After the youngest guys Field Day, the misses and her friend began canning all the beets we brought home from the farm. It was quite the job but first, back to Field Day. The youngest is really coming into his own as an athlete. He was amazing yesterday in all his events. I’d bet (and not just because he’s my kid) if they picked the top overall athlete, he would have won! If he wasn’t first in an event, he was second. From running to hurdles to the long jump, discuss throw and more. In the hurdles I looked at the misses and asked “can he even jump over one of those”? You see they are full size hurdles and most kids in his class either stepped over them or knocked them down when jumping (or trying to jump) over them. But he gracefully loped over each one like a deer, while running faster than anyone and looking at us and smiling as he was racing! All the parents on the hill watching with us were amazed and laughing with us as he was beating everyone and smiling and kind of waving to us as he was doing so. In the long jump, he jumped 8 feet 6 inches which is pretty darn good for someone his size. Anyhow he had a blast and his older brother, due to his good grades, was out all day helping as a Field Day helper. He was very supportive of his brother and looked out for him the whole day. They really do care for each other, despite the brotherly fights they can get into at home.
Now to the beets. After school, Jen came home with us again and Nick came home with the youngest. The misses headed off to Carrie’s to start on the beets. The kids all played until about 6 when Jen’s mom came to pick her up after work. These days parents need help from time to time and we’re always happy to do so. The boys and I arrived at Carrie’s to find the girls boiling 3 giant stock pots of beets. They were now working on the brine. It contained apple cider vinegar, all spice, black pepper, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon sticks cloves and probably something else I didn’t see. After peeling the boiled beets, they put them in this brine and reboiled them before putting them in the jars. First they strained all the stuff from the juice. Anyhow in the end, they had 18 quart jars filled with great tasting beets all sealed up for storage. Lot’s of work for 9 jars for each family. The cool thing is we know where the food came from, how it was grown (no fertilizer or pesticides) and every single ingredient in it. On top of that, the girls had some much needed experience in what has become a lost art, canning. Not many young people do this these days. I was saying I don’t know how they did this 50 or 100 years ago! Even 20 years ago when they used to put wax or paraffin or whatever it was on top of stuff like jelly. You see you can’t let the jars or anything get contaminated as if germs or bacteria get into the food, I guess you can get sick.
Today we’ll be working around here de-cluttering some more of the mess known as our house. I think tonight we’re supposed to go to some other friends for dinner. I think the misses plan is to keep our social life full to keep her mind off her head. I did talk to our doctor yesterday who called from Vail. He told me not to agree to see any of the doctors their attorney wants her to see on the Request for Independent Medical Examiner, as they are all “insurance whores” in his words. I guess this is all the way this process goes but what a racket. I could write 10 pages on what’s going on but I’ll spare you all. Let’s just say it’s a mess. No one, especially insurance companies, want to ever take responsibility for what they say they’ll do when they take your money, kind of like the government! Ha ha, I slipped that one in on ya, didn’t see that coming I’ll bet.
We have lots to do today. I just had a call from Italy that interrupted me, sorry. (like you knew, ha ha ) Before I go, check out some thoughts below on the future of our country or world. I promise it is not political as far as one side vs. the other, just some musings on our situation in general. I put it here in case any of you want to “opt out” and not read on, but you should!
Do any of you remember the “good old days”, I’ve found myself thinking a lot lately about how things used to be when I was a kid or when my Mom was a kid. Looking at our current state of affairs in our nation and around the world, I have come to the conclusion that the good old days are gone. Anyhow read on if you have the time. As I said, I promise, no politics here.
I wrote this because children being born today, in my opinion, will not be able to look back and remember the near future as “the good old daysâ€. As I write this, the US national debt is at $16.2 trillion with unfunded liabilities of $123.3 trillion. With Uncle Ben’s (Ben Bernanke, not the wild rice guy!) QE3 promising to print fiat money perpetually can there be any doubt that the days of the US dollar being the world currency are numbered. Everyone reading this article owes $442,881 of the nation’s debt and liabilities. If your children or grandchildren can’t read yet, please tell them that they also owe $442,881 as well and thank them for supporting our wasteful spending that got us to this point. Source:  http://usadebtclock.com/, in case you don’t believe me!
