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.

Being prepared

This is just a short note about being prepared.  We all hear about it, but how many actually DO it.

Every winter we get together two winter car kits.  They are basically just smaller Rubbermaid tubs and inside them we put a few tea light candles, some matches in a plastic bag or metal tin, a pair of gloves or mittens, a hat, some hard candies, a large black or dark green garbage bag or two, and a granola bar.  For me, I also put some car "knitting" and a book.

Also in the car goes a wool blanket, a small snow shovel and some sand or sand and salt mix.  You could use kitty litter if you have that handy instead. You could also put a bottle of water or two in there, but remember, it is winter and it will probably freeze.  If you hope to heat it up, you will need a little tin cup or a pot and some way to get it out of the bottle if it's a plastic container. Place any other items that you feel you will need in there as well.  Some people put a sterno can or two, some will put those little hand warmer packs that once you open the package they heat up.  Think about what you feel you would need to keep you happy, sane, and patient. Please also keep in mind that you will need to have a window cracked while using a sterno can in the car.

Just these few items placed in the trunk or back seat of your car can save you a lot of aggravation and worry if you should be on a road trip and your car breaks down, you run out of gas or the weather prevents you from going any further.

A few years ago there was a very bad snow storm that came through that had a few hours of sleet on top of the ice and one of the major highways closed down with hundreds of cars and trucks stuck on the highway as they couldn't get up the mountain.  Some of those people were on the road, in their car for a day or two.  I am sure none of them expected that to happen, but it did.  I also expect many of them had no safety or comfort items with them.  Yes, the National Guard had been called in and brought items to all these people stranded in their cars, but I am sure that the waiting must have been agony for the occupants.

I hope todays post will help you think about what you will put into your winter car kit and make one up for each car in your home.

I bought a new book

I try very hard to stay out of the book stores.  There was a time in my life, where, if I hadn't stopped, it probably would have become a serious problem.

I grew up loving books and the places they would/could take you.  And once I had one, I didn't want to give it away.

When we moved, halfway across the country, I had to purge myself of nearly all of my books.  Books of learning or information were carefully weeded through and kept and books of pleasure were AGONIZED over before being let go to the Goodwill shop.

Anyway, I now will only buy a book if I really feel what I am going to get out of it is worth having in my home.  Also, it has to be printed here in the United States.  If I am going to spend my hard earned money, I need to be sure it is going to help someone else retain their job.

Okay, now you know some of my basic thoughts on books.  Now, onto the book I bought.

"The New Seed-Starters Handbook" by Nancy Bubel

I want to start most of my plants on my own this coming season and in the past, I have had failed attempts.  There must be something, well, a lot of something's, that I'm not doing correctly and this time I need a bit of instruction on to how to do it.

As far as inside plants, I don't have a green thumb at all.  Outside.  That's another story.  So I need help with learning the proper steps for starting seed indoors to have a more successful outside garden experience.

While I haven't read much of the book yet, so I can't review it for you, I will tell you what chapters this book has in it.  Actually there are four Sections and each has chapters in them. 

Section One : Starting Seeds Indoors
Section Two : Moving Plants Outdoors
Section Three : Special Techniques and Situations
Section Four : Saving Seeds and Making Further Plans

I thought each one of these chapters will help me along my journey to have better seed starts and a better garden this coming spring.

I would love to hear any of your advice on how you start your seeds for your garden.

Snow Storm

No, not where I am.  In South Dakota.

They weren't expecting this early fall snow.  They hadn't brought in the cattle from the range. Estimates are some ranchers have lost 50% of their beef cattle.

16,000 people are without electricity.

The price of beef will now go up, I am sure.  Maybe even milk as well.

It seems retailers will try to gouge people anyway they can. The ranchers, I'm sure, won't see the higher beef price, it will be the stores.

This is just one reason why it's always a good thing to have food in the freezer and the pantry.  It can hold you over when there is an emergency, whether it is in your immediate family, or if there is a natural disaster near you, or even one that didn't directly affect you, but you feel the ripples.

My heart goes out to the ranchers who are affected by this storm.  I hope once the snow clears they haven't lost as much cattle as they are currently thinking.

Next time you go to do your grocery shopping, think about the farmer/rancher/producer of the item you are purchasing, and be thankful.

Are you prepared?

There have been a few natural disasters in the past few years that makes one wonder, Am I prepared?

