What we Already Knew

An email that has been circulating puts the entire Occupy vs. Tea Party movements in perspective....

REPORTED	OCCUPY	TEA PARTY
Arrests	4149+	0
Rapes	12	0
Damage	$10,000,000.00	$0
Public Defecation	Yes	No
Anti-Semitic Rants	12	0
Cost to Taxpayers (by 11/9/11)	$19,327,487.00	$0
Public Masturbation	3	0
Molotov Cocktails Thrown	10	0
Fights Started	Yes	No
Children Exploited	Yes	No
Police Cars Damaged	2	0
Drug Possession Arrests	Yes	No
Concealed Weapons Arrests	Yes	No
Drug Overdoses	Yes	No
Thefts	Yes	No
Burglaries	Yes	No
Vandalism Arrests	Yes	No
Trespassing Arrests	Yes	No
Non Fatal Shootings	1	0
Public Urination	Yes	No
Urination on others	Yes	No
Israeli Flags Burned	2	0
American Flags Burned	1	0
American Flags Danced on	1	0
American Flag Desecrations	25	0
Felony Assault on an EMT	1	0
Head/Body Lice Outbreaks	1	0
Tuberculosis Outbreaks	1	0
Murder	1	0
Suicide	1	0
Shots Fired at White House	1	0
Scabies Outbreaks	1	0
Obama Endorsed	Yes	No
Pelosi Endorsed	Yes	No
Cair Endorsed	Yes	No
Socialist Party Endorsed	Yes	No
Nazi Party Endorsed	Yes	No
Muslim Brotherhood Endorsed	Yes	No
Communist Party Endorsed	Yes	No
Biden Endorsed	Yes	No
Hugo Chavez Endorsed	Yes	No
Black Panthers Endorsed	Yes	No
Hezbollah Endorsed	Yes	No
Marxist Union Endorsed	Yes	No
9/11 Truther Endorsed	Yes	No
Bolshevik Endorsed	Yes	No
Iran Government Endorsed	Yes	No
Ayatollah Endorsed	Yes	No
North Korea Endorsed	Yes	No
Farrakhan Endorsed	Yes	No
Nation of Islam Endorsed	Yes	No

You Might be a Prepper if.....

Last week, I was running low on tea.  In our family, this is a catastrophe of epic proportions.  We have tea every morning before Sir Knight leaves for work and every afternoon when he returns.  The tea pot makes its appearance the moment a guest graces our home and whenever we are feeling a little low.  Often, we end our evening with a short pot of gunpowder green tea and a cozy, oil lamp illuminated living room.  The long and the short of it is - we have a tea addiction.

Alarmed when he noticed our almost empty tea canister, Master Hand Grenade said "Mom, can we get tea in a 5 gallon bucket?"  This is not a "normal" statement.  At least I don't think that it is.  And so that got me to thinking -  what other unusual occurrences happen in the house of a prepper?  What follows are a few of the things we came up with.

You Might be a Prepper if......

• You buy your tea in 5 gallon buckets

• You know when you've broken into the stored toilet paper because it smells like pickles

• You know the contents of a bucket simply by the sound

• The folks at the Mormon pantry know you by name

• You can cook better with your wood cookstove than you can with your conventional range

• You have more antibiotics on hand than the local clinic

• Your 4 year old asks for a pink bug-out bag for her birthday

• Your neighbors call you instead of 911

• You can jump-start your 24 volt generator with a 12 volt car battery

• Your favorite car trip game is "When I bug out, I'm going to take with me....."

• Your 12 year old daughter instructs a 53 year old lawyer how to properly use his AR-15

• You honestly think closets are for food

• You let your dentist know what antibiotics you put your son on to combat an infection (including dosage and duration) and he tells you to call him when you actually need something

• You know that plastic is not an oxygen barrier

• You use the acronym EMP in regular conversation

• You know what a Faraday Cage is

• You pause Zombie movies in the middle to point out tactical errors

• You think the movie "Tremors" is a classic

• Your son's favorite color is camouflage

• You think you've hit the jackpot when somebody offers you free food-grade buckets

• You think your lensatic compass is immensely more reliable than your GPS unit

• Your currently using toothpaste that hasn't been manufactured for 5 years

• All your food has dates on it

• You're on a first-name basis with Lehman's Non-electric hardware

And the list could go on and on.  Now, where do I find tea in 5 gallon buckets?

