SURVIVAL FAMILY HOW ONE FAMILY PREPARED FOR AND LIVED ONE YEAR OF EXPERIMENTAL DISASTER

A Utah Family tells of how they prepared for and lived as though the world about them had been destroyed. The father quit his high paying job. The family cut off the electricity, phone, gas, water, etc., and made it on their own. After they overcame the initial shock and learned how to cope with the new life style, they found it so stimulating to their family that they decided to share their experience with others. It brought their family much closer together and changed their value system of what they had previously thought was so important. One of their most prized rewards was the new freedom of time to do the things they really wanted to do.

In setting up their own schools in their home, they ran into some real challenges at first, but then found this area to be one of their most rewarding. They found their children benefited by having their own private school.

In this book you will find yourself identifying with their experience and will learn many unexpected things about yourself and your own family. In addition to these extras you will learn a great deal about storage and survival from those who experienced it first hand.

A fascinating story, educationally informative, that economically will give you and your family many ideas for saving money and help you to survive some day!

By Mary Bergman with technical information and design by Tom Bergman

Copyright May 1977 by Hawkes Publishing ISBN: 0-89036-091-X

PREFACE I dreamt that I saw scenes of anarchy and deprivation across the country. Many families had been uprooted from their homes and were walking across the plains from the east and across the deserts from the west. Groups consisted mainly of women and children carrying packs on their backs. I was extremely distressed and yet I was unable to awaken myself.

DEDICATION

Dedicated to my father, D. C. Inman, whose idealism and ingenuity have always served as an inspiration to me.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to acknowledge the help of Thera Lou Johnson who spent many hours editing and correcting this manuscript. Her assistance is very deeply appreciated. Next, my family deserves to be thanked for their patience and help as I struggled to turn our experiment in survival into a composition. Appreciation is also expressed to Lorin Tonks for his drawing of our home.

Finally, I wish to thank the people in our community of Porterville for teaching us many valuable lessons, some of which have been included in this book. We would like to express our appreciation to Rick Jensen for designing and drawing the cover.

The Author

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this book is to relate our experiences as a family during the year of 1973, at which time we severed all connections with the world and chose to live solely on what food stuffs and basic supplies we had within our home and those things which we could obtain through barter from neighbors. We also searched the mountains for windfall foods that nature provides free for the harvesting.

At the beginning of our year of experimental disaster our family consisted of eight individuals, two horses, a motley menagerie of dogs and cats, all sharing a two acre plot of earth at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. Tom and I, as the eldest and generally considered the authorities, were biologically the parents, but often found ourselves as helpless as the children in this new area of discovery. Cathy, at 14, was the responsible oldest sister. She taught classes in ballet and acrobatics in Morgan and worked in a local bookstore to earn spending money. Mark, age 12, and Kevin, 9, exemplified Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Katrina, 7, lived in a beautiful world of dolls, make believe and poetry. The little guys, Carl and John, ages 4 and 2, were typical rambunctious, mischievous, inquisitive pre-schoolers.

On this plot of earth stands a structure which was originally the Porterville Ward Meeting House, erected in 1898. When we acquired this ruggedly built, Gothic structure in 1968, it stood denuded of its roof, windows and doors. Its previous occupants of 25 years residence included the animals of the fields, a few snakes, pigeons, bats, and two majestic, silver-grey owls. A monument to early Mormon architecture, it is now on the rolls of the Utah State Historical Society. Several years of constant effort were necessary to install plumbing, central heat, electricity and do general remodeling.

Once this remodeling was completed we began to prepare ourselves and our family for a sabbatical from society. The areas of preparation included study, food and clothing storage, home production, establishing a private school, and alternate power sources. The attic and basement were filled to the brim with over 600 cases of food, 3,000 gallons of water, 60,000 pounds of coal, 20 tons of wheat, 40 truck loads of wood and misc. supplies. Large underground tanks held several thousand gallons of fuel (gasoline and diesel). The power sources had been carefully prepared including a gas driven generator, a D.C. battery system, and a water wheel. Our home was a virtual fortress; with cannons at the doors, steel mesh covering exposed glass, bolt and chains on entrances, bars and grills on windows. Even though it appeared as part of our Spanish decor it made the building almost impregnable to ordinary theft.

Once these preparations were completed we felt prompted through our own personal intuition to live for a period of time in a simulated or experimental disaster situation. This situation could have been caused by a natural phenomenon, economic depression, or war. Regardless of the cause, the result would be the same. All services would be disrupted, water would be limited, lines of supply would be severed, schools would be closed, and factories shut down. Roving mobs of hungry, frightened people would have to be fed. As we developed our simulated or experimental disaster we kept a journal in which we listed many of the ideas, impressions, and lessons learned from this experience.

Throughout the book, I refer to this experiment in survival as “our year” to differentiate it from all other years. It was our year to reflect on our life style, to dig beneath the surface, to find out whether our family could endure hardships. It was our year to develop family unity, to hunt wild foods, to simplify our existence. It was our year to study, to fish mountain streams, to begin teaching our children in our own school. It was our year to explore the natural assets around us, gain an understanding of ecology, and develop the art of bartering. It was a philosophical year, an austere year, a learning year. Our year was turning point for all other years and I am very excited to be able to share it with others. I have attempted to explore briefly our feelings, our growth as a family and the lessons gathered from this experience.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Deciding …13

2 Beginning ..17

3 Acquiring ..23

4 Storing ….28

5 Utilizing ..31

6 Washing…..41

7 Adjusting ..51

8 Teaching …61

9 Smiling ….73

10 Healing ….79

11 Heating…..87

12 Searching…91

13 Bartering…97

14 Lighting …101

15 Surviving ..107

16 Growing ….119

17 Reflecting .123

18 Technical Information & Design …129

Chapter 1 DECIDING

To take one thought and follow it to it; logical or illogical conclusion require more of the intellect than to memorize a the explorers and their discovered lands

I dreamt that I saw scenes of anarchy and deprivation across the country. Many families had been uprooted from their homes and were walking across the plains. Groups consisted mainly of women and children carrying packs on their backs. I was extremely distressed and yet I was unable to awaken myself.

Through the fog of my dream came a messenger to inform me that my sister had been brought into Morgan. I was elated to think that she had somehow managed to come across the country from our birthplace in Michigan and was at this time only a few miles distance from our home. Quick flashes of our childhood flickered into my mind. I thought of her ever-ready smile, her compassion and her willingness to help me whenever I needed it. Even as adults I remained her “kid” sister and often sought her advice and counsel.

My oldest sons, Mark and Kevin, were quickly dispatched with a rescue vehicle to travel the five miles to Morgan to pick up Judy. The rescue vehicle appeared to be a stripped down chassis of a small car with only the fenders and bucket seat intact. The rest of the frame was devoted to a litter for transporting sick and wounded.

There seemed to be a number of other people in my home, but I didn’t know their identity or from whence they came. I imagined that they were among the many refugees who had sought food and shelter in the homes throughout the Rocky Mountains. I excitedly announced to this group that my sister, Judy, was coming from Morgan, and they all joined in to help make preparations for her arrival.

The circle of love which exists between two sisters thus became a deciding factor in changing our entire life and has affected the lives of many others also. God is the personification of love and the perfection of that love must needs be through us, His children, by the test of our faith and our willingness to endure hardships for His sake. I offer this book as a testimony that we are constantly influenced by a power which emanates that love.

THERE IS A PURPOSE IN PREPARATION AND A REASON FOR SURVIVAL.

My hopes were plummeted as I saw our boys escort an unrecognizable emaciated individual up our front steps. I turned aside and thought that a terrible hoax had been perpetrated upon me. It was necessary for someone to hold up her head while we slipped half teaspoons of homemade ice cream between her lips. As soon as she could form the words she began to relate the trials which so many had passed through in recent months. I asked several questions which only my sister would be qualified to answer. The answers that I received were enough to leave me heart broken but not doubting this individual’s identity. Unable to contain my feelings, I left her side and allowed another to take my place. They continued to urge liquids into her dehydrated system. When I knew that I could once again control my emotions, I returned and took up m3 post.

How great was my joy that my beloved sister was with me and that we could share the love and strength that we had known in former years. But, how great was my sorrow to learn of the tragedies which had befallen her and others of my family and friends.

The words which she spoke to me in the dream haunted me as she described the final decision for her to come on to find our sanctuary in the mountains When her family had traveled on foot as far as possible with the food supplies which they possessed, the decision was made for her to continue on without them using the remainder of their food to preserve her life until she could obtain the safety of our home.

And I awoke and knew that there was a purpose in our preparation and a reason for our survival. We made the decision to live an experiment in disaster for the period of one year to insure that we would have everything in readiness should such an incident as this ever take place.

Chapter 2 BEGINNING We began and by beginning, there could be no end

It is not my intention to write a how-to-do-it, but rather a how-we-did-it book on family survival.

This is a brief exploration of our own personal experiment in survival for one year without the purported gross necessaries of life, and a record of that which was gained from our year’s experience Any suggestions which have been included are those which we tried during our year and found to be practical and worthwhile. This is not a comprehensive study in survival, but we have attempted to direct the reader to other sources of information in that area Deeper information might be found on specific topics in your local library, from an expert in the field, a neighbor, or from first hand experience.

STEP 1… STUDY

Once the decision to live an experimental disaster had been made, the first point on our program was to prepare ourselves mentally for this venture. We compiled a list of books from which we gleaned enough information to proceed. Some of these books give detailed data on the historical rise and fall of great civilizations, others give Biblical prophecies indicating future calamities, and still others explain the basis for human survival during an emergency situation. Below I have listed some material we read

1. An Enemy Hath Done This Ezra Taft Benson

2. The Black Horse of Famine George Ritter*

3. Naked Capitalist Cleon Skousen

4. Key To Prophecy Duane Crowther

5. Outdoor Survival Skills Larry Dean Olson

6. God, Family and Country Ezra Taft Benson

7. How To Prepare For The Coming Crash Robert Preston

An Ambassador College Publication

We also invited speakers to our home and attended lectures on the various subjects to acquaint ourselves further with the methods and purposes of survival for a human family during a disaster.

STEP 2 … EXPERIENCE

As faith without works is dead, so study without experience is void. With this in mind we began to see those experiences which would familiarize us wit family survival. For the next three years, we remodeled and sold four homes in order to get ourselves out of debt and obtain funds to purchase emergency supplies. The sales of these homes brought a substantial profit which placed us in a position to buy a home for case and have $7,000 for emergency supplies. During these three years of becoming debt free we dabbled our toes in the icy waters of survival a number of times. Living without water or central heat became part of our daily routine as we tackled dilapidated houses without these facilities. Our city ways were being flushed from our system and pioneer blood was beginning to flow in our veins as we warmed ourselves by pot-belly stoves and hauled our culinary water in buckets. Besides being debt free we found that we had become heartier and better prepared to enact the next step in our program.

STEP 3 … PREPARATION

Preparing our home as a sanctuary of survival required another three years. We purchased supplies, installed auxilliary sources of light, heat, and defense. Truck loads of food, fuel, and clothing were hauled. Stacking wood, digging holes for underground fuel tanks, forming a human chain to pack food into the attic, and scavenging the railroad tracks for end pieces of ties became our main source of entertainment. There were times when the preparation seemed to be an end in itself and we failed to see the purpose beyond the accumulation of supplies. Once this preparation was completed, however, we realized that we must acquire the knowledge as to whether these preparations would function properly during a disaster. Thus the final decision was made, to simulate as closely as possible a disaster which would last for the period of one year.

STEP 4 … KNOWLEDGE

As blithely and innocently as only the ignorant can, we embarked on our experimental disaster course for the purpose of testing our preparations. We quickly learned the truth of the statement, “Confidence is the feeling you sometimes have before you fully understand the situation.” We tried to ease ourselves into our crisis as painlessly as possible. We removed the children from public school and placed them in our private home school. Next, Tom gave up his employment with Thiokol Chemical. Finally we disconnected ourselves from Utah Power and Light. Our weaning from the world had taken approximately nine months. Many months would yet pass away before we could stand on our wobbly legs and declare ourselves knowledgeable in family survival.

We had been attached to society by an umbilical cord through which the life blood of goods and services were transfused. We had fattened ourselves within the womb, continuously feasting, preparing ourselves to be expelled, at the same time clinging tenaciously to our source of sustenance. We could not extradite ourselves from the nurture of society without first establishing a new base within ourselves. For one year, our year, we became self nurturing, sucking the fat of our former prosperity from our beings. We emerged from our year of experimental disaster enthusiastic and reflective. We had symbolically passed through travail and were born wet and squalling into our infancy of family survival. It is our hope that part of the knowledge that we gained through this infancy can be disseminated through the pages of this book. More than mere survival we learned the importance of self-sustenance and self-reliance.

Chapter 3 ACQUIRING

If you prepare every needful thing that you might endure hardships, and then pray that you will have no hardships, it is because you failed to prepare fortitude.

Planning what we’d eat for dinner two years in advance differed from what we planned for lunch tomorrow only in timing. Anticipating future needs is merely a projection of present needs. We observed our normal patterns of consumption in all areas and then layed out our plan for acquiring a two year supply. I’ve listed here some of the sources we found where we acquired these supplies which may be of use to others hunting bargains for their storage program or for everyday.

BUY IT BY THE TRAIN CAR LOAD

In searching for the lowest price on hard winter wheat we were informed that we’d have to buy a train car load to get the $3.00 per hundred pound price. Did we want them to deliver the entire train car load in our front yard or would we rather pick it up ourselves? Simple! We’d pick it up. We borrowed a 14 ton capacity truck and began the task. We ran the truck constantly for three days. When we would arrive home smaller pickups and cars awaited to carry wheat to other destinations. We shoveled, scooped, weighed, bagged, and canned wheat for 72 hours straight.

FACTORY CLOSE-OUTS

A local employee of a large lingerie manufacturer called one evening to inform me that her factory was dumping a large quantity of mismatched pajamas and left-over bolts of cotton flannel Terrific; I’d like a dozen pair of pajamas and a bolt of flannel to put away. She informed her boss who informed her that I buy all or nothing! Simple: I’d take it all. Several nights later a truck load with countless pairs of mismatched pajamas arrived which were distributed throughout the community for 25 cents a pair. Later in the week this same scene was repeated as hundreds of yards of cotton flannel were dumped in our living room.

RAILROAD DAMAGED GOOD

By contacting a freight damage distributor we were able to make a number of purchases for our storage of items which had received minor damage in shipping. Our favorite purchase was 4,000 cans of dented tomatoes. These were bought, hauled, resold, bartered, stored, and given away. Many cans of our dented tomatoes are still in circulation seven years later.

BUY DIRECT FROM WHOLESALERS

Tons of macaroni products were picked up at the wholesalers in ten and twenty pound boxes. Quite a savings was realized from buying in this manner, although a special license was required to obtain entrance into wholesale houses and distributors. We found some particularily interesting bargains through a restaurant distributor. Hundreds of cases of vegetables, soups, fruits, and candy were purchased in this manner at terrific savings.

PRODUCTION SURPLUSES

Darrel Mikesell, a dear friend, sniffed out a lead on surplus pork and beans being stored in a warehouse in Layton. Several hundred extra cases had been canned above an order. His bloodhound diligence in locating this bargain ($2.00 per case) made it possible to spread pork and beans all over our rural community.

FACTORY WASTES

There are even products which factories give away or sell at nominal cost that we integrated into our storage program. By touring a number of factories in our area, we observed that there is a great deal of waste which cannot be sold on the open market because of legal regulations. Even though waste food products cannot be used for human consumption, they can be picked up and stored for feeding livestock. Family pets and livestock must also be fed during an emergency and factory waste products provide an excellent source to fill this need.

OUT OF DATE MERCHANDISE

By watching the out of date merchandise at a half price store we frequently purchased supplies below wholesale cost. In this manner we were able to obtain thread at 5 cents a spool, toothpaste at 10 cents a tube, pancake mix at 5 cents a pound, peach jam at 20 cents for a 28 oz. jar, and salad dressing at 20 cents a jar. These items might be out of date, but the prices certainly aren’t and we found them to be worth many times their small investment.

RUMMAGE SALE

Another source that offered us a bounty of useable goods was rummage sales. Sweaters, coats, boots, games, and levis were purchased at a fraction of their original cost. From one rummage sale I outfitted my entire family for winter, found many useable household articles, and picked up enough old coats to make heavy quilts all for $25.00. I drug home some clothes that no one would wear in the depths of destitution, but whenever I accumulate enough, I make a depths of destitution rag rug. My philosophy in regard to rummage sales is: everything has a use and I intend to prove it even if I have to shred it up and use it to insulate the attic. Many times the only thing necessary to put a rummage sale article back into service is replacing a missing button.

