Mark Boroyan

DO THIS:A thoughtful guide to slowing

down and reconnecting with your life.

The Contents

My Thinking Muir's Thoughts My Thinking My Thinking Muir's Thoughts Muir's Thoughts

NailMustard Bars #1 Pots Fire Yerba Read TourshiCamp Feeder Porridge Hike Neil Horse Sprout OceanAvo Pop Dog Bars #2 Wood

1214

162024283236385254586266687478808488909498

The Thinkings

The Doings

Open a can of

DOING.

My Thinking

Not many people take an initiative to make anything anymore or experience life off a computer. Practical and inherent ways to self-sufficiency and human virtue are thinning out due to a high demand for technology, abundant accessibility and fast paced lifestyles.

The human condition has been altered.

My objective for this book is to deliver instructional design which will introduce the admirable and ambitious expression of the will to provide and connect. Through this expression, my intent is to offer truth in accomplishment, enthusiasm, and all the completeness the Earth has to offer and to pass this certainty down within families for the generations to come.

Serious human skills and coordinations will also be acquired yet go unnoticed while being built. Teach your children well.

SHARE IT :

Mark BoroyanSpring 2010

WARM UP:drive a nail

The concept of driving a nail supports the entire meaning behind this book.

It may sound like a trivial and boring task but it requires finesse

and consideration. This learning will not only give you an appreciation for

hard work, but it will introduce the difference between knowing what

something is and knowing how to do it.

This is when you start to understand what the connection is all about.

MATERIALS:

hammersurface

nail

DO THIS : 15 – 16

spicy guinness mustard

Refrigerate overnight and use immediately or refrigerate for up to 6 months. (The fl avor of the mustard will mellow as the condiment ages.)

3

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and process, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until the seeds are coarsely ground and the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a jar and cover.

2

Combine ingredients in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1–2 days so that the mustard seeds soften and the fl avors meld.

1

DO THIS : 19 – 20

eat fruit & nut bars

Take these with you on the first hike of the season or

throw some in your bag before you challenge the

day. You’ll feel good knowing exactly what you are eating

and what you are not.

Why make the same batch twice?

MATERIALS:

chopped almonds 1 cupsunflower seeds ¼ cup

warm water ½ cup ground flax ½ cup

dried fruit 22 0z.hemp ½ cupvanilla 2 tsp. oats ½ cup

Preheat the oven to 350. Oil the baking dish and set aside. Combine the oats, hemp, almonds, sunflower seeds and flax and toast in the oven for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Remove the dry mixture from the oven and stir together with the fruit and water.

Turn the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press evenly with bricks until firm. Bake for 25 minutes at 300 degrees and allow to cool before cutting into squares.

1

2

3

fruit & nut bars

DO THIS : 23 – 24

make seed potsfrom newspaper

Making pots for seedlings is a great way to recycle

newspaper and save money gardening. These

recycled newspaper pots are relatively easy

to make and make transplanting seedling

to the garden effortless. Making pots this way removes the need for any tape, glue, string, or staples and results

in a sturdy recycled newspaper pot.

MATERIALS:

newspaper stripspot mold (bought or not)

newspaper pots

Remove from mold and fi ll with starter mix and seed.3

Fold in the ends on base and push and turn into mold.2

Wrap newspaper around pot mold.1

DO THIS : 27 – 28

build a fire

The original television.Here are four different fires to keep your friends warm

and safe while helping you look like a pro.

wood pieces cardboard small logs dry twigs

Kindling {

dead dry plants wood shavingsdry needles birch bark pine pitch fire sticks mosspaper waxlint

Tinder { animal dungdry grassesdry woodpeatcoal

Fuel {

MATERIALS:

Fire wall – Building a fire wall with logs or rocks will reflect the fire’s heat, especially if you’ll only be on one side of the fire. Place the tinder in a pile of kindling that’s spaced loosely enough to let air circulate, but close enough so a flame can spread through. Light the tinder and add kindling. As the fire grows, add firewood.

Tepee – Arrange tinder and a few sticks of kindling in the shape of a cone and light the center. The outside logs will fall inward and feed the fire. Burns well with wet wood, however the fire position also burns wood rather quickly.

Log cabin method – Stack layers alternating in direction, forming walls around a tepee. Air between sticks allows circulation of air. The chimney effect will suck air in through the bottom and let it exit through top as strong flame.

Pyramid – This is like the log cabin method, except the layers get smaller as they reach the top, and there is no tepee inside. Place two small logs or branches on the ground so that they’re parallel to each other, then put a solid layer of small logs or branches on top of them in a perpendicular direction. Add three or four more layers, each time alternating the direction, and each layer being smaller than the one before. Light the top of the pyramid on fire, and it will burn downwards on its own.

build a fire

4

3

2

1

DO THIS : 31 – 32

prepare an yerba mate

For centuries, South America’s Ache Guayaki

tribe have sipped yerba mate from a traditional mate gourd

for its regenerative effects. These rainforest people find

tremendous invigoration, focus, and nourishment in

yerba mate. The leaves of the rainforest mate tree

naturally contain 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids,

and abundant antioxidants. The Paris Scientific society in 1964 concluded “it is difficult

to find a plant in any area of the world equal to mate

in nutritional value” and that yerba mate contains

“practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life”.