Human Rights for Dummies

The panicked battle cry of Human Rights is permeating our culture.  Legislation is enacted, battle lines are drawn and organizations are formed.  Our country is rife with purported Human Rights violations, just ask the Rainbow Coalition.  We are told that we need more laws, stiffer consequences.  But really, its not human rights those folks are talking about at all, but about lifestyle choices.  And lifestyle choices should have no legal protections.  By making an issue of legislating lifestyle, these people are drawing attention away from the real Human Rights issues.

We do have a genuine "Human Rights" emergency in this country.  We can't write or say what is on our mind without the fear of reprisal.  We can't defend ourselves or our families against evil men with criminal intent.  Our phones, cars and property are no longer protected from over-reaching government.

As I sat thinking about the state of our Human Rights, I realized that we do have a document or two in place that specifically deals with these rights.  They are old but they seem to be well written and perhaps, if we implemented them in their entirety, we might soon put an end to all of our Human Rights infractions.  If these documents were not only implemented, but embraced by lawmaker and citizen alike, our country could, possibly, become a beacon of hope for all of humanity.

Here are just a few excerpts - you may wish to read the complete documents for yourselves.

1)  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.


2)  That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed-


3)  That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

These distinctive "Human Rights" principles came from a little known document called "The Declaration of Independence".  Who knew?

And these, from an even lesser known source (I really had to do some digging to find these jewels!):

1)  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


2)  A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.


3)  No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.


4)  The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.


5)  No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.


6)  In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.


7)  In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.


8)  Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.


9)  The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.


10)  The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.


If this isn't the finest "Human Rights" document ever written (other than the Bible itself), I don't know what is.  To think that we have these documents just sitting in our archives while our government disregards them is a grievance of epic proportions.

This is our heritage.  Our very own Constitution is the original "Human Rights for Dummies".  It is time for us to get down to business.  We need to quit paying lip service to these precious pieces of history and start living by them.  We are the people!

Sweet Illusions

Hundreds of years ago, brave (and desperate) men and women sold all of their worldly possession, said goodbye to everyone they knew and everything they had ever known and boarded ships bound for a new world and a new life.  They were not foolish, simple men.  They knew the risks they would take and those they would expose their families to.  And yet they came.  Putting their very lives on the line, our ancestors braved the ravages of a treacherous sea only to settle in an untamed wilderness and build a truly great civilization.  Only by the blood of their hands and the sweat of their brows did they hew a new life.  And, in the process, their very lifeblood was required.  They lost children, wives and their own lives to their dream.

And now, we can't drive to the next town without our cell phone.  "What if we got into a wreck?"  "What if we broke down?"  Apparently, in the 21st century our legs don't work.  We couldn't possible walk home.  When cell phones made their appearance, they were heralded as a wonderful way to stay connected.  Now, you could be in constant communication.  You could make use of those hours spent commuting by working right from your car.  You could let your wife know when you were running late.  If you were in an accident (gasp!) you could call for help.

At first, only a select few could afford the luxury of a cell phone.  Soon, however, as technology advanced and prices came down, most people tucked a phone into their pocket or their purse.  What once was considered an expensive gadget became an indispensable necessity.  Now, not only were business people chained to the master of their own making, children had also succumbed to the "need" for a constant leash.  "Good" parents wouldn't dream of letting Suzie leave the house without her phone.  She might need something.  She might get in an accident.  Or, then again, she might need to send naked pictures of herself to her boyfriend.  Ah, technology, a wonderful thing!

But it doesn't stop there.  Now, your cell phone (you know, that wonderful item that offers so much perceived "safety") can now be used against you.  In order to make the most out of the cell towers wherever you may be, your phone has a GPS (yes, Global Positioning System) that can be used to track your phone - and you.  And what a wonderful thing that is, right?  Only a "bad guy" wouldn't want to found, right?  Wrong.  I don't have to have done something wrong not to want to found.  I might want the freedom not to be bothered.  I might not want someone to know where I am every second of every day.