Our family wardrobe comes from two extremely divergent sources; rummage sales and the most exclusive stores in town. Imagine a 20 cent pair of pants worn with a $20.00 shirt, or a 50 cent jacket to top off a velvet pants suit. The combinations are completely outlandish, but that merely adds to the fun of bargain hunting.

GOVERNMENT SURPLUS G.S.A.

Through the Government Surplus Administration we were able to obtain two gas driven generators, one of which supplied our power during our experimental disaster. Many surplus articles are offered for sealed bids which can be implemented in the complete home storage program. This is where Army stores purchase most of their supplies. You might as well take advantage of the same opportunity as they do. Sub-zero parkas, rain slickers, first aid supplies, short wave radios, even Coast Guard Cutters and small airplanes are among the items listed on the bid sheets. To get copies of these government surplus offerings write the offices below:

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION REGION NINE SALES BRANCH, PPS, FSS 4747 EASTERN AVE. BLDG. I, SEC E BELL, CALIFORNIA 90201 (This is for the California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico region)

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION REGION EIGHT P.O. BOX 25006 DENVER, COLORADO 80225 (This is for the Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, N.Dakota, S. Dakota region. Addresses for other regions could be received by contacting the G.S.A. office in that region)

Chapter 4 STORING

To simply exist is not so joyful, as to exist simply and joyfully.

The following pages include lists of items which we actually used during our year. I have estimated how much we utilized of the food we had on hand to the nearest case lot. I don’t list the amount when they are basic items to have on hand at all times, or when they are part of our permanent survival supplies.

We had several thousand pounds of dried beans on hand. The national estimate for a one year supply is fifty pounds of beans per person per year. My friends, that is a pound of beans a week for everyone in the family, and I have yet to see the family that can consume that amount of beans and still have any desire to stay alive!

We took an inventory at the beginning of our year and again at the end, as we have done every year since. Some food supplies had been used for bartering purposes, and others were used to prepare dinners for groups that came in throughout our year.

Each item that was finally placed in our storage program was seriously considered as to how it would fit into the overall plan. There are a few changes we would have made had we known beforehand what to expect. We would have included more convenience items such as cake mix, pie filling and frosting mix, precooked or instant potatoes. Labor savers such as paper plates and cups are high on my “I wish I’d had that” list. Dehydrated items that save time, labor and patience (but not money) are butter, Cheddar cheese and mixed vegetables for soups. We ran out of Cheeze Whiz, walnuts, jelly, pears, and fruit cocktail.

Having a shortage in any critical area can mean a great deal of discomfort and inconvenience.

SUPPLIES ACTUALLY USED DURING OUR YEAR (With a family of 8)

Canned Vegetables:

toatoes (12 cases)

corn (2 cases each cream style and whole kernal)

beans (2 cases)

peas (V2 case)

Fresh vegetables:

pumpkins (20)

potatoes (600 pounds)

cabbage (25 heads)

carrots (200 pounds)

onions (100 pounds)

Canned Fruits:

peaches (5 cases)

fruit cocktail (4 cases)

pears (2 cases)

plums (1 case)

mandarin oranges (1 case)

Canned meats:

corned beef (2 cases)

Spam (2 cases)

turkey (1 1/2 case)

tuna fish (3 cases)

whole cooked chickens (4 cases)

mackeral 0/4 case)

Dried foods:

kidney beans (20 pounds)

pinto beans (40 pounds)

Great Northern beans (25 pounds)

rice (50 pounds of long and short grain)

millet (didn’t use)

lentils (10 pounds mainly for sprouting)

dried eggs (1 1/2 case)

dry milk (50 pounds we usually had fresh)

spaghetti, macaroni and noodles (120 pounds)

dry soup mixes (6 cases of onion, minestrone, veg.)

Spices:

one large can of each of these was more than sufficient.

garlic salt

onion salt

pepper

chili powder

cinnamon

pumpkin pie spice

oregano

paprika

table salt (1 case)

Basic food items:

honey (2-60 pound cans)

raw sugar (100 pounds)

flour (400 pounds)

baking powder (2 large cans)

yeast (2 pound can)

shortening (2 cases)

baking soda (1/2 case-partly for medicinal)

Misc. foods:

Jelly ( 2 cases)

lemon juice (I dozen large bottles)

canned cheese (I case)

evaporated milk (2 cases)

Karo Syrup (I case)

raisins (75 pounds)

tomato sauce (2 cases)

tomato paste (I case)

vinegar (5 gallons)

mayonnaise (I case)

mustard (3 jars)

pickles (12 gallons)

instant pudding mix (4 cases)

jelio (22 cases in all varieties)

peanut butter (85 pounds)

catsup (16 gallons) We’re catsup freaks! )

Cereals:

rolled oats (100 pounds)

rolled wheat (50 pounds)

cracked wheat (24 pounds)

canned wheat (I case)

wheat germ (20 pounds)

Soups:

cream of chicken (2 cases)

cream of mushroom (3 cases)

cream of celery (2 cases)

tomato (3 cases)

vegetable (2 cases)

bouillon cubes (4 large jars

Dry goods:

toilet paper (3 cases)

paper towels (I case)

tin foil (I dozen large rolls)

Cleaning supplies:

Spic and Span (I case of large boxes)

laundry detergent (180 pounds)

Clorox (I case for bleaching and disinfecting)

ammonia (I case)

dishwashing detergent (3 cases)

Comet cleanser (I case) (that’s it-no fancy aerosols. If I couldn’t clean it with Spic and Span I left it dirty! )

Medicinal supplies:

band aids (hide these!, or you won’t have them when they’re needed)

army bandages

suture kits

spool of suture thread

diaper creme (I pound jar)

burn ointment (1/2 pound jar)

lanolin (I pound jar)

anesthetic ointment (I small tube)

local anesthetic 1 bottle of ether (used on German Shepard to remove porcupine quills)

tongue depressors

thermometer

zepherin chloride (antiseptic for surgery)

Phisohex

Ivory soap (for cleaning burns and cuts)

sterile gloves

hypodermic needles

Kaopectate

aspirin

Ace bandages (good substitutes can be made from stretch polyester)

Home sewing supplies

quilt bats (15)

cotton flannel (20 yards)

corduroy (12 yards)

gingham (13 yards)

permanent press prints (15 yards) (these are basics polyester is a luxury)

thread (2 dozen large spools)

needles & pins (several packages of each)

trims

patterns

Fuel:

matches (1/2 case)

kerosene or diesel fuel (1,000 gallons)

gasoline (900 gallons)

kindling wood (10 pick up loads)

newspapers (2 tons)

logs (I pickup load)

coal (8 tons)

railroad ties (5 pickup loads)

Lighting:

wicks for lanterns (10)

lanterns (6forgot to buy extra chimneys)

candles (500)

candle wax (20 pounds)

gas driven generator

water wheel

Educational materials:

writing paper (several reams)

scratch paper that had been written on one side

pencils (1 case)

crayons

scriptures

encyclopedia (World Book & Childcraft)

600 books on various reading levels

old magazines and catalogs

tape (masking and scotch)

glue (1 gallon)

poster board

Survival supplies:

several 22 rifles

boxes of 22 shells

hatchet and ax

backpacks

hiking shoes

sleeping bags

canteens

water purification tablets

Building supplies:

keg of nails

hammer, saw, and basic construction tools

variety of screws

thumb tacks

Clothing

boxes of second hand clothes in all sizes

dozens of pajamas bought at factory close out

irregular jeans

Bedding:

regular household linens with many extra heavy quilts

Personal items:

toothpaste (25 tubes)

hand soap (I case)

deodorant (12 sticks)

razor blades (Tom finally grew a beard! )

sanitary napkins (several large boxes)

This is a chlorophyll base deodorant that can be purchased at a health food store even tastes good.

FOR THE WANT OF PINS

Here I would like to include an excerpt from a letter written by Abigail Adams to her husband, John, while he was involved in the Revolutionary cause.

“I have a request to make of you: something like the barrel of sand, I suppose you will think it, but really of much more importance to me. It is, that you would send out Mr. Bass, and purchase me a bundle of pins and put them in your trunk for me. The cry for pins is so great that what I used to buy for seven shillings and sixpence are now twenty shillings and not to be had for that. A bundle contains six thousand, for which I used to give a dollar; but if you can procure them for fifty shillings, or three pounds, pray let me have them.

I am, with the tenderest regard. Your Portia.

This says much more eloquently than I could express the need of a woman to run her household and take care of the needs of her family, even during times of hardship or war. It is a responsibility which rests upon our heads and we must use foresight so that we might not go naked for the want of a bundle of pins.

In the sewing area, I began the year with twenty quilt bats, one hundred and eighty yards of flannel, over a hundred yards of other fabrics and a shoe box full of pins and needles. At the end of our year, I had five quilt bats and had used a combination of 60 yards of all the materials. This does not attest to a great deal of sewing, but a number of quilts were made from old coats and other used woolens to overcome the deficiencies in the heating system.

HEAVY QUILTS MADE FROM WOOL COATS TAKE THE PLACE OF 3-4 INDIVIDUAL BLANKETS

Cathy, my oldest daughter, and I made a number of patchwork dresses and skirts and felt ourselves to be quite fashionable as these were just coming into style. Living through one year without having a new wardrobe presented very little difficulty except in the area of shoes. I’m afraid that the second year of such a program would have found us barefoot and scratching to make, repair or remodel enough clothing for our family.

Chapter 5 UTILIZING

When I hear people comment that should the situation present itself they will exist for one year on wheat, dry milk and honey, I count up one more family that will have insurmountable problems to cope with. Food is emotional, and variety is essential, and we must be prepared to meet with it on that level.

As we were purchasing items for our storage program, we made calculations on the amount of each item to include for our immediate needs, as well as surpluses for bartering. And we even planned for several years in advance on things we expected we would need. We discovered that a few calculations were incorrect, but basically we were satisfied with our supplies and the way in which we were able to supplement them over the year with wild foods and bartered fresh foods. After the basic, life-sustaining food items such as wheat, dry milk, salt and honey, there are other items which, though perhaps not life-sustaining, are definitely life savers. Among these are jelly and peanut butter and jars of Cheese Whiz. When all else goes wrong, and believe me it does, an old fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich or macaroni and cheese is a real godsend.

Next in importance are dried eggs which take the place of fresh ones for baking. We had one and a half cases of dried eggs on hand, and these were carefully rationed when we couldn’t obtain any fresh ones from neighbors. In most recipes where fresh eggs are required, I could substitute one half of the necessary dry egg mix and still have a pleasing product.

FAMILY FAVORITES

During our year of experimental disaster we consumed huge quantities of tomato products. Whole canned tomatoes were used in practically everything. They were the base for chili and spaghetti. They were heated and poured over stale bread, and dumped into simmering pots of soup. There seems to be a lot of skepticism on storing canned tomato products. There may be dangers, but our experience was that we had almost no spoilage and have kept these items for seven years.

We are incurable catsup eaters and a disaster is not the time for a cure. We ate catsup by the gallon container, along with tomato sauce and tomato paste. If there is a product that your family is particularily fond of, be sure that you have an ample supply on hand even if you must sacrifice some seemingly important item in order to purchase it. For one family, it might be cocoa mix, for another crushed pineapple or olives. These items become priceless because they keep some contact with a human need that all of us have the need to have the familiar, the normal routine, or the special addition to a meal. These needs do not change during an emergency situation; if anything, they become greater.

Popcorn is a must for our family as it eases hard times, makes a quick snack food, and it is fun to pop over an open fire.

Our allotment of canned meats was one can of some variety per day. Some days we doubled up and others we eliminated it in favor of vegetables, wild game or fish. Our consumption was heaviest in tuna fish next Spam, corned beef, turkey and chicken. We looked at our own family’s eating habits and preferences in order to gauge what we’d need. Lots of steaming pots of soup, beans, and large filling casseroles were needed, and even a dessert now and then. By making lists of foods we normally consumed over a month’s time, then eliminating foods that could not be utilized in a storage program and adding substitutes, we came up with a fairly workable plan. Here are a few of the meal plans that we used which might be of service to others in an emergency situation. All ingredients in these menus can be stored or found in the wild. Remember, that it might not be possible to grow your own food if there should be drought or war, so fresh foods would include items stored in root cellars, sprouts and wild greens.

We often cooked on a Coleman stove for breakfast since it was ready for use immediately. The cook stove and fireplace took more time and coaxing and I was too impatient to get the children fed first thing in the morning. Our biggest meal was lunch. Supper was generally a one dish affair that simmered all afternoon.

BREAKFAST

homemade granola bottled peaches canned juice

pancakes fried Spam milk

LUNCH

Spam-potato bake jello salad carrot strips

macaroni-cheese

scones and honey wild herb salad

DINNER

vegetable bean soup homemade bread apple crisp

wild mushroom soup fruit bread apple-cabbage salad

BREAKFAST

fruit compote (pears, peaches, mandarin oranges, :cherries) milk

rice & raisin pudding herb tea

oatmeal with and honey canned juice

cracked wheat ceral scones milk

bread pudding hot peaches herb tea

LUNCH

chicken-dumplings skillet corn bread alfalfa sprout salad

spaghetti dinner coleslaw garlic toast

pork and beans jello salad oatmeal cake

tuna-noodle casserole apple-nut salad homemade ice cream

canned turkey, dressing baked potatoes pumpkin Die

DINNER

potato-watercress soup homemade crackers hot applesauce

wild greens salad with Spam, raw nuts, carrots, cabbage boston steamed raisin bread

hearty tomato soup onion toast carrot raisin salad corn chowder wild berry fritters pumpkin cake

potato-cheese soup relish plate (olives, dill strips, spiced apples)

Our menus included a great number of apple, raisin, cabbage, and carrot items, as these were stored fresh and kept the vitamin content of our meals high. Most meals were served with herb teas or milk. There were not a lot of dishes at each meal and we learned to make a dinner out of nothing more than soup and bread. We relied heavily on Jello salads to replace the normal green salads. Since we didn’t have refrigeration we kept most of our perishable goods in an earthen root cellar near our house. This did not prove to be as efficient as we would have liked, so Tom designed one which is made of fiberglass and can be buried almost flush with the ground. It will hold 3,000 pounds of fresh foods which will keep from one growing season to the next. We stored pumpkins, apples, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, beets, onions and squash in ours. Apples should be stored separately and so we now have two root cellars; one for fruit, milk, butter, eggs, cheese and mayonnaise, and one for vegetables. Hasp type locks can be installed on the root cellars which insure some degree of protection from theft. We have included a copy of our ad in this book for those who might desire a root cellar although there are several other companies that manufacture pre-fab models which might also serve the purpose well.

One evening I suggested that we try eating bread and milk for supper like children did many years ago. After snubbed noses and much grumbling about how awful this would be, I fixed myself a bowl and began to enjoy my humble feast. Soon all the children joined in and we established a family tradition of bread and milk once a week along with reading pioneer stories.

Popped wheat became another family favorite for snacks. To pop the wheat, chill it first if possible. Heat V4 inch grease in small skillet with a tight fitting lid. Drop one kernel into pan when hot. If it pops and spins around, then the heat is right. Sprinkle a light layer of wheat into the pan, cover and shake as for popcorn. It only takes a minute and burns easily. Drain off the grease, spread the popped wheat on absorbant paper and sprinkle with garlic salt, vegetable salt or other seasoning

COMMUNITY GLOMP

We had a dish that we nicknamed Community Glomp or C.G. This consisted of raw nuts, sunflower seeds, oatmeal, sesame seeds, rolled wheat, all coated with a mixture of carob, raw sugar and honey. The carob-sugar-honey syrup was cooked until thick, then poured over nut-oatmeal mixture. I generally used equal amounts of sugar and honey and enough carob to flavor. Another version of the same dish which requires no cooking is combining peanut butter, honey and enough dry milk to make it hold together and then adding nuts and cereal grains. This could be eaten from a communal bowl with spoons or fingers or made into drop cookies. There was definitely some high nutritional value here as well as satisfying our sweet tooth.

VARIETY IS ESSENTIAL

Small children must have variety in their activities and menus. No matter how many pounds of beans and wheat are stored children will only eat so many bean casseroles and gluten sausages. They will starve for want of variety. Surely, when they are hungry enough they will eat, but the zest will be gone and in its place will be a starving waif simply answering the call of the body for nourishment. None of us want this to happen least of all during a period of crisis.

We tried all kinds of enticements to spark up our children’s appetites, as a good healthy appetite generally indicated that we still had things under control.