MATERIALS:

gourdbombilla

matewater

Pack the loose mate into the gourd just about half-full.

Place your hand on top and turn the gourd upside-down. Shake the gourd vigorously to move the more powdery leaves to the top.

Turn the gourd onto its side and give it several light shakes back and forth. This will bring the larger stems to the surface.

Insert the bombilla (filter straw) into the gourd and gently roll the gourd over until some of the large stems cover it.

Add cold water to protect and moisten the mate. After it is absorbed, drink it and fill with hot water.

The mate gourd can be refilled many times until the flavor is gone.

1

2

3

4

yerba mate

5

6

DO THIS : 35 – 36

read John Muir

Muir was noted for being an ecological thinker, political spokesman, and religious prophet, whose writings

became a personal guide into nature for countless individuals,

making his name ubiquitous in the modern environmental consciousness. According to

author William Anderson, Muir exemplified “the archetype of

our oneness with the earth”.

MATERIALS:

yerba matebook

make tourshi Keep the farmers market in

your house all year round. Jars work well but why not

make a huge vat and keep it down the cellar?

MATERIALS:

cabbagecelery

carrotscauliflower

garlicdill

½ tsp peppercorns¼ tsp red pepper flakes

3:1 ratio of water to vinegar( 4½ qts : 1½ qts )

1 cup sea salt¼ cup sugar

six, ½ gallon jars with lidsgrape or oak leaves (optional)

{ 2 x

sleep outside

There are many reasons to camp. But there is no better

way to connect with the earth than to sleep on it.

MATERIALS:

bug repellent sleeping bag

toilet paperfirst aid hatchetlantern

waterkniferopetarptent

build a raiseddog feeder

Let your dog pretend she’s fancy even if she

licks her butt.

MATERIALS:

MDF: 1@ 11x222x4 : 4@ 11” 1x4 : 2@ 24”1x4 : 2@ 12”

screwssawdrill

raised feeder

4

3

2

Place the bowls in the cutouts and accept praise from your dog.

Lay the MDF into the support base and screw into the legs.

Attach the side supports to the legs and stand the whole thing upright.

Trace the bowls on the surface of the MDF and cut them out with a rotary saw. Cut down into the center and make your way out and around the shape.

1

DO THIS : 57 – 58

eat porridge

Well balance and packed with protein for kids and grown ups.

Add anything you want like mulled hemp seed, ground flax,

spinach, or apples.

MATERIALS:

2 T. brown rice1 T. millet1 T. Quinoa1 T. Barley

blueberries

water

Ground Mixture {

porridge

3

2

Smash up some blueberries and mix into the porridge. Put on some old Dead and enjoy your work.

Add two cups of boiling water to the mixture and simmer uncovered for around 20 minutes. Stir frequently so bottom doesn’t stick to pan.

Place approximately ½ cup of porridge mixture in large sauce pan and lightly toast over medium heat .

1

DO THIS : 61 – 62

hike in Big Sur

The Native American tribes Ohlone, Esselen, and Salinan

were apparently the first people to inhabit the area

now known as Big Sur. They seasonally followed local food sources, living near the coast

in winter to harvest rich stocks of mussels, abalone and other

sea life, and moving inland at other times to harvest

oak acorns. Bedrock mortars, which are large exposed rocks the natives hollowed out into

bowl shapes to grind the acorns into flour, can be found throughout Big Sur. The tribes

also used controlled burning techniques to increase tree

growth and food production.

MATERIALS:

10 essentialsmountain

DO THIS : 65 – 66

*Always bring common sense and know the limits of yourself and the people you hike with.

DO THIS : 65 – 66

1. WATER

2. FOOD

3. KNIFE

4. MATCHES

5. FIRST AID

6. HEADLAMP

7. GPS

8. HAT

9. CAMERA

10. WHISTLE

10 essentials

play Neil Young music

Young is an outspoken advocate for environmental

issues and the welfare of small farmers, having cofounded in

1985 the benefit concert Farm Aid. In 1986, Young helped

found The Bridge School, an educational organization for

children with severe verbal and physical disabilities. He’s been

a cult hero, a chart-topping rock star, and all things in-

between, remaining true to his restless muse all the while. He

was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame in 1995.

MATERIALS:

patienceguitar

soul

build asaw horse

The best man on the crew.

The wooden sawhorse was used as a barricade

in the NYC landscape for decades. Most notable when soldiers from the Korean War

marched down Broadway in 1951, Beatles fans spilled

forward outside the Plaza Hotel in 1964, when the Yankees won the World

Series in 1977, and in front of the Dakota apartment

building when John Lennon was killed in 1980.

