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Beartarian Summer

Fall, a Great Time to Rise.

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Fall, a Great Time to Rise

Not so long ago, a Beartarian Summer was something only whispered about on icy hunting trips in the upper slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Tales of the warm smoky days tempered by the cool clear nights would come and go, like a lingering glance back at the fun of summer before turning and firmly grasping the steaming chocolaty mug of winter. I am no meteorologist, nor will I claim to know what rocks allegedly striking unseen land in northern Siberia have to do with the weather, but what I do know is with the right attitude, any fall season can be made into a Beartarian Summer. 

Volgadeutsch Bear’s Toast in Colorado, Ban Hammers by Nighthawk Bear, Zezzie Bear’s Sunset, New England Bears.

Just before the last of the summer heat falls away, while the squirrels check that they have enough nuts for the winter, cars stream into a small Colorado farm town. The backyard is lit with laughter and a 5,000 lumen work light and the young ones throw leaves in the air as pleased parents look on.  New friendships are being forged around a fire pit and the hum of half a dozen enthusiastic conversations fills the air. This is the first Fall Harvest Party in our Rocky Mountain Unbearables group that I have attended. Judging by the prevalence of bare feet and the lack of jackets, the warmth was felt by all. Even the curious neighbors who stopped by were grinning ear to ear as we casually strolled from the garden to the back yard discussing what vegetables we would be planting in the spring. The energy was as close to perfect as it gets.

I lay all this out to say that the extra-seasonal warmth that a Beartarian Summer is known for doesn’t begin with the position of the sun or the relative changes in atmospheric pressure. It is not decided by the calendar nor the presence of a frost and the rebound into several weeks of summer heat (what the layperson calls an “Indian Summer”). In truth, a Beartarian Summer begins in the soul. It is the inner warmth radiating off the glow from the fire that is a man or a woman’s gratitude and generosity to their fellow man and, of course, their Creator. I have witnessed that warmth with each new face that enters our circle. We’ve faced some small and great challenges together already, and the spirit among us is strong and unbowed. 

I long for the day when we will welcome to our gatherings at least 100 legendary men and women with bundles and bundles of children in tow, but it all begins with a dream. That dream isn’t just for my community, but for yours as well. I’m delighted to hear of more and more groups gathering more frequently all across the land. From my family, to yours we bless you with more truth, more health, and more real friends who speak encouragement and cheer one another on in even our smallest of triumphs. 

As I watch a beet red sun rolling off into the distance behind a mountain, and see the moon climb the stars and poke through the clouds, I am reminded that this is our time to rise. We will not only survive the winter, we will put some cinnamon and nutmeg on top, light some candles, and use the time spent indoors to read Marcus Aurelius and plan a 10% more efficient garden with 50% more capacity. You know, just things absolute Crushers plan and do.

If you have any fall recipes, fun fall traditions, or anything else special you’d like to share, we’d love to hear about it. For events-related items, write to events@beartariatimes.com Check out our Arts and Crafts page and share some great holiday crafts for children and adults alike. If you want to share some great ideas for harvesting fruit and vegetables in the fall, let us know. I for one would also love to see what you have as far as seasonal natural remedies to clear out all this smoke from my lungs. Thanks so much for reading. See you next time. 

Nighthawk Bear

Events

Escaping The Chains of Debt: Recap

We express our gratitude to all who participated in last week’s community discussion. We had some valuable ideas and approaches discussed, and we are excited to see more members achieve the goal of becoming debt-free in 2024!

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Last week at the Beartaria Times Community App, we asked our members about getting out of debt. This sparked many to chime in with their own posts and start conversations in the comments section.

One member started the conversation by explaining how the different members of their household were all holding onto personal debt and not hiding it but not sharing the responsibility. They explained how, when it came to light, they all devised a plan to get each person out of debt together and how they could all make specific changes to get out of debt together.

Some of their recommendations focused on not always getting to eat the food they want but eating what they have or making sacrifices to their grocery list to meet the budget.

“We are eating from our pantry. We are using old emergency food storage. We are even using some of our old emergency food storage grains for our animals. They are loving it. It is working out.”

