I hate to open my email lately -

because all the news seems bad. My friends and family are heavily invested in stocks, real estate, 401Ks, and other financial instruments, and I'm here busily sending them cautions (and you, too).

Today I open Carolyn Baker's fine daily newsletter (carolynbaker.com) and I see this on bank failures. http://news.aspects.cc/economy/bank-failures-so-far

I don't trust banks anymore. I came across an article yesterday saying not to trust Bankrate Monitor, either, my heretofore trusty site for financial matters. I know that when I went to the bank yesterday, there was a skeleton crew of tellers and officers. Creepy. There were three customers, including me.

There was an interesting interview on Alex Jones show on the radio yesterday (have you got Receiva radio yet on the net yet?). Seems that Fox News reported a week ago that huge oil resources have been found in Indonesia and northern Russia. They will dwarf those in the middle east and the oil sheiks will be back to rags and camels when these are developed.
When that happens, our currency will crash and be replaced by the Amero. No American oil resources will be developed or refined.

Keep this in mind as you scour the news and see more misery befalling the US and around the world because we put our trust in government - in banks, in fiat money, in politicians to whom we entrusted our life.

Run for office locally; run for anything from the most menial position to school board member to supervisor of elections so you can return the vote to the people.

Can you run for political office with the idea that you don't need money to run but just a vote?

I may do that in the election after this. What a refreshing idea.

Do what you can. Don't buy something you can't afford. Don't use plastic. Wear everything you own out to where it's completely useless, then recycle it. My theory is that I won't buy anything new if I can buy it good- or excellent-used. Used cars, used furniture, used appliances and second hand clothing and other things from yard sales, eBay, consignment stores. I do this for a couple of reasons: I won't be the first in line to purchase an item from a foreign country if I can possibly help it. I'm going to keep my dollars local. If I am so vain as to insist on designer labels, well, hell, they're at the consignment store for a fraction of their original cost, and if I see something especially nice I can always buy and resell it on eBay or another consignment store or opt for an ad in the free paper. I've done that a couple of times and made a few dollars.

I make my own soap. I can sew. I put a patch on the roof (God, please let it hold.) I will give DIY projects my all. I have three sheds that need new tin roofs. I'm going to tackle that soon, but not now because of the hot weather.

I vinyl tiled most of the floors here when I ripped up the carpeting. Carpeting has to be the most unsanitary thing in your home. You put new carpeting in and you are on urea overload. Then comes the sand, dirt, food, fleas and other detritus that sits there and collects. So I opted for the tiles. Looks nice. I have a little more to do. The only thing I need is time. If I get out of this chair, I'll get it done.

The master bathroom needs a total rehab. I can buy the parts and pieces (does your town have a Habitat for Humanity thrift shop?) and then maybe have someone come in and put it all together. I've never drywalled. That's a scary prospect, and I'm not up to that. At least, I don't think so. Someone gave me ceramic tiles for the floor. I just may ask for his supervision.

In Oregon, my bathroom wall was made of cedar shakes from a mill in Charleston that spit out the seconds on a conveyer belt. We used to visit the shake mill for kindling for the wood stove.
But whoever did the bathroom wall, did a really good job. I'm thinking new, old fashioned-style embossed tin for the walls. I can paint those. They should last a long time, and probably could be removed easily if there were a traveling leak anywhere.

This week I'm making jam. Got my jars. I need paraffin, sugar and Surejell. Then I'm off and running.

I love making jams; not jelly because I like the skins. They'll go to grandchildren and friends.
Maybe I'll keep a couple of jars for myself. Which reminds me - that blueberry bush is still in the process of ripening its berries, so I have to take a walk to the corner today and check them out.
A late bloomer.

That's all for now. Time to make the bed.