most interesting vol. 2

Taking a short break from my prepping series to share a snippet of what I watched, read, and learned lately. 

1) Watched Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, which started out as a Hulu original, but has now made it to FX, which I have access to:

This series completely lived up to the hype as I devoured it in one lazy Sunday. The writing is so purposeful, no part of this series meanders or strays from the character building or storyline. Every single sentence spoken has a deeper meaning or threads a stronger weave, building and building. The casting was perfection. Such compatibility between everyone and they wholly delivered in their roles. So immersive, you will be in love and in heartbreak along with them. I highly recommend watching it, and then watching it again and again. 

2) Related to the above, I read some interesting articles in my quest to understand why zoomers are obsessed with the Kennedy's and old money aesthetic:

Gen Z has noticeably been struggling with a desire to return to a point before the heavily social media laden times they grew up in, presumably thinking that those living prior had it easier. They also seem to be in a constant battle against capitalism, while in tandem succumbing to every suggestion or whim of the influencers in their feed. Watching them go so deep into Little Woman and even creating the Cottage Core trend around it (turning slow living into the epitome of consumption), and now seeing mood board after mood board revolving around 90's fashion, it all baffles me. If they want a more simple time, why not just appreciate a show, book, or idea without having to make it one's entire being? Discuss it with friends and move on. This idea of wanting to return to a more analog time while turning to social media to share to such an excessive extent inspo, aesthetics, and products to achieve this life seems futile and honestly backwards to what they're trying to achieve. A quote from the GQ article embodies the confusion I have around this topic - "Personally, I find it fascinating that young people - in the midst of unprecedented wealth inequality, told that they'll never own a home, that the American dream promised to them may well be dead - are dressing up as the people who, in essence, ruined it all for them. I, for one, have noticed my TikTok feed filled with old money aesthetic slideshows of roguish types in Rolls-Royces alternating with vehement harangues of late-stage-capitalism, a perplexing juxtaposition." These articles didn't leave me better understanding why Gen Z gets so obsessed with trends, I still think they are very mis-guided, but at least I have a little more perspective I suppose?

3) Immersing myself in The Story Graph:

Diving back into reading this year with a vengeance had me curiously seeking not only a book tracking app, but a way to connect with other readers. Browsing through the popular sites right now, I landed on The Story Graph because it is not Amazon owned, rather it is a black owned business, founded by Nadia Odunayo in 2019. It also focuses heavily on analytics, using the books you've read and what other similar uses have read, to recommend books you might like versus it being a book selling site, which clearly has ulterior motives for prominently endorsing books. So far, I have found these tools and the overall setup to be successful in finding new books and authors to read. And, it has in depth tools to keep track of start and end dates, a TBR list, and even a place to keep notes while reading a book. Two things that would enhance the service would be showing reviews on all main pages rather than having to click into each book and then scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the average review (one more click even further than this is needed to actually read the reviews) and secondly to have the options to connect with readers at a deeper level, if desired. It has deliberately been set up the opposite of a social media app, a quieter space for readers to go. There is a Community tab where you can start buddy reads, join book clubs, and even discover other similar users. However, following and interacting with other readers is not common. I am all for a safe nook away from social media, however, it would be nice to have a happy medium. Neither of these critiques are planned as updates. Overall, I am enjoying it, though! And, do understand the why's behind the creators decision-making.

essential items to pack in a go bag

Today's post is the fifth in the prepping series. The first post outlined the five inexpensive and versatile foods to stock first, the second post gave some tips on how to ensure easy access to fresh fruits and veggies during a crisis, the third discussed how to navigate power interruptions, and the fourth got you geared up for gardening and foraging with resilience. 

This post will be a short one listing out what to put in a "go bag." Living in Minnesota, I am used to creating a similar type bag to keep in my car over the Winter months in case my car slides off the road into the ditch or my car dies. It contains a blanket, hand warmers, granola bars, etc. to keep me warm and fed until being rescued. Luckily, I have never needed it, but it's a comfort to have prepared just in case. 

A "go bag" is very similar. It's simply a pre-packed bag (any bag will do, but a backpack would be easier to travel with) containing items that you would need to quickly evacuate for approximately three days. 

Where you plan to go for three days influences what you ought to pack in your bag. If you plan to go to a friend's remote cabin, you would possibly just need supplies to sustain you until you got there. If you needed to walk to Canada or planned to stick it out deep in the woods for a few days near your home, you might need more intense cooking and camping supplies. No matter where you are going, you should pack important documents. 

