Eco-bling!

Hello everyone! I am now freshly married. After a weather scare, the ceremony went off without a hitch. It was really hot, but beautiful. Maybe some pictures to follow...

The question on my mind is how to make the most of my friends' and family's generosity. With all the talk of peak oil, food shortages, a fragile economy, and climate change (our power is currently out, going on 36 hours, after high winds hit yesterday) I want to do what I can to be prepared. We aren't wealthy, though, and we just got married, and I am Sallie Mae's indentured servant (she's a harsh task-mistress). So how to prioritize what we should get/need to get on a budget?

Here is a list of the items I've been thinking about, and they're in no particular order:

• Water catchment system
• Two tanks, hose set-up, drip irrigation unit
• Solar Oven
• Might wait on this if the home-made version is up to snuff
  
• Grain Mill
• Preferably manual
  
• Pressure Canner
• Definitely will be bought this summer
  
• Clay oven
• Probably lower on the list
  
• Greenhouse
• Long been a dream, but I think home-ownership should come first...
  
• Food containers with gamma lids
• Also not fun to think about moving...
  

We're also definitely getting lovie a new bike and getting mine a tune-up. I think being better schooled on bicycle maintenance will be a good skill to have, also.

I guess I'm thinking more about skill acquisition as opposed to object acquisition as part of my preparedness plan. I want to learn more about first aid, re-learn CPR, etc. I'd love to do an herbalist course or even an EMT unit at some point (maybe...maybe not...). I also want to learn more about gardening in this climate, hone more reliable bread baking skills, get the basics on seed storage, try my hand at solar oven cooking, and perfect my skills at crocheting and knitting (pretty solid novice). I guess I feel much more competent at learning things as opposed to buying and using things. Maybe that's it?

But regardless, some purchases will be made soon. Definitely the pressure canner and the bike. Maybe a solar oven down the road. Definitely some more items for the garden...