For those of you who wonder who I am I just thought I'd say I'm back and introduce myself properly. I've been a member here since March after Bill Ellis told me about the place. I haven't been posting because My FIL, who owned our home, passed away Feb 19th and we've been technically "homeless" until recently. The atty kicked us out of the house so they could sell it and divide it between the sisters. We have been living in a 28ft camper trailer with intermittent internet access until we finally found our new home, a rustic old 1920's farm house on 4.643 acres in Southern VA (blue ridge mountains). It's got a lot of work to be done but we were able to buy it without a mortgage. Now I'm trying to get my shop set up so I can make utility trailers, store and sell stuff (I do soaps, body care, and even leather motorcycle mudflaps on ebay). As an intro I'm a former Network Engineer who's jobs have been repeatedly outsourced to India, Philippines, China, etc. I still do computer repair and networking on the side but only as I can get the jobs locally or for friends. I have 3 degrees, 1 in business and 2 in computer technology which are essentially wasted as far as I can see . I'm a Christian, married, with 5 children, a small family I know but that's where it seems we've ended up. Our local friends all have 5 to 12 children so far. My whole family juggles and we put on juggling shows periodically so don't be surprised at the shameless juggle plugs. It's a wonderful exercise and has been scientifically proven to increase gray matter in the brain, cognitive skills and of course reflexes. I'm aspiring to be a raw foodist for health reasons so you'll see me occasionally talking about nutrition, diet, etc. I do this to help myself, not to criticize others. Please don't take offense. It doesn't bother me if you eat a burger or bbq as long as I don't have to smell it and drool . That's me in a nutshell for those of you who don't know. Sorry for suddenly posting as if everyone remembered me here . Glen F
Welcome and welcome back Glen, glad things are smoothing out for you. We're glad to have you along for the ride.
Oh, welcome. What do you shave with? I would recommend a straight. Two reasons, first - it would be in keeping with your rustic suroundings and two - with that many kids I bet you do not have a lot of time to spend in the shave den getting the job done right. I am told with the straight you can get the job done faster and easier. Strop and hone while hte kids are a sleep each night, or while they are out of the house.
Glen... I'm really glad that you found the time and inclination to post over here. I've always enjoyed reading what you have to say. Aside from your polite self-elimination from the razor drawing, I'm hoping that you change your mind and enter. I'm sure you'll have the 10 posts by the time I give it away. PS... Hope you enjoy the heck out of that new home. No mortgage? I'm envious.
A home away from the hustle and bustle of the city, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the entrepreneur in the country... Welcome back, and keep me posted on your raw food experiences, I'm always interested in new diet theories.
Currently a restored 5/8 Robeson with african amazique wood scales, metal lined and brass pinned, courtesy of Bill Ellis, a 6/8 swiss razor that I won't even try to pronounce, and a 13/16 clauss of Toledo Ohio (also fixed by Bill) . I've only had to sharpen the swiss razor once, the clauss twice, and haven't touched up the robeson since I got it from Bill last year. Glen F
South and west of wytheville in the blue ridge. I drove to Mt Airy the other day. It took me over 30 mins to get there but that wasn't enough time for the drastic temperature change. It was 61 here and 75 there (f not c) the elevation change is such that we're much cooler here than other places. Very nice Glen F
Welcome! Interesting background info. Congrats on the house and acreage. I love the juggling act idea. I was looking into a vegan diet for myself (raw diet seems so bleak, though I certainly can see the benefit) , but one thing at a time, I am trying to go vegetarian then to vegan.. in glacier slow steps. Here is my problem. I don't think anyone loves a good steak or BBQ ribs/chicken as much as I do. I am unsure if I can do it.. Any recommendations? (or just start a new thread if you like) Regards,
If you live alone it's not as hard as you think. you can use gourmet raw to switch from meats to vegan. There is a lot of good gourmet recipes. You don't have to give up taste to go vegan or raw vegan. though eventually if you go raw you'll want to gradually get off the gourmets as they're one step above cooked. If you're interested pm me and I'll give you a whole list of books and websites. Glen F
Welcome Glen! You gave quite the (re)introduction. I still eat chicken and fish but I eat a lot of steamed vegetables. Eating raw is something I do whenever I can. Until then, I'm really into juicing. I get so many fruits and vegetables through it. I try to reuse the pulp whenever I can - it has the bulk of the fiber. I'm a big fan of wheatgrass. Good luck on the life change!
Hi Glen, I was brought up on predominantly non-meat diet. Not because it was cheaper (it may have been to some extent), but I think mostly because my mother learned cooking from her mother and in my grandmother's times meat was significantly more expensive. So this tradition naturally determined my family's preference to mostly non-meat meals. Turns out they are also healthier, so it's great When I came to US several years ago my diet changed dramatically. You have to avoid meat on purpose, it seems that it is produced so cheaply that it seems it is the standard for any meal. I guess it is also easier to cook meat. The thing is that whenever I go back home I notice my parents may have meat once or twice a week, while here I used to sometime have it every single meal. I have become of the opinion that if people who want to have meat in their diet (I'm one of them) may want to consider going for the high quality (expensive) stuff only. Besides it being healthier (no hormones) it also tastes much better and (at least I, and I think most people) can afford it only so often, which limits how often I get it. Anyways, not sure I was trying to make any specific statement - rather just some of my random thoughts on the subject...