<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?><rss xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" version="2.0"><channel><title>Nafella - NafLogger</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/</link><description>Set up many smarter social sharing networks with different privacy levels and personalized profiles</description><language>en-US</language><copyright>Refer Terms of use in the website www.nafella.com.</copyright><category>NafNotes</category><image><url><![CDATA[http://www.nafella.com/classifieds/images/homeLogo_Nafella.gif]]></url><title><![CDATA[Nafella - NafLogger]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.nafella.com/]]></link></image><item><title>Learning about money from the developing world</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Learning_about_money_from_the_developing_world</link><description><![CDATA[
I’m reading  Portfolios of the Poor: How the World's Poor Live on $2 a Day  by Daryl Collins,  Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford and Orlanda Ruthven.  The book stresses that the very poor face three hardships when it comes to money management: low income, irregular income, and lack of financial instruments that meet their needs. Yet, in the face of this, they still manage to create a number of systems that, while by no means ideal, help them to manage their money.   I certainly don’t face th...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Learning_about_money_from_the_developing_world</guid><pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>A Week Without A Fridge: Can You Do It?</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/A_Week_Without_A_Fridge_Can_You_Do_It</link><description><![CDATA[This experiment happened over early spring. I decided to try going a week without the fridge this year.  Did not unplug it. For one, I had 5 gallons of local cider in it, and I was not ready to drink hard cider for breakfast yet. However, I hoped to manage all food and leftover storage sans fridge.  Here is an excerpt from my journal:   Planning :  Tonight we eat the left over onion soup and tomorrow the lentil.  The last bit of Indian okra, my older daughter Didi can take for lunch tomorrow; an...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/A_Week_Without_A_Fridge_Can_You_Do_It</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Independence Days, Once More</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Independence_Days_Once_More</link><description><![CDATA[
When I started writing my adventures, I was inspired by the idea of doing something every day to make myself, my family, and my community a little less dependent on systems I no longer had much faith in.  A few months ago, I gave an update. And here we are, half way through 2009 – and counting.  So, here is a list of the things I've been doing in my move towards independence.  Perhaps, it will help you to get to freedom too.    Planting :  What haven’t I planted? Spuds, of course, an early cro...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Independence_Days_Once_More</guid><pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:26:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>What do We Need a Family for?</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/What_do_We_Need_a_Family_for</link><description><![CDATA[I thought I needed a family because I wanted children to love and read with, and share good times and bad.  I had a family already, but it consisted of grown ups and nieces and nephews (whom I loved dearly) but it wasn’t the same.  So I had a family, like thousands of others, by adopting a child.   People make families with or without benefit of clergy or government approval. Others when they make a commitment to help parent their partner’s children.  And then there are those who create a family...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/What_do_We_Need_a_Family_for</guid><pubDate>Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:34:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds goes Sledding in Spring</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_goes_Sledding_in_Spring</link><description><![CDATA[  I think one of the most under-rated tools in the gardener’s garage or basement is the kids’ sled. Not the Rosebud sort with runners, but the one piece  plastic thing  that looks a bit like a toboggan.         Mine don't look much like that, not only are they orange and lack brakes, but they have chords for pulling. One is long, made of thinnish plastic, about 5 feet long, and no turn up in the front. The other one is much sturdier and has walls (about 10 inches high) around a pit that’s 2’ x 3...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_goes_Sledding_in_Spring</guid><pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2009 18:33:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>We Are Complete Nutters!</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/We_Are_Complete_Nutters</link><description><![CDATA[ A few days ago, by happy coincidence, I had a day off from work, my older daughter had a day off from school, while my younger daughter had school.    When I asked my daughter what she’d like to do, she suggested biking to a grocery store, a few miles away that was going out of business and looking for bargains among the sale items. When we bike with my younger daughter, she rides a bike trail behind me. Because she wasn’t with us, I was able to hook up her old bike trailer, and off we set.    ...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/We_Are_Complete_Nutters</guid><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 21:03:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds just can&#8217;t get it together</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_just_cant_get_it_together</link><description><![CDATA[ Well, after my last depressing post, I ought to follow up with something really happy and positive. Trouble is, I can’t think of anything.    Sure, my children have done their share of cute things, and the greens have sprouted, the cabbages have transplanted well. I still have my job. There have been no more insurances cut-backs. No more of my teeth have fallen out, or had to be pulled.    And I’m certain that if anything bad were to happen to us, I’d feel the pain. But right now, I seem pretty...