But don’t worry, there are elections coming. Surely the American public can see the dire straits our nation is in and elect leaders who can recognize and deal with the nation’s problems and bring us back to becoming a nation of producers instead of consumers, right? Leaders will be elected who will make the extreme sacrifices necessary to bring forth a United States where the outstretched hands of the masses will be filled with charitable donations from a robust society instead of being empty, waiting for them to be stuffed with their entitlement from the government, all the while feeling as though they earned it because they stand unproductively on dirt within our border.
I have to apologize for the last paragraph; I have always wondered what it would feel like to write fiction. The hard cold reality is that there is no possible orderly way out of the financial mess our society is in and the above mentioned story was probably the last thing made in the USA. To break it down simply, here are some simple and easy to understand economical facts:
- You need to produce more than you consume or you are broke.
- You cannot pay off a credit card with a credit card without consequences.
- There is no possible way the nation’s debts and unfunded liabilities will ever be paid.
Currently, the Federal Reserve purchases the vast majority of the US Debt. There simply aren’t many buyers left who believe it to be a sound investment anymore. In 2011, congress waited until the last minute to raise the debt ceiling after much political wrangling back and forth. Was there ever any doubt by anyone that it would happen? Is there any doubt that it will happen again? What happens when it hits $50 trillion? As long as we have the ability to continue to print more money to fund our yearly deficit and make payments on the interest of existing debt, it will continue. As it continues, the US dollar will continue to be worth less and less. Commodities such as food, gas and all physical goods purchased will get more and more expensive, leaving less and less purchasing power for the American people.
You don’t have to be Nostradamus to predict that we are on the cusp of a major financial collapse. I’m not only talking about the United States, I’m talking about the world. The can has been kicked down the road almost as far as it can be kicked and we just passed a dead end sign. We will soon see massive inflation or hyperinflation, riots in the streets as we have seen around the world and as I have heard stated many times, people with nothing left to lose will lose it.
So what can we do? The answer can be summed up in one word. Prepare. Prepare or “get ready” as though it may happen tomorrow. Prepare as though your life and the lives of your loved ones depend on it, because it does and they do. Start exercising and working out to prepare your body for the tough times coming. Prepare yourself mentally so that when it “hits the fan” you don’t find yourself in the panicked state that 95% of the public will be in. Prepare to be warm when it is cold outside or cool when it is hot outside. Prepare a plan of what you and your family will do at different levels of collapse. Prepare to eat when grocery store shelves are bare. Prepare to drink when the tap fails to deliver water. Prepare for what to do when your neighbors or family or friends show up at your doorstep because they were too busy watching television. Prepare to defend what needs to be defended. Prepare prepare prepare. If your not going to do so, let us know so we’re not surprised when you show up at our door!
Realize that at this point there is nothing you can do about the debt of this nation. There is nothing you can do to change what is coming in the Middle East. Regardless of the result of the upcoming election, neither candidate has dared utter the words broke or sacrifice. After all, who’d vote for that guy? Your only job at this point is to get yourself and your loved ones, and those you choose to help, through what is coming, whatever it may be. This isn’t being selfish. This is survival.
I truly believe that when the dust settles, we will emerge as a great and free nation. Life will be hard, but there will be more meaning to the tasks of the day. Communities will be stronger. People will be healthier. Families will be closer. To get from this point to that, there will be much misery, but the greater the struggle, the greater the victory. It is up to us to get our families and loved ones through the upcoming collapse. I pray that someday, my children and grandchildren will be able to look back and say “Those were the good old days.†because my parents were ready and chose to prepare.
Proverbs 22:3 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
So there you have it, we’re not building a bunker (but one might come in handy one day), but we are planning, as my grandparents did, to be able to live without government support and/or handouts because trust me, someday soon they will not be there to take care of you. Just look at little bumps in the road, like Hurricane Katrina, ask anyone that lost their home and all their life savings how well the government took care of them, hmmm.
Think about it…..
Have a great weekend, take care, stay safe and God Bless
Annette says:
For two people who are health nuts, food wise and work out wise, you both sure seem to have a lot of problems. You need to change to my lifestyle, drinking and smoking and staying up late! I have far fewer problems then you all. he he.
Now onto Christmas, no I do not have my shopping complete, I’m half way finished! Although, yes I do have the decorations all set to be put up in a couple weeks, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! Hey isn’t that a song! Better get the Christmas cd’s out soon.