Second on my list was yoga teacher training. I hadn't taught yoga before, so this was a new one for me. However, I feel that it will be an invaluable skill to have after the apocalypse to help survivors maintain a sense of wellbeing and physical strength within what will probably be rather tight quarters - at least to begin with. All of that running will surely burn tons of calories, but what better to use for strength training than your own body. Plus, yoga will be really helpful to deal with the anxiety that will surely arise from fighting zombies. Mental note: make sure everyone keeps one eye open during savasana.
Third on my list was crocheting. My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was about 10 yrs old. However, I didn't practice it regularly and it's been about 11 years since I have chained or double crocheted. I couldn't begin to try and figure out where my old needles might be in boxes that have been moved at least a dozen times since 1998, so I purchased some new needles, four skeins of thread and when I got home last Wednesday, I began re-learning how to crochet. Thanks to a couple of YouTube videos, I even learned some advanced stitches that I plan to try out on a scarf later. Over the Thanksgiving break, I managed to crochet a crap ton of granny squares (which will probably become a purse or bag for me) and begin an extra wide blanket - big enough to cover a full bed. I must say that I'm slightly obsessive compulsive with crocheting. It's just so easy to make stuff and it's incredibly soothing for my mind, which tends to chatter a lot. I figure that once the grid goes down after the zombie apocalypse, cold nights might be even colder, and there's nothing better to chase the chill away than a pair of crocheted socks, a scarf or a blanket!
Knitting is next on my list since it's so close to crocheting. I last knitted a scraf in 2001, but couldn't tell you how to begin a stitch at this point. I learn stuff incredibly quickly, but I also have a tendency to forget things with ease if I haven't done them in a while. I also purchased a new pair of knitting needles in a common size so that I can re-learn this craft as well. I might have to knit a pair of handcuffs for a zombie or something. One never knows!
Here are the "learn-to" items that are left on my list:
1.) Quilting - Never done it, but have always wanted to. (Purpose for the apocalypse: For warmth of possible a barter item)
2.) Pottery - For a week in sixth grade we worked with clay on a wheel. It was awesome, and I would love to throw on a wheel again.( Purpose for the apocalypse: Items to eat and drink from, or to sell/barter after the apocalypse)
3.) Woodworking - I use to do it regularly with my grandfather (and without) because of his awesome woodworking shop, but I don't have a lot of the tools neccesary currently at my disposal. (Purpose for the apocalypse: Build forts, tables, beds, weapons, baracades, fancy bowls, etc. Practical + barter potential)
4.) Gunmanship - I've been to a firing range a couple times before and loved it. However, there's something to be said for being able to take apart a weapon and put it back together properly. I'm not a fan of guns in general, but there's something to be said for knowing how to use one with skill and keep it in working ordder. I don't think I really need to clarify why gunmanship will be important for the zombie apocalypse.
5.) Canning/Food Preservation - My grandma Burke use to can stuff from their prolific garden on the regular. When she passed I think she had two full storage shelving units of nothing but green beans. That woman was prepared for the zombie apocalypse and I want to be as well. Canning isn't hard, but I need to revive that skill as well.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Life skills people. They're important and they just might save your ass after the apocalypse!
It won't be perfect, but it's a good bar and a great start to cleaning up my diet even more and healing my body from the inside out. Detoxing via food has been an on-going, on and off practice for me since January, and I have employed similar detox diets to varying degrees over the course of the year. My first experience in using food to detox was in May of 2008 and I had amazing results within five weeks that showed me just how dramatic an impact our food consumption has on our overall well being. We spend so many years of our lives growing accustom to ailments that often originate with, or are exacerbated by our poor food choices and come to believe that we either just have to tolerate ill health as a side effect of aging or find pharmaceuticals to mask the symptoms so that we can carry on and return to a sense of normalcy in our lives.