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_just_cant_get_it_together</guid><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:05:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds is Depressed</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_is_Depressed</link><description><![CDATA[I had a recent encounter with a father when we were thrown together by a common interest two of our respective children share.  He was expecting to loose in job in the next thirty days, and had taken a day off to consult with a career development person. I didn’t really understand what he did in the world of finance, but it involved something to do with financial instruments and what was happening to a certain foreign market, but he said he wasn’t an analyst, when I asked about that. It was also...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_is_Depressed</guid><pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:22:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds Gets Her Hands Dirty</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_Gets_Her_Hands_Dirty</link><description><![CDATA[  Yep. It’s that time of year, when I finally put the seed catalogs and garden plans aside, and start digging.    Lots of people have written posts, published and otherwise disseminated wonderful information telling how to garden, right down to the micro-climate between someone's garage and the driveway fence. I rely on those books and other guides to the point where I don’t think I can advise you on what to plant (other than spuds) or how to plant them.    So, I’ll tell you why I garden.  Part ...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_Gets_Her_Hands_Dirty</guid><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:12:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>How Things Work in Spuds' Home...</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/How_Things_Work_in_Spuds_Home</link><description><![CDATA[
   And elsewhere and how we keep major (and minor) appliances out of the landfill and avoid buying new ones, thus, not contributing doubly to the recession (or is it depression?) but keeping ourselves out of debt and our emissions lower) or... How to entitle your post to resemble a 18 century novel, so disguising the fact it is a very short post.    But, really, this is about how things work or don't, in my house:    1)  The water temperature selector on the washing machine is broken. It's stu...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/How_Things_Work_in_Spuds_Home</guid><pubDate>Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:51:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>.Spuds and the little things that count</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_and_the_little_things_that_count</link><description><![CDATA[
  Sometimes it is the little things that count   The other day I was dropping my younger daughter at school. We go there early, with about 20 minutes to wait in the car. I had brought beads for her to string as entertainment and was, of course, knitting.  A car pulled up behind, and the driver go out and came over. She had to take her son to a doctor's appointment. Could her daughter wait with us?   It was no trouble for me. The two little girls sat in the back seat, making bracelets and chatt...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_and_the_little_things_that_count</guid><pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:52:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Let&#8217;s go for a drive with Spuds</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Lets_go_for_a_drive_with_Spuds</link><description><![CDATA[I sometimes read bits in women's magazine about people’s cars – how they have them set up to run real estate empires or manage three traveling teams in three different sports – and I wonder what I’m doing wrong.   This is how my car is set up. (It’s a 95 Ford Hatchback of some sort – I don’t remember exactly what. It’s grey and has a number plate that if you read backwards sounds slightly obscene).   In the glove box I have the usual necessary papers, shoved in every which way, from the year I g...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Lets_go_for_a_drive_with_Spuds</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:36:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Darn those Jeans</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Darn_those_Jeans</link><description><![CDATA[
    I was going to write about darning socks. Googling how to darn socks brought up lots of good results, including this video.  The mender is using contrasting yarn so it will show. You want to find something (wool, embroidery floss, even cotton, that matches or tones.) However, they all seem to require a sock egg, which I've never used.  So, I'm just going to make a few remarks and go on to jeans.   1) You can darn perfectly well without an egg, you just need to make an open circle with the ...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Darn_those_Jeans</guid><pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:49:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds Off the Cuff</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_Off_the_Cuff</link><description><![CDATA[
    If you are trying to save money by repairing clothing (or if we've reached the point where new clothing is hard to come by) sooner or later you may want to know how to turn collars and cuffs.   This is one of those things that I can do almost with my eyes closed, but can't describe. So here is a link to  The Everything Sewing  book. And one to  Principles and Practice of Needlework and Dressmaking   You may need to scroll a little up and down on these links, but only a line or too.   And y...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_Off_the_Cuff</guid><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:06:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds saves the world by sewing</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_saves_the_world_by_sewing</link><description><![CDATA[Ah, if only it were that easy.   Actually, Spuds just saved her aura of professionalism by buying a new pair of trousers before her all purpose wear to work black ones became ventilated behind. A spot of dress making I don’t mind – but tailoring is beyond me.  But while it may not save the world, perhaps it can help ease your budget. I won’t rehash (for too long) all the advice about taking off your nice clothes when you get home (apparently putting on old and grungy ones is optional) and spot t...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_saves_the_world_by_sewing</guid><pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:07:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Independence Days Redux</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Independence_Days_Redux</link><description><![CDATA[