THE SOUP STONE

An itinerant beggar came into a village where the people had very little to eat. He claimed that his magical soup stone would create a huge pot of tasty broth. As the villagers gathered around, he produced a stone and placed it in a large pot of boiling water. Then he asked one villager for an onion to flavor the broth, another for a few potatoes to add bulk, another for some salt pork for body, yet another for a few carrots, and finally another for a bit of cabbage. Much to everyone’s amazement a miraculous soup is served to all and the coveted Stone is left to an upstanding member of the community so that future pots of soup can be concocted from its magic. We often had Stone Soup during our year by placing a smooth round stone in the pot and proceeding to add a bit of this and a bit of that until the desired effect was reached. Whoever received the stone in his bowl became the custodian of it until we needed it to perform its magic again.

We tried many varieties of soups from German and Swiss cookbooks, as well as American versions. There was cabbage soup, watercress soup, fried oatmeal soup, wild mushroom soup, fruit soup, sprouted wheat soup, egg soup, and poor man’s soup. All were fun experiences (almost all) and the aroma that filled the kitchen encouraged lagging appetites. Since our year we have become a soup family and this dish has replaced the standard fare of the American diet in our home. I have included several of our soup recipes in this chapter.

BEANS BY CANDLELIGHT

The greatest challenge in eating food storage is keeping it interesting, eye appealing, and emotionally stimulating. We tried eating beans by candlelight, picnics in the living room, place cards and menus, even pretended like we were an Italian restaurant. Actually, we tried so hard to eliminate monotony that none of us had any desire to return to our normal eating routine at the end of the year; it was too monotonous! Serving plain foods with a flair, using plenty of variety, knowing your families preferences, and gathering wild foods where available, are the main lessons we learned during our year.

FRIED OATMEAL SOUP: Brown approximately one cup of oatmeal in butter in a large heavy pan. Add salt and 4 or 5 cups of water or boullion, bring to boil and let simmer for I hour until it resembles gruel. Add two potatoes which have been peeled and cubed, cook until tender. Add butter and cheese if available. Some fresh cheeses can be kept for a long time, and shredded cheese can be frozen. Dried cheese makes a flavorful substitute. This is a thick, creamy soup and really sticks to the ribs.

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP: Saute V4 pound of fresh wild mushrooms, one chopped onion, I minced garlic in butter until tender. and thicken with flour. Add 4 cups of consomme or bouillon. (I like dried onion soup). Blend in 2 cups of cream (if available) or canned evaporated milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley that you’ve grown on your windowsill or watercress gathered from local streams.

POOR MAN’S SOUP: Another quick and tasty soup can be had by blending a couple of cans of tomatoes till almost smooth, adding some dried onion flakes or a minced fresh onion. Bring to a boil, add one cup of macaroni and seasonings. While this simmers we’d pop a batch of popcorn over the fire and then use this as a substitute for crackers.

WATERCRESS SOUP: Saute I sliced onion in 4 Tb. butter. Thicken with flour and cook for a minute or two, then blend in 5 cups of hot water, 2 tsp. salt and a touch of pepper. Wash and chop a batch of watercress (2 or 3 cups). If you have cauliflower you may add this to your soup base after sectioning into flowerettes. When cauliflower is almost tender, add the watercress, and season. Add cream and butter if available.

During World War II, the Swiss survived on the proverbial soup pot; from them came the dehydrated soups so familiar to American housewives.

Chapter 6 WASHING (CLOTHES, BODIES, HOUSE)

To me housekeeping at best is a crisis, and during a crisis it becomes a “crisis”, housekeeping crisis.

The greatest test of human ingenuity during our experimental disaster was doing the laundry for a family of eight with one child still in diapers. We all wore our clothes till they stood up in the corner at night.

I came up with what appeared to be a fantastic idea, at first glance. There were some old mink cages over the hill with a number of compartments made of wire mesh. I had the boys anchor them to the edge of the river by the water wheel, and then I proceeded to place the dirty clothes in the various compartments. My theory was to let the clothes wash themselves by the agitation of the river water.

What is workable in theory is not necessarily workable in practice. When the boys carried buckets to the river to fetch water they would take the dirty wash. Next morning clean sheets and diapers were flapping from the clothes lines. Beautiful! One night the river froze solid with my mink cage washing machine full of clothes.

There we were naked till the spring thaw. I did have the consolation that come April 1st, we would have nice clean clothes again. Needless to say, I had underestimated the torrential spring run-off that year. One morning when I noticed the ice breaking up, the children eagerly ran to the river edge to gather the laundry. But all was lost. Cages, wash and all had floated off to parts unknown. We considered advertising in the local paper:

Wanted: mink cages with frozen clothes last seen meandering down the East Canyon River. There will be a reward Tuesday morning in the refuse container near the 1-80 rest area for party returning mink cages to the Mountain Green exit.

Our pride and our budget simply couldn’t agree on such a public exposure of our soiled linen, so we dug a few more army rejects out of the attic and dressed a bit more humbly.

Now when such discouraging events took place during our year, remember, we smiled through it all, though a bit insanely at times. “The smile on my face is painted there and the twinkle in my eye is an insane stare.”

My next idea consisted of taking an old cast iron bath tub, setting it beside the creek, heating water in black pipes, running the water into the tub which is hooked to a bicycle, which can be pumped by one of the children, which turns an agitator in the tub, which does the whole job. I never quite convinced my husband and children of the validity of this new method since they have marvelous memories of my previous fiasco. But, I am keeping my cast iron bath tub, just in case.

THE TWO BUCKET SYSTEM

Even though we have adequate water available we developed a formula whereby we could operate the house on two buckets of water per day. It’s really quite simple once a person gets the hang of it and I will give an outline here that might be of use to others:

1. Heat water in large kettle on cook stove.

2. Dip out what is needed to wash and rinse dishes and clean counters.

3. Water that was used to rinse the dishes then serves to bathe the baby and give a quick once over on the rest of the children.

4, Water that washed the dishes is then used to mop the floor.

5. All remaining waters are then poured back into the bucket and used to flush the toilets.

6. Before washing the floor add a bit of Spic and Span to cut grease.

7. Add a dash of Clorox to bucket before flushing the toilets.

8. Be sure to wash the baby before the bleaches or cleansers are added.

9. Reserve one cup of fresh water for brushing teeth, which isn’t too pleasant if you’ve already washed the dishes or scrubbed the baby’s diapers.

10. Neighbors swore we’d end up with trench mouth or typhoid, but a little Clorox in the water now and then is a great mouthwash and somehow we managed to survive.

Should there be a water shortage we might have to resort to our two bucket system where we finally mastered taking a bath with one cup of water, but that’s an entirely different story.

Actually, the two bucket system was only used until we discovered a more efficient method. Seventeen gallon Civil Defense cans in the basement held a total of 2,000 gallons, and a series of 50 gallon tanks in the attic held another 300 gallon reserve. Old hot water tanks had been hooked into the regular household plumbing and while the generator ran we pumped water up to these in the attic and this would gravity feed water to all the faucets during the day. The water in civil defense cans could be pumped upstairs with a little hand water pump that can purchased quite inexpensively.

BATHING OUR BROOD

We ran the gamut of primitive bathing methods during our experiment in disaster. These included the following:

1. round tub in kitchen on Saturday night, cleanest gets to use water first, the dog is last.

2. chilly dips in river

3. one cup sponge-offs

4. staying dirty and avoiding social contact.

Friends offered us bathing facilities either out of pity or desperation. “If you’re coming to MY house, you can take a bath.’ ‘ Now was that an invitation or an insult? I truly believe that a better solution would be to build a bath house by the river, heat the water in a huge kettle sitting over a fire and then gravity feeding it into the tub. I intend to use that cast iron bath tub even if it’s for brewin’ up corn liquor, which might come in darn handy during a real disaster!

Chapter 7 ADJUSTING A sensitive individual can be quickly desensitized by a constant bombardment of group mental patterns and negative thought projections.

What every home storage program needs, among the beans and the oatmeal, is a dehydrated psychiatrist! By creating an experimental disaster, we purposely

subjected ourselves to several emotional crises. In order to meet these crises we had to develop a formula for stabilizing the impact of drastic changes in our life style.

EMOTIONAL CRISIS No. 1

Even though we had been preparing for our experimental disaster for a number of years and had anticipated our reaction in advance we still suffered serious withdrawal symptoms when Tom entered his resignation from Thiokol effective March 17, 1973. Moths of doubt began chewing their way through the fabric of our self-confidence. Even though our income never seemed to go as far as it should, it had carried us along for fifteen years. Now there would be no more paychecks, no Blue Cross, no retirement plan, no fringe benefits, no paid vacation, none of the goods that money can buy. How dependent we human beings become on the source of our sustenance! We dare not bite the hand that feeds us for we have not the strength to lift the fork alone. What changes would take place in our family relationships with Tom home constantly? We began to find our home to be crowded as we tripped over one another, criticized one another and found that we didn’t really enjoy twenty four hour a day exposure. Handling a thirty five year old retired husband became my first emotional hurdle. Likewise, he had to deal with the ego-damaging effects of unemployment and daily activities without the glamor and challenge of the business world.

EMOTIONAL CRISIS No. 2

The children were withdrawn from the public schools and placed in our private home school (Pioneer Trails Academy). Suddenly every day became a week-end and every week became a summer vacation with no school buses, no homework, no alarm clock, no self-discipline, no teacher conferences. The children turned to Tom and me for mental stimulation, social activities and some form of replacement of their former existence. I discovered that the reason Cathy never cleaned her room was not because she was too busy with school and outside activities, but because she was naturally lazy. The noise level rose to 80 decibels as children who used to chip away at teachers now ripped through the house like jackhammers in concrete. I would gladly have traded Admiral Byrd straight across. One 8 by 10 shanty at the Antarctic alone for my large old church house with husband and six children

EMOTIONAL CRISIS No. 3

I vainly imagined that we were a fairly healthy family emotionally until we divorced ourselves from Utah Power and Light. Talk about a broken hope; no T.V., no washer, no running water, no stove, no refrigerator, no lights, no heat. Children waken in the night with nightmares and the friendly comfort of the electric switch has been replaced by a veritable stranger which emits more soot than illumination. Television newsmen were here to interview us the day before this last contact with the world was severed and one mentioned that I appeared a bit apprehensive. The children had been attending our home school for pix months, Tom had given up his employment three months earlier and now the power that ran my existence was being cut and he thought I appeared a bit apprehensive! I had clung to the electricity like a child to his security blanket. I could no longer read in bed, stand on a register, listen to music or turn on the electric blanket. What he interpreted as apprehension was restrained insanity! Complete darkness is extremely frightening to me, and I groped in a blind world where familiar objects became covered with the black shroud of night.

RECOGNIZING THE NEED TO STABILIZE

Paring off the peelings of our personalities revealed the inner core of our weakness. These weaknesses became magnified as our daily contact with in the home intensified. Contention replaced contentment and we recognized our need for a stabilizer. We found that stabilizer in the form of an emotional formula.

PART 1: SENSITIVITY

The gods have blessed the animals with instinct and the human species with sensitivity. Even as the wolf instinct has been all but destroyed in the mongrel pup, so has the sensitivity of man been destroyed by Sigmund Freud, T.V. and Christian Dior. The only naturally sensitive human beings are infants who respond to every feeling and emotion. I knew our survival depended more on the development (or redevelopment) of sensitivity than on the thousands of dollars of food storage we had stashed away.

In the scriptures we are told that if we have not charity we are nothing. Being sensitive to our own being and then interpreting the needs of another to the depth of that being that is charity. This type of God given sensitivity cannot be accomplished through bribery, psychological manipulation or an I’m O.K., You’re O.K. manual. This must be developed as a physical expression of the senses of the spirit. Sensitivity cannot be trained; it must emerge from the well spring of the soul.

In minute evidences it began to manifest itself within our family group, occasionally, then with more and more frequency. Along with sprouting our alfalfa seeds, new seeds of understanding and sensitivity were sprouting, unbeknown to us.

PART 2: KEEPING ROUTINES

Being cut off from normal routines during a crisis causes an imbalance within the psyche elements. New routines must be created to fill the holes left by those that have disappeared. These new routines do not have to be heavily structured or rigidly adhered to, but they do need to exist to help us loosen the grasp of our former routines and habits.

As with making substitutions in a recipe, the final product will not be altered if the routine exchanged resembles the original. However, tomato sauce cannot be exchanged for eggs in a cake without causing a total product failure. I include here our average daily schedule from my journal. I had to construct a time frame as we had no clock during our experimental disaster.

SAMPLE DAILY ROUTINE

6:00 a.m.Tom rises to start fires in two coal furnaces, cook stove and fireplace. He comes back to bed till

7:00 when house is warm. This quiet hour while the house is warming is used to warm our thoughts for the day. Also to say our prayers and read.

7:00 a.m.Tom and I get up and wake older children, Tom brings in water, boys fetch wood, Cathy and I start breakfast.

8:00 a.m. Small children are wakened for breakfast after which morning prayers are said, and school begins. Mark and Kevin stoke fires and Cathy straightens house.

9:00 a.m. Reading begins in my room which is now cozy and warm. I read several chapters in current book selection, then give children assignments or listen to them read till II: 00 a.m.

11: 00 a.m.Small children go to play. Older ones cut daily quota of wood and stoke cook stove and fireplace. Cathy and I begin preparing lunch and finish morning housework.

12:00 p.m.Boys stoke fires once more and then back to my room for spelling and poetry. Little ones go to bed for naps and Tom helps with history and mathematics.

2:00 p.m.Finish classes and all children are dismissed to play outside (when possible) or tinker in their shop in the basement. Mark and Kevin go to work on their Huckleberry Finn hut. Tom and I sit with a cup of herb tea and enjoy each other’s company. Supper is simmering on the cook stove and Cathy mixes bread.

3:00 p.m. Call everyone in for daily allotment of generator power. Cathy has bread ready to go in oven. Mark begins the vacuuming. This is when Kevin learned to sew and took over the mending. I have 45 minutes of running water to wash clothes and clean house. Katrina draws water in the tub so children can bathe.

4:00 p.m.Tom stokes fires. The day gears down while we all do school assignments and finish preparations for dinner. Some are curled up with a book, some are drawing and games are being played.

5:00 p.m. Entire family gathers for supper. We clear the table and rinse dishes. The fires are banked for the night. Boys do evening chores and all sit by the fireplace for Treasure Island.

6:00 p.m. Children get ready for bed and evening prayers are said. Little ones are asleep by 7:00. Tom and I talk to older children or to each other while everything is quiet and dark.

There were no outside demands, no appointments, no running errands, no shopping, no television. It sounds beautiful, and it was, once we made our adjustments to this type of life style.

PART 3: HEALING THE INTANGIBLE WOUND

Each of us is surrounded by an intangible substance which protects the inner substance of our emotional psyche. This substance has an ethereal quality and was placed around us at birth. A newborn infant needs constant love and care to build this ethereal substance as a protection to future emotional shock. If he receives it from parents, and family, then an emotionally healthy child emerges from babyhood. If he does not receive this love and care as an infant he becomes crippled emotionally and is open to constant wounding and possible emotional breakdown. It is vitally important that parents realize why their infant demands love and why they must be willing to supply it, at all cost to themselves. They are forming a protective barrier for their child.

During a disaster we receive intangible wounds and suffer emotional trauma due to drastic alterations in our life style, tragedy, shock or loss of loved ones. The ethereal substance has been actually wounded and this wound might be manifested through tears, despondency, or complete emotional isolation. We must first diagnose the cause of the wound, then supply the necessary healing substance. For instance, if the wound is caused by tragedy the antidote is compassion; if shock, calmness; and if by loss of loved ones, replacement of love and an increase of the love substance.

By reacting to the intangible wound in this manner the ethereal part of our being begins to heal beneath the surface. We are not manipulating, we are not pitying, we are not analyzing, we are healing. Perhaps this over simplifies what all of us have been taught is a complex area of the human mental-emotional structure. Each of us has an identity which includes our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual elements. Our goal in treating the intangible wound is to regain the proper harmony in the elements of our being. We found during our experimental disaster that this can be practiced and developed until intangible wounds can be treated with the same beneficent results as can the tangible wounds.

The gravity of a crisis situation can best be handled if we follow this formula in dealing with emotional emergencies:

1. Develop sensitivity

2. Keep routines

3. Heal intangible wounds

We found that the formula mentioned above was successful in dealing with the emotional impact of our experimental disaster.

Chapter 8 TEACHING

The brain is the vehicle through which the intellect may function. How this vehicle is fueled during childhood predicts its performance or breakdown in later years.

