Comments On Article: Self-sufficiency-where We Are

Grandma Donna, Such a wonderful post and comments today!  One way I save money is by cutting my Keri lotion bottle in half after the pump brings up no more lotion.  There is still a good 3-4 days' worth of lotion left.  I also cut open toothpaste tubes to clean that out.  We use Tom's toothpaste, which runs a little more expensive, so I want to get the most out of it.  As far as getting help sometimes with yard work and such - the other day we had a huge branch, about 25 feet, blow off a tree in our front yard.  My husband and  I are  both disabled and do not own a truck.  I called the City to ask if they had any kind of service to help the elderly or disabled in such a case and they said NO.  I then remembered there is a thing online called Next Door.  I believe this is all over the country.  I put a notice on there explaining that we were disabled seniors and asked if anyone could help.  We received three offers to help, the last a man and his son who is a senior in high school.  They showed up in two trucks.  My husband has a small chainsaw so he got out there and helped cut up the branch and they put the pieces in their trucks.  My husband offered to pay but the guy said they were headed to the dump anyway so it was not necessary.  It showed us there are still caring people in the world and he was teaching his son a valuable lesson.  I went back on Next Door and thanked all those who offered to help and told of the man and his son.  It is my belief Next Door is in every state.  It consists of the people in your own neighborhood.  They post many things for sale or trade or people needing help with something, like us.  It was a godsend for us as the City had given us a "warning" to get rid of the branch.  Thanks for all the good ideas everyone!  Also, the VA has a program that helps vets with lawn care and odds and ends around your home, so if anyone is a Vet, get in touch with them for further information.  

Your loose meat sandwich looks great! This year I’ve started foraging more, but am still very new to it. Adding fresh or (my preferred method is) sautéed dandelion greens to a sandwich like that would be delicious and add good nutrients. 

We just bought a new house last autumn and planned to replace the old clothes line poles before spring, but just haven’t gotten around to it. Your post has motivated me to just have my husband replace the clothesline this weekend. Better to use it than wait for the perfect clothesline.