When I started writing my adventures, I was inspired by the idea of doing something every day to make myself, my family, and my community a little less dependent on systems I no longer had much faith in.   Now, with the new year underway, I thought I’d take stock of what I’ve done and what I can still do. These categories are taken from Sharon Astyk’s  blog   and I’ve played a bit fast and loose with some of them.     Plant something  At this point, I’m not planting anything. If my family were...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Independence_Days_Redux</guid><pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:49:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds' New Year Resolutions</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_New_Year_Resolutions</link><description><![CDATA[ I know it’s a little early, but it's never too early to start thinking about next year's resolutions!  Here is my list:    1) Stay hopeful.   2) Eat less – at least the bad stuff.   3) Finish all my knitting and sewing projects before starting any new ones. This I may actually do.   4) Mend all the holey socks that are waiting, and then get to the rest of the clothes.   5) Give away all the toys that are no longer loved or played with.   6) Get to know at least three more families within walkin...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_New_Year_Resolutions</guid><pubDate>Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:32:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds suddenly realizes Christmas is coming!</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_suddenly_realizes_Christmas_is_coming</link><description><![CDATA[
  I knew it was on the way, I knew that it was getting close…I just didn't realize that I have 10 days (including today and Christmas Eve) to get ready.   This morning, I finally admitted I had to start getting years because my elder daughter reminded me that we have to bake a Simnel cake for her Winter Ethnic Party. (I'm all for non-religious winter parties at school, but when you call them ethnic, and then ask you to bring in a traditional holiday food – and keep in mind the school's policy ...]]></description><category>Inner Space</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_suddenly_realizes_Christmas_is_coming</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:07:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Let&#8217;s get ready for Winter with Spuds &#8211; or not</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Lets_get_ready_for_Winter_with_Spuds_or_not</link><description><![CDATA[ 
   
 So far, my concession to winter in my thermostat set at 62 house, has consisted of putting the girls’ summer clothing in boxes that are still piled on the floor to make room for their winter clothes in their dressers; digging out there winter blankets; piling my winter clothing on my floor because I haven’t put away my summer things; and rather that storming the attic to get my winter blankets, sleeping under a child’s sleeping bag that never got put away last year. 
 I did replace the...]]></description><category>Inner Space</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Lets_get_ready_for_Winter_with_Spuds_or_not</guid><pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:31:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds and Freecycle: Snapshots of America</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_and_Freecycle_Snapshots_of_America</link><description><![CDATA[
I love Freecycle. It's a great way to get rid of stuff I don't want. It's great way to get stuff I do want. And there is nothing like the thrill of seeing that someone is looking for a twin bed frame when you have kept one in your basement for 17 years, just because someday, someone would need it.  Recently, I found that Freecycle is a giving me snapshots of what's happening in peoples' lives as the economy's tailspin gets tighter. At first there were more and more requests for bedroom furnitu...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_and_Freecycle_Snapshots_of_America</guid><pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:05:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>The Last Step In a Bare Bones Useful Food Storage Plan</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/The_Last_Step_In_a_Bare_Bones_Useful_Food_Storage_Plan</link><description><![CDATA[
If you've been following my  bare bones minimal food storage plan  so far, you should have stored an entire month's food supply on hand and included them in your normal food regime.    From hereon, I would want us to add foods that will add interest. Personally, I would next  add raisins and dry skim milk (good for rolled oats too), a few herbs and spices in addition to salt and pepper  - maybe oregano, cumin, and chili powder for the beans, cinnamon for the oat; and brown sugar for the oats a...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/The_Last_Step_In_a_Bare_Bones_Useful_Food_Storage_Plan</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:27:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Bare bones Minimalist Useful Food Storage Plan</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Bare_bones_Minimalist_Useful_Food_Storage_Plan</link><description><![CDATA[
        Now what  other foods  do I recommend you start buying for the bare bones minimal, cheapest possible, useful food storage?   I recommend that you buy plain canned beans.  There are many kinds, with approximately the same food values, and they all cost about the same.  If you live alone I suggest you buy the small cans of beans - approximately 16 oz per can.  There are black, kidney, white, pinto beans and many, many varieties. In normal times, you can base dinners on beans - tacos, chi...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Bare_bones_Minimalist_Useful_Food_Storage_Plan</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:53:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Next Steps of A Very Cheap Food Storage Plan</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Next_Steps_of_A_Very_Cheap_Food_Storage_Plan</link><description><![CDATA[