Another member gave a list of ways they see as the best practices for getting out of debt. Some of these include:

  • The main sources of high-interest debt that I’ve seen are student loans, car loans, and credit cards. Make a spreadsheet with your debt balances in one column and the APR in the second column. Make the third column the product of the first two. This will roughly give you the annual cost of each debt. You’ll form your plan of attack based on this.
  • It’s beating a dead horse but make a budget. Can be paper, but spreadsheets or other electronic solutions would be much better. Include cash! Log cash transactions as well as electronic so you get a full picture of an average month. Really dive in for at least 2-3 months on this to capture everything. Eliminate what you don’t need.
  • Deep dive your grocery bill. Figure out what categories you’re spending the most on. Consider buying those things in bulk from somewhere like Azure Standard. Often you can save quite a bit this way, and even get a better quality product for cheaper! You can make your own bread from their flour for about 1/3 of the store bread cost.

Lastly, another member shared how they could purchase land and build a home without debt. Although they are not entirely debt-free, they believe mortgages to be the most complex debt to get out of but mention that it isn’t impossible. They mention Dave Ramsey, a well-known anti-debt radio host who has helped countless people escape the chains of debt through his effective program that this member notes has detractors, as just about any plan or method in life will.

“…the program is all about living within your means, spending only cash, and only treating yourself when and if you’ve truly earned it. If you’re still in debt, you haven’t earned it.”

We express our gratitude to all who participated in last week’s community discussion. We had some valuable ideas and approaches discussed, and we are excited to see more members achieve the goal of becoming debt-free in 2024!

Read everything our members had to say at app.beartariatimes.com with some users posting under the hashtag #debtfree23.

Join our growing community and get in on the next conversation at app.beartariatimes.com or search Beartaria Times wherever you get your apps.

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Events

This Week On The Beartaria Times App: Escaping The Chains of Debt

We love seeing our community thriving and know that all those beautiful homesteads and lifestyles have a backbone of challenges conquered and struggles faced.

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This week on the Beartaria Times app, the theme is “escaping the chains of debt.”

On Wednesday, the 20th of December, at 6 pm PST, we encourage our community to share their stories and methods for getting out of debt and managing debt.

We’d love to see our community come together from all different angles and experiences on this topic — from intention, mindset, and motivation to the nitty-gritty details. Sharing your stories and experiences can help others in our community.

At The Beartaria Times, this theme holds significant importance for us. We recognize that unmanaged debt can burden individuals, making them feel trapped. Understanding this predicament can empower people to grow and thrive.

We love seeing our community thriving and know that all those beautiful homesteads and lifestyles have a backbone of challenges conquered and struggles faced.

As we delve into this topic, we invite participants to not only discuss success stories but also share the hurdles they encountered along the way. Whether it’s navigating unexpected expenses or discovering effective budgeting techniques, your insights contribute to the collective wisdom of our community.

Furthermore, this initiative aims to foster a supportive environment where individuals can exchange practical tips, tools, and resources. From budgeting apps to debt consolidation strategies, let’s empower each other in the journey toward financial well-being.

The Beartaria Times values the resilience of our community members. Your openness in discussing financial challenges helps break the stigma surrounding debt, reinforcing that it’s a shared experience.

Together, let’s turn this theme into a catalyst for positive change, lifting each other up as we navigate the path to financial freedom within the Beartaria community.

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

-The Beartaria Times

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Events

The Beartaria Times Community App introduces Weekly Community Activities.

This Wednesday at 6 pm PDT, we will host a Community App Activity similar to the reintroduction campaign we launched a couple months ago.

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Here at The Beartaria Times, we have been busy recalibrating since our Second Annual Beartaria Times National Festival. It has been a labor of love, and we were so happy to see you all there. We know we have been quiet in other aspects of the community, but we have been preparing behind the scenes to be more active on our website, BeartariaTimes.com, and to encourage community dialogue on our community app.

This Wednesday at 6 pm PDT, we will host a Community App Activity similar to the reintroduction campaign we launched a couple months ago. This time we will be asking all app users to join the discussion and let us know, “What are you most grateful for this week?”

This will mark the beginning of what we hope will be a weekly activity of prompts from the Beartaria Times Official account to provoke thought and encourage engagement with each other on the app. Along with community wide questions like we have this week we will also have activities focused on specific groups in the app along with prompts to encourage a “Fruitful Focus” on things that highlight the good, true and beautiful.

Onward.

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