Country Living With Emma

We'll explore the previous 4th turning to see what we can learn about this one.

More letters from Rebecca to her husband who is away in the army during the Civil War. Prepping topics of interest include food storage, illness, and clothing production.

The reacher/grabber is a back saver as well as a tool to keep you off a step stool.

It's my first day back at work. What did I accomplish, and what didn't I accomplish during my break?

This week I'm trying to get stuff done around the property. One of those tasks was to prune the blackberries. Loppers are essential to that task, not to mention upper body strength.

This is a very versatile tool that has an unlimited number of uses! I keep it in my kitchen.

I discovered a new YT channel this weekend, Presenting the Past, dealing with the events of the Revolutionary War. I had never heard of the Battle of Great Bridge which took place in early December and led to the evacuation of Norfolk, VA. There are many lessons we can learn from this event.

Physical objects often represent important events in our lives. In hard times we may not be able to keep those objects. Having a "let it go" mindset may be necessary.

We begin another Texas pioneer, Rebecca Adams. She lived around Fairfield, TX during the Civil War and managed the plantation while he husband and oldest son served in the Confederate army.

This is a great time of year to start thinking about your garden. Here in Texas, it'll be time to start seeds and plant onions in a matter of weeks!

The party went great, even though I didn't get everything on my list done. Everyone had fun, and that was the most important goal.

Tool of the Week: Fitness Tracker
Last week, our Tool of the Week was you. If we are the most important tool, then it stands to reason that we should take care of ourselves. A fitness tracker is a great way to do that.

This week's episode features Silvia King, who came to Texas as an enslaved person. She was interviewed in 1936 as part of The New Deal WPA Writers Project.

This episode is more about mindset. How can we prepare ourselves for difficult times when the current generation has only known good times?

This week's tools are various repair kits I used to repair some items that I can't replace at this time. It significantly improved the appearance of those items without the hassle and expense of replacement.

Rustoleum Tub & Tile Chip Repair Kit

Grout Pen

As our world becomes more unstable, hospitality becomes more important. However, there is a fundamental difference between entertaining and hospitality.

Balancing work, prepping, AND hospitality. Whew! That's a lot! Can we do it all?

We finish up Mathilda Wagner and see if her life got better in adulthood.

Seed vaults are sometimes included in the lists of things we need to have to be prepared. However, generic seed vaults won't be much help if we really need to live off only what we can grow.

A Facebook prepper group was asked, 'What is your most important tool?" A significant number answered that THEY were the most important tool. Do you agree?

I keep getting reminded about the importance of hospitality. If we are indeed facing challenging times ahead, the relationships we form now will be vital then.

I am constantly amazed at the similarities between today's headlines and those of the last Fourth Turning. We're exploring what was going on in the world on November 21, 1938. 

New York Times 11-21-1938

MonkeyWerx

Mathilda describes life on the frontier in general and her life as a child in particular. When her mother died and her father remarried, she was sent to San Antonio to work for another family.

Many times we hear about preppers getting ready for then end of civilization. The most likely events are mundane things like a plumbing leak. If I'm prepared for a normal emergency, then I'm not likely to be able to handle a more catastrophic one.

A stand mixer is a handy device. There are a large number of attachments that make it even more handy.

Making a list and checking it twice! There's lots to do to get the house ready for a party. Is prepping for a party really prepping? It could be.

None of us are completely self sufficient, but we can produce something. As my father used to say, "everything you know how to do is one less thing you have to pay to have done."

If you are learning to sew and need to purchase a sewing machine, I highly recommend watching the following video. He gives some great advice. 

Best Sewing Machines Under $500

Mathilda was born in Texas to German immigrants in the Fredericksburg area. Her journal details the hardships that the early settlers experienced, including the children. 

The first "executive mansion" of the president of Texas

This is the second part of the list of tools that are good to have in a basic setting kit. Before it's a link to the needle puller I described. It also has a thread cutter. 

Needle Puller

What kind of items should be in a basic sewing kit? Several people stopped by my station at the living history event last weekend who were curious about learning to sew. That prompted me to consider what should be included in a basic sewing kit. I thought I could do this in one episode, maybe not. 

Bernadette Banner:
Sewing in the Apocalypse

Book:
Make, Sew, and Mend

Lots of things are going on this fall! Let's catch up on the work trip to the city, the living history event, and what I harvested this weekend.

