The Downturned Economy and a New Age of Self-Reliance

The trickle-down economics of the Reagan Era proved to be a joke for most Americans. Sorry if that insults your political sense but bear with me. The money certainly did not trickle down to the working poor and I suspect it also did not reach a number of my middle class readers. That economic principle had a major flaw. Here's an analogy. My husband has done residential site development since the late seventies and he recognizes that in a plumbing system, excrement flows downhill, not money. In our country's economy, money and cashflow, like the sanitary inserts used by women and then flushed, has had a trend of getting caught up near the top of the system, way up at the top!

The Pauley Principle, briefly stated, is that productively working people (those earning less than $200K/yr) and the new poor, whether recently out of a job, or because of poor health, medical costs, or inflation can live life more abundantly. I invite you to follow my lead and begin with making great food and drink for your table. Then, as your food supply increases (and I borrow this idea from Audrey Hepburn), work with your right hand to bring food in and then share  with your left hand. My wish for you, your friends and family is that you will benefit in both health and wealth.

Here's the way it works. As our manufactured productivity continues to slide, personal productivity must increase. A body at rest tends to stay at rest (think economy, think couch potato) while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. We're talking about inertia. Work it, baby, work it! Your body and soul will love you for it!

My blogs cover a number of topics that include ideas for gardening, community gardening, canning parties, recipes, how-to tips such as starting a small vineyard, wine making, links, resources and having cheap thrills.

I invite you not only to follow but to interact with me. Share your experiences on growing, harvesting and gathering, food preservation, recipes and your ideas. Now, get going! I do this and you can too! Start by looking at some seeds you'd like to plant or figure out a way to pull friends and family together for a shared garden spot, labor and tools. You're not limited to veggies. Consider different foods you can produce individually or on the shares, or hunt and gather. I encourage you to set into motion your own sense of self-reliance, descended from centuries of hunters and gatherers, and allow inertia to sweep you into a wonderfully satisfying experience of productivity, great food, drink, and wonderful fun!

Once you start, keep me posted with your progress, successes and even your false starts. It happens. Just don't give up. Eventually you'll come out ahead.