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I know many posters here are more into "survivalism," but for those of you who tend toward off-grid living, sufficiency, traditional lifestyle/homemaking, homesteading/farmsteading, rural living, etc, you may be interested in this. If you are into that sort of thing, you've no doubt heard of Carla Emery. She was an interesting woman who among other things was a "homesteader" and had grown up on a farm in Montana. She wrote the Encyclopedia of Country Living, which I have on my shelf and have read through several times. She was a big name in the "back to the land" movement of the 1970s (yeah, sort of that hippy thing) and she certainly knew her stuff and lived that lifestyle when she wasn't "preaching her gospel to others."
It turns out that her daughter and family live off grid near Boise, Idaho. Her daughter's name is Esther Fouch (married name). She, along with her husband, a finish carpenter, and several children post a video blog on Youtube. It's mostly just a view into their lifestyle and activities, with some helpful hints about living off-grid rurally. In watching many of her videos, I've become quite fond of her family: such wonderful and downright cute-as-a-button kids. Nothing like the typical children of today. And her husband, Nick, is a really talented woodworker/carpenter, who built their timberframe home and did pretty much all of the woodwork within and without. There is one video in which he makes a two doors from raw timber that he milled from trees on his property--great work. Very talented.
I wouldn't consider the video series anything super educational (although it has its moments--Nick's timber framing videos are great educationally), but I've really enjoyed watching many of the videos just to peek into the lives of a family who do live that sort of lifestyle and in seeing what it entails for them. Just watching her family and the way they interact is much more entertaining than the crap on TV these days (at least, I'm assuming--I haven't actually watched TV in quite a number of years). It's obvious they are very close and that much of the affection is due to their lifestyle away from the masses and the crap most of us have to deal with. I love some of their winter videos. And as I said, her kids are adorable, especially the youngest girl (and hey, I typically don't even LIKE kids, so that's saying something).
Anyway, if it sounds like anything interesting to you, look them up on Youtube (Fouch Family Off Grid). I hope they are very successful through the years with what they are doing. Takes a lot of courage and dedication to do that sort of thing, not to mention a disregard for popular social opinion these days.
I've subbed to that channel since it was known as "Fouch-o-matic Off Grid". Yes, Esther refers to her mother in a TED talk she did (also on YT), and reveals a great deal about her marriage to Nick, which wasn't always smooth. Esther has published a book of her own, What Falls From The Sky?. I believe she's working on another one now.
All 3 kids have been homeschooled, but oldest boy Milo is now in public school so he can be with his friends. I agree that little Sadie is a charmer. Reminds me of our youngest granddaughter, Heidi. Sadie will grow up to be a real beauty. She seems to have inherited her dad's slight speech impediment and is not out-growing it. "Good night, widdle house", she says at the end of each video.
She seems to have inherited her dad's slight speech impediment and is not out-growing it. "Good night, widdle house", she says at the end of each video.
Yes, that is a nice little touch. First time I heard it, I had to laugh. It reminded me of the dozen or so goodnights at the end of each "The Waltons" back in the 70s. Yes... at one time I did watch TV, as a little kid. Some good stuff back then. I have some of the better series and movies from the era on DVD.
But watching the Fouch family is more fun because it is REAL reality TV...
Yes... at one time I did watch TV, as a little kid. Some good stuff back then....
We all watched TV "at one time". If anyone didn't, they were either too poor or brought up in a nunnery or monastery (though they may have TV in there, I dunno).
We got rid of cable back in the 90s, when our two daughters were grown. Wife and I looked at each other and said, "what are we paying this bill for?", and cancelled it. We don't miss it. In the backwoods of Maine, we aren't any more interested than we used to be (but I think the wife watches some things over at her girlfriends' houses when she goes to visit).
There is a free TV channel called MeTv. You can get the little plastic square antenna at Walmart. MeTV has a lot of the great old shows, like Beverly Hillbillies, Leave it to Beaver, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, the Rifleman, Wagon Train, Brady Bunch (barf)The Andy Griffin Show, Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock, Columbo. Cozi TV used to have The Lassie Show and The Lone Ranger on every morning for years. Now its mostly just crap. Then theres Grit TV, mostly classic western TV shows and movies. You don't have to pay a cable bill- cable =50,000 channels of garbage. Anyway, while sitting there on a cold winter night why not veg out in front of the Idiot Box?
Occasionally, I'll be at a friend's home and the TV will be on. Most of the time I just roll my eyes (mentally--don't want to be rude ). Once in awhile a station will be on dealing with "This Old House" sorts of repairs and topics. I don't roll my eyes at that. I do love seeing Victorian homes given the love they so deserve. There are a bunch of people on Youtube who live in homes from before the First World War (about which time, architecture started going downhill) and they post all kinds of 'tours" and repairs. They tend to be proud of those old homes--as they should be!
Sitting in front of a TV (or a computer) for hours at a time is not too good for your physical or mental health. I haven't watched the TV in over 30 years. I don't have a smart phone (just a flip phone), so my nose isn't buried in social media all day, either. I much prefer to be outdoors looking after my land, my livestock, my greenhouse crops in winter, my building projects. I also prefer to just enjoy the quiet and the scenery. I enjoy the company of my dogs, and my grandchildren when we visit back and forth. Kids and animals love me. The lake, the fishing, the trees, the deep blue skies - all much better than anything happening on a screen. It's real life! I don't have enough years left, to waste time!
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). Once in awhile a station will be on dealing with "This Old House" sorts of repairs and topics. I don't roll my eyes at that. I do love seeing Victorian homes given the love they so deserve. There are a bunch of people on Youtube who live in homes from before the First World War (about which time, architecture started going downhill) and they post all kinds of 'tours" and repairs. They tend to be proud of those old homes--as they should be!