We strap on the bracelet of "safety" so readily but wonder what went wrong when that bracelet becomes a handcuff.  We never stop to think that "safety" is nothing but a sweet illusion.  Life is not safe.  It never has been.  It never will be.  And a "safe" life is a life not lived.

As a society, we have come to value safety over freedom.  And we have forgotten that God is the author of life and death.  We are so concerned with being safe that we have forgotten how to really live.  Life is dangerous.  And that is how it is supposed to be.  Only when there is an element of danger, do we realize our frailty.  And only when we realize our frailty will we seek the Maker of our souls.

Our congress has plans to see 30,000 drones in the sky above our heads by the year 2020. 30,000 drones to keep you safe.  30,000 drones that see all.  That hear all.  Never will you get in an accident when "they" won't know.  Never will your car be stolen when "they" won't see.  Never will your house be broken into when "they" won't have knowledge of the incident.  Doesn't that make you feel safe?

Remember.  We have to remember.  The people that have gone before us were not willing to give up their freedom for their safety.  They knew that the people peddling safety were really seeking only to bind them with chains forged for "the public good".  True protection is at the heart of every good father, every family.  The "safety" the government offers is only thinly veiled bondage.

I will trust God with my life, not some flawed government.  I don't want to be kept safe.  I want to live.

Delighting Children

One of the most challenging aspects of running a business out of our home is the lack of space.  If our shouse wasn't full enough with seven people, we had to go and add a manufacturing business.  Fabric fills the china hutch, the bathroom hutch and a washtub in the living room.  Sewing machines occupy real estate at the bottom of the stairs and the end of the dining room table.  Every time I order more fabric I shudder to think of where I will put it.

One day as I visited with my folks on the phone, I began muttering about my space dilemma.  I told them that some day, when we moved, I would have a room dedicated to Naturally Cozy.  I would have a work table (at the right height!) and a rack to hold my rolls of fabric. I would have bins to store all of the snaps and shelves to house the cut fabric and open orders.  Oh, someday.

Not long after our conversation, my dad called with a request for measurements.  He wanted to know how long my largest bolt of fabric was and what the diameter was.  He was curious to know if I wanted a vertical or horizontal stand.  How many rolls of fabric did I have?  Did the stand need wheels?

Well, when Dad and Mom showed up on Friday, they had something strapped to the bed of their pickup.  Mom came in, gave everyone hugs and said "Enola, lets move some things around".  Quickly moving the washtubs that held my largest bolts, Mom had a spot next to the stairs cleared record time.

Dad started untying a wooden frame from his truck and soon, parts starting filling the house.  First there was a wooden box bolted onto a furniture dolly (the casters were huge).  Next came the frame.  Mom and Dad set the frame onto the box and Dad started securing it to the box.  After he had fastened the entire frame together, he put large dowels into slots in the frame.  Perfect! A huge fabric rack - on wheels!

Loading the rack with fabric

Look at all that storage!!!

Oh it was exciting.  Now, rather than being spread all over the house, my fabric is in one place.  Not only can I see what I have and what I need to order, I can also roll the entire frame to the table making cutting much more convenient.

Parents are wonderful.  They love to delight their children with good gifts.  And my parents - well, they are exceptional.

Late Night Lip Balm

Last night I was desperate.  Our whole family has a bit of a head cold and between that and the cold weather, my lips were falling apart.  I was freshly out of Burt's Bees lip balm and really didn't want to have to resort to Bag Balm (really - have you ever tasted it?!).  After considering my options, I finally decided that I could spare 10 minutes of my life to make some homemade lip balm.

One of the things I haven't liked about the lip balm recipes I have used in the past is the number of ingredients they require.  I like simple.  And easy.  Generally, lip balms call for exotic things like coconut oil, glycerin, jojoba and cocoa butter (not that all of these are exotic, but most of us don't have them sitting around in our kitchen cupboards).  So, I got to thinking and searching on the internet (what a wonderful tool!) and came up with a balm recipe that meets my "simple" and "easy" criteria and is wonderful to boot.