MATERIALS:

plywood 2 @ 2x62 @ 2x42 @ 1x4

The top is made from a 2x6 cut 33” long. The ends each have 3 ½ inch by 1 ½ inch notches cut out for the four legs. Each leg is cut roughly 27 ½ inches long from a 2x4. The legs are nailed to the top with 12d nails but don’t nail them all the way home just yet.

Cut some ½ plywood in to 12” squares. Setting the legs about 19” apart at the base, hold the plywood up to the base and mark it for cutting it fl ush to the legs. Making both angled cuts equal will ensure the legs are set an equal angle. When the plywood pieces are cut you can nail them

Cut some 1x4 to fi t all the way around the legs to fi t just under the plywood, on each pair of legs and then across the length of the saw horse on both sides. Nailing these pieces on as you go. Check that the legs are square with the top before nailing the two long braces across from each pair of legs. Finally fi nish nailing the legs in tight to the top.

Don’t insult the piece by painting it. Saw Horses get beat up and deserve to look as tough as they are.

1

2

3

4

saw horse

DO THIS : 73 – 74

grow sprouts

Sprouts represent the miracle of birth and

just so happen to besome of the healthiest

food on the planet. It's really easy and

pretty cool to witness.

MATERIALS:

lentils, mustard,oralfalfa seeds

32 oz. jarwatertowel

Place ½ to ¾ cup lentils or seeds in a 32 oz. jar and fill with 3x as much water. Soak overnight. You can add some kelp powder to boost the nutrient content if you want.

Place hand over end of jar and drain water.Fill the jar and drain it three times. The water will make your hand very cold. You can use a piece of cheesecloth or a paper towel.

Turn jar on its side and shake to evenly distribute the seeds along the length of the jar. Use a bigger jar if you’ve accidently used too many seeds.

Cover with a towel and put it somewhere where you’ll beable to see it so you don’t forget about it. Do not cover the jar.

Repeat steps 2-4 twice a day until tails are 1” long or leaves have formed. If your sprouting leaf sprouts, move them to the window when the leaves appear. Enjoy and share the food and the idea.

1

2

3

4

sprouts

5

DO THIS : 77 – 78

walk along the beach in Truro

I'm talking about a walk here.

Not just from your blanket to the ocean. Walk along the beach for

at least an hour. My rule is always until you cross at least one jetty.

Besides the sweet euphoria, food tastes amazing after a stroll.

Experience why sleep machines have an “ocean” setting.

You'll be amazed where your thoughts will take you.

MATERIALS:

beachyou

open anavocado

An avocado is a fruit and is a member of the berry family.

In the past, the avocado had a well-entrenched reputation for inducing

sexual prowess and wasn’t purchased or consumed by

any person wishing to protect their image from slanderous

assault. Growers had to sponsor a public relations campaign to dispel the ill-

founded reputation before avocados became popular.

MATERIALS:

avocadospoonknife

eat popcorn

This is the only acceptable way to make popcorn. You

will never use a microwave again after you taste how this

is made. Afterward, you can call all of your friends sissies

for using the microwave. You’ve earned it.

MATERIALS:

popcornsaltoil

do somethingwith a dog

There are few honest connections like being around a dog. Just

sharing time is rewarding and educational for all involved participants.

Do it.

MATERIALS:

youdog

eat granola energy bars

No time for coffee and breakfast? Have both in this

energy bar to start the day.Taste nothing but the pure

ingredients you put in them.

MATERIALS:

chopped walnuts 1 cupdark brown sugar ¼ cup

ground flax ½ cupground coffee 1 T.

dried fruit 6 0z.honey ½ cup hemp ½ cup

butter 2 T.vanilla 2 t.

oats 2 cup

Preheat the oven to 350. Oil the baking dish and set aside. Combine the oats, hemp, walnuts and flax and toast in the oven for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Combine the honey, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the dry mixture from the oven and stir together with fruit and liquid mix.

Turn the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press evenly with bricks until firm. Bake for 25 minutes at 300 degrees and allow to cool before cutting into squares.

1

2

3

granola energy bars

DO THIS : 93 –94

split wood

Don't be a wuss.

It's important to understand how people used to do things

with their hands. Your workout will barely be noticed when

you triumphantly perceive the pile before you. There is nothing better in the winter than the sound of crackling

wood in the fire.

MATERIALS:

bootsmaullogs

Find the widest log around 14” in height and use it as the chopping block.

Place the log to be split on top of the block.

Raise the maul overhead keeping one hand at the top of the handle at the neck and one hand on the bottom of the handle at the base.

Swing the maul down at the log while sliding your hand at the neck down to your hand at the base. This is how you generate the power to split the wood. It has nothing to do with strength...it’s all velocity and gravity.

Now admire your work and stack your wood in a nice pile so it dries out and looks pretty.

1

2

3

4

split wood

5

DO THIS : 97 – 98