In this episode, we finish Ann's journal. Her story is different from the others we've read, but we can still learn from her experiences.

Friday is usually a catch up day of what I hope to get accomplished over the weekend. There's always a lot going on out here in the country!

Ann gets married and leaves Brazoria for her husband's plantation.

The beginning of the last century's 4th turning was officially October 29, 1929, when the stock market crashed. Economic problems only exacerbate other problems, like natural disasters. It's important to prepare as best we can for these challenging times.

The lowly nutcracker is a simple tool, but it makes a big difference!

The leading cause of death from injuries for seniors is falling. I'll share my own experience with falling and what I plan to do to fall less.

First installment of Ann Raney Thomas Coleman's journal.

I wanted a small portable project that I could work on during downtime at a work trio. I chose a fingerless glove pattern that I can wear when I'm demonstrating hand quilting at a heritage event next month. Here are links to the kit containing 11 sets of double-pointed knitting needles and a host of other knitting tools. It's definitely worth the $18.99 price tag!

Double-pointed knitting needle kit

Fingerless Mits Pattern on Etsy

The low this morning was 50° F this morning. Fall might actually have arrived in Texas. What kind of winter can we expect?

We continue to hear from people who are supposed to be knowledgeable that the Chinese are in not only the grid, but all types of utilities and services. Are we prepared for that?

We finish up with Mary Wightman Helm today and discuss a topic that is as old as mankind itself.

For years, we have compiled recipes in what we refer to as "The House Cookbook". Some recipes are printed, some are torn from magazines, and some of the really old ones are handwritten. 

Imperial Pure Cane Sugar has taken the old cookbooks down from their site. I will post the actual recipe on a later description.

This is a great tool if you need to pick fruit from high branches. 

Telescoping Fruit Picker Basket

An Apartment For Peggy

I've talked about what are now referred to as "granny hobbies" before. Now there's evidence that they have cognitive benefits. 

https://www.snapdragonlife.com/news/blog/the-neuroscience-of-making-why-your-hands-matter-more-than-you-think/

First part of the writing of Mary Wightman Helm, who came to Texas with her first husband six years after Mary Rabb. They would have been there at the same time. I would love to know if they ever met.

Thursday, I took a trip to Houston to attend the Houston International Quilt Show. I had a great time! I'll share what I liked best and what I wished was there.

This is s great tool to deter pests, especially rodents. 

Ultrasonic Pest Repeller

A discussion of the dichotomy of prepping and hospitality and the importance of balance. 

Hack of the Week: Making Mayonnaise

 Ingredients
1 large egg, at room temperature1 cup neutral-flavored oil (light olive, avocado, or grapeseed)1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar1 tsp salt1/2 tsp dry mustard Instructions
Combine ingredients. Add the egg, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and dry mustard to a jar that is just wide enough for your immersion blender.Add the oil. Pour the cup of oil over the other ingredients and let it settle for a minute.Start blending. Place the head of the...

Weekend plans and getting ready for future big events. Fall is a busy time! What are you doing this weekend?

Take a Cold Tater and Wait

We finish up the adventures of Mary Rabb and her family in the 1820s & 1830s as they build a life in Texas. 

Baby Boomers are familiar with the Civil Defense Agency. In school, we did "duck and cover" and watched many films on what to do in case of emergencies. However, "Civil Defense" is no longer a thing, and FEMA took its place. Was that a good thing? Use your own judgement on that one.

This is a great tool for processing and preserving apples!

Apples Peeler & Corer

In the digital age, it's important to have some things in hard copy. 
The Bible is one of them.

PBS Nova Series "In the Event of Catastrophe

It's Friday, so I thought I'd give an update on what I have going on. Also, I'm going to briefly discuss why it's important to be grateful for the people who came before us. I researched the price of land in the area where Mary Rabb and her family settled. The cost is about $10,000 per acre. That would make the "league and a labor" worth over $46 million today.

This is the story of Mary Crownover Rabb's journey to Texas in the 1820s.

I couldn't find what I think Mary's saddle would have looked like, but this might be close.


Insect repellant: Picaridin

I use these with sewing, but they have a thousand uses!

Offset Screwdriver

Telescoping Magnet

Kitchen Utensils - Cosmopolitan Cornbread

Anytime a big event happens, especially if it's a bad thing, the conspiracy theories run rampant. Is that always the answer?