  I'm calling this the ANYWAY, Very Cheap System of Food Storage, because you are going to eat these foods *anyway*.  You're going to eat them as part of your regular diet.  People with more money can store foods that are different from their regular diet.  People with very little money cannot do this.  They must store foods they'll eat anyway…. problems or (hopefully) no problems!  Earlier, you took care of water storage for a month. You also determined that you already have - or you bought -...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Next_Steps_of_A_Very_Cheap_Food_Storage_Plan</guid><pubDate>Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:25:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Working a Very Cheap Food Storage Plan</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Working_a_Very_Cheap_Food_Storage_Plan</link><description><![CDATA[
    If you've followed my  earlier post  on food storage plans on the cheap, here's what my anonymous friend suggests we do for Phase One of your Plan.  Phase One may take you a week; it shouldn’t take more.    1.  A hand-operated can opener.  I think there are people who only have electric can openers (I myself have never had an electric can opener). If you only have an electric can opener, then please buy a hand-operated can opener the first week.  It can be a cheap one, but a more expensive...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Working_a_Very_Cheap_Food_Storage_Plan</guid><pubDate>Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:27:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>A Very Cheap Food Storage Plan</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/A_Very_Cheap_Food_Storage_Plan</link><description><![CDATA[
    This is the first part of a very long, but very good post from a friend who wishes to remain anonymous who wrote a food storage plan on the cheap. She has long experiences in this, and I trust her.   I’ve spent the last couple of week trying to work out a cheap, quick food storage plan that works even when there is no power. Imagine my surprise when a little mouse gave me the answer as I was reading about the proteins in cockroaches and heard a tiny cough.  "Is someone there?" I called.  "...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/A_Very_Cheap_Food_Storage_Plan</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:28:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds decides who is at fault &#8211; or not.</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_decides_who_is_at_fault_or_not</link><description><![CDATA[
I was casting about for someone to blame Great Depression II on, and there is no shortage of candidates. In course of this I got into a rather heated discussion with one of my brothers (it involved a nasty digression over the fact he never apologized for peeing in my waste paper basket some 40 years ago, but by and large we stayed on topic) over whose political party could be held most culpable.  After it was over, and we’d made up (except for the waste paper basket issue) I realized that I co...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_decides_who_is_at_fault_or_not</guid><pubDate>Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:27:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Why Spuds is perversely hopeful</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Why_Spuds_is_perversely_hopeful</link><description><![CDATA[
The financial news from where I sit doesn’t seem any better, only worse. And while I’m still worried, I find that after a week of worrying, I’m not without hope.   Suddenly, a lot of people seem to be “getting it.” Now, it would be nicer if it turned out to be that I was dead wrong, and there was nothing to get.  But given that I seem, sadly, to be right, the fact that more and more people seem to be awaking up to that fact that it is no longer business as usual, and may stay that way for a go...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Why_Spuds_is_perversely_hopeful</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:22:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Why Spuds is Worried</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Why_Spuds_is_Worried</link><description><![CDATA[
  For the same reasons most of you are, I expect.   The economy seems to be  digging itself in deeper and deeper – the downward spiral seems to have  taken on a life of its own, and beyond any sort of intervention  that we are likely to try.  Gas and oil, despite a lot of volatility  seem likely to rise rapidly again, and while the prices always drops  from the spike, the new low tends to a higher than the new normal.  Halfway through the hurricane season, we've seen a lot of destruction and f...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Why_Spuds_is_Worried</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:25:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds on the art of friendship</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_on_the_art_of_friendship</link><description><![CDATA[   
 Some years ago a friend who lives in New Jersey sent me a mug. It was wrapped in a sheet from a local paper. Addicted as I am to the printed work, I read the sheet while drinking my first cup of tea from the new mug. I still remember one Op-Ed piece in which a man lamented the fact that adults can’t make friends. He and his wife were spending a day in a town known for antiques. Twice they ran into and had long chats with a couple who, over the course of their conversations, he realized liv...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_on_the_art_of_friendship</guid><pubDate>Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:28:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>What's up with Spuds?</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Whats_up_with_Spuds</link><description><![CDATA[ Here, in the twilight of my Zone 6 garden, things are hopping. The new fence is so deer proof it’s not funny. I see their little hoof prints on the outside, and almost feel sorry for them. And I find rabbit scat on the right side of the fence – that is the side without my lovely veg. I have yet to see hide or hair of a groundhog. They must simply be so intimidated by the fence that they have moved upstate.  
