I am either a major embarassment or a endless source of laughs for the family in my dotage! ! ! There are even days when *I* wonder when the split in my person appeared! ! LOL!

Do you dumpster dive? I never take items to the recycling dumpster without taking my rake. I've gathered some really neat glasses, flower vases, all kinds of buckets, from tiny ones that contained cleaning detergents, to large ones of cat litter. Boy are they handy around the farm and house.

I pick out the dark colored wine bottles for a friend who makes homemade wines, and I wash out and use the large plastic jugs which also contained cat litter for carrying water to the baby chicks. They really came in handy during this drought when I've carried a lot of water!

I peek in the dumpsters in the housing development under construction nearby grab 2x4's, plywood, and anything else I figure might be useful.

Recently I gleaned a huge collection of country magazines someone tossed, ( and a pile of teen and girl mags I sent to my grandkids - - ( wondering if they are reading them between the snickers of "granny's at it again"?) and they have been entertaining me in spare moments.

Life is such fun! ! !

-- Granny Hen (cluckin along@cs.com), August 29, 2002

Answers

LOL! I've been trying to refrain, I'm such a pack rat! It's bad here because I'm close to a college town and at the end of the year it is unreal what they throw away! I mean, just everything they had! Such a waste!

I was thinking of doing something with colored bottles...either a window, or a moziac looking pathway....something, not sure?

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), August 29, 2002.

That is one of the things that I miss, living this far out.

Surprisingly, some pretty good stuff gets dumped in the local arroyos around here, just doesn't happen on a regular enough basis. Growing up there was a telephone company close by and they always threw away neat electronic stuff, probably where my interest in electronic came from and definitely awakened me to the value in dumpster diving.

-- BC (desertdweller@yahoo.com), August 29, 2002.

I am a poor disabled parent, on a fixed income. I dumpster dive to survive! To me this is not a sport or recreational activity and I am disgusted with those that have plenty going out and taking it away from those of us that really need it! This computer and many others like it, was put together out of other people's junk! In a country that see's fit to support every third world nation that eventually stabs us in the back while letting it's own children go hungry, I see this as no suprise! It's the Yuppie Puppy mentallity of "All for me and screw you!" that's made this country the way it is today!Many of you "Recreational Dumpster Divers" might want to take your heads out of your ass long enough to see that there are far more useful and self fullfilling hobbies and recreational passtimes than jumping in the local Walmart dumpster to see what you can get for free! (Like you really can't afford to pull out your Platinum Visa Card and buy whatever you want anyway!)

-- John Bethke (john_bethke@snet.net), October 21, 2002.

LOL! John, I don't think you'll find any yuppies here. You sure are assuming quite a bit.

I dumpster dive all the time. It saves me money. Sometimes it makes me money when I sell stuff I've found on Ebay. I've been a low-income single parent for several years and I don't have any credit cards anymore. There are so many things I haven't needed to buy, or have that I never would have bought, thanks to hitting apartment complex dumpsters in the area. Much of what I find is in new condition, if not still in the package. There is always way more than I can take and I leave good stuff behind all the time. People are so wasteful.

There's plenty to go around. Don't be so greedy John. Hope we don't meet at a dumpster because I don't give up easy. ; )

BC, when I was a little kid, before I moved to the farm, I used to raid Southwestern Bells trashcans all the time. They threw out a lot of good stuff.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), October 22, 2002.

and by the way, quit your damn complaining. Many people in the world are disabled and dying yet no government sends them a check for it. You should feel very lucky. Some people here in the US qualify for disability yet it's not enough to take care of their children on so they decline it and find other ways to support themselves. You sound bitter and you really don't have a reason. You have it easier than many people in this world. Be thankful for what you have.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), October 22, 2002.

My my, John, I'm suspect you'll never attract riches of any kind, material or otherwise, with that sort of perspective!

When we become instruments of generosity, a medium for giving, we quickly find ourselves recipients of all the riches we need. The Universe does not reward individuals with tightly-held palms and hearts. The purpose of money is movement, not stagnation.

The Universe is abundant. When we share, there is enough for all.

Blessings,

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), October 22, 2002.

Hi John , I doubt anyone here would take away anything you need for your family to survive. On the contrary , alot of people here , if they were your neighbors , would leave you feeling the world isn't as bleak as it appears .But yes , it does seem like a heart less place for the disabled family person as well as for others, in good ole USA.

Your abrasive way of introducing yourself may have put some on the defense mode. Your worries about your child or children seem to be what has you expressing ,what appears to be anger , probably generated by your frustration and fears for your children and them going without the things they need to be healthy.At least your parental insticts aren't affected by your disability.

In the situation your in , anger will make things worse, and is like carrying a loaded revolver in your house with the hammer pulled back, your likely to injure someone you love.It also clouds the mind and impairs ones judgement and you may have an opportunity come your way and your anger could be responsible for you to miss out on it or not even see it. Also even with your diability , your family most likely looks up to you for security, and if you display anger or even hold it inside , your children will feel it , and this will cause them to be hurt and feel insecure by you and I'm sure this is far from your intentions.

One of those opportunities might be right here at this forum.There could be information here that could lead you to finding a way to make money even with the disability you have.You could also learn ways to better feed yourself and family with the little resourses you have.You may even learn that a hellish experience in this life can actually lead to a change in your life that you find latter on was all for the better.

John , it is a disgrace that more people in this country don't take care of the disabled , homeless, and hungry.Humans are a socialistic beings , we are tribal beings by nature. We depend on the tribe to feed and provide for our children if we become injured or die.Even a primitive tribe of savage uneducated people take care of their own, so it's puzzling that in a society with so much education and knowlege ,we in this country are generally more barbaric than primative savages.A lot can be said about a society that ignores it's needy,hungry , ill , and homeless people .And it aint good words .Probably one of the lowest and ugliest forms of human nature that can be displayed.

You may have just stumbled on to a place that can change your life for the better. Even if some here are Yuppies or have a Yuppie mentality.People are people . I have experienced that poor people can have a mentality that is derived from greed just as well as wealthy people.It's not a persons ecomomic status that makes them greedy or kind.It's their heart and mind.

Come back and post who you are and what goes on in your world.Maybe even share what makes you disabled .Express your ager , just don't point it at anyone .Blaming someone for your current situation , even yourself , can weaken you , and it waste time.I bet making a friend here couldn't hurt.Maybe if you share your location some dumpster divers here will even share a dumpster you didn't know about.You have nothing to lose except your anger.And a whole lot to gain .

Even poor people need a vacation. I'm in East Tennessee in the Smokey Mountains, I'm planning on moving but I'm in no hurry and will be here at least a year ? If you need a place to camp out with your family , your welcomed here for a stay.Kids love the mountains and rivers and throwing sticks into a camp fire.

Sometimes , one needs to just sit by a creek and listen to the water trickle between the rocks. It has an amazing affect on restoring ones outlook on life. It may sound stupid , but one should never underestimate the power of water.

John , I was planning on a rest from posting at forums for a long while.But I saw your post and I couldn't ignore it.It's the primative savage in me that keeps me concerned for the others in the tribe.

-- Steve (Unreal@home.com), October 22, 2002.