nuzzles you

⁽ᵖⁱᶜˢ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵖⁱⁿᵗʳᵉˢᵗ⁾

my little sable heart craves to run around the confier forests and make my home under a tree

It seems like self-sufficiency and homemaking skills are blowing up right now. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the current economic crisis, a lot of folks, especially young people, are looking to develop skills that will help them be a little bit less dependent on our consumerist economy. And I think that’s generally a good thing. I think more of us should know how to cook a meal from scratch, grow our own vegetables, and mend our own clothes. Those are good skills to have.

Unfortunately, these “self-sufficiency” skills are often used as a recruiting tactic by white supremacists, TERFs, and other hate groups. They become a way to reconnect to or relive the “good old days,” a romanticized (false) past before modern society and civil rights. And for a lot of people, these skills are inseparably connected to their politics and may even be used as a tool to indoctrinate new people.

In the spirit of building safe communities, here’s a complete list of the safe resources I’ve found for learning homemaking, gardening, and related skills. Safe for me means queer- and trans-friendly, inclusive of different races and cultures, does not contain Christian preaching, and does not contain white supremacist or TERF dog whistles.

Homemaking/Housekeeping/Caring for your home:

Making It by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen [book] (The big crunchy household DIY book; includes every level of self-sufficiency from making your own toothpaste and laundry soap to setting up raised beds to butchering a chicken. Authors are explicitly left-leaning.)

Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair by Mercury Stardust [book] (A guide to simple home repair tasks, written with rentals in mind; very compassionate and accessible language.)

How To Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis [book] (The book about cleaning and housework for people who get overwhelmed by cleaning and housework, based on the premise that messiness is not a moral failing; disability and neurodivergence friendly; genuinely changed how I approach cleaning tasks.)

Gardening

Rebel Gardening by Alessandro Vitale [book] (Really great introduction to urban gardening; explicitly discusses renter-friendly garden designs in small spaces; lots of DIY solutions using recycled materials; note that the author lives in England, so check if plants are invasive in your area before putting them in the ground.)

Country/Rural Living:

Woodsqueer by Gretchen Legler [book] (Memoir of a lesbian who lives and works on a rural farm in Maine with her wife; does a good job of showing what it’s like to be queer in a rural space; CW for mentions of domestic violence, infidelity/cheating, and internalized homophobia)

“Debunking the Off-Grid Fantasy” by Maggie Mae Fish [video essay] (Deconstructs the off-grid lifestyle and the myth of self-reliance)

Sewing/Mending:

Annika Victoria [YouTube channel] (No longer active, but their videos are still a great resource for anyone learning to sew; check out the beginner project playlist to start. This is where I learned a lot of what I know about sewing.)

Make, Sew, and Mend by Bernadette Banner [book] (A very thorough written introduction to hand-sewing, written by a clothing historian; lots of fun garment history facts; explicitly inclusive of BIPOC, queer, and trans sewists.)

Sustainability/Land Stewardship

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer [book] (Most of you have probably already read this one or had it recommended to you, but it really is that good; excellent example of how traditional animist beliefs – in this case, indigenous American beliefs – can exist in healthy symbiosis with science; more philosophy than how-to, but a great foundational resource.)

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer [book] (This one is for my fellow witches; one of my favorite witchcraft books, and an excellent example of a place-based practice deeply rooted in the land.)

Avoiding the “Crunchy to Alt Right Pipeline”

Note: the “crunchy to alt-right pipeline” is a term used to describe how white supremacists and other far right groups use “crunchy” spaces (i.e., spaces dedicated to farming, homemaking, alternative medicine, simple living/slow living, etc.) to recruit and indoctrinate people into their movements. Knowing how this recruitment works can help you recognize it when you do encounter it and avoid being influenced by it.

“The Crunchy-to-Alt-Right Pipeline” by Kathleen Belew [magazine article] (Good, short introduction to this issue and its history.)