Notes from Journal which were made during our experimental disaster:

The public schools have been closed for three months now. I realize that the responsibility of teaching the children rests with me. They can’t go out to play because of the danger of the situation. They are becoming increasingly restless and bored. I feel sometimes that I can’t cope, but I have to continue putting up a front for their sakes. The magnitude of the problem bears down on all of us.

Yesterday we set up a classroom in one of the bedrooms upstairs. It was quite disorganized but we did manage to get through a few classes. Cathy taught Spanish, I tackled English literature, and we finished with a few songs. The little ones caused a lot of commotion. If we could stick to some sort of a schedule, I think we might be able to formulate a passable substitute school of our own.

Another month has passed and I am feeling some encouragement. The children no longer seem to resent having their mother for a teacher and vice versa. We are doing a lot of reading now even though some days are spent just worrying about our physical survival.

Katrina has a difficult time with her reading lessons all her words come out backwards. When she fails, I become frustrated and sometimes have to leave the room. She asks me to pray with her to overcome her problem. At times I feel like a complete failure in my ability to teach the reading concepts. Kevin isn’t interested most of the time and only wants to tinker on his inventions in the basement. I do occasionally see some progress with Mark and Cathy. Keep hanging in there!

Kevin has designed a method for switching A.C. current into D.C. and has run lines for 12 volt light bulbs all over the house. Perhaps he needs to tinker and I need to read. I’ve nicknamed him Thomas Edison.

There are some very rich rewards from seeing one’s own children begin to pick up ideas and concepts. The work goes painstakingly slow and if I were to give any advice to others it would be: If you can develop the patience to teach your own children and then do it with love and understanding, in a period of three months you will see significant changes and make the same remarkable discovery as I that children learn because they desire knowledge.

The year is drawing to a close and I feel that I would like to continue with our experimental home school. I have learned much more than the children and am beginning to feel confident in my ability as their teacher.

Educating our children in the home became a far greater challenge than all the rest combined. A few books, pads of paper, and pencils do not make a school.

One must study the intellect of each child like a recipe book on French cuisine … written in French.

Lessons began immediately following breakfast with constant interruptions to stoke fires, check on smaller children, chop wood, carry water, get the cook stove going for lunch, add infinitum. By lunch break we sometimes had finished spelling, and at other times we were still looking for some paper or a pencil. Total disorganization reigned here for the lack of desire on all our parts. Children must be warmed, clothed and fed. These are primal necessities. Their bodies have built in incentives in these areas, but I detected no such incentive in the area of learning.

READ… READ… READ

I tried bribery, trickery, and all sorts of entertaining devices, only to find that the children were not seeking education but rewards and entertainment. My oldest son, Mark, pointed out to me that the children were getting their lessons only under a false system which would collapse if the incentives were removed. I still continued on my course of folly until I discovered how true his observations were. Learning, per se, came to a screeching halt until I discovered an old truth that many early families used… the three R’s.

1. Read constantly to your children.

2. Read all the classics, poetry, good novels.

3. Read morning, noon and night.

Soon there isn’t a set pattern to their schooling; it just exists for the joy of sharing, talking, asking questions. It doesn’t have a schedule, nor does it cease on week-ends or in the summer. It is life and food, the nourishment of the brain. We discussed Poe, Shakespeare and Homer as if they were old friends. Dante was on the luncheon menu. Delicious! This filled both the mind and the body. We often sat on the floor eating our meal out of a communal pot while thrilling over Little Women or the Works of Tolstoi. Longfellow, Poe and Kipling became the childrens’ favorites along with Eugene Fields and Oliver Wendell Holmes. The Highwayman by John Noyes was all but memorized it was so frequently requested. My romantic Katrina, who relates to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, is enraptured by the escapade of Lochinvar.

At one time I would read a passage from an unfamiliar poem and ask the children if they could identify the poet. This became so easy that I jokingly offered the title ol a new piece to see if they could still peg them accurately. I was dumbfounded when I snapped off “The Wreck of the Hesperas”, and my nine year old snapped back, “Henry Wadsworth Longfellow”. When I asked how he had come to know this, he simply replied that each author has a certain style to his writing as well as to the manner in which he titles his works. He had never been taught this; it had become assimilated through exposure.

Whenever I offered a class, the children could basically come and go as they pleased. I prefer to teach only one or two at a time, but if what was being offered was of interest to four or five, then they were welcome to come and participate. Spelling was mandatory for all at least once a week and we held spelling bees periodically to check out our progress. The children all mastered the long impressive words to win the spelling bees, and the three and four letter one-syllable words got lost in the shuffle. I discovered too late that my children could knock out “per i pa tet i cism” and “ep i gram mat ic” but stumbled over “wuz and whut.” The decision was made then that they’d all have to go into careers such as law and medicine where they could sneak through on five and six-syllable words.

Penmanship is an individual expression of the inward self. From the point of a pen flows the temperament, artistry, and attitudes of the writer. As the motor skills are developed the ability to write well can be encouraged, but never forced. My best speller is also my sloppiest handwriter. Mental aptitude is not necessarily an indication of dexterity or self confidence. I noticed that as Mar through carpentry, mechanics and survival he also developed an inward confidence and a rather distinctive style of handwriting. Such things must be patiently waited upon, sometimes for years!

FIVE YEAR OLD PLATOS

I also found that children are natural philosophers on any subject whatever. They enjoy abstract questions much more than the concrete. This is why parents are often unable to answer their quizical offspring. There appears to be little significance to them in memorizing the names of the presidents or the capitols of the states when they are inclined to more philosophical pursuits.

We analyzed Grimms fairy tales while hunting barefooted for wild mushrooms. Kevin and Katrina would play Hansel and Gretel. I had the unpopular role of the wicked stepmother, or the witch, or both. When their baskets were full they could return to the cottage. Involved in our roles we would then question the outward actions that reflected the inward attitudes. What is parental love? How does love differ from food? If we are filled with love do we require food? Can we starve equally from the want of either of these commodities? Perhaps these questions have no answers. That is unimportant. It is sufficiently important to ask them. When father tried to show his affection by bringing home a candy treat, which was practically unheard of during our year, one of the children made this sage comment, “But father, love isn’t candy.” Three years later Cathy printed this on a button at college with an appropriate picture and sent it home to immortalize our five year old Plato.

THE EGG CARTON AND I

Children’s innate desire for mathematics will flourish only if it relates to them personally. Children detest irrelevance!

We saved egg cartons which were placed on a shelf in our classroom with nickels and dimes in each compartment. This was to be portioned out over a twelve week period, although it could be saved, spent or loaned out. at the owners discretion. Each child had to keel) an accurate account of expenses, interest on loans, etc. The object was to teach thrift as well as mathematics. We hoped to see some character development in the process as each child had to make decisions which would influence his future financial status. To our amazement at the end of the course all the children had a fairly concise report of earnings versus expenditures, and all had more money than they started with!

Later I tried an experiment in free enterprise, giving each child $1,000 in play money. They were to make purchases on the stock exchange, buy and sell property, and set up banking systems. There were to be investments made and speculations in various business ventures. We even made a trip to Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith to watch the big board and the ticker tapes. This economic experiment continued for about two weeks; no one became millionaires and all lost interest. I decided that my children were not nearly as concerned about becoming business tycoons as they were about having a dollar to go to the next Walt Disney movie. A good lesson is relevancy.

BROWN PAPER BAG CLASS

Another course offered in our school, I will christen the brown bag class. The children would gather around the oak table in the living room while I distributed brown paper lunch bags. Their assignment was to gather in the paper bag whatever turned their fancy, and then return later in the day with filled bags, and ready to report on the contents. I have seen lizards, frogs, and salamanders, rocks, soil samples, leaves, wild flowers, deserted bird nests, even cookies from a neighbor. It was always fascinating to listen to their accounts as they discovered the world around them.

A rock sample yielded a small amount of free gold which led all of us into the study of geology. An invention emerged for the extracting of precious metals from their ores which is non-polluting and requires only a head of water to operate. Malinka Mining Inc., was formed to patent and develop this equipment, an offshoot of our brown bag class.

HOME EC. ** A FACT OF LIFE

Home Economics became a course which taught itself as each child learned to prepare meals under highly diverse conditions. Cooking in a cast iron pot over hot coals in the fireplace is a lost art and one worth cultivating if only for the aesthetic value. One of our first experiences with this yielded such a shriveled pot of pork and beans that even the dogs turned tail and ran. It was frightening! With a great deal of patience, forbearance, burned suppers and not a few complaints, we finally mastered the art.

Then we learned to test a cook stove for the right temperature. These ancient monsters do not come with books of directions and that probably wouldn’t help since each has its own personality. Try to cook on one and you’ll know whether you have a friendly, soft-spoken stove or a real fire breathing dragon. Mine happened to have a fire breathing dragon personality. It liked to belch smoke, spit soot and spill ashes on my floor. We flattered it, kicked it and coaxed, but it went sublimely on its way, and we developed a be grudging respect for it. With our hundred year old model we could turn out a fairly good meal especially breakfast. If we cooked the pancakes in the middle, eggs farthest from the source of heat and heated water over the firebox, everything would be ready at approximately the same time.

We dried food outside on old screens covered with sheer curtains. In the winter, strings were strung with fruit near the cook stove and coal stoves, a food dryer which accomodates up to a bushel of fruit at a time sat over the furnance grates. Several of these mounted on the south side of the house adequately handled all our drying needs. We have included the plans for this dryer in the technical information section.

All were taught to make patchwork for quilts, skirts, pillows, and table cloths. There is emotional as well as economic significance in making patchwork, as each piece of fabric becomes part of the whole. Old clothing, treasured blankets, left over scraps all assumed a new role. “Bits and pieces of this” become “bits and pieces of that” and a memory is stitched into a warm quilt.

THE MARVEI OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE

Mark and Kevin built a hut that was a marvel of modern architecture. It sat precariously above the river, close enough to cast in a fishing line, a perfect garden of Eden with wild berries abounding and abundant night crawler hunting . The boys lived the life of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn along the banks of the “Mighty East Canyon Creek.” This part of their learning experience could best be described by these words of Mark Twain, “I have never allowed my schooling to interfere with my education.” To love the earth, to understand the reality of life or, to be a real boy can’t be learned in a classroom.

THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT OF PINOCCHIO

PINOCCHIO, by Carlo Collodi, was read in its original form to our entire family. It was first conceived as a political satire during a period of severe oppression in Italy. The puppet child’s quest to become a real boy parallels our own desire to cut the strings by which we are manipulated and controlled. It represents the human force of freedom thrashing against the totalitarian state and unrighteous dominion. It’s an inspiring story for old and young alike as the indomitable spirit of the puppet child overcomes tyranny and evil to win the coveted prizes of freedom and responsibility. Exploring deeper meanings in literature as well as in ourselves led us as a family to a higher mental plane.

The proper role of education is the training of the fertile mind to accept seeds of righteous thought. The only fertilizer for this mental soil is truth. Correct principles are the only necessary tools. One does not cut wheat with scissors, nor mix mortar with a spoon. Mental nutrients are provided by challenge, without which atrophy arrests the growth and we harvest mental midgets with our scythe.

TEACHING CONCLUSION

Historically, America has produced a great number of home-educated, self-taught scholars. Among these are Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Henry Knox, and George Washington. Basically these men received lessons from their mothers, vocational training from their fathers along with a great deal of first hand experience.

BOOKS I RECOMMEND FOR THE HOME SCHOOL

There are numerous expensive home educational programs with various methods of teaching basic academics but I prefer a simple $3.75 volume first issued in 1780. It is invaluable for teaching writing, spelling, reading, sentence structure, as well as good citizenship. The Elementary Spelling Book by Noah Webster L.L.D. follows the development of phonics until the child is completely familiar with all the sounds in the English language. Generations of children learned to master the language from this book which was commonly referred to as the “Blue Back Speller.”

An inexpensive set of paper back classics can be had through Magnum Easy Eye Editions. I purchased mine on special at K-Mart for less than twenty five cents each. This particular series includes Black Beauty, The Adventures of Pinochio, Call of the Wild, Christmas Carol, Heidi, Treasure Island, Kidnapped and many others. This offers excellent reading for all members of the family or for the parents to read to the children. These books are published by LANCER BOOKS INC., 18 East41 Street, New York, N.Y., 10017.

We also bought many outstanding books in second hand stores which cut the overall cost to a minimum. Some of these older editions are much better reading material than the modern literature which is currently in vogue. Libraries occasionally sell old books for next to nothing, and this is another source worth investigating.

The World Book Encyclopedia with Childcraft and two volume Dictionary are my favorite reference aids. If the cost of the World Book seems prohibitive then my advice would be to acquire the Blue Back Speller, some second-hand reading material and a few classics.

I once read where a man could become completely educated if he read the Bible, Guliver’s Travels and The Odyssey. A large or expensive library is definitely unnecessary as I’ve noticed that a few choice books will suffice, and the rest are merely clutter in the home as well as in the mind.

Chapter 9 SMILING

We must not destroy the imagination of our children in the name of social, cultural or educational interaction. Children need solitude more than sociability, communion more than cultural activity and emanation more than education.

A SMILE BURSTS THE BALLOONS OF DESPONDENCY

Keeping the imagination active is of paramount importance during a crisis. For example we turned rag dolls into fairy princesses and made pieces of wood with four mismatched wheels into Indianapolis 500 dragsters. Reality is not as relative to us as how we relate to reality. Each of us relates on a different level which fluctuates greatly during any given day. Relativity is a much abused word which, put into proper perspective, includes our relationship to reality plus our ability to imagine fairy princesses when necessary. When a disaster strikes or resources are limited, the correct balance in relativity can compensate for the discrepancies between what we need versus what we have. Our experimental disaster furnished us with a one year study course in the importance of the imagination as a tool in handling reality. Affluency had all but weeded out this ability but it was spaded up and recultivated until the blossoms of imagination filled the garden of reality with a smile.

DO-PRESENTS

During our year we established prize days where all of us exchanged do-presents. A “do-present” is one with which you can do something. It can’t be stagnate or battery operated. It can be paper, scissors, balloons, chalk, rope, nails, strings, balls, glue. All types of articles had been placed in our bedroom closet that fell into the category of “do-presents” because mad dashes to the local toy shop were forbidden during our experimental disaster.

The children were allowed to swap their do-presents if necessary until each was satisfied, and then all would be busily engaged in doing. John is a cut and glue fiend. As long as he has a pair of scissors and a bottle of “Elmers”, contentment reigns.

FOR A FEW DOLLARS A TREASURE CHEST OF INEXPENSIVE DO PRESENTS CAN BE FILLED AND KEPT HANDY TO AVERT BOREDOM DURING AN EMERGENCY. PLAYING GAMES

A game and activity book was tucked away with the do-presents which offered many activities for our family to let off steam. If the disaster were such that children could not be allowed to go out and play, then they must work off all their pent up energy indoors. When they no longer attend school, and T.V. doesn’t serve as their chief source of entertainment, then Morn and Dad must become a combination of Bionic Woman, Boy Scout Leader, P.E. instructor, and Barnum and Bailey ring master.

An old-fashioned knock-em-down-drag-em-out water pistol fight can put a smile back on the gloomiest faces. When this didn’t suffice we would fill household squirt bottles with water and each boy over six was given a long match which he lit and placed between his teeth. Girls lined up at a range of six feet with squirt bottles and someone yelled “FIRE! ” By the time the matches were extinguished the boys were drenched, much to the delight of the girls.

A bag of sponges loaded with water creates an equally hectic activity. Water cleans up dirty dispositions; then the whole family can clean up the water. You can count two jobs done: one physical and one psychological.

For those sedate, peace-loving families who would be appalled by such antics, try keeping six active children contented during a one year disaster and you’ll be throwing more than wet sponges!

Because the dining room table was close to the fireplace, it became a natural center of activity on cold winter days. Jigsaw puzzles spread out on the table brought all of us gathering to fit in just one more piece. Quiet games were also enjoyed from the game book and filled in many a time gap during our experimental disaster.

MOUSE HOUSES

Living in a church house we have no shortage of mice and although they can be quite a nuisance, they also provide a fascination for the children. I struck on the idea that mice could replace dolls and could entice the boys into playing house with Katrina without feeling feminine. Using a simple pattern I stitched up a number of grey felt mice (they’re quite prolific, you know) and a local carpenter built several houses for our little friends. These were not ordinary run-of-the-mill mouse houses. They were two storied, with windows, and stairs and they were carpeted built by a real craftsman. We all enjoyed furnishing and decorating these with all types of odd looking objects that could be found around the house. I noticed that even when the boys rooms appeared like the disaster we were trying to simulate, that the mouse houses stood with every bowl and bed in perfect order. It began to reveal a great deal to me about my sons as the mice visited one another, had parties, cleaned house, went shopping and in general kept the wee brains busy for hours on end. I hadn’t realized at the time, but we had found a family toy, a cherished childhood possession which filled a need for our small boys to express their gentleness in an acceptable manner.