You really don't need anything special to put lip balm in, although tubes or little pots are handy.  I actually made more lip balm than I had tubes for and put the overflow into 35mm film containers.  Whatever you have on hand will work.

The only ingredient in the balm that you may not have on hand is beeswax, but it is fairly easy to come by and will last forever.  The amounts of wax you use are very small in comparison with the rest of the ingredients, so a little will go a long way.  I bought 4 twenty pound bricks of beeswax about 8 years ago and have used it in everything from lotion bars to lip balm to candles and have only used about 1/4 of 1 brick.

The lip balm takes about 10 minutes to make, including measuring and heating and another 20 minutes or so (depending on what containers you use) to harden.  I do have to admit that I love using it when it is warm and not fully hardened yet - oh, so wonderful!

Most Wonderful Lip Balm
1/2 oz. beeswax
1 tsp. honey
4 oz. olive oil (1/2 cup)
Peppermint oil or peppermint extract to taste

In a small saucepan (or double boiler) melt wax.  Add honey and oil.  Stir for two minutes.  NOTE:  The honey will not really combine, but it is great for your lips and doesn't adversely affect the lip balm.  Add peppermint (or other flavor).  Stir well.  Pour.

Melting the beeswax

Measuring the oil

Pouring into the tubes

The overflow went into film canisters

When I made my balm, I used 1 oz. of beeswax rather than 1/2 oz. because I like a more solid lip balm.  I also added a little Vitamin E oil when I added the peppermint.  My lip balm turned out beautifully and feels wonderful.  Because I added extra beeswax, it stays in place for quite a long time and hopefully won't be prone to melting when carried in a pocket.

For mere pennies, you can make lip balm in your own kitchen.  Not only is it a great winter evening project, it will bring you one step closer to preparedness.

Why we Won't be Building Do-It-Yourself Washer Kits

NOTE:  This is a post regarding the reasons that we won't be offering a kit OR plans on a DIY washer.  I'm afraid there has been a miscommunication.  We will NOT be offering a kit or plans.

Being preppers, as a whole, we are a group of do-it-yourselfer's.  That is part and parcel with the self-reliance game - not being dependent on someone else.

After exploring the idea of making his own version of the James Washer, Sir Knight was inundated with requests to sell a kit so that folks could save on shipping and build their own washer to his specifications.  At first, he thought this was an idea worth looking into.  He began by researching barrels, the main component for his washing machine.  When he first started thinking about an alternative to the James Washer, Sir Knight figured he would pick up used barrels from one of our local suppliers (he is always thinking of way to keep the costs low).  When he began to research barrels (in three different sizes), he learned that not all barrels are created equally.  They have different thicknesses, have different configurations, bung placement etc.  The more he looked at barrels, the more he realized that he would have to use a standardized barrel in order to make his design work.

He ended up finding a barrel he liked (new) that was reasonably priced and built like a brick out-house.  It comes in black (I told him that blue barrels were kind of like blue tarps - they had redneck written all over them!) and is configured to accommodate Sir Knights design.

Ultimately, the problem with offering a kit is that every person will have a slightly different barrel.  Some will have a flat bottom, some will be rounded.  Some will be taller and narrower and some will be shorter and rounder.  That being said, a universal parts kit won't fit.  There is no way to account for all of the differences in barrel manufacturing.  Sir Knight would rather lower his price and offer a complete washer than sell kits that wouldn't work.

Interestingly, we have found that shipping may not be as expensive as you may think.  We believe that a complete washer will be in the $30 to $40 dollar range to ship (more, of course, for the larger models).

I just wanted to let you know that we did hear you and take your ideas into consideration. If there was a better way, we would be more than open to the suggestion.

Here are some other uses for those 55 gallon barrels you have laying around!

Butter Pecan Cakes

My folks came to visit over the weekend, so I thought I would make a little something to have with our tea.  I have a wonderful recipe for Butter Pecan Cakes (which are the perfect accompaniment for English Breakfast Tea) that I generally bake in tartlet pans.  Having just acquired a silicone baking mold in the shape of roses, I thought I would try baking the cakes in the mold instead of my standby tartlet.