This is the last chapter in Mary's memoirs, and she gives us a quick history of how her family fared through the Civil War. Needless to say, it's eerily similar to our own time.

Where are we in the current 4th Turning? The headlines from 1938 sure sound similar today!

There's no link for this one, but you can find them on eBay.

The news has been hard this week. It's not always easy to know what to do.

This is the next-to-last chapter of Mary's diary. She covers a lot of time in this chapter, but there is still many things we can use to help us learn to live in hard times.

The playlist linked below is a collaborative playlist produced by multiple prepper channels on YouTube. There is some really good information in these videos.

30 Days of Preparedness

My favorite feature of this ladder is the narrow profile when it is folded. It's only 1.5" wide!

I haven't had a major social event at my house since COVID. That's about to change. Are prepping and exhibiting hospitality in conflict with one another?

How have people in the past made do in hard times?

Mary and her family move back to San Antonio, but tragedy follows them there.

This monthly publication that I receive as a member of a Texas electrical cooperative has some great prepping info!

Texas Coop Power

I literally use this ALL the time!

Here's a double-decker one!

Foldable Wagon

It's 88 degrees in Texas in August. It sure makes getting things done in the property easier!

It's the 20-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The most important thing to remember: No one is coming to save you.

Mary and the Maverick brood move to the coast.

There are challenging circumstances throughout our lives. How we react to those circumstances makes all the difference.

Dare to Lead

Etekcity Infrared Laser Thermometer

I confess, there are NO organization genes in my DNA. This is about how I found my quilting thimble in my headband drawer of my dressing table!

Is Prepping useful even if the Apocalypse doesn't happen?

Mary sets up housekeeping on the Colorado across from LA Grange while her husband is a prisoner in Mexico. The 8 doubloons he sends her is worth about $14,000 today.

Good, bad, or otherwise, AI is here to stay. As with all technological advances, we can't stop it so we're going to have to learn to use it and live with it.

A dishcloth might not be what you imagine when you think "tool", but I use mine every day. Believe it or not, using a hand-knit one makes a huge difference!

Bias Knit Cotton Dishcloth Pattern

Note: I knit mine to 49 stitches, which is quite a bit smaller than the one in this pattern, but I like the size.

We think of recycling as a modern concept. However, our ancestors did it long before it was cool. Using cotton feed sacks was one of those.

The Mexican Army arrives in San Antonio and captures the city.

How can we recognize homestead burnout, and how can we deal with it.

We had a short power outage yesterday, and while I didn't have to use it, the Jackery power station is a great tool for charging electronics and running small devices.

Jackery Power Station

I did a little research surfing tracing the first owner of my treadle machine.

Looking back at the news headlines of the first week of August in 1938. There sure are a lot of similarities.

Mary has to bug out due to a rumored invasion by the Mexican army.

I've heard multiple content creators in the last week say that they have a bad feeling about something that is coming. Spoiler alert: I'm not one of them, but I can see the signs.

These adjustable shelves have really expanded my storage for home canning:

15.5 to 25.5 Inch Expandable Kitchen Cabinet Organizer Shelf, 2 Pack 30 LBS Heavy Duty Adjustable Kitchen Counter Storage Shelves Organizers,Stackable Small Storage Shelf Rack For Cabinet Cupboard

This grabber makes it so much easier to reach jars at the back of my deep cabinets:

RMS 2-Pack 34 Inch and 21 Inch Grabber Reacher with Rotating Jaw - Mobility Aid Reaching Assist Tool

There's been such a brouhaha lately about image and who should advertise what. Seriously, we have more important things to concern ourselves with currently than that!

Finally, a chapter without a Comanche raid!

How did the process of canning get started? Go down the rabbit hole with me to see how it has evolved over time.

National Center for Home Food Preservation

What will people say about us when we're gone?

Mary is still recounting tales of the Comanches.

The harnessing of electricity changed the human experience in fundamental ways. We should be continually thankful for it.

I finally got my garden seat assembled. This is a review of the assembly process and how it works.

Vevor Rolling Garden Seat

What are my plans for the weekend? Listen and see what's happening on the property.

Water is one of the cornerstones of prepping. How much thought do you give to your access to water?

We had a canning crisis this weekend when we couldn't find a tiny but necessary piece of the pressure canner.

Is it cheaper to grow your own produce or buy it at a farmers market?