The Simplicity Primer

Hooray! The Simplicity Primer is here at last! Some friends who have a cabin across the lake flew out and brought our mail. What a treat! And in that big box was my review copy of the new book by Patrice Lewis, The Simplicity Primer, published by World Net Daily (WND Books).

THANK YOU, Patrice, for sending The Simplicity Primer to me for review. I got a kick out of your note to me inside the front cover. I probably should have asked before copying your note here, but since it's really more about us, I didn't think you'd mind:

To Jenny & Chuck:
Most folks would say you're living the ultimate "simple life". These are the people who never met a grizzly bear face to face -- right?

I think Patrice is right about that. As I initially browsed through the book, I kept shaking my head up and down. "Simplicity" doesn't necessarily mean without complications such as a bear walking up on you. I believe that simplifying life has more to do with attitude (along with a healthy dose of determination) than anything else.

The description of the book on its back cover states, ". . . readers learn how a simple attitude adjustment can vastly affect their lives; how a few concrete changes can streamline daily life; how to stop financial leaks; how to simplify and strengthen relationships with partners and children; and how to avoid 'The Gospel According to Madison Avenue."

This book looks wonderful! I only wish I'd received it sooner so I could have been more help with her "Book Bomb" tomorrow, June 7th, which is the day of the book's official release at Amazon.com. The idea is to have everyone who wants the book wait and order on the release date. That gets her ranking up (It's already pretty high. Congratulations Patrice!). So, head on over to Amazon.com and order your copy of The Simplicity Primer by Patrice Lewis.

Now, for a little about the book. I have only had a chance to skim through it, since I wanted to post something before her Book Bomb Day at Amazon. But, so far, I love it. As Patrice said in her note to me, many folks probably think my family and I live the ultimate "simple life" out here in the Alaskan bush . . . The Last Frontier . . . the Wilderness. But this book is filled with ideas that will help folks like us, as well as people in the city.  Often, we overlook the obvious or forget the basics. Patrice is a wonderful writer, and through The Simplicity Primer, she provides ideas that have me saying, "Glad that wasn't a snake, or it would have bit my nose", or "So true", or, "I never thought of that, but she's absolutely right", "I couldn't agree more". This is a very useful book.

The subtitle is "365 ideas for making life more livable". Each of the ideas gets one page. Simple, which makes it easy to read and ponder. It's not a book you have to carve out a lot of time for. Just a minute or so each day (but you'll want to read much more).  The 365 ideas are divided into twelve sections: Getting Personal, Getting Along, Teach Your Children Well, Amazing Grace, Home Is Where The Heart Is, To Your Health, Your Daily Bread, Nine-To-Five Simplicity, It's Easy Being Green (not what you may be thinking, or at least not in the "greeny, politically correct way), Time Off For Good Behavior, Nothing New Under The Sun, and Radical Simplicity.

For a more thorough description of The Simplicity Primer, go to either Amazon.com, or to Patrice's website about the book.

Project Appleseed

Recently, I learned about Project Appleseed, an activity put on by The Revolutionary War Veterans Association (RWVA). My sons and I are thrilled that they are planning a weekend event here in Alaska! They hold these Appleseed weekends throughout the country. I'll post more about it after we've actually attended in late July. I'm sure we'll have a great time and learn more than we imagined. Check their website for an Appleseed weekend near you. Here is an excerpt from the Appleseed website that explains more about it.

"Project Appleseed is an activity of The Revolutionary War Veterans Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to teaching every American our shared heritage and history as well as traditional rifle marksmanship skills.  Our volunteer instructors travel across the country teaching those who attend about the difficult choices, the heroic actions, and the sacrifices that the Founders made on behalf of modern Americans, all of whom are their “progeny.”

Our heritage program vividly portrays the Battles of Lexington and Concord with the kind of care and immediacy that is absent from most formal schooling. Modern listeners are confronted with the danger, the fear, and the heartbreaking separations that arose out of the choices made on April 19th, 1775. They are also reminded of the marksmanship skills and masterful organization that ultimately helped set the colonists on the path to success. Those who attend gain a better understanding of the fundamental choices faced by our ancestors as they began to set the stage for the nation we now enjoy."

Bears

This spring has kept my family busier than usual, which is why I haven't posted much lately. My husband is a big game hunting guide, and is away for nearly two months guiding black bear hunts. That has left me with all of the chores he usually takes care of, like splitting wood, hauling water, tilling the garden (with a shovel), and all the other "little" things he does all day, in addition to my usual things. Our boys have been a great help, but we'll all be glad when he returns.

The hunter is on the right; Chuck is holding the paw on the left.

Chuck writes a blog for an outdoor network, and has just posted an article, along with some great pictures, about their Icy Bay hunts. Some of these bears are HUGE! Take a look. This one makes the one I shot last year look like a cub.

Oh, and you might notice something familiar about his blog ---- the name. I was setting up my blog about the same time he began writing for the Outdoor Blog Network, and neither of us communicated with each other on the name. So, take a look at the other Last Frontier.

Here are a couple more pictures from his articles.

 

This one really shows what a bear can do.

Soap Box

This post may not be what you're thinking. It's actually about a soap box (box of soap). Back in January when I wrote How to Make and Use Spruce Pitch Salve for The Survivalist Blog, I mentioned that spruce pitch also makes homemade soap smell great. Judy at Consent of the Governed Blog asked for my spruce soap recipe, which I gladly shared with her. I knew that Judy made beautiful soaps, but I was sure surprised when our mail arrived and I found a fragrant box of soaps she’d sent to me as a Thank-You gift. My thanks to you, Judy!

I haven’t tried all of them yet, but the ones I have used make me feel so pampered. So far, the dark one with the green tie in the center front is my favorite. I can't remember what it's called, but it has a very woodsy scent. My youngest son loves it so much that he's always going over to the soap dish to give it a sniff. 

