Kerry Trueman, our friend of Eating Liberally fame, wrote an excellent piece on the Huffington Post yesterday, warning that our current economic woes are a chilling reminder of former President Jimmy Carter’s call to buckle down and bundle up just like the Waltons.   Encouraged by the renewed popularity of DIY efforts such as gardening and canning, Kerry observes:

We’re reverting to old-timey modes of transportation, too–there’s been a dramatic spike in bike sales and train travel in recent months. And many of us are buying less, learning to make do, and turning off the lights when we leave the room. We are, at last, achieving Jimmy Carter’s dream of a simpler, less-stuff driven life–a dream, by the way, that he shared with another recent U.S. president, George H. W. Bush.

Read Kerry’s blog to learn more about the Bush connection.

And takepart by learning more about Jimmy Carter Man From Plains and staytuned for some DIY tips from takepart.