I was a little skeptical about how well the cakes would release from the mold.  Normally, I have to grease and flour the tartlet molds in order for the cakes to come out and the directions for the silicone molds indicated that no greasing was required.

The mold

An up-close view

I adjusted the time (baking the cakes for about 23 minutes rather than 12 minutes) to account for the larger mold.  After they had baked, they needed to cool for 10 minutes before being turned out of the mold.  With much trepidation, I turned the cakes over, gently pushed on the bottom of the mold and out popped the most lovely little rose cakes ever.  I was impressed!

My recipe calls for a Cranberry/Raspberry sauce to be served over the top of these cakes, and it is wonderful, however, most of the time I just serve the cakes with a light dusting of powdered sugar.  The flavor is wonderful on its own and subtle enough to serve with most any tea or coffee.

Butter Pecan Cakes
1 C butter, softened
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/4 C milk
2 1/4 C flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease and flour a tartlet pan (or use a silicone mold).  Set aside.

In mixing bowl beat butter with sugar.  Add vanilla, eggs and milk.  Add flour, baking powder and salt.  Beat until combined.  Add pecans.  Spoon into prepared tartlet pan.

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes (or longer, depending on your pan) or until lightly browned.  Cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans.  Cool on rack completely.

Before turning them out of the mold

Cranberry/Raspberry Sauce
2 C cranberries
1 C sugar
1/4 C raspberry or cranberry juice
1 C raspberries
1 tsp. orange peel

Combine cranberries and sugar and juice.  Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Cook and stir 5 minutes more.  Remove from heat.  Stir in raspberries and orange peel.  Serve over pecan cakes.

*Note:  These can be baked in mini muffin tins or regular or even Madeline molds.  Whatever you have will work.

When you want something wonderful, but not too fancy, Butter Pecan Cakes fill the bill.

The Coming Storm

Last week, a ferocious storm blew through our area.  It blustered and howled and threatened to lift the very roof off our shouse.   As is typical here, the wind was stayed until everyone had been tucked snugly into bed.  As the shouse grew quite, the wind began to softly sing.  It started out quietly and then grew louder and louder and louder.  Soon, it was knocking at the door, politely asking to come in.  When we didn't answer, the wind grew aggressive.  No longer was it polite.  It became positively demanding.  Then it began ripping at the shouse itself, trying to gain entry.  

As I lay in bed, praying that the roof remain in tact, I realized that, as a nation, we are facing a storm of epic proportions.  The wind has begun to blow.  It will grow stronger.  And, it will threaten our very foundations.

The wind blew, the beams creaked and I prayed.  Through the night, the wind sung its siren song but the shouse held fast.  It held fast because we had no loose ends.  Our shouse had been carefully maintained.  Knowing we live in a windswept area, we had been sure to tighten any loose screws and strengthen weak areas.  Our chicken coop, on the other, hadn't been maintained quite so well.

A while ago, I had noticed that a screw had come out of the metal roofing on the chicken coop.  It was only one little screw, so I didn't give it much thought.  Every once in a while, when the breeze picked up, the metal would slap against the roof, but other than being a little annoying, it wasn't really posing much of a problem.  As time went by, I noticed that another screw was missing.  Still not a big deal. I didn't think of bringing it to Sir Knight's attention.  We would take care of it when it really needed to be fixed.

As the wind blew during the storm, I heard the chicken coop roof metal frantically flapping.  Bang, bang, bang!  Every time it beat the roof, my prayers became a little more fervent.  Bang, bang, bang!  The sound was driving me nuts.  It mingled with the howling wind and creaking beams, robbing me of the sweet slumber I so desperately craved.

As the morning dawned, the wind withdrew, leaving behind the ravages of nature.  I ventured into the morning mist to survey the damage.  Remarkably, the shouse was left untouched.  No missing pieces of roofing material, no doors ripped from their hinges.  There were a few barrels tossed about and a number of things littering the yard, but short of that, we were left unscathed.  And then I saw the chicken coop.  Large portions of the metal sheeting had been ripped from the roof and lay mangled in the pasture.  The tar paper crumpled in shreds, no longer offering any protection to the plywood sheeting.  Much more than a small section missing two screws lay in ruins.

