I've been reading Countryside Magazine for a LOOONG time-I have kept all my back issues and have some going as far back as mid-80's (In case of a fire they would be the first thing (after my kids) chucked out the window to save! I have even-quite a long time ago, written a couple of things that were actually printed. My sister-who is even more of a homesteader than I am, has been pestering me to write some more articles. She had what I think is a pretty good idea, a set of articles on coping with various homekeeping problems on the homestead-such as doing dishes without running water, coping with poweroutages-or off the grid living. She really has lots of ideas as she lived in the Dominican Republic for a few years without running water and the electric was off more than it was on. But she dosn't like writing and I don't mind it. I like reading "housekeeping" magazines-but their advice tends to run to things like drycleaning drapes and polishing silver and throwing parties-I deal with stuff like septic fields and compost buckets and baby chicks in the house ,and seedings on the refrigerator and the occasional snake in the bathtub. Even if you are not on a homestead, we've had plenty of bad weather that can knock utilities out for days, or these would be good for people trying to go from suburban living to countryliving a bit at a time.

I've thought of doing one about dishes without running wate-I Know that more than two of us has washed dishes in the bathroom sink! I thought about doing one on laundry without a washer. Maybe one on cooking without electricity? Entertaining kids with out electricity?

What do you all think? Is this a good idea, or just whacked? If I go ahead, is there anything you would be interested in? Any ideas? (-you see what happens to me when I'm confined to my bed for a couple of days with nothing to do!!!!!)

Keeping a household together under adverse conditions is something Ive become fairly good at. I've learned so much from Countryside, I'd like to give something back if possible.

I didn't post this on the Countryside Forum yet. The Forum, unlike the magazine, can be a little, can we say, negative-I wanted to see what you all thought first. Thanks for any input.

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 14, 2002

Answers

Sounds like a good idea. I have thought of writing some articles, but I am too lazy I guess! Let us know the specific topic as I am willing to pitch a few ideas for your consideration!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 14, 2002.

One that I definatly want to do is keeping up with dirty dishes without running water. I know a lot of people might use paper plates, but if you get snowed in....I heard a funny story about a lady who heated water on a keroscene heater to do dishes, then poured it into her (plastic)dishpan, that promptly melted because the water was too hot! Also, folks who have tried melting snow-takes quite a bit more than you would think and I'm not sure how clean the snow would be.

One might be care of septic systems from a homemakers point of view- theres lots of stuff you don't want to pour down the drain-bleach, and different soaps and detergents.

Homemade cleaners? These are cheaper AND better for septic, plus less toxic. A compare/contrast on how well they clean compaired to store-bought stuff-do they really work better?

Cooking without electric-if you have a woodstove, your in great shape, otherwise....I once cooked a pork roast on a keroscene heater, so it can be done.

Laundry-how to do it without a washer. Do those presure washers really work? (I say so!) Maybe compare pressure washers with a regular washer? How to get along without drycleaning. How to wash quilts and rugs.

I love the projects that have been in Countryside lately-I want to do the light stand in the Nov. Issue. Maybe some projects like, A window herb garden?

Getting started with sprouting? Using live plants as indoor air fresheners? No more GLade! And, of course, menu, budget streaching tips.

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 14, 2002.

Melissa-you are the last person I would say was "lazy"!

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 14, 2002.

Oh yes!! Please do! And let us add some help to those ideas. I know my mIL has said that in the depression, they poured the dish water out in the flowers--so my question is what kind of soap can you do that with?

Will you be offering as a non-electric choice--washing clothes in the bathtub using a plunger?

BTW--after I take a bath I use the bathwater to wash out pantyhose and socks. I've been wanting to save bathwater for flushing toilets. (note to self: what did I ever do with that handy hand pump for cleaning aquariums? It would be great for saving water for other uses--squeeze a little and go!)

How about ways to compost paper (paper towels etc.) without having it fly away (My idea was to put that stuff in a bucket and then bury it when I turn the compost--which is next to never these days:)

How about one soap that can be used for everything? Isn't that what they did in the old days? CAstille?

Uses for old grease besides cooking with it. Soap? Fattening up hens. Fooling dog and cats into eating stuff they don't ordinarily like?

What to do with boxes from cereal, etc.. when it's not wintertime? Lay on weeds in garden? How to anchor?

Dusting (alot) with slightly wet rags to get all the ashe from woodstove.

How about what to do when a deer dies somewhere in the cornfield next to your house and you can just about gag everytime you go out the front door? And your husband is away for a few days? (I thought of selling the place....)

Shedded pet hair (found when sweeping)save and put in compost--great source of nitrogen?

How to efficiently can so your house doesn't look like a bomb hit it at harvest time.

Keep those ideas coming for Kelly.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 14, 2002.

Wow! Thanks Ann! Those are great! Yeah, I had that deer thing happen to me too. Somebody shot a deer on another farm and didn't make a clean kill and didn't track it-makes me sooooo angry. Anyway, the creature lived long enough to die on our place. Yuck! It was wasted too, because we didn't find it until we could smell it and by that time.....I have had some headless bunnies on the frount porch also, courtesy of some cats. I had to remove those before the kids came out for school.

I just had a thought-you know those keroscene siphons that you use to get keroscene from the container to the heater? What if you bought one new-they don't cost much,(a dollar?two?) and used it to siphon bath water? I bet it would work-I think I'll try it.

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 14, 2002.

I think this article is a great idea. Is it really true about composting pet hair? We have lots of dog and cat hair around here.

-- Cat (catcrazy@somewhere.com), January 14, 2002.

Ok Kelly--Here's the deer solution--get ALOT of lime to put on the deer (while holding nose and run like anything back into the house, don't open windows) until husband comes home and drags the deer with chains behind the tractor/or riding mower to FAR side of farm.

I gotcha with the headless bunnies. My cats will kill things as large as they are (moles/voles).

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 14, 2002.

Ann, a friend of mine from college who is now a forensic anthropologist with a police department gave me a couple of tips about really foul smells-one-if you just stand where the odor is for a few minents eventually you will get used to it and you won't really smell it anymore. That works to some degree if you don't upchuck while your waiting to adjust- I do that with butchering chickens or mucking out goat barns. (those smells are not too bad anyway) The other trick is to put a little Vicks under your nose-making sure that you don't get it IN your nose because that really burns and you can't smell anything except menthol for days. But then the lime solution is good and probably much more hygenic because I think lime kills a lot of pathogens.

Cat- yes you can compost pet or human hair, but another trick is to get wads of it and tie it up in little bundles or little mesh bags and hang it on your garden fence-it helps a lot in repelling deer and other varmits-it wont keep them out completely, but it does help cut down on creature visits. Of course, it does look like your performing some sort of voo-doo rite tying all the hair to the fence....

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 14, 2002.

Go for it! Those are all great ideas -- enough for a year or two. I know I am interested in them all and I know there are many other readers who are too. My only suggestion would be to take each topic and cover it thoroughly rather than lump too many into an article.

-- connie in nm (karrel&connie@msn.com), January 15, 2002.