Know Knapping

Our next Transition North Twin Cities Gathering will be next Wednesday evening, August 17th from around 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  We will be meeting at Tom Jablonski's house located at 866 113th Lane NE in Blaine. 

Bob has set up a flint knapping/stone tool making demonstration for us by Rod Johnson, past president of the Minnesota Archaeological Society and expert flint knapper.  Flaked stone tools similar to the ones that Rod and other knappers make have been a part of human cultures for tens of thousands of years and represent a significant indicator of fundamental human modernity.  We all have knappers in our past!  

Rod and Bob will guide us on a journey back to the times when humans lived a life with simpler handmade tools.  Living the simpler life is something we will likely need to relearn as we transition into the coming low tech future.  

Feel free to call Tom with any questions at 763-807-3698 or drop me an email at jablonski@usfamily.net.

Can We Keep On Trucking?

A reminder that on Monday August 1st Bob Suchanek has reserved our old meeting room in the upstairs conference room at the Coon Rapids Cub Foods located at 2050 Northdale Blvd in the Village 10 Center in Coon Rapids.  The meeting will start about 6:30 p.m and again will last until 8:30 or so or until we get kicked out. 

Bob will be playing a recent Podcast from James Howard Kunstler who talks with science writer Alice J. Friedmann about her book WHEN TRUCKS STOP RUNNING.  

The two talk about oil, trucking, transportation, and the fate of Western Civilization as we run out of the fuel that keeps the whole thing grinding along.  More on the hour long interview can be found here:  http://kunstler.com/podcast/kunstlercast-278-alice-friedemann-trucks-stop-running/.  

 We should have some time to talk about the talk, after the talk.  

If your interested in a prequel to the interview, check out this synopsis of Friedmann’s book here:  http://www.resilience.org/stories/2016-01-19/when-trucks-stop-running-so-does-civilization-energy-and-the-future-of-transportation .  

July 18th and August 1st Gathering Details.

On Monday July 18th Wendy Barron has offered to show us at least 20 medicinal plants that grow in her and Roger’s yard in Coon Rapids.  Wendy will tell us about the plants and how to make medicine like teas, tinctures, and salves out of them.  And if she has time she may even give us a handout to help guide us in our quest for our own home grown medicines.  Wendy and Roger’s address is 1336 107th Lane in Coon Rapids (see map here:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/1336+107th+Ln+NW,+Coon+Rapids,+MN+55433/@45.1655437,-93.301392,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x52b33b42fb70c595:0xaf84fd71aba4e3ff!8m2!3d45.1655399!4d-93.3007054 ).  We will meet at their place at 6:30 and the gathering will last until around 8:30 or until we get kicked out.  Let’s hope the weather cooperates for us.

And then on Monday August 1st Bob Suchanek has reserved our old meeting room in the upstairs conference room at the Coon Rapids Cub Foods located at 2050 Northdale Blvd in the Village 10 Center in Coon Rapids.  Bob will be playing a recent Podcast from James Howard Kunstler who talks with science writer Alice J. Friedmann about her book WHEN TRUCKS STOP RUNNING.  The two talk about oil, trucking, transportation, and the fate of Western Civilization as we run out of the fuel that keeps the whole thing grinding along.  More on the hour long interview can be found here:  http://kunstler.com/podcast/kunstlercast-278-alice-friedemann-trucks-stop-running/.  We should have some time to talk about the talk, after the talk.  The meeting will start about 6:30 p.m and again will last until 8:30 or so or until we get kicked out. 

I hope that everybody’s summer is going well and am looking forwarding to attending what I am sure will be two great gatherings and hope to see you there.  Also feel free to give me a call or drop me an email if you have any questions, or if you would like to share a Transition related topic in one of our other upcoming gatherings.  We always need new topics and I know there are a lot of folks with a lot of knowledge out there waiting to be tapped in our transition to simpler lives.  

Tom Jablonski
jablonski@usfamily.net

763-807-3698

Tuesday July 5th Meeting.

For our next Transition North Twin Cities gathering we will be meeting at the Springbrook Nature Center located at 100 85th Avenue NW in Fridley. Our meeting will be this coming Tuesday evening July 5th from around 6:30 to 8:30. See the website below for more info.  The center has been under renovation, and hopefully we can see some of the work that has been done, walk around the trails, and or find a place to just sit and talk.  

Experimentation in Vegitation Fermentation

Kraut-Chi

Experimenting with fermenting some vegetables.  Go to Blaine Farmers market and pick up some beets, carrots, radishes, & cabbage.  Wash veggies, chop them up along with their greens.  Go to garden and pick some green onions and chop them up.  Mix chopped vegetables and sea salt in a bowl.  Leave the lactic acid bacteria on the veggies.  Squish it all together with your hands until the liquids covers the mixture.  Spoon into quart canning jars makings sure that liquid covers the mixture.  Let sit a room temperature for several days.  Be sure to open jars daily to let off the pressure.  Eat - I hope.  

See chapter 5 of Sandor Ellix Katz book THE ART OF FERMENTATION for more details.  

June 20th Meeting Information

For our meeting this coming Monday June 20th, we will be touring a couple of Coon Rapids gardens.   To start off the tour we will meet at the the Coon Rapids Community Garden located on 121st Avenue between Foley and Hanson.  Mary Riha will be our host and show us around her plot on the site where she is practicing a no-till raised bed type of gardening.  We will meet at that garden site at 6:30 p.m.

 

Around 7:10 we will caravan over to Marcia Baudino’s home to view her permaculture inspired gardens.  Marcia also lives in Coon Rapids I believe not too far from the Community Garden, but I am not sure what her address is.  We will figure that out before we leave for Marcia’s from the Community Garden Site.   Marcia’s tour should be over about 8:30 p.m.

Simply Simple Simpleton

“Live simply so others may simply live.”

It seems either Gandhi or Mother Theresa said this..

I have taken this quote to mean that by living more conscious and local and with less, we can provide others with opportunity to live in this world. I do not take it as by buying less, more goes to others. 

This is simple to remember and to be a reminder day to day that each and every action made will have an effect on something else. Obviously, we all know that. But do we act on it? 

In such a global economy it is very difficult for me to see what or how or who is behind every product or service I purchase. There is too much research to be done and decisions to be made to truly understand ones purchasing power.

I have come across the zero waste movement recently and have found more and more following this mindset. This would be a huge challenge for me, but I plan to take it on. The idea is basically to use and buy everything without creating garbage, items not recyclable or compostable. That would even be difficult shopping at Goodwill, they have those stickers on everything. It is more a challenge to think about each and every purchase. How each tag, sticker, tie, or wrapper can build up in only one year. It challenges one to find alternatives or do without. 

http://www.zerowastehome.com/

By keeping things simple, we bring more back to our local environment and can begin to observe and understand our relationship with the world. Keeping things simple allows us to be able to do much more ourselves or have a lesser impact on others. 

Speaking of impacting others...

The other night, I was listening to comedy radio and Louis CK came up and had an interesting bit about slavery. Not something we tolerate today, but he challenges how we think of slavery. I apologize for any profanity if it is not your thing, but he has some good points for thought. 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UVTXFsHYLKA

Other things to check out to get some context around this quote: 

http://truecostmovie.com/ , or on netflix

I would love to hear your thoughts and interpretations of this quote!