What do you WANT to learn to do?

[Quail_Antwerp]

Beekeeping eventually. Right now I'd like to learn how to get through to the kids to pick up after themselves...

Me, too!!

 

[colowyo0809]

Beekeeping eventually. Right now I'd like to learn how to get through to the kids to pick up after themselves...

Me, too!!

you could always do what seems to work for my family and friends Ask them to start picking up their room and such every day. Stress this (and make sure they understand it) that they have a week (or whenever) to learn to pick up their stuff. Otherwise, if you have to pick it up, it goes away. Things like clothes and such, if they don't pick them up it doesn't get washed (assuming you are doing the wash and not them). If toys don't get picked up, they lose them. Don't throw them away, just lock them somewhere, and once they learn the value of picking up their stuff, you can use getting their things back one at a time as a reward for sticking with it. seems to work for most kids/teenagers/young adults/etc

I want to learn how to pick out good butcher knives, and how to slit a vein without the windpipe.
I want to learn how to raise livestock well, put together a good building as compared to one with gaps, shear and knit, grow good veggies, compost well, and square dance

 

[Henrietta23]

Hmmmm, I've begun some that need improvement/expansion, like cheese making, knitting, sewing, quilting. Some brand news one would be: making my own jerky, spinning, horseback riding, speaking Spanish and Russian and soap making!

 

[VickiLynn]

* Crochet beyond single stitch (I'm really good at single stitch)
* Make home made tortillas
* Speak Spanish
* Yoga

 

[chipmunk]

Beekeeping, crochet, small engine repair, making herbal remedies (BTW, Abi, we've used your cold remedy with turmeric & milk a couple of times, and it really helped!).

The thought of raising fish in the back yard is also kind of intriguing (not sure I could get that one by DH, though... he nixed the idea of meat rabbits)

 

[RobinsValleyVT]

you could always do what seems to work for my family and friends Ask them to start picking up their room and such every day. Stress this (and make sure they understand it) that they have a week (or whenever) to learn to pick up their stuff. Otherwise, if you have to pick it up, it goes away. Things like clothes and such, if they don't pick them up it doesn't get washed (assuming you are doing the wash and not them). If toys don't get picked up, they lose them. Don't throw them away, just lock them somewhere, and once they learn the value of picking up their stuff, you can use getting their things back one at a time as a reward for sticking with it.

Would this work with my husband?

 

[valmom]

Colowyo- I did that with my daughter when she was a teen- she was either furious or didn't even miss the stuff I bagged up, depending on what it was. It never did motivate her to actually clean up her room.

Wow, there are a lot of things listed on this thread that I already do- it makes me feel like I am sort of having a handle on learning things I want to know. I can reliably go from fleece to yarn to material (woven, knitted or crochet). Someone mentioned trimming their horses' feet- I have been doing this for the last 8 years since we moved up here and the blacksmith I found promptly asked me when I was going to put my yearlings in shoes. I learned to do them myself. I do soap reliably enough to sell it at work. I quilt. I have done stained glass which I LOVE, but don't have room to set up in this house I took Russian in college- it was a blast and I lived in the Modern Language house dorm on the Russian floor (pseudo-immersion). I sort of want to refresh myself in it. I keep bees- for the first time this year, but it is a start! Do my own Maple syrup every spring. Have chickens and horses.

I would love to learn to process/tan hides and furs. I know my SO would have a bit of a fit over that, though, so I content myself with reading everything about it I can find. I would love to have a loom, but don't have the room for it. I am thinking about the biggest width fixed heddle loom they make. I have also thought about learning the triangle loom- I may have to do that this winter, since the "loom" is very simple and can be home made. I really really want to learn to make cheese, but without a milk animal I don't know if it would be worth it. Feta and Mozz don't sound that hard, and I have a friend who makes it who wants to trade cheese lessons for soap lessons. We may actually do that this winter. I hope.

I am SOOOO not mechanically inclined that I don't even want to learn engine maintenance or how to engineer anything!

 

[krisac]

I want to learn how to make home made lotion and soap and expand toskin care products. I also want to opena bookstore, Move to Gettysburg, open a shop make civil war clothing, have my husband be a park tour guide and do civil war reenactments and living history. Of course everythign but the first part requires winning the lottery that I don't play

 

[Joel_BC]

Hi. In case you missed it (or, just a reminder) we have a little discussion going about the prospect of a new forum here on SufficientSelf. It's about The Shop (and tools, shop practices, etc).
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=11432

Quite a few people on this "What do you WANT to learn to do?" thread have talked about small engines, cars, welding, and related things. I'd think these all come under the heading of The Shop.

Please have a look at the thread I gave the link for... and encourage Nifty to start that forum.

 

[nikki4612]

I want to put in a small orchard of citrus trees - satsumas, meyer lemons, oranges, and grapefruit. They are all supposed to grow very well here. There is even a town called Satsuma just down the highway. I've never had more than one sad looking Meyer lemon tree in a pot. It did put out about 2 dozen lemons this year so I must have done something right. And it didn't get catepillars on it this year like last year.

I'd really love to learn how to farm. Not just have a garden in the yard but actual farming. Any suggestions? I can hang out at the LSU Ag Center and see if they will show me some skills.

Thanks,

Nikki