A list of items to get you thinking about what you might need:

- Change of clothes, including multiple pairs of socks

- Toothbrush and toothpaste

- Eyeglasses, if needed

- Medication, if needed

- First aid and hygiene - wet wipes, hand sanitizer, feminine needs, toilet paper

- Water carrier and travel water purifier

- Food

- Flashlight with batteries

- Knife and/or multi-purpose tool

- Fire starter

- Tent and blanket, if possible

- Phone and/or meshtastic device

- Powered charging bank for your phone

- Cash, ATM card, and credit cards

- Important documents - passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, passwords, immunization cards

- Laminated list of important phone numbers 

- State map (you can get one for free usually at any rest stop)

- Don't forget your pets - dog food, treats, water bowl, water, harness, leash

Determine what from this list is important for your specific needs. Add or delete items as needed. If you're able to start working in a pair of hiking boots, it might be beneficial. If it's during the Winter months, you will also need hats/gloves, heat blanket, hand warmers, etc. If it's during the Summer, you may need to ensure you have adequate water, sunglasses, rain gear, and neck gaiter.

If you are able to get out of dodge with your car, gas is still flowing, and you have time to pack your car, make a list of items you would throw in. Maybe:

- Car phone charger

- Plug-in cooler

- Pots, dinnerware, and utensils

- Additional food

- Blankets, pillows, sleeping bags

- Tarp and/or tent

- More clothes

- Atlas

- Extra gas

Share your plan with friends and family so they are in the loop. 

gardening and foraging for resilience

If you want to level up your prepping just a bit more, this post is for you. It is the fourth in the series. The first post outlined the five inexpensive and versatile foods to stock first, the second post gave some tips on how to ensure easy access to fresh fruits and veggies during a crisis, and the third discussed how to navigate power interruptions.

In this post, let's talk about gardening. I don't think having a garden is necessary. However, if you have the space, why not try growing a few things? It's fun, and studies have even show it's good for our mental health! 

Gardening does not have to be expensive like corporations and influencers would have you believe. Seeds are very inexpensive (and can be saved and traded with friends making them entirely free), seed starting can be done in used food cartons and containers (no new plastic tray needed), raised beds can be made by simply hilling dirt, and dirt can be amended with chopping and dropping weeds and grass clippings and adding in food scraps and leaves. The only expense you may have if you can't salvage fencing materials, is in buying t-posts and welded wire fencing. Also, you may want to buy grow lights. However, you don't have to. I choose to primarily only plant foods that will grow in my short season direct sowed, not wanting to deal with the time and expense of starting seeds indoors.

When creating a plan for your garden beds, take a look at Square Foot Gardening, created by Mel Bartholomew. It gained popularity in 1981, with the release of a book by the same name. The premise of the method is to divide your garden bed into one foot squares versus rows. In each square block, you plant one type of seed in a quantity that will fill the entire square, sometimes with a companion plant(s) as well. Utilizing the space so effectively allows plants to be shaded by others (with proper planning of what to plant where) and deters weed growth since so little soil is left bare. This conserves water and time weeding. Digging into his method also makes you realize how much people over plant compared to their needs, thereby creating extra work for themselves growing food they most likely will just have to give away or leave to rot. For example, this is how much can be grown in two months in just one 4x4 foot area!...

32 carrots, 12 bunches of leaf lettuce, 18 bunches of spinach, 16 radishes, 16 scallions, 16 beets, 9 Japanese turnips, 5 pounds of peas, 1 head of cabbage, 4 heads of romaine lettuce, 1 head of cauliflower, and 1 head of broccoli. 

You can plant whatever you want, this is just an example of production levels to show what a very small space can churn out. As plants reach maturity and you pick their harvest, you can plant again in that square foot, either the same plant to get a second harvest, or switch to a different type - maybe a cold season Fall variety depending on the timing.

Many people have shrubs or perennials in front and/or around the perimeter of their house. If you do as well, consider adding in plants that can be both pretty and be made into a salad, brewed into a tea, or added to soups (mint, sorrel, daylilies, alliums, walking onions, jerusalem artichoke, lovage, rhubarb, hostas, and herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, and dill to name a few). Some of them may be nibbled on by hungry deer, rabbits, and chipmunks. However, many of these plants are deterrents to these animals, so working in harmony your harvest should still be fruitful.  

Don't forget that even "pesky" dandelions and other "weeds" are actually super nutritious! Ensure you are not picking from any areas where there has been harmful chemicals applied (or runoff from chemicals). Assuming that is not the case, it can be pleasurable to create something tasty out of plants that would otherwise cause stress. 

 

If you have the space, creating a food forest could be a very abundant and interesting way to add fruit trees and bushes into your backyard. 

As you switch out plants and add plants to your landscape, invest in ones that are drought tolerant, which you will appreciate in the years ahead. Learn natural fertilizer and composting techniques - I've been really wanting to learn bokashi, a Japanese way of fermenting food waste to use for compost. And, take a foraging class. All of these will make you more resilient and flexible for whatever is thrown your way.