Anyway, I can knit, understand the basics of crochet. I am learning to sew and have a manual/treadle sewing machine that I'm excited to learn to sew on. I can cook. I recently learned how to can via the water bath canning method. I can garden, and I love plants! I am kind of a minimalist. And the list goes on... I'm working really hard on preparing for the shift.
In my current living situation, I don't get out socially very often. Besides walks in the park (which I haven't been able to do for the last 4 weeks because of my foot surgery), I don't really see other people all that often. That being said, I've often wondered if I could manage to go a week without showering. I decided to save this experiment for a time when TC was out of town for work. Well, I did it. I didn't shower or take a bath for a week. Let me be clear: I washed everyday and washed my hair give or take every three days. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. Since then, I have significantly cut back on my showering. When we got our water bill, it had decreased by 2,000 gallons that month. 2,000. Well, a month or two after I made the effort to cut back on my showering, I went in for foot surgery. I am so glad I had that practice because after the surgery I couldn't shower or bathe for 2 weeks. By that time, I was a pro.
I still have a lot to learn about livestock and critters, tools and machines, large crops and pruning, shearing sheep and spinning yarn, hunting and field dressing... but I feel like I'm off to a good start. I would eventually like to be able to do everything I need to without electricity.