Frustrated at my lack of foresight, I realized that our lives are so like that chicken coop.  We are facing the biggest storm of our life.  If our country collapses, it will be the equivalent of a massive hurricane.  Our relationships are like those missing screws.  If we have problems that are left unattended, it will be the complete undoing of our entire house.  It is so easy to think that it is just one little screw.  We can ignore that - it isn't really a big deal. It may grate on us, bug us, even irritate us to no end, but we can handle it, right?  But when the wind blows, as it always does, it will pull at that one loose piece of metal. That irritation will rub and rub and rub. As it rubs, it will be just like that metal, loosening the next screw and the next.  Soon, your entire house will be left without protection.  If a massive storm envelops you, having not battened down your hatches, your house will be destroyed.  There is no substitute for maintenance.  Not only do we have to maintain our homes, we have to maintain our relationships.  We will need every one of them.  If you and your spouse are having a tough time now, it is only going to get worse when the storm hits.  You may think that when the collapse comes you will pull together, because you have too, but, the reality is, the storm will tear you apart.  You can't let that happen.  You are going to need each other.  We can't just spend our time preparing for all our physical necessities.  What kind of preppers would we be if we didn't prepare our relationships to withstand the storms?  And as far as I can tell, one of the best ways to prepared for a hurricane force storm is to tighten all the screws.  To batten down the hatches.  We can do no less in our relationships.

We all see the storm coming.  Please, don't put off taking care of your most important relationships thinking that they will take care of themselves.  They won't.  Just like that chicken coop roof didn't miraculously repair itself, breaches in your relationships won't either.  And you are going to need the people in your life a whole heck of a lot more than you will need a chicken coop.  Or even a house for that matter.

The storm is coming.  Now is the time to take care of business.

Equipment Review - The James Washer

** ***
When we first moved into our "shouse", one of my greatest challenges was laundry.  We had no running water, drains or electricity.  Before we moved, I had the luxury of putting a load of laundry into the washing machine and then getting on with the rest of my day.  It was a luxury I took for granted.  Once we had moved, laundry became an almost insurmountable task.  Rather than tossing a load in the washing machine and going about my business, I now had to get to know my laundry on a very personal level.

After hauling water into the house, I would put my 15 gallon galvanized wash tub on the wood cookstove and fill it with cold water.  Starting with the darks and a bar of Fels Naptha soap, I would start washing.  I soaped the clothes up well, scrubbed them against each other and then against the corrugations on the side of the wash tub.  I rubbed and scrubbed and lathered, rubbed, scrubbed and lathered.  Once I thought they were well cleaned, I plopped the sudsy mess in a laundry basket and went on to the next article of clothing.  I progressed quickly from the dark clothes to the colored and then to the whites.  I had to work fast because the water heated up as I washed.  It is remarkable how quickly a 15 gallon tub of water heats up when placed over the firebox on a wood cookstove!

Once all of the clothes had been scrubbed, I hauled water (cold, once again) into our bathroom and filled the bathtub.  I dumped the laundry basket full of clean but soapy clothes into the tub and agitated them with my hands.  I wrung all of the soap out (by hand) put them back into the basket, rinsed the soap out of the tub and started over again. I found that if I didn't rinse the clothes at least twice, they became dingy and fowl smelling.  Not having a wringer, I wrung all of the clothes by hand, which I found to be a poor substitute for the spin cycle.

Having a bucket full of clean clothes, I hung them on a clothes stand in front of the wood cookstove.  Due to the fact that I had rung the clothes myself, there was always a standing pool of water under the clothes rack.

Eventually, we graduated to a generator-powered, cold water only washing machine.  It was heaven!  Gone were the soggy clothes that took 3 days to dry (meaning that I always had wet clothes in front of the stove) and blistered knuckles from the constant rubbing in boiling water.