The first year, it was a flood.  Thank goodness, we live in and on a mountain, and the water didn't come near us, but within 2 miles the river rose.  It rose to a height higher than the government had ever recorded.  The bench mark was always "Agnes".  Agnes happened in 1973 and was the flood to end all floods.

Hhhhhmmmmm.

Then we had September 2011 happen, and the flooding was worse.  The rain was bad, and people were evacuated.  People weren't prepared to be without.

How can you be hearing about a storm for days and not have water, extra batteries and some canned goods in the house?  How can people expect someone else to care for them when a natural disaster, with warning, happens?

Every person, I don't care where you live, or what your means are, should have SOME ability to have the bare necessities available.  You can have some candles, whether it's just for an emergency or for everyday.  You can keep some matches handy and dry.  If you can, purchase a decent flashlight and an extra pack or two of batteries to keep on hand.  Make sure you have any medications that you need.  Keep them in a water tight container that is handy to get at.  If you should need to leave, you are prepared to grab it and go. 

On your next grocery trip, you don't need to spend a fortune, but you can buy a jar of peanut butter, a couple can's of tuna and a box of crackers to keep on hand should you need them.  OH, and a can opener, or be sure that the tuna has a pop top.

Some people will go to the extreme and be prepared in many ways.  Or at the other end of the spectrum, you have those who think, "oh, it will never happen."  Then, they can't understand how it happened to them!

Now, I'm not saying don't use extreme caution.  If they are telling you to evacuate, EVACUATE!  You are not only putting yourself in harms way, but the people who will have to rescue you when you finally decide to CALL FOR HELP.

But, when you evacuate, you need a plan?  Are you prepared for that?

There are many places to look on line for how to prepare for an emergency.  Take the time to look at some and decide what is appropriate for you and your family.  Also, don't forget your animals.  They can't fend for themselves at home.  They may not be admitted into the shelter closest to you.  Perhaps there is someone you could stay with in a safe place, or perhaps you need to leave yourself some extra time to get farther away.  Don't wait until the last minute.

Everything you have is replaceable except your family, that includes your animals.  Be prepared to take care of them and yourself.

Some things we always have on hand and have made preparations for an emergency.

When we know we may be losing power, I fill the tub with water for flushing the toilets.  I also purchase a case of bottled water, or I put water bottles that I've filled from the tap into the refrigerator.  Plus, I keep some empty milk jugs handy and fill most of the way with water and put them into the freezer so they can freeze before the power goes out.  It does help.
Batteries in all sizes that are used in our flashlights and radios.
Stick matches - during hurricane Sandy you couldn't FIND ANY for weeks!! We have since gifted boxes of stick matches to friends who were without power for nearly 10 days.  They LOVE them!
Canned goods and a can opener - most canned goods you can eat cold, they may not be pleasant, but when you are hungry, they are better than nothing!
Extra blankets - They could be old, they could be wool, they could just be extra material
An alternate heat source - if you are staying in your home.  We heat our home with wood so we could also cook on this stove if need be.  If you have a gas stove in your kitchen, NEVER run it without cooking, it can be dangerous.  If you need to use it to heat, cook something, bake something, boil water, then turn it off.  You don't need the fumes to kill you should the flame go out unnoticed.
Cell phones may not work.  OR the battery in them could go dead.  ALWAYS have an old fashioned, non cordless phone to plug in.  You remember, the kind that you grew up with, and if you are too young, the kind at your grandparents house....  A cordless phone will not work without power.
For cooking, you could use a camp stove or your grill OUTSIDE!  DO NOT use it in the house or the garage as it is EXTREMELY dangerous.

Edited:  Something I forgot to mention was MONEY.  Make sure you have cash, perhaps enough for a week.  If there is no electricity, you can't go to the ATM, you can't use your check card or your credit card, and depending on your bank and their emergency set up, you may not even be able to go to the bank for money.

Do some research of your own to see what kinds of things you feel would make you most comfortable in a disaster situation.  Then take the time to prepare.

Perhaps, for you, it means having candles, lots of candles handy so that you aren't in the dark.

Or, maybe it means having a few good books handy, or to have your Kindle or Nook fully charged so that you could read something you have on there.

Maybe it means making your favorite hot beverage and putting it into a thermos so that it is hot or warm in the middle of the night.


I'd like to hear your ideas on what being prepared means to you.