Posts
Physical, Spiritual, and Emotional Goal: Is this all getting a bit routine and mundane? Even though we should find joy in improvement, it sometimes feels lonely. You don't have to do it all alone. Why not invite a few friends to join your daily exercise or begin a challenge group like Sister Kimball? "Each year she challenged the women to read along with her the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, Jesus the Christ, or some other such book. She rewarded those who met the challenge with lunch at her home," Camilla, Caroline Eyring Miner, 178. If you can find a copy of this old favorite of mine, read it for some great inspiration.
Storage Goal: Are you diligent with usage, inventory, and rotation? Do you have the basics and beyond? If you are just beginning, go back to the very first newsletter and begin there. If you have been following the program, here's a thought. Do you have means of personal sanitation, a portable potty, hygiene kits, and a portable bath/shower? How about a James Washer or 5-gallong bucket+plunger to wash clothing? These are more than just a good idea, they are vital in an emergency situation. When the sewers and water go, one of the first problems is cholera. Remember Haiti after the recent catastrophe? A toilet can be as simple as a lined 5-gallon bucket or as complex as your budget allows. The same is true of showering. Do your research and find a solution. But, you say, water is too precious in an emergency situation. True, but shower/bath water can be reused to wash clothing. It's called grey water. Read about the spiritual importance of basic food and hygiene in this moving New Era article.
Provident Living: “We hope you are making this [gardening project] a family affair, with everyone, even the little ones, assigned to something. There is so much to learn and harvest from your garden, far more than just a crop itself,” Spencer W. Kimball, Apr. 1978. "[Gardening will] remind us all of the law of the harvest...We do reap what we sow. Even if the plot of soil you cultivate, plant, and harvest is a small one, it brings human nature closer to nature as was the case in the beginning with our first parents," Spencer W. Kimball, Apr. 1976. Since the secret to good health is greens, I'm always on the lookout for delicious, non-bitter varieties. I found a new one out here on my mission at a tiny Thai restaurant that deserves a shout out. Food allergies require me to order off menu. When I asked for steamed vegetables, they brought me a plate of perfection that contained an extremely delicious, unknown, mild green; the stems were similar to asparagus in texture with tender, sweet greens. Upon inquiry I was told it was Chinese Broccoli (Kai Lan). After researching, I discovered it can be grown as an annual or perennial. To grow as perennial, sew in late summer, harvest throughout the fall, cut down to stump, and mulch heavily. In the spring, it should come back up similar to asparagus for a spring harvest, stall out during summer, and have a second life in fall. Repeat. If you buy the open pollinated variety from Kitazawa Seed Co, you can use as an annual (or perennial), planting as broccoli in spring and saving the seeds in fall. Definitely going to give this one a try in pots up here, since it's like bonus asparagus that lasts for months instead of weeks and is ready in weeks instead of years.