Since then, I have gone through about 3 washing machines.  They were all Craigslist finds, not even close to new, and most of them did a fine job, but when they would break, I would be back to doing laundry by hand.  That is, until we invested in a James Washer.  Realizing the incredible amount of work that was required to do laundry by hand, especially when you weren't set up for it, we knew that we needed to invest in some real, honest-to-goodness back to basics laundry equipment.

We bought a James Washer from some folks (who later became very good friends), along with double galvanized wash tubs.  Because our philosophy for preparedness is ruled by "use it, use it, use it", we took advantage of our first washing machine malfunction to put the James Washer to the test.

Laundry Day
(The kids, of course, were a lot younger!)

Princess Dragon Snack, helping

Setting the washer up outside, we filled it with water straight from the hose.  Allowing it to sit in the sun for about an hour gave us nice, warm water in which to wash our clothes. We put clothes in, being careful not to overload the washer, and proceeded to wash.  One thing we learned quickly was that in order to get the clothes as clean as our washing machine, we had to put about as much time into washing with the James Washer as our washing machine did on a normal cycle.  It took about 45 minutes of washing, rinsing, washing and rinsing before we thought our clothes were really clean.  Once we had finished washing, we drained the water and filled the washer with clean water from the hose, rinsed a final time and proceeded to wring the clothes with a wringer that was attached to the James Washer.  The wringer (which is Lehman's Best) did the job quite efficiently, but really is not made particularly well.  I think it will have to be babied to last for any length of time.  The knobs are wobbly and hard to turn and it basically feels like it may break at any moment.  That being said, it did wring our clothes out quite effectively.

We found that we were able to cut down on the washing time by pre-soaking our clothes.  We filled our washtubs with water, put laundry in them and went in to have a glass of iced tea.  Leaving the clothes outside in the washtubs allowed them to soak in increasingly warm water, making it much easier to wash the dirt out when the time came.

The James Washer itself is a lovely invention.  It is not as large as you might think, by looking at the pictures - only big enough for a pair of jeans, a bath towel, a few t-shirts and some undergarments.  It would struggle with bedding or large items like insulated cover-alls.  The dasher works very well - easy enough for children to use, and the plumbing makes draining a breeze.  The James Washer is very handsome. It is polished stainless steel with wood accents and would look wonderful plumbed into a bathroom or gracing the front porch.  It, however, is very thin.

After using our washer for about 3 weeks, the metal at the handle began to rip.  Sir Knight says, tongue in cheek, that the stainless steel is roughly 3 times thicker than a pop can.  And he is right.  The good thing is, that once you know were the weak points are, they are easily repairable (if you know how to weld).  We did find that less stress would be placed on the handle if we added more water to the washer.

The tear in the metal

The James Washer does have a lid that sits on the top.  I found that I never used the lid, unless I was leaving water in the washer to heat in the sun.  Other than that, I slid the lid under the washer to keep it from being trampled upon.  If you are storing your washer, the lid is nice to keep dirt from accumulating inside.  The lid sits on the top rather than being fitted, so if it is in storage, you must be careful not to bump it and send it flying to the floor.

All in all, the James Washer is the best option on the market.  It requires less work and is more effective than most other options.  The washer does not come with a wringer - that must be purchased separately, but is essential if you want your clothes to be dried in under three days.

We love our James Washer, but.........

Here is a question.  Sir Knight has been thinking about washing machines for quite some time (it couldn't have anything to do with my frame of mind when I was washing clothes on the cookstove?!).  He believes that he and Master Hand Grenade could build something sturdier (by far) for less money (the James Washer is expensive, about $500.00).  He would make it in three sizes, small, medium and large, with the largest being about the size of a 55 gallon drum with handles on both ends (specifically for a very large family, small village or to be utilized as a community washer).  What do you think?  Would any of you be interested?  Is there a need for another washer?  I would love to hear from you.

If you can afford the investment, the James Washer is a wonderful piece of equipment  (provided that you are prepared to repair it).  Knowing ahead of the need, how you will do laundry, will be essential for your mental well being!  I can guarantee there will be many other challenges facing you.  Not having to spend unnecessary time and energy on the daily task of laundry will be a tremendous relief!

We give the James Washer  ** stars.