what's really important...

[Cat]

I thought about putting this elsewhere, but the Sunporch is kind of an "all-purpose" place. It's partly introduction, partly the starting point, partly just fun. And so I figured this article might fit best here - where it all begins.

 

WHY do we think about "preparing" for stuff? Why think about silly, it-can't-happen-to-me stuff?

 

Greece is having massive financial problems. Never mind that when West Germany had massive debt after WW2, Greece forgave some of their debt and helped them. You might think Germany today might remember and offer a measure of grace, but we will see if that happens.

 

This is today's reality for many....

 

 

July 3, 12:21 PM EDT

Greek villagers' secret weapon: Grow your own food

By GREGORY KATZ
Associated Press

 

Ilias Mathes has protection against bank closures, capital controls and the slashing of his pension: 10 goats, some hens and a vegetable patch.

 

If Greece's financial crisis deepens, as many believe it must, he can feed his children and grandchildren with the bounty of the land in this proud village high in the mountains of the Arcadia Peloponnese.

 

"I have my lettuce, my onions, I have my hens, my birds, I will manage," he said, even though he can no longer access his full pension payment because of government controls imposed six days ago. "We will manage for a period of time, I don't know, two months, maybe three months, because I also want to give to our relatives. If they are suffering, I cannot leave them like this, isn't that so?"

 

 

Rest of the article - http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GREECE_RESILIENT_VILLAGES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[sassenach]

Very interesting and insightful, Cat thank you for posting.

[Mt_Rider]

Some of these communities go back many generations.....people who's great, great grandparents knew everyone else. This is not the case in most of the American communities. Even in rural areas, so much change means you don't know folks who live near you that well.

 

But.....if something big happens...we might be fortunate enough to quickly develop relationships based on neighborhoods cooperating. There does need to be an equal work ethic....if not an equal knowledge base. There would always be unskilled labor needed...if only some would be willing to do it.

 

MtRider .....

[The WE2's]

One of the reasons we changed direction to re-locate is based almost totally on the economic of the town and the neighbors. At the Homestead we have (currently) access to a good hospital, our doctors, good shopping malls, good water sources, lots of long time friends as well as friends that are like-minded and best of all? It's all within walking distance if we had to walk and the stores were still there with anything, even the hospital and our doctors. Not long ago we had a get-together with several friends. The hosting wife and I did all the clean up and she said (and she's a like-minded friend) to me "I'm shocked, I thought the other ladies would be up here helping us". I told MrWE2 "that's a good precursor to know that we would NOT want those types of women in our like-minded group because they'd be lazy and soft in times when we'd need to be strong and ready to work". One time one of the guys brought a BB gone for target practice and then complained because the leather string on his BB gun dropped and he couldn't find it. We did find it but it was the fact that he was so upset about it! We all had much stronger stuff and didn't complain a bit about the high cost of our precious metals :-( (UH, yeah...he did get to use several of all of ours)

[Ambergris]

After many years of thinking this was the place, I am looking at finding another place to buy. I'm surrounded by rentals now. Renters stay a year or two years before moving on (up or down), or they're people who never plan to have places of their own. The grass is cut often and short. Next time I will know to look at neighborhood first, land second, house last.

Edited July 4, 2015 by Ambergris

[Twilight]

And are you ever right, Amber!! Best to you in finding the place you need.

[Mt_Rider]

Yeah....even us. We've rented here for the better part of 2 decades. That's rare. We are one of the long-timers telling new folks of all the history and things like: ....btw, do you know the culvert under your driveway for the creek is actually constructed of WOOD...like an old mine shaft? Might wanna take a look at how it's holding up.

 

I haven't told the neighbor that....but will if I get the chance. Don't need to tell him that the system of diversion of creek water once included an old cast iron bathtub.... The things things I've seen 'round here........including most of the houses being built!

 

Yet.....in all these years, there are things not done here on this property because the owners are out of state and we...... Well, I have always felt like I have one foot heading out the door. Never let go of my packing boxes. Also less ready to make an investment in getting to know neighbors that well.