PASS-ME-BACK, PASS-ME-ACROSS

There are plenty of ideas in women’s magazines for homemade toys and games and I have a stock on hand for the children to search through. You could procure a good supply inexpensively at a Salvation Army store. Along with the magazines and “how-to” books, we keep boxes of wooden spools, scraps of wood, fabric remnants and other materials for creating our own toys. I do not believe in planned creativity; it must be spontaneous. The Montessori philosophy is terrific -all children can be creative, but they are still being confined within given bounds. True creativity is genius and is unconfinable and boundless.

Toward the end of our year our closet supply of gifts ran dry and Cathy inaugurated the “pass-me-back, pass-rne across” tradition. Partly used articles, trinkets and trivia could be rewrapped and recycled. The old adage “Half a loaf is better than none” soon applied to crayons, glue, coloring books, Tonka trucks and tinker toys. What had become one child’s trash became another child’s treasure.

SWIMMIN’ HOLE The creek was dammed up for a swimmin’ hole with inner tubes and rafts serving as the vehicles for a summer’s pleasure. The whole family went a fishin’ and a floatin’ and a’preciatin’ life in our chilly mountain pool. Lazy childhood afternoons will always be held sacred and offer a retreat to the full grown adult. When troubles assail and threaten to overcome a quick mental dip can be taken in the old swimmin’ hole of tranquility.

PIONEER CREATIVITY

My thoughtful sister sent us a treasure in the form of a book relating how pioneer children made their own fun. We were soon making dolls from corn husks, wooden spoons and apples, toy soldiers from clothes pins and thread spools and the children loved them more dearly for the creating. He who creates, loves his creations, and pioneer creativity is basically free. Band instruments made from jugs and buckets and broomsticks produce a harmony that would make Stravinsky shudder, but this down-home harmony is good for the soul. Hot candy syrup poured in the snow is also an exciting activity for all ages.

Children’s natural desires are not to the accumulation of things and stuff but toward action and interaction of animate (people and animals) and inanimate (rocks, mud, sticks, clay, snow) objects. I laughed til tears rolled the night Cathy created a play for the younger children with nothing more than a wad of clay. She assigned little blobs of clay to be ants, frogs, toadstools, sun, moon and trees. Some characters had to be smushed at intermission and transformed into other characters. The children were captivated by the whole performance and I received a new insight into the imagination through the eyes of my children.

History teaches us the lesson that when great nations forgot the value of play, they were soon destroyed. Through our experimental disaster we learned the truth of this lesson and the importance of keeping the imagination active.

Chapter 10 HEALING

He who heeds advice, has faith. He who experiences, has knowledge.

When our health food friends come to visit, we lock up the bottle of aspirin and talk only about garlic tablets and cayenne pepper. But we hide our copy of Back To Eden and the lobelia when our pro-medical friends arrive. Somehow we have managed to arrive at a happy marriage of the two medical ideologies and are not noticeably sicker for the union. If we are greeted by a seige of the flu or strep we hit it with an antibiotic. If it’s a normal sore throat, an open gash or hemorrhoids we get out the cayenne, so our supply cabinet contains a liberal sprinkling from both schools of thought. When I’m pregnant or nursing I prefer to use herbal cures because they don’t have the drastic impact on the body. I also generally try an herbal cure on the children for three days before I succumb to the use of prescription medicine. If the illness is mild, it will be cured in three days, if not then I know that I have a stubborn virus to deal with and call the doctor.

MASKING TAPE AND PSYCHOLOGY

A goodly supply of bandages, band aids, sterile gauze, and cotton swabs were purchased, only to have all the band aids used up on minor cuts in the first two months while the rest of the year we used masking tape and a lot of psychology. We were able to obtain a stethoscope (which was mainly used by the children on their pets and on each other) and hypodermic needles (which were also used by the children for squirt guns minus needles). However, we did use one needle to administer a shot to our dog after he tackled a porcupine nose first. We also included sterile packs for home delivery, burns and wounds.

It was almost a disappointment that the only medical emergency we faced in a whole year was diaper rash. I was prepared for a grizzly bear attack, rattle snake bite or major surgery. We used large quantities of vitamin C which I credit with staying off any serious illnesses. I also believe that our relaxed life style contributed to our health and well being and that mental attitude is a greater safeguard to the body than a full medicine chest. Most illnesses are without form or substance and must be cured with the heart rather than with a pill.

I have included a number of home remedies which I obtained from Mrs. Kilbourn, my nearest neighbor and substitute mother. These might be used when the services of a doctor are not available. I have used several of these myself and have found the results to be pleasing and satisfactory. Everyone in our little community of Porterville has a high regard for Grace, for her compassion, knowledge and understanding. I feel very privileged to print these herbal remedies so others may share in the home grown wisdom of a very special woman.

TRIED AND TRUE REMEDIES FOR DIFFERENT AILMENTS IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS

HERB TEAS ARE HARMLESS REMEDIES Do not boil unless specified

CATNIP Mild tea for babies with colic. Use 1/2 teaspoon in a cup of water, never boil, sweeten with a little honey. Helps produce milk in nursing mothers. Quiets nerves, and can be used as an enema to relieve gas.

PARSLEY tea is a good remedy to relieve sinus trouble. One cupful will not get results, however, so use freely.

PEPPERMINT A cup of hot peppermint tea and a good nap will cure a bad headache. It is also good to relieve gas pains.

MARSHMALLOW WEED ROOTS -Wash roots and cut in small pieces, steep I teaspoon to I cup of water, take freely several times a day. Will cure any kind of kidney infection.

SPEARMINT Will also relieve gas, and nausea. Some people prefer it to Peppermint because of its milder flavor.

HOPS Very versatile, can be used to make poultices, teas and a hop pillow will produce peaceful, restful sleep. Used in making yeast for bread.

COMFREY One of the most versatile of all - a mild, pleasant drink when sweetened with a little honey or lemon. It is a nutritive, healing herb. The English people call it BONESET and as soon as a person has a broken bone, they immediately give large doses of it to help the bones knit together. It will heal and draw infection from a bad bruise when used as a poultice by crushing the leaves and binding on the wound. The roots may also be used in this manner.

FLAXSEED A splendid remedy for clearing up infection in any part of the body can be made in the following manner: 2 tablespoons Flaxseed, pour over them I quart of boiling water and let it boil for a few minutes, then set back (or reduce heat) and steep for 20 min. or until it begins to thicken. Strain into a large jar. Mix I package of any kind of Jello into 6 cups water. Lime is very good. Add Jello mix to the above. Dose: 1/2 cup of liquid twice a day for 10 days, then add 1/2 cup at bed time. You will soon begin to see results but it takes about two weeks for the infection to be cleared up. Keep up the treatment. The Flaxseed liquid can be kept in the refrigerator until used up. You may have to make more than one batch.

DIET FOR PUS IN KIDNEYS -Corn bread, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, raw carrots, beets, onions, asparagus. Drink orange juice, grapefruit juice, (do not mix them) pineapple juice, grape juice. An orange and egg cocktail is good also. Beat an egg into a glass of orange juice, or into a glass of buttermilk, (tastes better than it sounds). Eat yellow colored food every other day. This diet will also help build blood.

TREATMENT FOR BLOOD POISON -1/2 cup salt to 1/2 cup vinegar in one quart boiling water, or one cup epsom salts in one quart of warm water (boiled and cooled). Wring towel out of warm solution, put wet towel next to skin, cover with plastic and lay on hot pad. Be sure pad is waterproof. This can be used to soak the injured part or used as a hot pack.

TREATMENT FOR PNEUMONIA -for small baby (Adults increase proportions): 3 tablespoons oil (mineral or olive), 2 tablespoons alcohol, I tablespoon turpentine. This soaks cloth which is wrapped right around childs’ body. Watch closely for redness. Fry enough onions to make a poultice for back and chest, put on cloth and wrap baby with it Also wrap the feet with onion poultice.

TREATMENT FOR EARACHE -Dissolve I aspirin in I teaspoon alcohol and add to I oz. glycerine, shake well each time it is used. Warm and put 3 or 4 drops in each ear, and rub gently behind and in front and underneath ear. Gently hold on to the lobe of ear while rubbing it as this eliminates air in the ear which will prevent oil from entering.

TREATMENT FOR CONSTIPATION - One heaping teaspoon METAMUCIL (patent medicine) followed by a cup of hot coffee. (Perhaps a cup of any kind of hot drink would work.) Brings immediate results. TREATMENT FOR COLD mix all kinds of spices in lard or shortening, spread on cloth and put next to skin. Cover with another cloth.

These remedies have been stated exactly as Grace gave them to me for my own use and are not meant to be prescriptions. We might all find it necessary to revert to home remedies during a disaster if other medicines are not available.

HOME MADE VITAMINS

We also found that vitamins can be obtained by drying various herbs and berries, pounding them into a fine powder, then filling capsules with this powder. These can be taken daily to overcome the deficiencies in a survival diet. Rose hips and currants are both excellent sources of natural vitamin C. Elderberries are one of the highest sources of vitamin A. Alfalfa contains calcium and vitamin B. Apple seeds are used by many companies in their production of vitamin E. Powdered eggshells offer calcium to an imbalanced diet. By experimenting with various proportions we were finally able to concoct a fairly decent substitute for the normal one a day vitamin tablets. A wine tonic can be a spring pick up for the blood if the berries are soaked for several days in a high sugar ( I cup sugar to 2 cups berries) syrup. When this begins to ferment the juice extracted contains most of the vitamins from the berries. Kevin brewed up a batch of wine tonic that almost knocked a person on the floor. I think it was more of a tequila than a tonic.

CHILDBIRTH AT HOME

Since our year we have delivered two of our own babies at home. During a crisis the delivery might have to be accomplished without hospitalization, and for this reason we decided to find out what steps would need to be taken in order to accomodate a home delivery. We did not, however, attempt this without the aid of an outstanding physician. Mark, my eldest son, was so impressed by the delivery of our last baby in Dec. 1976, that he felt I had an obligation to relate this experience to others. I am using this chapter as the vehicle through which to accomplish this. Fortunately, we were able to find a terrific physician-surgeon who has performed several hundred home deliveries. Adele Creager, the Morgan county health nurse, made sure that we had all the information that was available on the subject. She also helped me prepare sterile equipment and gave suggestions to make everything run as smooth as possible.

PSYCHOLOGY OF PAIN

Something within has always prompted me to feel that there is a place for suffering and pain in this life and that birth is a process where we are to learn the depths of physical and spiritual feeling rather than seeking methods to alleviate or numb this feeling. For this reason I have never been able to ascribe to the popular LaMaze or other exercise methods, or to take drugs to eliminate discomfort I would rather try to accept the process of birth as a testing ground for the harmonious result which all my facilities are capable of attaining. Deep meditation and prayer replace exercise and anesthesia. My first home delivery was not the pleasant experience that I had anticipated. Consequently, I did a great deal of meditating and thought before the next home delivery. Each of us has a level of pain which we are capable of handling psychologically. It became my earnest desire to understand the human psychology of pain and how best to co-operate with it during childbirth.

IMPRESSIONS RECEIVED THROUGH MEDITATION

Through meditation on the birth process I received an impression which I will begin to relate here. I had diligently sought a different physical attitude (position) to assume during the labor that might make the process less strenuous on both mother and baby. I felt through my own impressions that I should assume an attitude of prayer, kneeling with my forearms resting on the bed for the first part of the contraction and then a deep kneeling prayer position for the last part of the contraction.

I also felt impressed that immediately following delivery I should climb into a tub of relaxingly hot water. I checked this particular impression out with a number of reliable sources in both the medical and health food circles. Nowhere could I find any support for such a theory. However, I did receive warnings from several sources indicating that such an action might lead to hemorrhaging or interuterine infection. I still continued to believe that this impression had been given for a definite reason and that it should be followed.

When the labor actually began, I followed my first impression as closely as possible. Tom timed my contractions and I found that if I counted to thirty while leaning my forearms against the bed then kneeling deeply for the remainder of the contraction that I remained quite comfortable.

Our doctor arrived approximately twenty minutes before the delivery took place. The birth was completely spontaneous without stitches or bleeding. The tub had been disinfected and a hot bath poured during labor, so everything was ready to carry out the second part of the impression. That water felt so richly welcome and comforting that I had my new baby brought in and we soaked together. My muscles were relaxed and I was several hours later making beds in the childrens’ room and doing light straightening. Basically, I remained isolated from the rest of the family for one week to become intimately acquainted with our new daughter and to regain my strength.

MAHALALEEL

We gave her the name Mahalaleel which is a Hebrew word for the attitude of praise to God, and reflects mans’ innate desire to glorify his creator. This is definitely the attitude which we felt after the rich experience of her birth. She was quickly nicknamed Molly by the little children.

I don’t know whether the prayer position would work in all deliveries, but I do know that it is a much more natural position than flat on one’s back. Certainly our physical, as well as our spiritual beings should be in an attitude of prayer during such an intense experience as childbirth.

Chapter II HEATING

A warm fire sparks conversation, cooks food and supplies the body with warmth which is one of the prime necessities of life.

Our heating facilities included two coal furnaces, a fireplace, cook stove, and a pot belly stove. On cold winter days (-20 degrees) it required all of these) blasting hot air, to establish a minimum comfort.

This (1973) was the year of the big energy crunch and Presidential sources were advising the citizens of this great land to keep their thermostats at 65 degrees. We tried to be obedient to this counsel, but no matter how much coal and railroad ties we burned we couldn’t get our thermostat above the 60 degree mark. While greeting a friend at the front door attired in my snowmobile suit, I commented that we had finally managed to register 55 on the thermostat. She thought that was terrific but added, “It’s 60 outside now! ”

I have bona fide witnesses to the fact that the mop would freeze solid before I made more than two swipes and that my hair froze to the curlers after a shampoo. Consequently, the children ice skated in the living room and I thawed my hair over the cook stove. I want you to know that I am responsible for the new singed look!

This lack of central heat presented some serious problems to overcome and we spent two very cold winters trying to overcome them. We picked up dozens of truck loads of kindling wood from a local lumber mill and spent the summer months scavenging for railroad tie ends along the tracks. These burn very hot because of the creosote, and two or three short pieces will keep a good fire going in a coal furnance or fireplace all day. We had been told that these would smoke, but this wasn’t the case at all and we have used them successfully ever since. Burning old rubber tires leaves something to be desired and I would only recommend stripping those spiked snow tires off your car as a last resort.

Tom generally rose an hour early to get all the fires kindled and the cook stove ready for breakfast. The boys had to chop wood, haul ashes, and see to it that the fires blazed all day. I credit chopping wood with the development of such heros as Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. You will note that when central heat arrived in this country and young boys no longer had the daily chore of filling wood boxes, we seemed to have lost our national heros. I sincerely feel there is a correlation between the two.

To prove the point, several years ago we had a rather troubled young man come to live with us from back East. Tom kept this long-haired 15 year old rebel chopping wood, building fires and digging post holes where we didn’t even want post holes. Nine months later this lad returned to his home completely changed; so changed in fact that when he came back to visit a year later he advised Tom to get a haircut.

There was a strong rivalry between this boy and Tom, somewhat like I imagine it was in the early days of our country when the father’s word was the absolute uncontested law of the home. In the case of our own sons, I have seen where the patriarchal authority is the correct pattern to follow.

Many times when Mark and Kevin omitted their daily chore of filling the wood box in favor of some more pleasurable activity, they found themselves out the next morning scratching for wood. We noticed the building of strong muscles and strong characters as they hauled ashes and coal, built fires, and chopped wood.

Through observing the action of heat as a source of energy, Tom realized that he could convert this energy into electricity. I know this principle has already been utilized by the electric company, but a coal furnace is sufficient to power a small generator which can be used to run 110 volts of A.C. house current, which provides sufficient electricity during a cold weather power failure to operate the average home.

Chapter 12 SEARCHING

Nature will teach me to explore, ponder, conserve and value all her creations.

Many excellent reference works have already been written on the subject of wild foods and edibles and I do not intend to duplicate information that can easily be found elsewhere. However, reading a technical description of a particular plant and actually finding it are two widely diverse actions. Such reference materials as THE HERBALIST are excellent sources for collecting wild edibles.