Sisters in Hate by Seyward Darby (I feel like I need to give a content warning: this book contains explicit descriptions of racism, white supremacy, and Neo Nazis, and it’s a very difficult read, but it really is a great, in-depth breakdown of the role women play in the alt-right; also explicitly addresses the crunchy to alt-right pipeline.)

It’s really good! He’s read snippets of this and Katz’s other books to me, and the guy is really committed to sharing knowledge, uplifting indigenous knowledge and voices, and educating the world in how much nutrition, health, and culture we’ve lost as big corporations have chipped away at traditional at-home fermentation practices in favor of dead, sterile food and a fear of beneficial bacteria.

Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss

The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra

Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide [my fav since it has photos and it’s super easy to understand]

The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide by Steven Horne and Thomas Easily

how to do things offline

either on your personal hard drive (just because it’s an app doesn’t mean the information is stored in your device) or on paper. I’m not saying the collapse of the internet is imminent, and I’m not suggesting we do everything completely without technology, or even stop using it until we have to. (to be clear, I also don’t think the internet will just blink out of existence, suddenly stop being a thing at all; rather I think it might continue to lose its usefulness to the point where it’s impossible to get anything done. anyway) but some people may have forgotten how we got by before the internet (I almost have!), and the younger generation might not have experienced it at all.

I figure most people probably use the internet mainly for communication with friends and family, entertainment and creation (eg. writing), and looking up how to do things, so here’s how to do those things offline:

Remember that links won't work without the internet, so also write down anything you find useful in this post! You have to download stuff ahead of time while you can still access the internet

keep physical user manuals for things like car, tv, appliances

how to prepare for computer work offline (may need to use reader mode to bypass a popup)

check interactions with any medications you're taking

how to search a library (databases are often accessible via library computers so might still be a thing without internet; also some info on manually searching the actual stacks) (backup rb)

make note of your local/state/federal laws regarding tenants’ rights & housing resources, workers’ rights, gun laws, abortion laws (though this is changing frequently)

How to Download Videos

URL downloaders for specific sites & in general

4k Video Downloader Plus, VLC Media Player, Freemake, YouTube-to-mp4

screencap with OBS (may only work on firefox and may violate ToS) or xbox game bar on windows (win+g)

especially download meme songs that you probably won’t find on a CD (example) with https://ytmp3.nexus/

Print photos with VistaPrint, WalMart, or CVS

Old Farmer's Almanac

Household chores list

Simple household repairs

Loads of old recipes (backup rb)

how to wean yourself off the internet

how to spend time with family

how to get involved with your community

ways to spend more time outside (set a goal/reason to be outside)

how to get outside more in different seasons

how to build nature into your lifestyle

how to start a self care habit | how to make a self care checklist

- GET YOURSELF A WEATHER RADIO. Phones can be stolen, malfunction, die, etc. While these things can be a pain in the ass because it goes off for the region your local National Weather Service covers, this could very well save your life, especially if you are in a situation that I'm in that I described above. I recommend Midland, and this one is the most affordable if you're worried about price (Jesus, this thing was 30 bucks a year or two ago... stupid cheetoh). One of my local library branches even has it. (I also heavily recommend getting an emergency radio from them, too! Just be sure you get familiar with it soon and use it every once in a while so you're not struggling in a panic. This is the one I have.) Radio isn't a service you have to pay for like cellphone service or internet. Just be sure you have your battery situation all figured out. That being said, while the weather radio only uses the WX bands, the emergency radio allows AM and FM stations, too.

- Get an antenna of some sort for your television so you can receive local TV stations. This could be important regarding local news. I haven't gotten one for us yet, and I'm not even certain if we can get signal anymore because of how defunct many relay stations for airwaves are. If you live in or near a city and you're not deep in a valley, you're gonna have better luck with this. Yes, there are antennas made for modern flatscreens. Look them up while you can right now, and learn how to hook them up. I wish I could share more on this, but like I said, I haven't gotten one for us yet. I don't even know if we'd get anything to come in, lol. But like radio, airwaves are free. This includes what you could get on television!

