There have been some really big changes around here ... mainly in my thinking. We have lived the pioneering life for over a year now (almost a year spent at our current property). I have decided that I am not Laura Ingalls. She was an amazing person & I am thrilled to be learning the skills she had. We will live our lives utilizing those very skills ... BUT ... until we have a big enough battery bank to provide our power, we will connect to the grid. Yep .. that's right ... I went there. We have power but it's provided by a generator. Not a problem unless you run out of gas. Really we haven't had a need for major electricity any way .. but .. it is Summer. Living without an air conditioner is getting hard. We have a pool now (which the children LOVE) ... but I am not able to get in because of a minor surgery on my foot. So ... that leaves me suffering in the heat. We are working toward connecting to the grid soon. At first I felt like a failure for coming to that decision ... but not any more. There is no reason we have to suffer to reach our goals & dreams.
We will have some of today's technology ... but we will be wise & use as little as possible. Eventually we will disconnect from the grid again ... but only when we can support our needs with other means! We have built some things for our home, that we will continue to use ... such as the solar water heater. It's amazing! We will also continue to use our sawdust toilet. There's no reason to change over to septic. We will compost, recycle and reuse what ever we can. We will move as quickly as possible to go off grid again ... I just know that Summer is not my friend!
This life isn't for everybody. If your going to get electricity hooked up, you just as well move back to town.
ReplyDeleteROFL ... no courage to sign your real name, huh? No worries ... your ISP says it all ;) Think what you want. You're right .. this life isn't for everyone. However .. it *is* for us but there is absolutely NO reason to not connect to the grid while we build our battery bank, when there are health concerns caused by heat. If you want to suffer through something, that's your prerogative! How ever .. our goal is not for me to die & leave our children mother-less. It's actually to stay clear from debt & teach our children to be self sufficient. There's noting wrong with getting help with bumps in the road.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to hear about your self sufficient, off grid life ... please feel free to share or point me to your site. Perhaps you have a book to sell, that gives steps of how to reach off grid living? Or maybe a blog chronicling your life?
I'm wondering why you Googled me ... at least I assume you did, since you came in to this blog from my personal website. You would have had to look, specifically for me.
Calm down!!! My point was-a power pole, fuse box, wiring, air conditioner, and a monthly electric bill are going to cost ten times as much as batteries-especially if your running AC everyday!! Build a cheap screened in porch in the shade and spend the hottest part of day in there. Did I say I wanted you to die? I'm saying the complete opposite-if your having health problems-and obviously your a long way from medical care-maybe it's not worth risking your life. And yes I do know you guys-I met your husband a couple weeks ago. And yes this will be my last post.
DeleteYou met my husband last week? Hmmm ... then you are not at all who I thought you were. Your ISP put you in Utah, which is why I assumed you were someone we had issues with over homesteading basics. Please forgive me ... so sorry! (That's why I asked if you had a book to sell)
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the power pole, box & costs for all that. I'm willing to try anything but we need to do something quick. I really do not do well in the heat.
Again, please forgive me. I am usually a very mellow person but with your ISP stating you were in Utah, I thought you were the guy that had been hassling us. Feel free to post any time! I'd be interested to know where you met up with my husband. I reckon it was some where in town?