LOCAL EXPERTS

We were fortunate to have several neighbors who were well acquainted with all the local “flora and fauna.” Grace Kilbourn, my nearest neighbor, began teaching us about the use of home remedies, Indian cures, and herbs seven years ago. This was an extremely foreign topic to a couple fresh from Birmingham, Michigan. We were often incredulous when she offered substitutes for antibiotics, soothing herbal teas for minor illnesses, and lessons on wild berries. She was a patient teacher, and we eventually became students in earnest. I’m sure she has no conception of the knowledge she disseminated over a period of years. In this manner we were able to identify and harvest many of the wild foods in our area of the Rocky Mountains. Service berries, hawthorne berries, choke cherries, currants, Oregon grapes, and elderberries were among those which Grace taught us to identify and utilize; and making a comfrey poultice, finding spearmint in ditch banks, concocting a flaxseed antibiotic substitute, and taking various seeds to rid the body of parasites, were all learned from her.

Laura Holmes, another herbalist extraordinaire, lived within bicycling distance. Her garden overflow-ed with peppermint, horehound, comfrey, berries and vegetables. She often dug up starts of various herbs for me from the terraced gardens behind her Swiss chalet home on the East Canyon River. Here is a rule of thumb statement by Laura that I consider valid and worth repeating:

“Other than a few basics such as Lobelia, Goldenseal and Cayenne, all the herbs you will need for medicinal and health purposes can be found in your own locality. If it doesn’t grow in the mountains, forests, river banks or fields near you, then you don’t need it. Also a half dozen herbs will suffice for almost every need.”

We acquired the basics, a number of gelatin capsules (from druggist or health food store) and then scoured the surrounding country side until we had found all the other herbs that are necessary for medicinal and health purposes.

Other members of the community showed me how to find watercress, let me harvest raspberry leaves for tea, and told me to rinse my hair with sage and rosemary to prevent greying. Martha Mikesell (known as Aunt Martha to everyone in the county) led me to a large patch of catnip near her quaint log cabin and shard some of her knowledge with me of wild herbs and home remedies.

INDIAN TASTE TEST

When in doubt about any unknown plant we use a method called the Indian taste test. If the unknown species has a berry, we open one and place it on the tip of the tongue for a moment. If it gives a burning sensation or strong bitterness, we spit it out and rinse the mouth thoroughly. If the unknown species is a green plant or herb, we follow the same procedure with one of the leaves. We have found that this works in all cases and is an excellent principle to teach young children who might otherwise meet some unfortunate circumstances in the mountains. One thing we have found from our own experience that is worth passing on is that there are practically no poisonous plants or berries in the Rockies.

WILD MUSHROOMS

Most of our wild mushroom picking took place on a local golf course. After each picking we would take our mushrooms to a friend for positive identification. One Amanita or Death Cup mushroom in a pot of soup can be fatal. We had several books which described the varieties of mushrooms, but we still preferred first hand verification. Identifying food in the wilds takes more than a few Saturday morning hikes or a package of photographs and technical descriptions. I wouldn’t advise anyone to attempt picking wild mushrooms unless they spent a lot of time learning to identify the various types and had an expert check their pickings. After one particularily abundant picking of seemingly delectable specimens I took them to this individual who could tell the edible ones by smelling them, only to have him discard the entire picking.

One side benefit of picking wild mushrooms was the discovery of an abandoned orchard near the golf course. We received permission to pick the fruit of this abandoned orchard which filled our pantry with all types of fruit products. We pressed over 100 gallons of cider, dried twenty bushels of apples, made dozens of batches of plum and apricot leather, and several hundred quarts of applesauce. I would estimate the value of the food that we processed out of that one orchard to be over $500.00, and all for the expenditure of a little time and effort. We then began in earnest to search for other abandoned orchards and Mark and Kevin were able to find one hidden in the recesses of a canyon, completely surrounded by dead wood. Perhaps an early settler had planted and nurtured this orchard eighty years ago, but no one had intruded into this Garden of Eden for a generation except a few sheep and deer. Harvesting nature’s edibles supplemented our storage and offered an enjoyable diversion.

THE HUSH OF COMMUNION

While searching for wild foods I was unaware of a transition taking place in my relationship to nature and my God. The river laughing over the rocks quieted my soul, and a hush of communion betook my being to a higher plane. The succulent currants, late summer’s offering, were a crimson testimony of the harmony of nature. As we gathered wild sweet peas, garlic, watercress, pigweed and spearmint leaves for salad, we began to become one with this harmony. We weren’t learning how to survive as much as we were learning how to live, and by learning how to live, we desired to survive.

High in the mountains I smelled a most fragrant aroma, like a candy store. I tracked the perfume to a bush with clusters of whitish-lavender flowers. For the first time since I began searching for wild foods and herbs, I didn’t need the benefit of photographs or friends.

The universe will reveal All its secrets to me And fill my mind with Inexplicable wonder.

I tucked a few petals within my bosom and carried the candy store out of the mountains. I had found licorice in its natural state and I was filled.

VITAMIN “G” FROM ROSE HIPS

Pick up a bottle of natural vitamin C and in most instances it will state that it comes from Rose Hips. Rose Hips are very easy to find and are located all around the country where the wild rose grows. On some of your nature hikes in the spring and summer, notice and make a mental note of where you find wild roses. Go back to those spots that fall and winter and in place of the rose flower you will find the fruit of the wild rose. The rose hip is red or orange in color and has seeds of the wild rose in them. They taste somewhat like a concentrated orange and can be eaten raw, or ground up and made into teas. Vitamin C is essential in your diet and can be found naturally in the rose hip which, during a disaster, might be your only source.

For those who live in areas where the wilderness has become a thing of the past, a health food store can supply the herbs that I have mentioned throughout this book, as well as natural vitamins and teas. Enough vitamin C for a year is essential as this wards off many of the effects of stress caused by an emergency. High protein mixes for drinks, carob for flavoring, raw nuts and raisens can also be procured through health food stores. We prefer to use as many of these natural products in our diet as possible to keep our vitality high.

Below I offer a list of supplies that are available in health food stores which can be implemented in the over all storage program.

1. Lobelia

2. Cayenne

3. Golden Seal

4. Comfry (tea and powder)

5. Spearmint

6. Peppermint

7. Flaxseed

8. Carob

9. Dates

10. Figs

11. Salad oil

12. Yogurt start

13. Honey

14. Vitamin C (acerola or rose hips)

15. Sesame seeds

16. Raw nuts

17. Raw sunflower seeds

18. whole wheat products

19. Raw sugar

20. Molasses

Chapter 13 BARTERING

We exchanged goods, services, experiences, and knowledge using an economic method by which the individuals concerned, established their own system of value.

“I’ll trade my toilet for your car.” “I’ll exchange 3 pounds of cheese for 8 gallons of milk.” “How about a root cellar for a couple of beds? “Thus is born a whole new system of economy where no one gets hurt, everyone gets something of value, and there’s no income tax to worry about. On this basis we traded back and forth for over a year and, gained a lot of friends with never a cent passing between us. We’ve received doctors’ and dentists’ services, fresh foods, transportation, and a refrigerator. When I call it a new system of economy, I should refer to it as the oldest system reborn out of necessity.

We happen to live in a tiny farming community where people believe in a simple code of practical ethics, where one can of corned beef is still worth one gallon of fresh cows’ milk, and nobody worries about a penny either way. No one sets the standard of measure. It all depends on the individuals involved. There are no receipts, no making change and no sales tax to pay. I realize that barter has been used for centuries but it takes on a new dimension when it becomes the only source for obtaining the essentials of life. It has remained an integral part of our existence since our year and has enabled us to obtain many articles that we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to purchase. We now prefer to have a fairly low income and to use our ingenuity to barter for the luxuries. In the process of learning to barter, we altered our philosophy about spending and money, and found our life less complicated because of it. This past year Tom spent a good deal of time home with the family. We have had a decent standard of existence, and our income has run only a few hundred dollars per month. During our survival year a few hundred per month would have seemed like Rockefeller riches compared to the $40.00 to $50.00 per month we had allotted. Simplicity was discovered along with the art of bartering, and a life style where value was exchanged for value in tangible as well as intangible goods.

A SUBSTANCE OF VALUE

Buying second hand has been touched on in another chapter, but I’d like to mention it here, as it comes into focus with bartering. I began buying at rummage sales which are a good deal cheaper than second hand stores where things lie around, and there’s overhead to pay. I made a number of rummage sale purchases before I realized that I ought to buy everything that was left, haul it home in my truck, and use it for barter with neighbors. This replenished my stock of tradeable supplies with small appliances, clothing, toys and books.

The basis for economy is to keep a supply of items on hand which can be used with which to obtain goods .This substance of value can be anything from a pair of ski poles to a pound of coffee. It’s only an illusion that value must be contained in paper money and must be cashable at a Federal Reserve Bank. Nonsense; I’d like to see them cash an electric frying pan or five pounds of beans or a loaf of homemade bread. If the Federal Reserve had used a little bit of Yankee ingenuity fifty years ago, their dollars would still be worth as much as my green toilet. It’s plain to me that John Keynes never cleaned his neighbors barn in exchange for a ton of hay to feed his cow, the milk from which enabled him to feed his family, churn his butter, make his cheese, and barter with another neighbor for some garden seed, with the surplus which he used to grow a garden, the surplus from which he bartered with another and so on.

The only one we haven’t convinced of the validity of barter is the electric company, who seemed definitely insulted when we offered a good milking nanny goat in exchange for heat and lights. Value for value, but they didn’t understand; just too sophisticated for them, I guess.

The American consumer has been placed on a false system of economic value wherein the average individual is constantly juggling columns of figures, only to find that outgo always exceeds income, and ulcers replace peace of mind and security. I refuse to be in bondage to green pieces of paper the value of which is left to the discrimination of the Chase Manhatten Bank.

By using this newly updated, old fashioned economic system of barter, we have improved the financial standing of our family while eliminating our dependance on the monetary standard. We even bartered goods which we had manufactured, for a three year family membership in a health spa, complete with hot mineral springs, sauna, whirlpools and massages.

Chapter 14 LIGHTING

The emissive effect of one great individual as it touches another individual is electrified, and returns to him a reflection of energy manifesting eternal illumination.

Through the General Services Administration (G.S.A.) we were able to acquire two gasoline driven A.C. generators. The bid sheet listed the acquisition cost of these particular two generators at over $4,000. We placed a sealed bid of slightly over $180.00 with the G.S.A. and received notification several weeks later that we had been awarded the bid.

Tom spent one entire winter repairing the generator plants and replacing worn out parts. Once this was accomplished, he sold the one unit in order to finance the necessary alterations in our existing lines to accomodate the switch over to a gas driven system. Even though this power plant was sufficient to run 6,000 watts or the equivalent of 60 100 watt light bulbs, we would not recommend gasoline driven generators for an extensive survival situation. Our unit required over a gallon of gasoline per hour to operate, and gasoline is a difficult and an expensive commodity to store. It has a storage life of approximately one year, is highly explosive, and needs to be stored in underground tanks. A vent or breather is necessary to allow fumes to escape from the underground tanks and this adds to the possibility of an explosion during a disaster should someone drop a flame near the vent.

Since our experimental disaster we have sold our generator plant and have purchased a small diesel engine which drives a 2,000 watt 1,800 R.P.M. A.C. generator. Diesel fuel stores up to five years and does not have the flash point of gasoline. It can also be used in kerosene lanterns and oil fired furnaces. This 2,000 watt unit (equivalent of 20 100 watt light bulbs) supplies all the power we need during an emergency and will operate the small electric motors of most household appliances. We are presently looking for an electric hot water heater that will function with the amount of electricity that this diesel unit is capable of producing.

Taking a hot bath is one luxury which we greatly missed during our year and which we intend to provide for, should we have to relive this experience in reality. A relaxing hot bath relieves a lot of physical and psychological problems caused by the added stress of an emergency.

An inexpensive solar water heater can be devised by laying 300 feet of black plastic pipe on the south exposure of the roof and running water through this pipe. Mark and Kevin ran this type of a system to their Huckleberry Finn hut, and they had hot running water even when there was none at the house.

45 MINUTES OF SILENCE

We had stored sufficient gasoline to run our power plant for 45 minutes per day. Everyone would be stationed at a post waiting for Tom to kick in the juice. Mark was armed with the vacuum sweeper hose; Cathy had bread pans in hand; and I stood ready with a basket of laundry in one hand and the iron in the other. No one spoke for 45 minutes as we all raced to see how much could be accomplished. As our power allotment came to a close groans and hurrahs could be heard depending on whether Cathy needed ten more minutes on a cake, or Mark wouldn’t have to finish the vacuuming till tomorrow.

LIVE BY THE SUN

We learned to live by the sun, to get our work finished by supper time, after which reading and lessons were finished by lanterns.

The winter evenings, when dusk arrived by 5:00 p.m., were spent beside the fireplace reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Quite often a pot of beans or homemade soup, that was begun while the generator hummed, was simmered over flickering coals to be eaten during story hour. Kerosene lanterns were then handed to the children and carried upstairs to facilitate getting all the little ones tucked into beds. These were left burning for several hours until Tom and I had finished evening discussions with the older children, and felt confident that everyone was tucked in properly for the night. With the first rays of daylight we would begin again and found the sun to be a much more welcome regulator than an alarm clock, and since then we have never gone back to the use of a bell to tell us when to rise or when to sleep.

JEWISH SABBATH CANDLES

Jewish Sabbath candles furnished us with our most economical source of candle power. When company was expected we could light up the entire house with fifty Sabbath candles. Each candle cost approximately 2 cents, will burned up to four hours. If we limited the visitors to one hour, the candles had consumed an inch of wax, the total effect was peaceful and fascinating, and the cost factor was a mere 25”. These can be purchased through candle shops in boxes of 72 Jewish Sabbath candles per carton, though I believe the price has gone up to a bit over 4 cents each.

12 VOLT LIGHTING

Kevin rigged up a few lights in the children’s rooms which were run with 12 volt car batteries that were charged with the generator during our daily allotment. These could be turned on with a switch and were a real life saver for checking on a sick or frightened child in the night. This is a relatively simple emergency lighting system and requires a minimum of electrical knowledge to install. A few bulbs, some wire and a car battery are all that’s necessary for a quick solution to a possible electrical blackout.

THE WATER WHEEL FIASCO

Tom had spend over six months building and installing a water wheel in the East Canyon River. Because we lacked the funds to develop an even flow of water and to screen all the debris, we had an unreliable system which finally clogged with logs and ice and was twisted from its foundation. The resulting log jam had to be dynamited to allow the river to run freely again. Even if the water wheel was unreliable, it also was a fulfilling sight to watch the currents of the river turn the eight foot diameter wheel which ran an engine, thus harnessing a force of nature to serve the needs of man.

Our experience has brought us to the conclusion that the best type of survival electricity is a wind driven D.C. generator that charges batteries. This produces a reserve which can be used for lights and non capacitor electric motors. During cold months a (coal or heat) powered generator can be quite efficient. Also, wind is more reliable than water, and coal is more economical than gasoline.

Illumination is essential to our well being during a disaster and must be considered as an important part of our survival preparations.

Chapter 15 SURVIVING

There must be a purpose to our existence, lest there be no reason for our survival.

We originated a ten minute survival hike to prepare our youngsters for any eventual disaster. Any time of day or night was open game for one of our ten minute survival hikes. We might be in the middle of lunch and and I would casually announce, “You have ten minutes to get ready to leave. Take everything you will need for three hours or three days.” Nothing more would be said. The first few times it was a regular madhouse with children scurrying, looking, grabbing, dropping, and yelling. “Who’s seen my flashlight?” “Can’t find my backpack.” I sat in front of the clock and offered no assistance whatever except a smile and an encouraging word or two. “Saw the hatchet in the pantry.” “Three minutes left, better hustle.” “Check on the watercress in Tucker Canyon.” With this much preparation all children eight and over were out of the house and into the mountains. All children under eight would remain with mother and father unless the disaster was real, in which case, I would grab those five and under, Tom would take our supplies, and the rest would go with the older children. After a number of trial runs our youngsters became so organized-backpacks stayed packed, hatchets sharpened, foods handy - that I had to initiate the five minute survival hike. They learned much as they scouted the hills, found dry caves, made palatable meals from wild greens, killed and cooked porcupines, fished without a pole, and provided themselves with most of the comforts of home and even a few luxuries.

Their standard foods to pack were dry onion soup mix, salt, honey, potatoes, onions, and perhaps a can of pork and beans. The soup could be boiled and eaten as is, or used as seasoning for wild game. Porcupine simmered in it isn’t half bad. Salt adds flavor to all wild foods and is essential for making jerky and pemmiken. It also can be used for a mouth wash, toothpaste, foot soak, etc. Honey sweetens up herbs for teas and berries for syrup. Potatoes are used for one thing bulk. They fill the belly when nothing else is available.

