in basic first aid classes. You should know how to treat major wounds, such as a sucking chest wound, until help can arrive. Could you set a broken bone? How about removing a bullet? You’ll have to assume at one point during a crisis, your first aid skills will be needed. If not by you, then possibly by a family member or friend. You may be their only hope for surviving.
So there’s our top ten. What would you add to the list?
Several of our friends were sitting around the campfire with us recently, and the conversation turned to the skills every prepper should have. After much heated debate, we settled on ten skills that we felt were necessary to lay the groundwork for true self-sufficiency. These skills can be learned rather easily and may provide beneficial to you beyond your dreams. Some can be learned by reading a book or watching a video, while others will require you to attend a few classes at your local community college.
#1. STICK WELDING
Learning to stick weld is not that hard. You just want to get proficient enough to be able to know which rods to use or which amp setting to use, so you can join two pieces of metal. Once you own a welder, you’ll find a million and one uses for it. Not to mention, should you ever need some extra cash, you can barter or start your own small welding business on the side.
#2 SMALL ENGINE REPAIR
Knowing how to repair your generator motor or any other small engine (such as Garden tractors, pumps, etc.) is a must. Sure, you could either take it into town or call a repair guy out to your place, but in a crisis situation, do you really want to put yourself at that risk? Once you’ve learned the basics, the rest is a piece of cake.
#3 HOW TO FISH
No, I’m not talking about grabbing a can of worms and heading off to a stream. I’m talking about putting up a ton of fish quickly. If you live remotely close to a large body of water such as a lake, river or pond, you should learn how to catch a lot of fish and do it quickly. Learn how to make fish traps, nets and trotlines. Then learn how to use them properly. Many fish have seasonal spawns where they will congregate in schools and move in mass to spawning areas.
#4 HOW TO BUTCHER ANIMALS
This skill will come in very handy for those of you who wish to raise your own livestock and to take advantage of the Wild Game in your area. You may need to connect with another like-minded individual who already knows how to do this and convince them to show you as well. Learning how to properly cut up an animal, whether it’s a Deer, Cow or Chicken, is a valuable skill that every survivalist or person wanting to be self-sufficient should learn.
#5 LEARN TO TRAP
Trapping gives the self-sufficient person or survivalist a whole other avenue for procuring fresh meat. Unlike hunting, traps that you set are working for you around the clock. You can also set a lot of traps in order to cover a wide area. This increases your chance of catching something for the Supper table. What’s more important is knowing what type of trap to use in order to catch your intended target. You need to know how to use Snares, Live/Box traps, leg hold traps and body gripper traps. All have their use in the Survivalist tool shed. Most States have a Trappers Association. They routinely have meetings or weekend get-togethers where there are seminars on basic and advanced trapping. Look yours up and get on the list today.
#5 GUNSMITHING – LEARN TO REPAIR GUNS
If you’re living the Self Reliant lifestyle or you’re a Survivalist, then chances are good you have some firearms around, or you should! But do you know how to fix those guns if they break? Can you disassemble your guns, clean them and reassemble them and have them work properly? Sadly, from what I’ve seen, most people can’t. Some believe they can, but their idea of cleaning is spraying a half can of WD-40 into the action and calling it clean. Do you keep spare parts around for your guns? Probably not. But you should, and you should learn how to fix a firearm if it breaks, especially the military type firearms.
#6 LEARN BASIC CARPENTRY SKILLS
Can you plumb a wall, build a barn, square up walls or plumb a house? If not, these skills are easily learned. If you’re the type that can learn from a book, then you can find many fine books on building and carpentry at Amazon.com. These skills are necessary should we face a long term crisis. Carpentry, Electrical and Plumbing skills will all be in demand and you could make a lot of friends quickly if you’re the one in your area who knows how to fix things.
#7 GARDENING
Being able to grow your own food is a must for every person living a self-sustaining lifestyle. It’s a lot more than having a green thumb – you need to learn how to create the right ph balance in your soil, when the best time is to plant, how to rotate your beds and how to keep your gardens going all year round. Plus you need to learn how to save your seeds, to ensure future harvests, along with finding the species and varieties of plants that grow best in your region.
#8 OPERATE A HAM RADIO
I have to confess that this is one skill I don’t have right now, but I’m certainly going to work on it very soon. In the case of a disaster, a HAM radio will allow you to communicate with the outside World to find out what’s going on. There are plenty of books and courses on operating a HAM radio - all that is required is a little time and effort.
#9 HUNTING SKILLS
It’s easy to assume that all self-reliant families or survivalist know how to hunt. But that isn’t the case. Many don’t even have the skills to find and harvest squirrels or rabbits, not to mention big game. To be successful on a regular basis, these skills will have to be learned and will usually take some time. Most hunting skills can’t be learned from a book or video. Your best bet is to find someone who is successful and tag along. Have them show you what to look for and specifics on each game animal. At the very least, you’ll need to get out in the woods and watch how animals exist in their part of the World. Once you understand how animals move and use the woods, you’ll be on the right path to being a good hunter.
#10 ADVANCED FIRST AID
Knowing advanced life saving first aid skills should be the goal of every person who is prepping for the worst. It’s just good common sense that you should know these skills. And I’m talking about skills that go above and beyond those taught in basic first aid classes. You should know how to treat major wounds, such as a sucking chest wound, until help can arrive. Could you set a broken bone? How about removing a bullet? You’ll have to assume at one point during a crisis, your first aid skills will be needed. If not by you, then possibly by a family member or friend. You may be their only hope for surviving.