 Since the fence went in I’ve planted like a demon. I haven’t harvest anything yet, bu...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Whats_up_with_Spuds</guid><pubDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:19:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds kicks back</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spud_kicks_back</link><description><![CDATA[
 You have realized that that a lot of what happens in Spuds' world is funny. What you may not have grasped is that in between digging potatoes and latrines, I actually have fun. (To be honest, some of the digging is fun, too.)    These are my top ten fun things to do:    1) Read aloud with my children. 2)  Tell stories with my children. 3) Read to myself, all alone. 4) Go for a walk on a cool evening, especially near water, with or without my children – though it is more relaxing to have eithe...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spud_kicks_back</guid><pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:28:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Cooking with Spuds</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Cooking_with_Spuds</link><description><![CDATA[  In the past couple of weeks I’ve dug potatoes. Now, spuds may be one of my passions, but I’m starting to get a bit tired of it, especially as I’ve been putting in a fall garden in the newly enclosed and therefore once “lawn” (read crabgrass) space. First I dug about 25 lbs to make room for the fence – and replanted that area with the very last 10 lbs of seed potatoes and a few onion sets that had wondered to the back of the garage. (I know they aren’t walking onions because I have some of thos...]]></description><category>Inner Space</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Cooking_with_Spuds</guid><pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:29:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds and the good fence</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_and_the_good_fence</link><description><![CDATA[
 No, I have not stooped to half-inching my friend's solar panels and pass them to a good fence.     Instead, here's a case where a good fence makes good neighbor. The neighbors in question are the deer and groundhogs that infest my neighborhood. Yes, they are cute, the deer at least. But they also wreck havoc on my veg garden if they get a chance. They've even grazed (and I think this is the deer) on the spuds.    When I started gardening here, 15 years ago, it wasn't much of a problem. But fo...]]></description><category>Inner Space</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_and_the_good_fence</guid><pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:10:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>1, 2, skip a few, 99, 100</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/1_2_skip_a_few_99_100</link><description><![CDATA[  1, 2, skip a few, 99, 100 Not much to add here… 
 75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase 76. Reading glasses  If you can, get an extra pair of prescription glasses on your insurance, might as well do it now. 77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers) Teas from herbs you grow (such as mint) are nice 78. "Survival-in-a-Can" 79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens . Learn to knit. 80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog 81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO) Look i...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/1_2_skip_a_few_99_100</guid><pubDate>Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:13:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>You can lead Spuds to water</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/You_can_lead_Spuds_to_water</link><description><![CDATA[   
  I’ve touched on water conservation in Spuds and Suds by mentioning how often we bathe (or don’t), flush, and wash our clothes. But there are other aspects to water conservation. I can’t imagine that people haven’t heard about turning off the tap while they brush their teeth or wash their hands. And we do this and a few other things too. 