Children are natural survivors and Tom and I learned from them just exactly how to exist in the mountains.

A small hatchet is the best all round survival tool.

Put a tube of Ben Gay in your pack, it’s worth its weight in gold.

Get a fire going and then sit and consider what to do next.

Keep your backpacks light; they get heavy soon enough.

Pack a copy of a good survival book; it’s like having an experienced friend with you. My children wore out three copies of Larry Olson’s Outdoor Survival Skills. Another copy was left in the hills somewhere.

Know how to find berries, roots, medicinal plants. Kevin boiled me a batch of thistles that were quite tasty.

Take a good knife, preferably an all purpose one with fork, spoon, cna opener, scissors, cork screw, etc.

Don’t play mountain man or take foolish chances. Climbing cliffs is for professionals.

Don’t take equipment if you don’t know how to use it.

If you must kill wild game, eat or jerky all of it.

You will starve to death if the only wild game available is rabbit. There isn’t enough fat to sustain life.

Wear a hat, preferably with ear flaps and sun visor; it will keep your feet warm. Much body heat is lost through the face and head which can be conserved for the feet.

Black magic marker under the eyes will prevent sun blindness.

Tennis shoes inside rubber boots are preferable to leather hiking shoes which can become soaked and are difficult to dry in the wilderness.

A ball of string, a hank of rope, fish net and barbecue grill along with other miscellaneous supplies have been stashed by our children in caves and crevices within easy access of our home. They planted potatoes in several areas where there was other vegetation so there would be a crop to harvest on future trips into the mountains.

There’s an old log barricade down in the river bottoms where the children holed up for three or four days at a time. I understand that they have this hide-out well outfitted with utensils they’ve scrounged along the banks of the East Canyon River. A dilapidated shack comes to my mind with all types of discarded fishing gear, pots without handles and broken farm implements which have found a new lease on life in the hands of a couple of boys hidden away from the eyes of a hurry up world. I’ve never ventured into the barricade, but have only caught a glimpse of it from 1/4 mile off. Something inside me says this is the children’s paradise and should an adult enter, the charisma would be destroyed. I know that Mark and Kevin leave our home with nothing but a sleeping bag, hatchet, matches, and their knives, and return several days later with wild tales and color high on their cheeks. They share the barricade with deer that come to forage at dusk and the many varieties of birds that inhabit the river bottoms.

In the summers we have regular survival hikes for other children for one week at a time. We gather them here at our home and then pack into the mountains for the week to experience all the facets of survival. All the techniques which we have learned over the past years are taught to children who might otherwise find themselves in a wilderness situation without any knowledge of what to expect. Those who are interested in having their child receive this type of survival education can drop us a line and we’ll send further information.

PACK FROM WORN OUT LEVIS

Needing packs, but lacking money, posed a problem that Levi Strauss had already solved during the California Gold Rush. Without purposely planning it, he designed a pair of pants that can quickly be fashioned into an acceptable backpack. By cutting off the legs just below the crotch, enough material is available for making straps, a flap for the top and a gusset for the bottom, The pockets can be used for the many small articles that are so valuable to the wilderness camper and the pouch created by sewing across the crotch allows enough room for a blanket, pair of pants, socks, etc. Even the belt loops are employed as a place to hang a jack-knife or a hank of rope. A well outfitted Levi Stauss back pack might include the following items.

1. first aid kit in an eye glass case.

2. matches in prescription bottle

3. homemade fire starters (directions later) 4. 2 Jewish Sabbath candles

5. fishing string and hooks

6. tissue paper

7. 25 feet of rope

8. Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olson

9. clear plastic for ground cover

10. flashlight and fresh batteries

11. small frying pan and soup pot

12. sewing kit in another eyeglass case

13. bar of soap

14. dehydrated foods (onion soup, mixed vegetables, oatmeal, apple slices and raisins)

15. other foods (honey, salt, onions, sugar, raw nuts)

We put together various packs, weighed them and checked the weight against the body weight of each child. In this manner we arrived at the approximate weight that each of us could carry over a long period of time. A small child can handle only one pound of pack weight for every twenty pounds of body weight. This means that a sixty pound child can carry three pounds comfortably. By laying out all the articles we would need as a family and then dividing these articles according to the weight we were able to pack bags for each child that contained most of the survival essentials. For instance, John’s pack included a sewing kit, first aid kit, tissue paper, a candle, matches, and one package of dehydrated food all for his alloted weight of just over a pound. He wearies very quickly if he tries to carry a canteen or blanket. By using a pair of Levis that he had worn out it gave the approximate correct space for the amount of articles needed. We use this rule to follow in making up the packs; a bag made from a pair of Levis which that child has recently used is a good indication of the size and weight he can handle. A larger child can carry one pound of pack weight for every ten pounds of body weight. A hundred pound child can thereby carry ten pounds over a long distance. A ten pound pack can contain all the elements needed for an extensive survival trek. A good compass can be pinned on or worn as a wrist band, the jack knife goes in a pocket for easy access and the canteen is slung over one shoulder. A sheep skin Bota bag used by the Basque sheepherders is the favorite water carrier of my children. This is soft, easy to handle, and doesn’t blurp like the metal variety when you need a drink.

Tom designed a large capacity pack which he and Mark use since they must carry the heaviest and bulkiest loads. Two sleeping bags, hatchet, small shovel, food and complete cooking gear can be packed in one of these. Two zippered pockets hold small items and three legs which form a cooking tripod when fit into special slots. When fully packed it weighs 30 pounds .We had a company make up a number of these back packs for us and they can be ordered through our mailing address for $22.95. We have purchased other packs for twice this price that were not nearly as efficient.

SAMUEL AND THE DRAG

Samuel, our Indian Paint pony, was often included in our family survival activities, much to his dismay. Tom and the boys constructed a travois or drag which carried all the basic essentials and hitched this behind Samuel. Several small, barefoot children were then esconced on poor old Sam, and the trek into the mountains began. With Tom scouting the point position and Mark and Kevin pulling up behind in the drag position, it made quite a curious caravan.

This queer procession was accompanied by much vocalizing between the point and the drag. Kevin would go bounding up to the point to report on the situation on the drag. Tom would reciprocate with shouts of warrior sightings or smoke signal readings.

Heading up Hardscrabble Canyon several modern homes are passed before the clock begins to unwind at Aunt Martha and Uncle Joe’s 100 year old log cabin. The deserted pioneer home of the Carter clan with its yawning windows and shaggy bearded roof waves goodbye to time before the caravan is consumed by the mountains. The years that separate all mankind who have ever used horse and drag become one and the history of the world melts into one family alone with timelessness.

Father and children revert to primitives as the inhibitions of society are shed with the miles. Nature becomes animated; squirrels spread gossip, pines recite Longfellow, lizards sunbathe at their nudist camps, and mud puddles percolate a rich brown coffee.

When we are in tune with all living, there is a purpose in our existence and a reason for our survival.

LEVIS STRAUS BACKPACK

STEP 1. Cut legs just below the crotch. Open crotch and trim bottom edges evenly. Stitch straight line from zipper to cut edge so pack lies flat.

STEP 2. Cut gusset 3 to 4 inches wide for the covering of the crotch opening from one of the leg pieces. Fit, pin and sew.

STEP 3. Cut two straps from leg piece, fold Length wide and sew. Attach to back pack so it fits comfortably.

STEP 4. Cut flap for the top of pack from remaining scraps and sew on back of pack.

SURVIVAL WORKSHEET

Make Levi Straus back packs for each family member.

Weigh all survival items and put in packs.

Put all packs in one central location ready for emergency use.

Take several 10 minute practice hikes to search for wild foods.

WHERE TO FIND EDIBLES AND WILD GAME

1. Stream banks offer berries, rose hips, wild honey trees, fish, crayfish, deer and green herbs.

2. Hillsides offer hawthorns, service berries, scrub oak, rabbits, porcupine, and small reptiles.

3. Lowlands offer greens, birds, squirrel, rabbits, and medicinal herbs.

4. Marshes offer cat tails, crayfish, a variety of birds and snakes.

5. Higher altitudes offer licorice, juniper berries, pine products, and large game animals.

6. Sandy areas offer sego lilies, cactus, reptiles, and insects.

7. Small trickling streams offer watercress, birds, deer and many flowering herbs.

8. Open fields offer clover, dandilion greens, mustard, alfalfa. Watch for wild honey trees near clover and alfalfa.

9. Forests offer mushrooms, bark products, porcupine, deer, elk, ferns and medicinal herbs.

This is only meant to be a sampling of what to expect in the various wilderness areas. As you familiarize yourself with wild edibles you will know where to search for onions and peas and how to find a porcupine. Watercress, asparagus, and currants become part of your wilderness repertoire. Knowing what to look for and where to look for it is vitally important in a survival situation.

Chapter 16 GROWING

The reason why we cannot allow our children to be free to be themselves is because we cannot allow ourselves to be free to be ourselves. We simply cannot give something we do not have.

I’d like to share with you the words of our daughter Cathy as she remembers our experimental disaster-for her it served as a course in how to grow up without really trying in twelve monthly installments: I’ll say one thing for that year if old candle wax ever comes back into vogue we have a corner on the market. Some may think that eating by candlelight is romantic I promise you, after about three weeks the romance is gone; but then maybe if we could see what we were eating… .

Julia Child I’m not, but then Julia has more than 45 minutes of electricity a day I was the only one at that time that knew how to cook (mom swore she hadn’t learned and by now we were beginning to believe her), so it was my pleasure (?) to feed the family two nourishing meals a day. (Who said peanut butter and jelly isn’t nourishing?) I tried to be innovative; but when it took two days to cook baked potatoes, I quickly ran back to the peanut butter and jelly.

Each of us grew during that year. We learned many lessons, and we learned most of them the hard way. How was I supposed to know that I couldn’t turn the kitchen light and the radio on at the same time without blowing our entire battery system?

All of us found ways to amuse ourselves. The boys would fish, Katrina would plunk on the piano and compose sonatas, and mom would sit in the corner and giggle (Just kidding mom! ! ! ), and I would ride my bike into Morgan for ballet lessons. My teacher offered me a student-teaching job to pay for my lessons, so three times a week I pedaled while dreaming of becoming another Anna Pavlova. I learned patience as I taught little girls how to plie and grand jete.

Two months later a friend of my mother asked if I’d help run her bookstore Tuesdays and Thursdays in exchange for reading material and paper, along with a few dollars of much needed cash to keep my teenage stability stable. Business flourished as I read everything from The Handimans Guide to Make It With Wheat. Guess what everybody got for Christmas that year? After the Christmas rush my services were no longer needed, and at fourteen I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t eligible for unemployment. But, I still have my tear stained copy of Where The Red Fern Grows!

Ballet class was great, but now it was deep winter and I could no longer ride my bike the five miles to Morgan. It was tragic. I loved my little ballet job, so mom decided to kill two birds with one stone. I could stay at the Johnson’s who live only two blocks from the dance studio. That way I could help Mrs. Johnson with her new baby and still be able to live out my fascination with Swan Lake.

While living at the Johnsons I learned how to crochet, and since then I have made countless afghans for birthday and Christmas gifts. Staying with the Johnson family was an enjoyable two and a half months, but then the snow began to melt and I moved back to the mountains and brought the bicycle out of the moth balls.

My doting grandfather took pity on me and flew me to Michigan for a month’s respite. He sent me back appreciating the life I’d left, but I appreciated more the life I was living that year. I imagine he still wonders why I brushed my teeth in the dark.

Daddy always said, “Variety is the spice of life.” Maybe that’s my problem,; I’m suffering a case of eternal indigestion from too much spice.

Finding that we were no longer restrained by the conventionalities of society, we grew daily, placing new and higher values on the more simple pleasures of life. Unlike the masses who, without thought or feeling, lose contact with their inner selves as a raindrop loses its individuality to the puddle we each developed a new sense of awareness. Each moment of our year was precious and was lived to the fullest.

EPILOGUE

I would like to add a few sentences of what has transpired since 1973 in Cathy’s life. Shortly after her fifteenth birthday, she decided that she needed a new challenge. Through our home school she applied to go to Weber State College for the summer quarter of 1974. After taking the A.C. test, she registered and began her studies as a full time student. She has carried a high grade point average for three years and plans to graduate next year in theater arts.

At fifteen, Cathy moved out of our home and was soon self supporting. She has held a job in the Scene Shop where she has earned enough to pay her own expenses. She is following her life long love for ballet and the theater. Presently, she is doing the choreography for the opera Mikado.

Tomorrow Cathy turns eighteen, is a college senior, a talented dancer, and very much her own person. We enjoy her individuality, and her sense of humor. She is like a fresh breeze of spring even though she still doesn’t clean her room. ( just kidding Cathy).

Chapter 17 REFLECTING

There are no temporary situations, There are no temporary relationships, There are no temporary solutions. All influences become a permanent Part of our being.

In reflecting back on our year of experimental disaster, we would like to put into capsule form t)ie lessons we learned that others may benefit from our experience.

LESSON No. I For less than $100,00 a family can be prepared for almost any type of disaster.

$20.00

5 quilts from old coats and woolens (can be used in place of sleeping bags.)

$25.00

Warm clothing, shoes, boots from Rummage Sales

$10.00

Alaskan Barrel Stove

$15.00

Food dryer

$10.00

350 Jewish Sabbath candles

$10.00

Elementary Spelling Book, used reading material and a few inexpensive classics.

$90.00

LESSON No. 2 Take advantage of items that are free

back packs from worn out Levis

scrap lumber and railroad tie ends

factory discards

wild berry vitamins

wild foods and herbs

abandoned orchards

LESSON No. 3 Get on the Government Surplus Administration mailing list (G.S.A.)

LESSON No. 4 Build a green house on south side of house and harvest fresh vegetables daily.

LESSON No. 5 Start a family policy where one storage article must be included with every grocery purchase. There have been times when I’ve only managed a quarter for a package of fifty book matches or a package of needles. But remember, IT ADDS UP.

LESSON No. 6 Substitute storage items for junk foods and unnecessary expenditures.

1 can of soda pop 1 box of 50 book matches

1 pkg. potato chips 1 lg. jar bouillon cubes

1 pkg. cookies 35 Jewish Sabbath candles

1/2 gal. ice cream 2 lg. boxes oatmeal

1 doz. Twinkies 1 lg. kerosene lantern or 2 sm. lanterns (Army Surplus)

1 six pack beer 25 Lbs. of flour

1 evening bowling 1 suture kit, sterile gauze, cotton balls, alcohol

1 carton cigarettes 10 Lbs. dehydrated vegetables

1 tank unnecessary gas 100 Lbs. wheat

1 appointment at beauty 1 case soup parlor 1 dinner out & show 2 cases of vegetables

1 pair of shoes 100 Lbs. of sugar

1 new dress 2 cases of meat

These items add up to approximately $137.15. $137.15 I month food storage supply for family of six

LESSON No. 7 Have a minimum of 3 months supply of water on hand. Our testing with limited water resources indicated that 1 gal. per day per person is more than sufficient. Clorox bottles can be gathered from laundry mats once a week. I collected hundreds this way in several weeks.

LESSON No. 8 Be philosophically prepared for disaster. When we changed our entire lifestyle, it was also necessary to make corresponding changes in our philosophy. Leaving behind a value system which we had accepted as valid all our lives left a void which we were hard pressed to fill. It was necessary to question every phase of our existence, and I’d like to present some of the conclusions which we drew from our one year away from the world.

We cannot force love. Conversely, where there is love there cannot be force.

Every correct premise must be followed, every incorrect tradition examined and overthrown, no matter how painful the elimination becomes.

No man can soar beyond the confines of his own being.

* To understand and contemplate our own intrinsic nature is of far greater worth than to complete an entire course in Algebraic equations.

We do not ascribe to one method for gardening, another method for teaching the children, yet another method for managing the household, rather we must ascribe to one philosophy of life which permeates all these areas and rises above method. Disaster forces a head-on confrontation with ideology and philosophy, a deep-soul wrenching that refuses to be easily silenced. Begin now to establish the type of philosophy that will weather any crisis.

LESSON No. 9 Develop a positive mental attitude. As a family, study thought patterns and strive to achieve positive mental waves. When a negative attitude arises, concentrate until that has been changed to a positive attitude. A positive thought carries with it a charge which produces a definite result. When we are assaulted by negative thoughts we become subject to negative actions. These negative thoughts can be projected by television, books, music, in classrooms, and department stores. The power of prayer lies in the ability of the individual praying to project positive mental patterns and to be receptive to inspiration into those patterns. Intuition, inspiration and revelation are all results of the positive thinking individual exhibiting faith.