So there’s our top ten. What would you add to the list?
Eco-Spirituality
Ecospirituality is not a religion. It is a way of living that encourages its practitioners to explore nature in an intentional and sacred way. Learning about and/or living in an ecospiritual fashion does not preclude a person from following his or her own faith tradition. In this column, we view nature as both a spiritual and a scientific classroom – and we respect nature as a teacher who offers immense wisdom that is relevant to modern-day life.
An Introduction
In 2005, I was awakened from a dream and all I could remember was a simple statement; “Ecospirituality is not a religion – its a way of life.” I researched the word ecospirituality, which had not been part of my vocabulary, and found it strongly connected to the Franciscan nuns. Ecospirituality became the topic that bridged my Catholic upbringing with my nature practices.
Having been ordained in Interfaith Ministry in 1996, one of the few formal paths of ministry available to people who do not gather in traditional congregational settings, this dream gave my ministry new direction. I realized that, if I could find the right words, I could teach what I had come to value so much – access to the Divine through Nature – without teaching any theology. I could teach to anyone, of any faith tradition, without intruding upon their freedom to worship in their own personal way.
My experience of the Divine presence in Nature has never been about worshipping Nature. Nature has simply provided a reliable and consistent doorway to Oneness. It can happen on my front porch as easily as it happens in the deep woods. The warmth of the sun, the beauty of the trees, the soft blush of wind that caresses my cheek…and my consciousness shifts. Each facet I notice opens me to the brilliance of the Diamond, and faster than I can think it, I am interconnected with the “All.”
I have had the pleasure of sharing this practice with people of diverse faiths. We have talked together, shared ceremony and ritual, celebrated rites of passage, and compared ideas and experiences. I have shared the concept that Nature is “The Original Holy Book” and that it has much to teach us. We seem to all agree that whether we experience the Creator as energy or persona, we long for direct access. I love sharing ways that Nature serves this purpose for me.
Within me, bridges have been built. On a weekly basis, I invite people to walk across these bridges with me, offering them the possibility that there is value in all spiritual teachings and practices.
The ego desires to name what cannot be named. We may choose any label we like, run our spiritual perspectives through any lens, yet each and every one of us has our own experience of God. No two can ever be exactly alike – and no label will ever fully describe the indescribable presence of the Divine.
As we evolve, during this transformative time on our planet, we have distinct choices to make that will inform our future. Perhaps we could consider letting go of our labels. I am neither Catholic nor Christian. I am, somehow existing within the heart of the Divine, animated by that Source, and evolving. And – even as I write, I know that these words are not a full statement of the truth of my experience. There is so much more.
My ecospiritual experience brings me closer to my own soul, closer to the spirit of what is holy, and closer to each of you. We share “common ground.” For this, I am truly grateful. I remain committed to sharing Ecospirituality whenever I am given the opportunity. It is in the arms of Nature that I find what can never be defined by labels.
In 2005, I was awakened from a dream and all I could remember was a simple statement; “Ecospirituality is not a religion – its a way of life.” I researched the word ecospirituality, which had not been part of my vocabulary, and found it strongly connected to the Franciscan nuns. Ecospirituality became the topic that bridged my Catholic upbringing with my nature practices.
Having been ordained in Interfaith Ministry in 1996, one of the few formal paths of ministry available to people who do not gather in traditional congregational settings, this dream gave my ministry new direction. I realized that, if I could find the right words, I could teach what I had come to value so much – access to the Divine through Nature – without teaching any theology. I could teach to anyone, of any faith tradition, without intruding upon their freedom to worship in their own personal way.
My experience of the Divine presence in Nature has never been about worshipping Nature. Nature has simply provided a reliable and consistent doorway to Oneness. It can happen on my front porch as easily as it happens in the deep woods. The warmth of the sun, the beauty of the trees, the soft blush of wind that caresses my cheek…and my consciousness shifts. Each facet I notice opens me to the brilliance of the Diamond, and faster than I can think it, I am interconnected with the “All.”
I have had the pleasure of sharing this practice with people of diverse faiths. We have talked together, shared ceremony and ritual, celebrated rites of passage, and compared ideas and experiences. I have shared the concept that Nature is “The Original Holy Book” and that it has much to teach us. We seem to all agree that whether we experience the Creator as energy or persona, we long for direct access. I love sharing ways that Nature serves this purpose for me.
Within me, bridges have been built. On a weekly basis, I invite people to walk across these bridges with me, offering them the possibility that there is value in all spiritual teachings and practices.
The ego desires to name what cannot be named. We may choose any label we like, run our spiritual perspectives through any lens, yet each and every one of us has our own experience of God. No two can ever be exactly alike – and no label will ever fully describe the indescribable presence of the Divine.
As we evolve, during this transformative time on our planet, we have distinct choices to make that will inform our future. Perhaps we could consider letting go of our labels. I am neither Catholic nor Christian. I am, somehow existing within the heart of the Divine, animated by that Source, and evolving. And – even as I write, I know that these words are not a full statement of the truth of my experience. There is so much more.
My ecospiritual experience brings me closer to my own soul, closer to the spirit of what is holy, and closer to each of you. We share “common ground.” For this, I am truly grateful. I remain committed to sharing Ecospirituality whenever I am given the opportunity. It is in the arms of Nature that I find what can never be defined by labels.