 The best thing I ever did was to set up water barrels to catch rainwater from the roof.  I wish I had a video to show you of how not to do this, becaus...]]></description><category>Inner Space</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/You_can_lead_Spuds_to_water</guid><pubDate>Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:48:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Is there no topic Spuds will not tackle?</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Is_there_no_topic_Spuds_will_not_tackle</link><description><![CDATA[The countdown continues.  Since I don’t have much to say here,  I’m looking at the next 20 items. If I put in a link it’s either because I’ve bought something there and was pleased with it, or found the information helpful.  31. Milk - Powdered &amp; Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months) – we don’t drink much milk, so I’m not too worried about this. It might be a good time to wean yourself away from having to have a glass every time you eat certain things.  32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Is_there_no_topic_Spuds_will_not_tackle</guid><pubDate>Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:25:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds Count Down - 3</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_Count_Down_3</link><description><![CDATA[How to survive a Powerdown. The list continues.  I thought I'd go through this list, 10 items at a time, and let you know how I (or friends) have handled each one in anticipation of the inevitable.    For list 1- 20, please refer to my earlier post,  Spuds Counts Down  and  Spuds Counts Down 2 :   21. Cook stoves (Propane, Coleman &amp; Kerosene) – Like I said, I'm going with solar and a rocket stove. A crock pot or  hay box  are also useful l  22. Vitamins -- stock up  23. Propane Cylinder Hand...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_Count_Down_3</guid><pubDate>Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:57:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds Counts Down - 2</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_Counts_Down_2</link><description><![CDATA[I'm not an expert on survival, but I've put some thought (for the last 40 years or so) into preparing for what is sometimes called Powerdown. I thought I'd go through this list, 10 items at a time, and let you know how I (or friends) have handled each one.  For list 1- 10, please refer to my earlier post,  Spuds Counts Down:     11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.)You can also save meat drippings as long as you have cool place to store them.  12. Charcoal, L...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_Counts_Down_2</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:09:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Why Spuds is Happy!</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Why_Spuds_is_Happy</link><description><![CDATA[You’d think with all the gloom and doom I spread around, I’d be a pretty miserable person. Oddly enough, I’m one of the happiest people I know. It may just be that I’m genetically wired that way.  But I have another theory. I think it’s because I have the feeling (or the illusion) that I’m pro-active. I don’t think for a moment that I can control large external events. I don’t think happy thoughts are going to reverse the current economic trend, the fact that we seem to be on the slippery down s...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Why_Spuds_is_Happy</guid><pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:31:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds Counts Down</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_Counts_Down</link><description><![CDATA[
This is a list complied by a Sarajevo War Survivor of 100 things he found vanished first in a  crisis .   I've never had to live through anything like that, but I think if the current economic conditions continue, and we reach the point where gas prices distrupt the production of food and goods, we may find these things vanishing all too quickly.    I'm not an expert on survival, but I've put some thought (for the last 40 years or so) into preparing for what is sometimes called  Powerdown . I ...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_Counts_Down</guid><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:50:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds vs Mad Max</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_vs_Mad_Max</link><description><![CDATA[  I this theory that in the near future (as Great Depression II) comes upon us with all the subtlety of a runaway train, that community will become more and more important. When driving to the grocery store because as costly as a pleasure cruise, it’s nice to having a neighbor you can borrow a cup of beans from. When the cost of new clothes out strips an arthritic, elderly neighbor’s fixed-income, it’s nice to know you can sew buttons on for her.  
 Yet I have been old (mostly by overweight guy...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_vs_Mad_Max</guid><pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:33:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds makes her bed</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_makes_her_bed</link><description><![CDATA[  As you may have gathered, I think we’re all in for a long, hard spell – not only will costs go up and up, but it looks as if supplies of things, not just food, are going to be limited. I’ve noticed the stock in shops is getting thinner and thinner. 
 Now, cold winters, expensive heating oil or natural gas, and suddenly bedding not only very expensive but hard to come by. Doesn’t sound like much fun. And all the talking heads are suggesting turning down the heat at night. To be honest, I like ...]]></description><category>Inner Space</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_makes_her_bed</guid><pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:49:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Traveling Shop Shop</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Traveling_Shop_Shop</link><description><![CDATA[  The traveling shoe shop arrived today, in two cardboard boxes.  My friend, Martha dropped it off as she drove to work. My daughters, a neighbor, and I tipped the boxes out, and started sorting through them. The same single black ballet slipper that has traveled around the neighborhood since the shops inception is still there, in what by now must be a forlorn hope its mate will someday be added.  (We’ve added a rule to the original one – all shoes must have what you estimate to be three month w...