Blog | Strategic Living

A Nod to Personal Independence and the Protection of Individual Rights

There was a time in the not so recent past when I had a lot of angst. I wrote about the need for personal independence and the protection of individual rights under what I perceived as big government and tyranny. It may surprise you to learn that those thoughts have not changed and if anything, have accelerated in light of our current divisive political climate.

Today I feel I can no longer remain quiet. This week is Independence Day in the United States and I for one, am fearful of what we may become. I am full of angst.

Let me explain.

Since I began blogging in 2010, I have championed our right to freedom, free speech, and independence from cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control. That is, by the way, the definition of tyranny. In support of that, I have done my best to stay focused on what we as individuals can do on our own to become self-reliant and prepared for the uncertain times that we face.

There have been the expected bumps along the way, including a change in my perspective on certain aspects of prepping that no longer seem relevant. Likewise, there have been the ebbs and tides of the risks inherent in my personal situation.

All that being said, one risk I have personally prepared for is the dismantling of one of the basic tenants upon which our nation was formed, namely the Declaration of Independence. That brings me around to Independence Day and the 4th of July.

I have shared Independence Day sentiments in the past and quite honestly, nothing much has changed since my first Independence Day article in 2011. The bag of woes we face as a nation still weighs a ton with the only difference being the contents of that bag.

What I Learned Using CBD Oil

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I am on a mission to learn and understand more about CBD oil. Is CBD oil a modern day equivalent of snake oil? Based on my experience this past month, I think not.

As I have previously written, my original intent when embarking on this journey was to see if CBD oil would work for my husband’s chronic back pain. I also wanted to see if by taking it myself, I felt anything at all, good bad or indifferent given I did not think I had any specific ailments to address.

To that end, those of you that follow me on Facebook know that I have been providing weekly FB updates relative to my personal use of CBD oil. It has been an interesting experience, filled with unexpected surprises.

In this article, I share what I have learned so far while using CBD oil in my own household. As you read this, however, be aware that CBD works differently on different people and that what is working for my husband, Shelly, and myself, may be different for you.

Super Simple Goats Milk & Honey Soap for First Time Soapmakers

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For the longest time, I have wanted to make soap but was intimidated by the process. I envisioned donning my pandemic-ready overalls, goggles, and three layers of gloves so that I could safely work with lye. I have since learned that with care, I do not have to go quite that far but still, I was just not ready to take that step.

About six months ago, I learned about something called melt and pour soap base. Melt and pour base is a block of premade soap with nothing added. All of the work to create soap from oils and lye has been done, leaving the fun part of adding color, fragrance, and molding into bars to you. The more I read, the more I was hooked so I purchased some supplies and got started.

There was no looking back. I have learned that making hand-crafted soap from melt and pour base is addictive and is both a highly creative process and superbly rewarding hobby. I just can’t stop making soap and love giving my precious bars away to friends for no reason at all. Just because.

One of those friends loved her soaps so much that she asked for more. And then she asked me to teach her how so she could make her own and give them away to her friends. So there I was, one day, teaching my friend Nancy to make soap and within an hour or two, she was an expert. Her husband told me I created a soap-making monster. Now I don’t know about that but with all of that experience behind me, I decided to memorialize a beginners guide to making soap.

Given that pursuing your passions, including hobbies, is part of living a strategic life, I share with you what I know so far about making no-lye soap, along with some tips and tricks that will pretty much guarantee success.

What You Need to Know About CBD Oil

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Jump on any wellness-related website and you will find glowing accolades for CBD Oil. Along with the accolades, you will find references to various studies that attempt to prove the point and further entice you to make a purchase. The issue, at least for me, is that there is a lot of technical mumbo jumbo in these articles and that many of the studies cited are not what I would call scientific let alone peer-reviewed.

A study with 24 test subjects and no control group is not a study. Neither is a study where the test group consisted of a group of 50 rats. A study of how a handful of subjects deal with anxiety while using social media is simply not relevant.
I wish I could say these are extreme examples but they are not. They are everywhere.

So what is the big deal about CBD Oil? Is it the real deal when it comes to dealing with anxiety, depression, insomnia, aches, pains, and cancer? (The emphasis is mine.) Or is it 21st-century snake oil?

In this article, I hope to summarize, in plain English, what I have learned, so far, about CBD oil.

It is important to note a few things from the onset. First of all, I am not a healthcare professional although I have received input from my own physicians regarding CBD oil. Second, although I have immersed myself in learning about CBD, I am not an expert and will continue to research CBD and update this article as I feel necessary. Finally, I will do my best to speak in layman’s terms, without the using highly scientific and technical terms that for me, at least, make the discussion of CBD oil confusing.

Homemade Arthritis, Muscle and Joint Pain Salve

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There is not an active person I know of who has not suffered at one time or another from sore muscles. Couple those sore muscles with tender, inflamed joints and you have a recipe for misery.

I know this first hand because, being of a certain age, my joints hurt more often than not.I am here to tell you that you do not need to suffer needlessly nor do you have to spend a fortune on pharmaceuticals or overpriced over the counter remedies concocted from ingredients you are unable to pronounce. Instead, you can make up a batch of homemade muscle and joint rub using a base salve or other carrier oil and a single essential oil: wintergreen.

Why wintergreen essential oil? It is inexpensive, readily available, and potent. A little goes a long way. Ready to learn more?