This new study of 1930s brings calm to our home and it inspires us to think about how much we have that we really did not need. Many of our history studies have brought calm in certain ways, and some have been quite challenging but this one mostly has challenged Charles and I to use less of most everything.
The first part of the 1930s that we started in 2023 we had the challenges of learning who had electricity and running water and who did not. We understood that it depended on where they lived, city or rural, in a city or a small town. Now we understand a new fact, which is that even if they did have it, many could not afford it and lost their services.
What about today? What if we cannot afford it? We do like they did and live without it. It is up to us to fix our problems and rely on ourselves so we need to know how to prepare before it could happen.
Today we have many reasons that we might not have electricity or water and one big reason today is because of storms but the economy could get worse.
Over the years, Charles and I have been putting in place items that can make us comfortable when the power is out. Right now we are at the beginning of Hurricane season and we know that it is time to check our supplies.
The week before last I brought up our solar bulbs and last week we added rechargeable candles. I have real candles and battery candles but batteries are expensive and candles cost more as well. When I found rechargeable candles, Charles agreed that we should get some and so we did.
What we learned is that we love the lower light in the evening and especially in the morning. It gives us just enough light to get around safely and it feels softer and easier to adjust after sleeping in the morning. We turn on one or two solar light bulbs when we need more light.
We also added four under the counter rechargeable lights in the kitchen so when we walk to the kitchen counter they will turn on in the area that we are in and go off shortly after we leave that area. These are rechargeable as well.
At this time all of our lighting that we are using is from rechargeable lights that we charge using our small solar generator. This is something that we have purchased slowly over time, we had to start somewhere and I am glad that we did.
Since we cannot afford a full solar system for our house we are finding other ways. We do not want a large gasoline generator because during storm damage gasoline has been in short supply.
These rechargeable and solar items were not in the 1930s but in the past they used candles, kerosene lanterns and oil lamps and much too often had fires. They also had gas lighting. We feel safer using what we are using and it resembles what they used.
Many things are very unsettling today and we do not know what direction some of our more serious issues will take us. A Great Depression did happen and it can happen again.
In the past there were more small farms and in some ways they were better off than we are now because we are more dependent on living this modern life and no longer have the tools and skills that they had then.
This weeks great depression meal from Clara's Great Depression cooking was her Steak, lentils, rice and salad. She also had bread with it. The color in this picture makes the meat look awful but it was not. We did enjoy this meal.
The steak was very thin as it was for Clara.
What made it so tasty is that she soaked the steak in lemon juice, olive oil and pepper. I think the lemon made it more tender than it would have been without it.
We are harvesting a little more from the garden. The beans, cucumbers and zucchini. Not many and not every day but it is picking up. We still have a bee problem but we have seen three bees and they are very busy. This is very concerning that we are not getting bees to our garden.
I had some pictures to show you but I am having problems with my phone where the pictures are on. I will have to go back to using my camera. I had to text these pictures I am using today to Charles phone so he could email them to my computer and it was getting complicated.
I have something exciting to help us with the grocery budget that I will share in my next blog post. I hope I can get my picture doings fixed between now and then.
Have any of you made any changes lately? Please let us know up in the forum what you have learned so far in the things that you are doing differently or have found in your research. Those of you that are not doing the study, have you started any new projects or made any changes? Hope to hear from you.
Grandma Donna