 

OTOH.....there have been at least SIX owners in the "bathtub place" since we've been here. OWNERS, not renters. Two owners in the house built above us. Two...and vacancy in the house across. Lost track of how many in the house at top of the ridge...one was a friend from church but they moved too. Looking around I'm seeing.....uh, .......

 

 

I just realized that I've done what I'd hate for others to do to me if I'm new. The people I know well are only those that came in about the time we did....or were already here. I mean I know names and we talk if we meet at the property line. We call up for bear alerts or other neighbor things.

 

But I guess you get tired of really getting to know new neighbors over and over. They move in, thinking this is their dream home. Then one dies and the widow sells. Or the fire danger is too much to handle. Or the winters....everyone move in while it's beautiful summer weather. After a winter, they're outta here! One had too much emphysema to tolerate the thin air. So they all move out.

 

Soon it will be us.....hoping to find our "forever" home somewhere.

 

Parts of me really would like to return "home" to Iowa where I grew up or Hawaii where my kids grew up. Those are two places I'll always call "home". But neither is suitable with the health issues I now have.

 

Now, like Ambergris, I have different priorities. I will be looking for a place where we can grow old. Where we can SURVIVE even if we're old in a Post-Hooey world. My folks blew that aspect. They were in their 50's when they built this house that their 80+ year old bodies are now stuck in. Ooops.

 

 

 

Remember that factor, younger people! No primary stairs. No drastic hills that need to be climbed to do chores! Wide doorways. No climate extremes. STORAGE SPACE!

 

And if the neighbors ignore you for the first few years, continue to wait them out. Eventually, you'll be one of the LONG-TIMERS in the new neighborhood.....saying: Well back in '93 there was a hailstorm that flooded that intersection so badly that they sent in scuba divers to check cars for trapped people........ [but that's a true story]

 

That even happens in our electronic communities. Y'all want some history?

 

How many of you remember the time MrsS got a new uh...server? Board format? Host? Well, whatever you call it.... The switch inexplicably changed everyone's screen names. Person A now appeared on the board as Person K. Person K now appeared as Person T. I think that was the time we lost nearly all of the archives too. For real! I'd just joined at that point so wasn't caught in the terrible Masquerade Ball. Closest we come to that now is when someone has to make a new screen name [Like Arby-Sass]. This went on for quite a while until a change to another host/server/whatever cleared up all the Mistaken Identity issues.....and the archives came back toooooooooo. Whew!

 

 

 

MtRider ...pondering about neighborhoods....

Edited July 4, 2015 by Mt_Rider

[dogmom4]

I remember the server thing...I think I registered maybe right after? But I'd been reading for a long time before. Some of the names were hilarious....

 

We rent too. We were in the house before this one for 15 years and thought we might be there much longer. But the owner decided to move back to be closer to her children. We had made a lot of connections in that neighborhood and it was hard to let it go. We've been here almost 4 years and I have to admit I haven't made as much of an effort to make connections. The majority are homeowners and have lived on this street between 15 and 60 years. Yep...60. One lady moved in when she got married and she's in her 80's. They all have looonnnggg history.

[Daylily]

Some of these communities go back many generations.....people who's great, great grandparents knew everyone else. This is not the case in most of the American communities. Even in rural areas, so much change means you don't know folks who live near you that well.

 

But.....if something big happens...we might be fortunate enough to quickly develop relationships based on neighborhoods cooperating. There does need to be an equal work ethic....if not an equal knowledge base. There would always be unskilled labor needed...if only some would be willing to do it.

 

MtRider .....

 

Our little neighborhood is like that. Of 14 fairly close neighbors, 7 have grandfathers or great-grandfathers who were brothers and 3 others are related by marriage to one of the families, i.e. my 3rd cousin married the son of an unrelated neighbor and his niece is another neighbor. So that makes only 4 neighbors unrelated to the rest of us. One is here sporadically, 2 live here full time but we are well acquainted with them and have a good relationship. The 3rd one, we don't know well but haven't had any problems with her.