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Traveling_Shop_Shop</guid><pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:34:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds and suds</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_and_suds</link><description><![CDATA[  Now, I may be about to alienate some of my more conventional readers. I have a SIL who has her family shower in the morning, bathe in the evening, washes the family’s’ sheets and towels daily, and washes or has dry cleaned just about any garments other than overcoats that have been worn once, no matter for how short a time. I think if she knew how little I washed, she’d flip. But other than chronic, non-infections type diseases, my daughters and I are a healthy, hardly lot, and don’t seem to s...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_and_suds</guid><pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:25:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds and Compost</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_and_Compost</link><description><![CDATA[   If you’re planting a garden, there is nothing like lovely homemade compost to enrich the soil.  If you are hoping to grow vegetable for the table, it’s almost a necessity. And it’s wonderfully easy to make. I’ve just come across a nifty little book, Composting: an easy household guide by Nick Scott, published by Chelsea Green Publishing, (ISBN9781933392745)that I think would answer any questions a novice could have, and offers methods more scientific that my own.  For years, I’ve employed wha...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_and_Compost</guid><pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:37:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spud Knits</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spud_Knits</link><description><![CDATA[   My grandmother, who claims to have been born in the shadow of the Ark (which must have come to rest somewhere in Europe, c. 1900), remembers when knitting garments was part of the way everyone got their clothing. You, or your mother, or sister, or uncle in the Merchant Marine, made your sweaters and stockings and hats and scarves, and even your winter underwear out of soft Merino wool if it could be obtained.  And every time you sat down for a minute, out came the knitting. She nearly died of...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spud_Knits</guid><pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:13:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds in a jam</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_in_a_jam</link><description><![CDATA[ Spuds in a jam     I&#39;ve been making jam for years, using my grandmother&#39;s receipt. Wash, slice and weigh the fruit. Cook it down, add ¼ the weight in sugar, keep boiling until a sample on a saucer looks like jam when it&#39;s cool, and bottle it. In the good old days when we lived in a cold climate and you could just keep them in on the stone panty shelf. Now that I live in the Northeastern US, I process the jars for 15 minutes in a bath of boiling water. There&#39;s lots of good inform...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_in_a_jam</guid><pubDate>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:55:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Spuds on a bike!</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_on_a_bike</link><description><![CDATA[ Spuds on a bike!     One of my favorite blogs is:   FatManOnABike  because he&#39;s so funny -- and because he&#39;s so committed.   When I decided to try to cut my emissions by 90% in an effort to do by bit to slow global warming, climate change, depletion of fossil fuels and, possibly, save the whales, the first thing I thought was cutting back of driving. I should explain that the goal of  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/90PercentReduction/  is to help people cut their emissions to 90% of the ...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Spuds_on_a_bike</guid><pubDate>Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:59:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Who is Spuds?</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Who_is_Spuds</link><description><![CDATA[ Who is Spuds? What is she…    ..that she think the end of the world as we know it is at hand?     Well, it may not be that dramatic, but I think for  a lot of people really big changes are coming – I think for a lot of people who don&#39;t live in the US (and what we call the first wall) the changes are here, and have hit hard as they struggle to cope with rapidly rising food and energy costs.  We see that in headlines about food riots and parents with nothing to feed their children and themsel...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Who_is_Spuds</guid><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:33:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Vicarious chickens</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Vicarious_chickens</link><description><![CDATA[  Vicarious Chickens, or why I never throw anything out.     My friend S. stopped by with her children this afternoon. I was planting not spuds, but onions in the herb bed to deal with an infestation of four line red beetles (or some such pest)  while my 8 year old and an alarming yellow toy pony rejoicing the in name Sunshine shared the porch swing. S. had come to see my water barrel arrangement, whereby I collect water from the roof and water the garden with it. (I have, tucked away, a filter ...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Vicarious_chickens</guid><pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2008 09:25:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>We can do this wheat thing!</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/We_can_do_this_wheat_thing</link><description><![CDATA[       There is a long list of thing I think it&#39;s useful to have on hand in case my dire fears of Depression II (fuelled, so to speak, by rising energy costs and their knock-on effect) come to pass. (Here&#39;s a list of the food related ones   http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/what-do-you-really-need  )                       I don&#39;t have all of them, but I did buy a food mill from Lehman&#39;s (  www.lehmans.com  ). It arrived several month&#39;s ago, but what with one thing and another...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/We_can_do_this_wheat_thing</guid><pubDate>Thu, 22 May 2008 15:55:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Why Spuds?</title><link>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Why_Spuds</link><description><![CDATA[    Why it&#39;s a good time to be independent – and interpedent,  but not dependent                     It&#39;s hard not to be aware that gas prices are rising, and rising, and rising…and with them the cost of heating oil, natural gas and electricity. There are plenty of theories about why this is happening, and plenty of theories about what will happen next. I think when you throw in the results of the housing bubble and the "not normal" economy; it&#39;s not going to be good.                ...]]></description><category>Looking In</category><guid>http://www.nafella.com/naflogger/?Spuds/Why_Spuds</guid><pubDate>Thu, 22 May 2008 09:22:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>