Judy is not only outspoken about political issues, but she is also a skilled homesteader type, at least when it comes to gardening and soapmaking. I'm sure she does all sorts of things, but I've only known her for a short time. If you want to gain fresh insight on political issues that you may not hear about through the mainstream news outlets, visit Judy’s blog, Consent of the Governed. Then visit her soap website, Soap By Judy. (Judy just let me know that she will extend a 10% discount on your order if you mention "Frontier Freedom" on the order form. Mail orders, only. Thank you, Judy, for that great offer to my readers!)

Birch Sap Wine

Birch Sap Wine

I had just been thinking about springtime and looking forward to tapping birch trees again when someone commented on my post here about Tapping Birch Trees. John lives in the UK and makes birch sap wine. Here is the link to his recipe. I am definitely going to give this a try in a couple of months, and will let you know how it goes. Thank you, John!

While you're over at Sticks' blog checking out his birch sap wine recipe, spend a little time. He has some great posts on bushcrafting, camping and the great outdoors!

The caption on the picture goes to the wine recipe on John's site, but for some reason, the pictures itself won't link properly. Sorry about that.

I'll post again when my boys and I get back from town. I've been putting off this trip for months, but now we're all kind of looking forward to it. We'll get to visit with several friends, so it should be fun.

How to Make and Use Spruce or Pine Pitch Salve



Beetle-killed spruce tree
with dripping pitch.

 I recently submitted this article on How to Make and Use Spruce Pitch Salve to Survivalist Blog. It was published today! The uses for Spruce Pitch and Sap are well-documented in books about Alaska Natives. The uses for Pine, however, are also documented, but more in writings by natural health practicioners. If you have pine trees in your area, that will work well.

I have been using Spruce Pitch for many years. Here are a few of the ways I use it:

• On spider and other insect bites and stings
• To prevent or cure infections of ugly scrapes
• As a natural, safe and effective underarm deodorant
• As a lip balm and hand cream to help kill germs and prevent illness 
• To increase circulation and speed healing of a sprained ankle 
• It makes homemade soap smell fantastic! I don’t know if it still has antimicrobial properties after it’s made into soap. I kind of doubt it, but it still smells delightful.

To learn more, read the full article at Survivalist Blog by clicking here.

Prepare for Uncertain Times

American Preppers Network Forum is an excellent website filled with lots of very helpful information on topics such as gardening, food preservation and storage, animals and livestock, construction manuals, building plans, survival manuals, recipes and cookbooks, homesteading, shelters, wilderness survival, medical and first aid, and much more. The site header sums up their goal: “Freedom Through Teaching Others Self-Reliance”.
On the Downloads page, (either click here or go to the home page and scroll down until you see the image link on the left that says "Free Survival Disk), you will find an incredible number of articles, all free. You are welcome to download as many of them as you like. If you don’t want to spend the time to download, the site administrator is generously offering a free CD containing all of the articles. He only asks that you contribute $2.97 to cover shipping. It is well worth it to have all of these articles in one place when you need them. It will save you a great deal of time, and if your computer crashes, you will still have the CD. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the Downloads page for instructions on how to receive your free CD.

The main feature of this website is the active forum. Once you register on the site, you will be able to ask questions or help others by drawing on your experience to answer their questions. I’ve added American Preppers Network to the links in my sidebar so that you can find it easily.

Prepare With a Very Informative Site

I recently found a wonderfully informative survival blog called TheSurvivalistBlog.net. The name might put off a few of you, or it might intrigue others, but either way, this uncluttered site has a huge collection of easy to find articles. There is something for everyone. One of the things I like most about The Survivalist Blog is that the site owner, M. D. Creekmore keeps his blog and his articles simple.

MD says that TheSurvivalistBlog.net is “dedicated to helping people, on a budget, prepare for an uncertain future.” Like my family, MD lives off the grid, and he has years of experience. Whether you just want get motivated to better prepare for something relatively small such as the next ice storm, or you’re on the other end of the spectrum and consider yourself a serious prepper getting ready for a major disaster, you will learn a great deal from the many articles at Survivalist Blog.

Here is a partial list of the article categories:

• Food
• Gardening
• Firearms
• Homestead
• Medical
• Trapping
• News
• Life & Mindset

My family and I live in the Alaskan bush, not because we thought the sky was falling and wanted to head for the hills. We’re here because it provides a peaceful lifestyle that both of us have dreamed about since we were kids growing up in different parts of the country. We’ve been drawn to Alaska and to the bush most of our lives. Since we’re so remote, many people think we’re sort of “experts” on . . . . well, I’m not exactly sure what. We’re just a family raising our children and living a life we love, which just happens to be in the wilderness of Alaska. We’re learning as we go. I’ve been very impressed with The SurvivalistBlog.net and have learned much. I hope you’ll visit his website soon. 

Another Good Blog

Thanks to Sally and her blog, Daimonds in the Rough, I found another blog that I enjoy very much. Actually, sometimes when I visit, it makes my blood boil. Sometimes I just shake my head. I hope you'll visit Consent of the Governed and see what I mean. Here's a list of some of her most recent posts:

•  Economic Collapse is Coming
• Medicating America's Children
• The Chinese Infiltration of American Education
• FDA to Review Mercury Laden Dental Fillings
• American History Lesson
• The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America
• Lt. Col. Lakin Folds

An Informative Blog

Quite some time back I ran across a wonderfully informative blog, Walking With The Wise. Every time I visit, I learn something new. Alice's views are far from mainstream, which is why I enjoy it. She expresses her opinions very well on many issues that are so important to me. I hope you'll take a look at her current post, "Jew Teaches Christians About Jesus", as well as her archived posts.