I Can Provide

I stole this blog title from another blog that I read ("Down To Earth"), but the rest of the post is all me.

Anyway, the title really made me think about my life and my role. What can I provide to my family?

I can provide:

* food grown from the garden and canned to eat when it is difficult to leave home
* food that is stockpiled when it is on sale and then stored and used over time
* clothes, blankets, accessories, sewn with my machine
* crocheted clothes, accessories, and dishcloths
* cleaning supplies made from everyday materials
* a clean home
* the ability to create menus and prepare and cook meals
* money, either by teaching preschool and doing daycare; or by returning to my skills in training and technical writing.
* money, from being frugal and following a budget.
* a melody to soothe someone or make them smile
* a hug
* a word to correct an unwanted behavior
* a word to complement a wanted behavior
* more hugs
* prayers
* support
* rhythm to our days
* the opportunity to have a greater flexibility in their learning
* even more hugs
* instruction in what is right and what is wrong
* a good example
* things to build traditions and memories
* a smile, even when I'm not in a good mood.
* being present, even when I don't want to be.
* LOVE

My goal is to be able to live a provident life. To live within my means and to be prepared for the ups and downs of life. To use resources wisely. To avoid debt. To be self-reliant so that I do not need to be dependent on others to provide for mine and my family's needs. Which is a great goal. I want to be able to provide that for them.

But I also want to provide things that are more eternal in nature. I want to provide respect, support, and love to my family.

I also need to remember that although I can do all these things, I don't always do them - some of the temporal and some of the more eternal things. I need to do better.

Another little change

OK, home management isn't really part of provident living, but this is my blog, so I'm going to talk about it on a regular basis. So Tuesday will be Education or Employment Day, and Saturday will be Home Management Day. I'll talk about cleaning, organization, schedules, etc.

OK, time for a little change

I am still going to post stuff about the Simple Family, and basically anything else that I feel like, LOL, but I'm going to put my focus on this blog on talking about Provident Living. Every day, I will post about one of the areas of Provident Living. So from now on, here is the schedule:

Mondays - Health
Tuesday - Education
Wednesday - Home Storage
Thursday - Social and Emotional Strength
Fridays - Resource Management (but Titled Frugal Fridays)
Saturday - Employment
Sunday- Humanitarian Aid

Like I said, I will also throw in posts about whatever I feel like too, and post them whenever I feel like it. Just to keep you on your toes.

More November Lists - In Season Foods and Provident Living

Sorry - I meant to do this last week, and it just totally slipped my mind and now all of a sudden, almost half the month is over.

My goal is to only buy fresh produce that is in season. Some months (like December through March) that gets trickier than others. Also, my kids like to eat bananas and they don't grow well here in Midwest, U.S.A, so there are certain exceptions. But like I said, it is the goal. Next year, I also hope to do more canning so we can eat local fruit and vegetables that were picked when they were in season. particularly during the winter monts. I meant to do canning this year, but didn't have the time or the $$. Another goal to put on my list . . . (Boy that list is getting long! LOL).

I also buy organic foods, but only if they have had high pesticide load. I will put an (O) to the right of a particular food if I buy it organically.

Also, keep in mind that this in-season list is only valid for Midwest U.S.A and your in-season foods may be different. I found this list through the local county extension office's website, so you may want to check with your local county extension to find out the in-season foods in your area.

November In-Season Foods

• Apples (O)
• Bell Peppers (O) (I don't actually buy these. My family does not like peppers, and I do NOT buy food if my family does like it. We have enough food that we do enjoy that I don't waste my money buying food just because it is in season.)
• Garlic
• Greens
• Horseradish
• Onions
• Peas
• Potatoes (O)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Spinach (O)
• Squash

Provident Living - November

• Literacy: Volunteer to read at a local school
• Education: Continue Reading plan
• Career Development: Conduct mock interviews
• Resource Management: Create a digital (document and photo) inventory
• Health and Physical Fitness: Learn about disease prevention
• Social and Emotional Health: Learn about communication
• Food Storage: Week 1 - salt, Week 2 - vitamins, Week 3 - chocolate chips, cocoa, vanilla, Week 4 - oatmeal

Provident Living - A Way Of Life

The wisdom of living providently has been recognized since ancient times. Joseph encouraged the Egyptians to store grain during the seven “fat” years against the lean years to come. From the ancient Greek storyteller, Aesop, comes a fable about the ant and the grasshopper, which illustrates in a very simple way the principle of provident living. In time of plenty, the grasshopper took no thought for what he might need when the winter came. But the ant worked busily, preparing and providing for a time when food would not be so plentiful. The ant could look to the future with confidence, while the grasshopper—if he thought about the future at all—could only hope for the best.

But living providently is more than just putting aside food for future need. It encompasses all areas of life. If we want to face the future with confidence and peace of mind, we must prepare ourselves in six areas: literacy and education, career development, financial and resource management, home production and storage, physical health, and social-emotional and spiritual strength. When we strive to prepare in each of these areas, we can enjoy peace of mind as we face the uncertainties of the future.

This quote is from an article that was published over 20 years ago. It was published when many people thought that it was "radical" to store food or at the very least silly, and a waste of time, space and money. Now it seems like storing food is the new "hip" thing to do.

But this quote says two important things - First, we need to store during times of plenty so that we aren't caught unprepared when things change. So hopefully, people have been storing food for the past few years, and aren't trying to start now during this time of high food prices and an uncertain economy. Second, provident living isn't just about storing food. It is a way of life. We need to focus our lives on building skills in many areas, not just food storage, so that we can live a more self-reliant life.

I meet with a small group of women every month. The name of the group is "Women Living Wisely" and we discuss/learn about different things from each of the six areas. We have talked about food storage, but we have also learned about yoga, stress management, ways to increase our creativity, quilt-tying, organization, adult education, and crocheting, just to name a few. I'm still a long way from being self-sufficient, but it has been helpful for me be able to meet with other women and learn from them and take small steps toward that big goal.

Some more September lists (m)

Food Storage Plan for September (Taken from The Idea Door)

Week 1 Sugars: Replenish your supply from canning, also powered and brown sugar
Week 2 Canned chicken.
Week 3 Dry beans, peas, rice, and legumes
Week 4 Sweeteners, Honey, Corn Syrup, Molasses, maple syrup etc

Provident Living things that I'm working on in September:

• Literacy and Education: Continue Reading Plan
• Career Development: Find a mentor in my area of interest
• Resource Managment: Read a book/article about financial planning
• Home Production: Collect extra fuel for gas grill
• Health: Everyone goes to the dentist
• Social-Emotional Strength: Read about parenting

Simplifying My House in September:
Continue working on drawers and cupboards in kitchen