- Look into meshtastic. Wanna get in touch with a friend or family member and get a response back quickly? Want to send out a message to the local community also using it? Imagine texting on radio waves. That's... kinda basically what this is. And there's no service to pay for! AND IT'S DECENTRALIZED! I haven't had the chance to try it out, but I'm definitely interested. Here's a video if you wanna learn more about what this is.

- Field Guides in book format. Get them. Mainly those involving local plants and insects/arachnids. Get familiar with where sections are in them in case you need to quickly look something up. You don't wanna assume whether or not something that bit you isn't going to be a problem for your health. I'd also recommend snake guides as well. It's VERY IMPORTANT to know what species bit you if they're venomous so you can be given the correct antivenom.

- Physical media is a thing gaining popularity for obvious reasons. Don't assume it's a fad. Unless you taped it, there aren't gonna be any ads or commercials interrupting what you're trying to watch. Learn how to operate VCRs and DVD players if you're too young to be that familiar with them. (I have the coveted combo machine that I've had since the 2000s. Still works like a charm.)

- Learn to make a go-bag (or several) *NOW.* Climate change is making shit get worse. I've got 2 hiking backpacks ready just in case we gotta split, so all I have to worry about is getting the cats into their carriers. Another thing that weather radio can sometimes be used for is if you need to evacuate due to things like volcanoes, chemical accidents, and wildfires. I am not kidding. A NOAA Weather Radio is fucking awesome and essential. I'm hoping to get a duffle bag to fill with more supplies for long hauls if needed, but I wanted to get the backpacks ready. (And if you're gonna have food with you, BE SURE TO ROTATE THE FOOD SO YOU DON'T HUNKER DOWN OR DIP OUT WITH EXPIRED FOOD. THIS INCLUDES ANY PET FOOD YOU HAVE PACKED.) You need to be able to get your shit and get at a moment's notice. Seconds could matter in an unexpected situation. Make sure you thoroughly plan every possible thing with the rest of your household and loved ones, such as where to go in certain circumstances, where to meet up, etc. INCLUDE ANY AND ALL PETS IN YOUR PLANS, TOO! (If you takes meds, make sure you plan for those, too, and make sure they don't expire. You will also want supplies for typical dental care. Trust me on this one.)

- Learn how to write and mail letters. If shit gets so bad for privacy online, the only way to keep in touch with friends and loved ones with privacy is gonna be through mailing letters. This means you gotta hand-write them. Yes, responses will be slow and you'll have to get the hang of using a writing utensil, but if we did it back in the day and survived, so can you. It is against federal law to open or tamper with someone else's mail. (For now. That cheetoh sure is doing whatever the fuck he wants without consequences.)

POV everything is awesome and spells on the internet are real

"they identify as animals" thats nice, sharon

"no but they actually think they are animals" theres a war going on, sharon

A collection of ways to make your life smell more horselike.

Horse-related scents:

Apples

Leaves

Wildflowers

Honey

Woodsy scents/"foresty" scents

Grassy scents

Types of scented bodycare items:

Lotion

Perfume

Bodywash

Bubblebath

Hand sanitizer

Shampoo

Hand soap

Ways to scent a room:

Candles

Incense

Warming oil

Oil diffuser

Diffusing sticks

Wax warmer

Room spray

Plug-in wall diffusers

Important Note!! Bath&Bodywork plug-in Wallflower refills do contain toxic chemicals. Smoke created by products like Incense and candles can harm small animals, even if it's just a tiny bit. And most essential oils and products will harm a plethora of animals if exposed, so do your own research and don't expose any pets to something that may harm them. If in doubt, I recommend sticking to bodycare items.

