[TagNBee]

This is a great topic. I love to learn. I am the the king of 18 projects at one time

[BiggKidd]

One thing I’m REAL bad about is getting a project far enough along to use and never seem to quite button things up or make them pretty. lol

[Kingscairn]

Distractions – time and logistics budgeting – finance budgeting ( miserly ) – does that ring a bell ?

[BiggKidd]

Oh yeah and just like @TagNBee said there’s the 18 projects at any given time.

Speaking of fencing there’s adequate city fence and then there’s livestock fence. That one has been a tough one for me to master. I’ve got Houdini AGH and one flying cow. At least the AGH make holes I can find and fix I can’t find Dawn’s (the cow) escape route to save my life and the other three cows almost never get out and if they do the way is obvious.

[skainsgirl]

I guess I would be the Queen of 18 projects at one time! lol Usually with 18 more planned projects on the back burner. I do manage to get them to the useable but not quite complete part. I have a couple of those projects where you are trying to create something and hit a snag. Eventually the solution will come to me. And of course, I am already in the middle of something else when that solution hits me! Excited to test my new theory, I leave the other project to wait for completion. It’s an ugly cycle. lol

There are so many other distractions, time constraints, uncooperative weather, need to reorganize priorities, and frankly, sometimes I just get physically or mentally tired or both! It is a constant battle trying to maintain a schedule while still remaining flexible for all the curves life throws you. And I have one of the toughest task masters riding my you-know-what every day…It’s me! Sometimes I have to have a little talk with myself and say, “you cannot do everything all at once”.

Learning new things, perfecting the skills I already have, and trying out all my crazy ideas…I LOVE IT! Just wish I could hone my time management skills to a well-oiled machine level.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by  skainsgirl.

[DonnaW]

I could not have said it all better myself. It sounds like me to a T. Got 3 – 4 projects started inside and 2 – 3 to get started outside in the spring. I love fixing things and making things work better and of course always trying to save a buck. I love learning new skills collecting new tools. Some projects require windows to be open, so those will wait till winter is over.

[HeidiRainCountry]

Yes, we are always not only learning new things but learning new ways to do things that work best for us and our situation. One of the many sad things about public school education is one is not taught to think outside the box but as we become more self sufficient, thinking outside the box is key. Necessity is the mother of invention and we see this nearly daily as there is something else to repair, a new skill to learn, growing something we have yet to try in our unique micro climates, and so much more. Those who cannot color outside the lines once in a while will find themselves stuck when a new challenge arises.

[SLINGSHOT]

Exactly, if you never try you will never learn. I can’t count the times I’ve tried to explain to someone how to do something and they ask me is it hard to learn and i have to think what’s that got to do with it. Usually when you learn something yourself you never forget it.

[HeidiRainCountry]

The brain needs to be exercised like any other part of the body. So many just want to be spoon fed information instead of doing the research, experimenting, critical thinking, and learning that goes with that on their own. Here is just one example of something I see all the time. Whenever I tell people “You can make vinegar from any fruit, herb, or vegetable, fresh or dried” (seems pretty clear to me) they will then ask “Can I make vinegar from garlic?” “Can I make vinegar from hibiscus?” “Can I make vinegar from (fill in the blank with any herb, fruit, or vegetable, fresh or dried that comes to mind)?”
Or when I am showing a specific herb blend I make for this, that or the other thing and then give people a list of other options and tell them they can come up with their own combination they then ask “What if I am allergic to (fill in the blank)? What can I replace it with?” I get it, they have not yet learned how to problem solve thanks to the way they have been taught so my goal is to teach them how to get past this barrier

[SLINGSHOT]

Yea, it’s kind of sad sometimes you will see somebody that has to ask others how to fix their problems but they have never tried to do it themselves first. I grew up being a fixer and even when i moved away from home my mom would ask me to come over and fix this or that. I would ask why don’t you ask your other son and she would say he doesn’t know how or he doesn’t want to mess anything up???? I did it for her not him. When my bike would break when i was young i had to figure it out or walk. We didn’t have you tube then. You build so much confidence everytime you accomplish something. I think if the SHTF the fixers will be the ones who will pull the people through.

[coyotech]

Sometimes I’m a little slow thinking of the best solution – I run through all the variations of standard things and buying parts first. Then suddenly a simple solution hits me and I wish I’d thought of that first! I love it when someone tells me something I didn’t know, where I can use the principle to solve a problem. For instance I asked the hardware guy why some battery connections corroded like crazy, and others not at all. He said there’s a coating on the connections that wears off. Just spray the connector with clear acrylic. I don’t have any of that, or see it very often, but it occurred to me it probably doesn’t have to be clear, and fingernail polish is acrylic. I have a couple of ancient bottles of that sitting around, so I’m going to try it. Bet it works. That same sort of thing has happened hundreds of times, and sometimes I’m the one with the bright solution that people are glad to hear about. For instance, for a blow sand driveway, if you rake some lime into it, a couple of inches deep, it’ll harden up the surface so you don’t make deep ruts or get stuck in it any more.

[BiggKidd]

So few people get it but you guys do!