Regardless, time is short. Not just for prepping, but with life. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow when I'm crossing the street. I could get diagnosed with cancer and given 3 months to live. I could simply keel over because the Big G has decided it's my time to go.
Knowing that time is short, how do we spend our time?
There's an argument for spending it with the people we love, of course. Give our families, friends and other loved ones as much attention as we can, because it might be the last day we spend with them.
From a prepper standpoint, time should be spent acquiring goods and learning skills before it's too late.
I've decided to try and meld the two philosophies. I want to learn some new skills and spend time with my family. As a result, here are a few things I've come up with:
- Regular Hikes: I've mentioned this before, but it never came to fruition. Regular hikes with Hubby and the kids will help prepare us for any bug-out situation. It'll also give us some quality family time.
- Skill-Building: I've decided to add a survivalist component to my homeschooling curriculum. Each week we'll learn an age-appropriate survival skill, like tying a knot or filtering water.
- Cooking: As I've mentioned, I'm a crappy cook. But since food after shit+fan is likely to be scarce and limited, I should probably do what I can to improve in the kitchen. This serves three purposes: better meals post-zombies, better meals now (which I am sure Hubby will appreciate), and an opportunity to teach my kids the basics in the kitchen.
Any other suggestions for ways to meld prepping and time with the family?
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3 comments:
Go on a real camp-out and try cooking over an open fire with a Dutch oven.
Try a no-electronics evening; no TV, no VCR, no cable, no Wii. Spend the evening playing games and reading.
Take the hiking one step further and pick up a nature book. Learn to identify wild edibles and wildlife.
Learn a skill and make homemade Christmas presents. Knit some dishcloths or make a quilted hotpad or something.
Take the family to the shooting range. Seriously. My daughter went when she was 5 and loved it. Begged to shoot a handgun.
Learn how to sprout seeds. My kids find it fascinating to put seeds in a jar with some water and 3 days later they're plants (and edible.)
Do you like antiquing? Lots of survival stuff can be found at antique shows and flea markets. Oil lamps. Cast iron. Old tools. Gardening implements. And it's fun to watch other people at antique shows.
Try to find some local harvest festivals...many of them have old-timey displays and classes; like how to can, how to make sorghum, how to quilt, how to save seeds. And it's fun to watch other people :)
Involve the family in gardening, canning, gleaning. Last night we did some scavenging in my cousin's field and it was a race to see who could fill their basket with tomatoes first.
Anyone interested in hunting? Take a hunting safety course and see what you can catch.
And practice, practice, practice cooking. Learn a few of the basics; like how to steam veggies, how to make a basic white sauce, how to roast meat, find a really basic quick bread recipe. Once you learn the basics, cooking is much simpler.
I think your idea's are good ones and just loved Andrea's list.
Can I ask, (feel free to do a post on it, raither then answer in comments) what is it about cooking that is a issue.
I was raised in a cooking family, worked in the kitchens and was the head cook in a number over the years, not to meantion catering etc
I would love to give a helping hand if I could on this?
I'm with farmgal - I've given cooking lessons before and I'd be glad to help if I can.
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