Some product examples:

Sweet Apple scented candles by MainStays

Champagne Apple and Honey bodycare items by BABW

Wildflower & Honey roll-on perfume by BABW

Crisp Fall Night scented candles by Yankee Candle

Juicy Green Apple shampoo by Suave

Country Apple bodycare by BABW

Autumn Apple Picking bubble bath and shower gel by Find Your Happy Place

Sunflower Incense by Oakland Gardens

Saw someone mention doing this ages ago and I wrote up my own for fun, but then forgot about it. So, here, uhhhh have this

---

rules:

- go feral

- if you're polykin, pick whatever kintype is most pertinent for each question, or the kintype you'd like to answer for

- anyone is welcome to do this, despite this being labeled for otherkin

---

1. what type of dirt would your kintype eat?

2. warm or cold ocean water

3. describe a pie made from three ingredients your kintype would eat, crust included, go

4. if your kintype suddenly opened their eyes, what would they be looking at?

5. do you like sticks

5. 5 again. do you like leaves

7. does your kintype migrate

8. sleepy or awakey

9. are you smaller or larger than a breadbox

10. describe the vegetation around your kintype's feet

11. what's the most specific or unusual shift (if you experience them) you've experienced

12. what website is your kintype most like

13. hey, how's it going

14. if given a cellphone, what would your kintype do with it

15. how do you make your room/home/surroundings more suited to your kintype

16. tell me about your favorite kind of fabric…like, just in general, unrelated to your kintype(s)

17. are you bitey

18. how does your kintype feel about chia seeds

19. can your kintype knit? if not, could your kintype knit if given instructions

20. describe your kintype's skin texture in great detail

21. glossy or matte

22. wildcard, I'm getting tired of writing these

23. you hear a scratching noise around the corner, what does your kintype do

24. what's your kintype's most acute sense

25. alone in a forest with no provisions, how long does your kintype survive

26. describe your kintype as a canned vegetable

27. it's getting dark out, does your kintype sleep, wake up, or PANIC

28. how many fingers do you have and why

29. what's a really nice smell

Hands/Feet > Hooves

Arms > Front Legs

Legs > Hind Legs

Bangs > Forelock

Hair > Mane

House > Stable

Room > Stall

(besides wearing gear and doing quads)

Run! go for runs, or even just walks. moving and stretching your legs/body will make you feel so much better.

Eat more fruits + veggies! don’t limit yourself to just carrots or apples, i get fancy and make whole salads. i add tofu for extra protein.

Eat oats for breakfast! start your day off right with a nice bowl of oatmeal- doesn’t have to be plain, i like to add brown sugar and apple slices to mine.

Lay in the grass! just lay there. feel how nice it is to simply just exist, with nothing being expected of you in that moment. watch the clouds our birds, and just enjoy the fresh air.

Braid your hair! if it’s long enough. you could get fancy and braid yarn or charms in! i’ve used a strand of fake ivy before.

Wear boots! The chunkier soles make your feet more hoof-like. i wear doc marten knock-offs i got at walmart for $20 lol.

But I still recognize that, while working with real horses, I was watching Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and reading pony comics and playing Barbie Horse Adventures. My horse otherlink is very much informed by fictionalized horses. Likewise, while I like to believe my bisonhood is close in nature to that of theriform bison, I've only ever been able to observe my brothers in captivity.

What I know about bison is from books and documentaries, and all of that is filtered through the minds of the humans who wrote and directed it. And how many of those humans grew up around real animals? Do you think there's no human imagination in the ways zoo enclosures are set up, the way documentaries are presented, and the way field guides categorize animals for ease of observation?

I was much more reacting with horror at the idea of a child who has no sense that animals are real and have tangible impact on their world. Of the idea of someone growing up and not knowing the difference between the mechanical robot animals, and the living ones at the zoo. Who learned primarily about animals from fiction, rather than learning about real animals but also having fictionalized stories about them.

Humans have had animal myths as part of their society since forever. It is a normal part of human development to encounter fictional and fantastical ideas of animals.