Being prepared Part 2

This is another short note about being prepared, all the time, not just in winter.

In recent years it seems as if there have been more storms to make the news.  I don't know if you've lived through any of them, but here at our house, we've had a few.

Now there are tons of sites on the internet and lots of books to be borrowed from the library on preparing for any disaster you can think of.  I encourage you to look at some and to think over what you feel is the right level of preparedness for you.

Here are some of the things we do in our house.

We have several rechargeable flashlights.  They are always in the charging dock and fully charged.  Yes, this uses a small amount of power, but when your lights go out in the black of night can you find your flash light?  I know where each one is and I feel so much better knowing it has a full charge.  We also keep several battery operated flashlights available as well as a stock of batteries at the ready.  To light up a whole room and to not have to hold your flashlight while doing it, get a sturdy, tall drinking glass and up end the flashlight into it so that it shines towards the ceiling.  It's as good as having an overhead light on.

Candles and matches.  During Hurricane Sandy you could not find ANY matches on the shelves in stores.  We keep several boxes of stick matches handy for just this reason.  If you can't light your candle, they are no good to you.  Plus, you may need matches to light a fire in your wood burner, or two light your gas stove.  I am of the age where gas stoves did not have the electronic ignition, you used a match to light them.  A lot of younger people don't know that you can still use your gas stove during a power outage, that they can light it themselves, but you need matches to be able to do it.

A princess phone.  What?  Yes, I said a princess phone.  When the power goes out in your home, so does the ability to use your cordless phones.  Ask me how I know?  We always keep an old princess phone underneath our phone table for just this case.  It comes in handy.  Now that everyone carries a cell phone, you may think that you don't need one, but suppose the cell towers are out as well?  At least you have another option.

Another thing I do is to keep a copy of my power bill near the phone.  When the power goes out, there's no fumbling looking for the previous months bill or the phone book to call and report an outage, it's right there.

The last thing I'll share with you is this and I know this may sound silly, but I fill the bath tub with water.  Why?  So that there is water to flush the toilet.  And to wash up if I want to.