In episode 116, we jump on live (last-minute, as usual) and do a mid-year gut check: the year’s half over, what did we actually get done, and what did we let slide? We talk about the stuff that’s moving forward—vehicles running better, making-do with the dishwasher—and the stuff that’s still hanging over our heads (yes, the deck… still). It’s one of those raw, unedited conversations where we’re just being honest about how plans evolve, how expenses pop up, and how easy it is to drift when you feel like things are “fine.” The big shift for me is this: in January I felt a sense of relief—politically and culturally—like maybe the pressure was easing. And I caught myself taking my foot off the gas with preparedness and self-reliance. I don’t believe that’s safe anymore. Things can turn on a dime, and you don’t realize how bad you need skills and systems until you need them right now. So we talk through what we’re doing during harvest season—freeze drying, canning (water bath vs pressure), dehydrating in the garage—and why it matters to know how to feed yourself without being at the mercy of supply chains. We also get into permaculture thinking: zone 1 design, why we prioritize food/medicinal plants close to the house, why we avoid monoculture, and how plants like rosemary pull their weight with multiple functions in a polyculture system.