Tuesday miscellany
- Forty-three percent of likely voters say neither party represents them. That’s progress. Now, if they’ll only realize that no third-party will ever represent them, either …
- Hoplophobia. It’s curable. We knew that.
- Former supermodel Paulina Porizkova has some lovely and candid things to say about aging. I get the feeling you could have a great conversation with this woman. Glass of wine, get a little giddy, let hair down. Lots to say.
- Via a link dropped by Brian into a recent comments section: Hope Bourne. Amazing woman. Sad ending, but definitely an amazing woman. Funny and sad how our strengths become our weaknesses when circumstances change. OTOH, it goes the other way, too. Perceived weaknesses and flaws, given the right circumstances, become strengths.
- And speaking of amazing women, Jim B. (in another comment) tells me that Dolly Freed’s long-unavailable book Possum Living: How to Live Well Without a Job and with (Almost) No Money is back in print after many years in which it (and any information about its author) were difficult to find. And it’s available on Amazon.com for less than $10. Freed wrote the book when she was just a teenager living a frugal, self-sufficient life with her father. Thirty years later, she adds some notes and an afterword — and it seems that the book is as relevant as ever. Maybe moreso in these interesting times. Don’t expect to agree with every bit of it. Some parts are … well, ick. Still, this young backwoodslady knows her stuff. Years ago someone gifted me with his copy of Possum Living. I left it behind in one of my moves. I’m glad to know I can get another so easily. Welcome back, Dolly Freed!
Share or Bookmark
October 26th, 2010 at 9:25 am
It is possible to live on very little money,and it’s surprisingly easy-one very simple way is don’t eat out so much-that sounds idiotic,maybe, but I’ve worked with people that ate out for lunch every day-figure that out per month. An uncle of mine was laid off back in the 1980s,found a cabin in Eastern Kentucky to live in,the “rent” was just mowing/tree trimming/and similar property maintenance. The cabin had never been wired(we wired it for 12 volts, the idea came as the result of finding a RV battery isolator for two bucks at a flea market-total wiring costs-all new parts and one recondtioned battery.. Less than $30(it was charged by his van when he went into town,and had quick-disconnects linking the van to the house).Heat was provided by the wood from trimming trees..with kerosene backup. Also, be able to amuse yourself easily-read,listen to the radio, build stuff,go for a hike,go fishing(build your own fishing gear!) ride your bike,whatever-it’s a lot of fun,and you might learn something,or make a few bucks. Look for clothes(and other stuff) at Goodwill-some are very near new. There’s no real secret to it..
October 26th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
ahh, come on you guys…you KNOW the repubs will fix it……… Kinda ditsy,but seems she is STARTING to get it……..
October 26th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Besides the whole ‘Hopolophobes are just gun nuts who haven’t been robbed yet’ line, I’ve seen a ton of people who claim hate guns and want nothing to do with them be persuaded to try one out, and really really enjoy it. Including hippies and effeminate girly-men.
I’m sure it happens, but I’ve never seen anybody like that shoot for the first time and say “That was awful, I’ll never do that again!”
October 26th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
…what a great lady Hope Bourne seems to have been, and she’s right – they do look miserable…..
October 26th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
From Paulina Porizkova: “It usually blossoms at an age where you’re least equipped to handle its benefits and rewards and instead take it all for granted, and by the time you start understanding the value of it, it slowly trickles away.”
Bull, my great-grandmother was still turning heads on the dance floor at her 80th birthday!
October 27th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
You do know about Dolly’s blog, yes?
http://possumliving.net/blog/
Neither prolific nor profound, but very sweet. And sometimes…
“By then I had learned not to say much about my possum days. It turns out that starting a conversation with things like “Have you ever watched a flock of geese sleep at night?”, or “You know how when you go spear fishing for spawning suckers…”, or “Even though I’ve had road-killed dog and it was very good, I wouldn’t kill one to eat it” just makes people stare at you.
October 27th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
From possum living to NASA, from living off the grid to aerospace engineer, her whole story is just amazing……