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Judy of the Woods productivity, creativity, sustainability |
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Wild Food Handbook print your own handy pocket foraging companion and hedgerow herbal, or get the FREE plant list with details on edibility of over 350 plants. 
■ Download a copy now In this Section Last update: 5 February 2005 Critical Mass To develop more projects to share with you and run this website, I need funds. By donating even a small amount, you can get the ball rolling. For more information please visit the ■ Support page |
For Women (And Other Genders)Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.Ghandi The drop of rain maketh a hole in the stone not by violence, but by oft falling Hugh Latimer Addressing some of the few differences between the sexesThere is not a lot I can ad here about the work I've done at this site other than to say, we can all do it, male or female. Gender does not enter into it (not once was progress hampered for lack of a penis in my tool kit). I am 5'1" tall, weigh less than 100 lbs, am no spring chicken, and I did all the building work single- handedly, without machines, nor did I have any training. Other than a bit more physical strength there is nothing men have that we don't to be able to do it . We women just have to use a bit more trickery or do the work in bite size chunks to make up for the lack of strength.Wherever possible, I use tools that are smaller, and lighter, but as heavy as I can comfortably use - weight is sometimes an advantage. When it comes to digging in rough ground I use a small pick instead of a heavy pick or mattock and whittle away at it. That way I am not wasting energy lifting the heavy tool, and I can go for many hours, whereas using a very heavy tool would tire me in minutes. When I design something I scale it to my capability, e.g. I chose to do the log cabin with vertical logs partly because the shorter logs would be easier to handle, though grain direction was also an important consideration. I often use levers and a winch where a man might just pick up the object. So it takes me a little longer, so what? The main thing is, I can do it, and so can most women. All you need is the will to do it. The know-how comes from reading, observing, experimenting, asking questions, even catalogues and sales assistants in builder's merchants can be a mine of information. In many parts of the world women build their dwellings. We do have the nest instinct, we can use it to build our own home, wherever we live. If you have any cool links or information to share which are gender specific, please email me. Links and information I am not interested in publishing are e.g. women only workshops and such like which only exclude men for the reason that sisters feel intimidated by men. Get over it, walk tall. By the very act of segregation you are perpetuating the idea of difference where it does not exist. If you feel there are attitude issues with men, perhaps being inclusive would be more constructive. Only women bleed, only women bare children, breast-feed, only women have a menopause (it is believed that there is a male equivalent, though it is not a menopause but andropause), women, generally speaking, have physical strength limitations (making them also potential victims of violence), and there are still some legal inequalities (with the burden on either sex, I might add). Those are the issues I would like to see addressed on this page. Please share your thought in the comment widget below. 
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 what are Feeds/RSS? / your privacy There are practical ideas throughout the site, but here are a few ideas for self reliance you might also like to explore:  Foraging for Wild Food Download a free list of 350 plants, with additional information on parts used, and how to consume, as well as safety notes. You never know when it may come in handy.  Homemade Vegetable Oil Lamp Easy and quick to make, and cheap or even free.  Cold Vacuum Sealing Find out how to cold vacuum-seal jars to preserve food (not just jam!) and keep things dry. Its done cheaply and uses recycled jars, very simple home-made valves and a simple, widely available hand pump.  Hydraulic Ram Pump Rule of thumb instructions for building a low cost, low flow pump without the need for welding, and using off-the shelf material.  The DCMC Binding System (Dirt Cheap Milk Carton Binding System) Learn how to make a versatile binder with waste materials. There are many more useful aids to getting organized in the office craft section . judyofthewoods.net |
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External links
■ mooncup.co.uk
the mooncup is a re-usable silicone rubber device for sanitary protection similar to a diaphragm
■ stewardwood.org
DIY section contains instructions for making washeble sanitary towels
■ strawbalefutures.org.uk
Female builders called Amazon Nails
An organization encouraging people form all walks of life and with varying abilities to build.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Sampling 1.0 License.