Anxiety, worry and panic are all negative though patterns which will produce negative actions. Correct actions cannot be taken when one is under the influence of such negativity. Remember the puddle before it is too late and we find ourselves homeless.” Another time he prophecied, ”Our homes and perhaps our very lives are being jeopardized by the forces of nature. We will soon be destroyed! ” The next time he even had facts to back him up,” The latest statistics would indicate that this puddle has a 70% chance of evaporating before the next rainfall.” His fever pitch became near frenzy as the days passed but his companion remained silent and unexcitable. “The condition of this puddle is becoming extremely dangerous to our welfare”’, he commented frequently. Again he spoke an admonition, “Our homes are momentarily threatened with extinction.” One morning the talkative frog awoke to find both his home and his companion gone.

MORAL: He who quietly reads and analyzes the signs, then takes appropriate action gains the advantage over he who verbalizes and panics, but waits to be acted upon.

Chapter 18 TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND DESIGNS BY THOMAS RERGMAN

Waiting for the shortage is not too smart. Thirty years too soon is not too soon to start!

THE ALASKAN BARREL STOVE

I learned about the ALASKAN BARREL STOVE when Mark and I spent a summer in Alaska working in a Gold Mining Camp 180 miles from the nearest phone. We were back in the brush country with only mosquitos and grizzlies for company. An Alaskan Barrel Stove was used to heat our bunkhouse. Fully stoked it will drive you out of a cabin at 64 degrees below zero. With only a few sticks of wood the stove will make the cabin comfortable and the surface (top) can be used to cook meals.

This unique stove was devised by the natives after World War II when most fuels were brought to Alaska in 55 gallon barrels. Since they are resourceful people, they began converting the 55 gallon drums into stoves and found that their resulting invention did an excellent job of heating and cooking. An Alaskan Barrel Stove can be built in an afternoon and can be quite attractive if some time is spent on the manufacture. This type of heating and cooking facility can be provided quite CHEAPLY and can be fired with almost anything flammable. Many people spend between $100.00 to $800.00 on emergency survival stoves, which makes the economic advantage of the Barrel Stove attractive.

Most people have not considered that conventional survival stoves will only handle wood which has been cut into pieces two inches by six inches. The Alaskan Barrel Stove can handle a tree thirty inches long by ten inches in diameter. Put a piece of wood that size in one of the more fragile heating contraptions and it would choke and collapse.

You will not have to install your stove until you need it, but you should decide where you will put it should an emergency arise, and measure the distance for your flue so it can be purchased and stored in the stove. When the time arrives you can set the stove up and be warm in less than an hour.

BUILDING YOUR OWN ALASKAN BARREL STOVE

STEP 1: Obtaining material A. Locate and purchase one 55 gallon drum (try to get one free). Used barrel dealers buy these for $1.00 each.

B. Purchase 6’ ‘ diameter black steel pipe in the lengths that you need to run from the stove to outside venting.

Remember, the longer the stove-pipe-run in the house the more heat you will get from your stove.

C. Purchase

22 ea. V4”x 3/4” stove bolts

60 ea. V4” flat washers

32 ea. 1/4” nuts

2 ea. 1/4” x 11/2” stove bolts

2 ea. hinges

D. Purchase

2 ea. hinges for stove door

11 ft. of 1/4 “x I” steel strap for legs

STEP 2: Tools

The tools you will need to do the job (if you don’t have them, borrow them):

1/2” wide cold chisel

2 pound ball pein hammer

round metal file

half round metal file

screw driver

electric drill motor

1/4” high speed drill bit

measuring tape

metal marker (scribe or soft pencil)

STEP 3: Layout

Layout the door opening from print on barrel end with marker.

STEP 4:

A. Carefully chisel out door opening

B. File all sharp edges off the opening and off the piece that came out which you will use as the door itself.

STEP 5: Bolt door to stove

A. Layout hinges on barrel and on door

B. Drill holes for 1/4” stove bolts on barrel and on door

C. Bolt hinges to barrel and door

D. Door should open and close freely now

STEP 6: Stove door latch

A. Cut off 6” of 1/4” x I” steel strap

B. Drill and bolt wooden knob as per print

C. Cut off 3” of 1/4” x I” steep strap, drill and bend as per print

D. Drill hole in door for latch

F. Drill two holes in barrel for latch catch

G. Bolt latch and latch catch on stove

H. Door should open and close freely and catch should operate as shown

STEP 7: Making Legs

A. Cut 1/4” x I” steel strap into two pieces approx. 5‘4” long

B. Bend as per print

C. Drill holes as per print

D. Drill holes in barrel where legs fit as per print

E. Attach legs to barrel as per print

F. Stove should set level on floor

STEP 8: Cutting hole for 6” pipe

A. Turn barrel on other end, being careful not to break handle

B. Layout hole on end as per print

C. Cut hole with chisel using short careful strokes as per print, being sure to leave material to bend out for tabs to connect 6” black steel elbow

D. Attach elbow as shown

E. Put barrel back on legs

STEP 9:

A. The air vent in the door is optional if you want to take the extra time.

B. The stove can be vented by opening the door and leaving it slightly ajar.

C. Put sand or bricks in bottom to keep fire from burning out the bottom prematurely

STEP 10:

A. Test the stove outside your house to make sure it burns properly

B. Store with stove pipe inside of stove until you need it

If you want a smaller stove you can use the 20/30 gallon size barrel and just reduce the dimensions given for the 55 gallon drum.

Some places where you can find the smaller steel barrels are:

Print shops

Auto service stations

Feed stores

Larger baking plants

Fertilizer dealers

Shoe factories

Auto body repair shops

Fiberglass shops

Larger restaurants

Food processing plants

and also commercial drum retailers listed in the yellow pages of your phone book.

Many people are concerned that we don’t recommend grates, since they are almost a necessity in a fireplace (notorious wasters of energy). The use of grates with the Alaskan Barrel Stove is optional. Remember, that grates accelerate burning time and you will use more fuel. Grates can be helpful when excessively long flue pipes are employed and poor draft is experienced. To keep from burning the bottom out of your stove you can line it with bricks and if bricks are not available use sand or even dirt. Your stove will probably last through two heating seasons if you use it for all your heating needs. Used barrels are cheap, so if you anticipate long periods of fuel shortages, buy two and keep an extra barrel until you need it.

We have found that the simple devices are the best tools for survival. The simpler the device the more dependable it will be when it is needed.

CAUTION

Do not use any drums that previously contained flammable materials like Gasoline, Naphtha or Lacquer Thinner as fumes from these liquids tend to remain in the drum and constitute a hazard of serious explosion if near open flame or sparks that may be present with cutting or drilling into the drum. This is a clear and present DANGER. Don’t take a chance on any drums that previously contained flammable materials.

HOME MADE FOOD DRYER

There are many varieties of fruit dryers on the market, most of which employ some type of electric fan and a heating source. The fruit dryer that was designed and built for us by our neighbor, David Egbert, also requires a heating source and the movement of air. Our heating source is the sun and our movement of air is the natural air currents that are around us all the time. The only way our dryer can break down is if the sun goes out and the air never moves. In that case we will no longer need to worry about survival for we will all be strumming harps.

One advantage of using the sun to dry fruits and vegetables is that the energies from the sun are picked up in the dried food, making it more healthful for the body.

HOME CANNING OR HOME DRYING

We are not much on home canning as most of the food value is cooked out in the processing. The glass mason jars used by most home canners are susceptible to breakage during an earthquake, tornado or hurricane. There is generally less work, lower cost factor, and higher food value in drying foods compared to canning them. Another important factor for those who might be forced to evacuate cities during an emergency is weight. Enough dried food can be packed into the hills to make survival possible until another source of food can be located. This obviously would not be reasonable with the bottled variety.

KEEP A RAIN COVER HANDY

We have found that in the western states there is little rain to worry about, but we keep a piece of plastic near the dryer, and when it begins to rain we put that over the top. Extra precautions must be taken in order to dry foods in very humid climates, although we understand it can be done.

In the winter our dryer is set up in the house and we continue drying foods that have been stored in the root cellar over the rising currents of hot air off the wood fired stoves.

Meat can also be dried in this manner if it is cut into thin strips across the grain and then boiled for several minutes in heavily salted water.

BUILDING YOUR FRUIT DRYER

STEP ONE: Purchase the items listed under bill of materials on the plans.

STEP TWO: Tools that you will need are hand saw, hammer and staple gun.

STEP THREE: Cut the wood into lengths as stated in bill of materials.

STEP FOUR: Nail the retainer boards on the outside of upper frame pieces as shown on plans.

STEP FIVE: Nail the outside form together as per plans.

STEP SIX: Stretch Fiberglass screen over frame as shown. Staple screen to sides of frame. STEP SEVEN: Legs can be added to the lower frame if needed. We set our dryer on the south side of our house high enough off the ground to keep it out of the reach of dogs and cats.

BILL OF MATERIALS

4 pcs 1 x 3 x 70 inch fir

4 pcs 1 x 3 x 32 inch fir

2 pcs 1 x 3 x 31 1/4 inch fir

4 pcs 1 x 3 12 inch fir

2 pcs 1 x 4 x 4 inch fir

1 pc 18 foot x 26 inch fiberglass screen

1/2 lb no. 8 finish nails

HOMEMADE FIRE STARTER

STEP ONE: place cupcake papers in muffin tins

STEP TWO: fill papers 2/3 full of sawdust

STEP THREE: pour melted parafin or old candle wax over sawdust

STEP FOUR: place rolled paper wick in center and let harden

If done properly one of these firestarters will give a hot fire for up to 1/2 hour which is sufficient as a substitute for kindling and can also be used for cooking quick meals. These are very lightweight and can be packed into back packs for even the youngest children.

The sawdust can be obtained from lumber yards or mills.

HOME GREEN HOUSE

Our neighbor, David Egbert, showed us how to use the southern exposure of our home for a green house. This alleviates much of the work load of outdoor gardening and provides fresh vegetables year round. This type of green house can be built simply and inexpensively using two layers of visqueen over all windows and doors, carpet on floor and completely insulating the growth area. We plan to have our own indoor garden flourishing in the near future to insure an ample supply of fresh herbs and vegetables regardless of the seasons or situation.

SOLAR HOT WATER

During our year we found that having hot water for bathing and washing purposes was one of the luxuries that we did not want to do without. Our sons, Mark and Kevin, had rigged up some black plastic pipe running from the well to their Huckleberry Finn hut and we noticed that they always had a supply of warm water for washing their hands after night crawler hunting. As distressful as it is to admit that children have a way of introducing simple means of achieving an end result, we quickly implemented their solar hot water system. By laying black plastic pipe on the lawn we were able to realize a 40 degree rise in temperature in a short span of time. As time passed we became more sophisticated and arranged 300 feet of I inch pipe on the southern exposure of the roof. This water was run directly from our well into our hot water system in the house. We did not have any fancy equipment yet we were able to produce water of 115 degrees which is adequate for most household purposes.

Remember, we were not able to shop for items during our year, so we had to procure all of our supplies ahead or had to barter, beg or borrow what we needed. At one time I was digging a trench from the well to the house in an effort to get gravity fed water into our system. I had no idea from where I would obtain pipe to lay in my trench. After several hours of digging a friend stopped by and inquired what I was doing. He noticed that I was in need of pipe and quickly offered a source of supply from a factory that had closed recently. I soon had several rolls of black pipe without the expenditure of any money and finished my trench as well as having sufficient to put in an entire solar hot water syster.

The pipe is held to my roof by a series of wooden supports and the water running through is approximately one third the normal rate of flow. This makes an excellent emergency hot water heater and can be used with a fair rate of dependability during normal times as well.

Mary mentioned earlier in the book about positive thoughts and the power which they play in a survival situation. I feel that obtaining my supply of black plastic pipe was one tangible instance where this principle worked during our year. There were numerous other examples where items were provided simply because we had the faith that they would be provided. We now have a tiny emblem on our front door exemplifying the two fishes and five loaves which Christ used to feed the multitude. By using the power of faith under the influence of positive thought He fed five thousand. We also obtained all the necessities of life during our year when we obeyed this simple principle.

Through the suggestion of a relative we found that hot water could be obtained quite simply in the winter by running copper pipe near the flame in any type of wood or coal burning stove. This was used by many primitive peoples and can be updated with the Alaskan barrel stove to make a fairly efficient method. Fifty feet of V2 inch copper pipe will heat enough water for most culinary purposes. The inlet and the outlet of the copper pipe is placed outside of the stove. The inlet is then hooked into the incoming hot water line for the house. Once the water is heated in the stove it can be run from the outlet into a hot water tank where it is kept in reserve until used. This means of heating water works as long as there is fire in the stove. Between the two methods an ample supply of hot water can be provided during almost any emergency.

WIND POWERED ELECTRIC GENERATOR

After our waterwheel fiasco we were on the prowl for a cheaper and more dependable method of emergency power. While back in the Alaskan brush looking for gold last summer (which was worse than my water wheel fiasco, but then we learn from our failures) I found the natives listening to the mystery theater and lighting their cabins with wind generators. These consisted of an old airplane propeller, a car alternator and a series of batteries for storing the power. Since old airplane propellers don’t seem to abound in Porterville I decided to design my own. Mine is made of .015 thin aircraft sheet aluminum and heavy wall aluminum tubing. It took me approximately 2 hours to construct my propeller and cost less than twenty dollars for materials. The same friend who offered me the black pipe for my solar hot water also helped me design the propeller for the wind generator.

We now have our wind driven generator operating on our roof providing an almost effortless supply of free power. My total construction time was less than two days and the expense was negligible. There are many expensive and elaborate methods for producing wind power but mine requires only elementary knowledge and inexpensive and readily available materials. During an actual emergency you can bet your bottom dollar you won’t be able to get parts from Australia or Japan.

These emergency systems should be prepared now if a person desires to take advantage of them when they are needed. DO IT NOW, DONT WAIT UNTIL YOU HAVE NO POWER OR WHAT TOOK ME TWO DAYS TO BUILD WILL TAKE TWO YEARS.

Another advantage of our particular generator is that car alternators are easy to get even if there were a crisis a person could find plenty of abandoned automobiles. We have had so many people ask about the construction details that I have drawn up the plans and they are available by writing us or filling out the order blank in the back of the book and sending it to us. These methods of emergency power are never as efficient as the Power Company but they do make adequate substitutes during a crisis situation. I generally recommend for people to have a radio ready for an emergency which can easily be operated on a wind generator system. This would supply information on what is happening and can be an aid to saving lives and property of those involved in the crisis.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

While I spent much of my time over the past years searching for alternative methods of producing power I found that none of them provided the complete answer. There are many books which offer ample information on the subject of producing power but I felt that there must be a higher form of energy available. After visiting laboratories, researching the subject, and discussing it with others of similar feelings I began to formulate what I will term the THEORY OF ELIEXION ENERGY. This is based on a combination of research and meditation and I hope to see the results of this type of energy prepare us for a new age.

ELIEXION ENERGY

There is an energy field around us at all times, which keeps our universe and its components in their proper positions. We can tap into it through meditation at any time of day.

A physical demonstration of this energy is the magnetic field around the earth, created as it receives energy from its source. Failure of the source would result in a loss of this magnetic field.

There are certain elements on this earth through which this energy type can be put to use for man. These elements must vibrate at the same rate of speed as this energy.

The energy to power the new age will not be dependent on man-made devices, fossil fuels, or solar or wind power; it will be the creative, positive forces of God known as ELIEXION ENERGY. CONCLUSIONS

I would like to take a few paragraphs to express my feelings in relation to our year of survival and perhaps share what I gained during this time from the masculine point of view. I gained freedom which I had never experienced in my entire lifetime. I became involved in some very exciting projects which I hope will help me to contribute something of value that will last beyond the time which I will occupy here on this earth. I discovered that our creator can run this entire universe without the help of the American dollar and that I can even run my own family without it. The Almighty dollar became very insignificant when compared to the deeper more intangible values which I discovered during our year of family survival. I had always looked upon the pragmatic side of life and left the philosophizing and idealizing to the hippies and other less ambitious critters. When I began to ask myself some sharply pointed questions I felt myself expanding and my viewpoints changing. It took me a great deal of time to slow down my pace of life and to continually ask myself why I was in such a hurry.

I have since changed my entire lifestyle and have purchased two towns in Wyoming where I am developing land. The towns were obtained without any capital outlay and are producing a comfortable income for my family. I work when I choose and have established an environment within myself which I try to take with me wherever I go. This environment is no longer regulated by an alarm clock but by the inner impulses of my being. My wife tells me I am almost bearable to live with now, although I am still working at becoming mellow.

END