Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas!

Hoping everyone will have a wonderful Christmas, and wishing you and yours all the best now and always--Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Hot chocolate is good for storage...

...and getting it for free is even better. Found this giveaway over at The Daybook, and if you are on Facebook, follow the directions at the giveaway link above, and you will have a chance to win 12 (!) cans of hot chocolate. I personally really like Stephen's hot chocolate, but it is my husband who introduced me to it, so I would say he is the biggest fan in our house. Anyway, just a heads-up if you want a chance to win... hope all is well with everyone!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Have you heard about this?

Seems that I'm kind of stuck on questions for titles lately... :)

First off, snow was not long in coming after my last post on my tires--if memory serves, it snowed the very next day. Not much stayed except a few icy patches on the road in inconvenient places. But then, I suppose no matter where they were, they would be inconvenient... :) Anyway, we are in the process of getting any and all issues concerning tires take care of, and I hope no one else has had any problems with theirs. Here's hoping that our street doesn't turn into the (seemingly) perpetual ice rink that it was last year.

Just wanted to include this link for those who have not yet seen it. It concerns recent U.S. legislation, and storing food is one of the particular things mentioned. I did just mention this link today on my other blog, so it is a repeat, but just trying to spread information as much as possible. The information in this link is the "this" referred to in the post title, and might interest those who haven't heard about it yet...

Those readers who prefer incandescent light bulbs may be interested in this article, which includes information on when they will no longer be available. Yes, the article is a little old (gotta hate procrastination on posting about it--sorry) but the deadlines are coming up, especially on the 100 watt variety. You might want to pick up a couple of them while you still can, if they are your light bulb of choice.

Hope all is well with everyone, and that everyone is enjoying the Christmas season!



Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Have you checked your tires lately?

Well, the long and short of it is I hadn't about two weeks ago, and so one of my tires decided to "check out" on its own.

At the time, I had a child in the car with me, and we had just recently entered a really busy highway. Suddenly, I heard a strange noise, (although I have had a flat tire before, I always discovered that I had a flat while the car was stationary, so this was a new experience for me) and thought/did the following:

1. Turned off the radio, and thought, "Is that my car?"


2. Thought (very) briefly that it might be the wind, since I had increased speed, but even though it does get windy in Idaho, it doesn't get that windy.


3. Checked the dashboard, thinking that something was wrong with the innards of the car, since the sound was coming from that direction. There was nothing wrong.


4. Started to smell burning rubber, and immediately started to look for a place to pull off the road. Unfortunately, at that point of the highway in question, there really is no place to pull off the road, and it was right before an exit ramp. There is a white line that indicates the edge of the road, but after that there is very little concrete, and a lot of hill sloping immediately downward. So not a lot of options, considering the above-mentioned exit ramp coming up.

5. Pulled off the road, as close to the edge as possible, put on the hazard lights, and called my husband, who was, fortunately, not very far away. Then I, and the child accompanying me, exited on the hill side of the car, and waited. I figured if one of the many cars passing by bumped into the car, we wouldn't want to be anywhere in or around it.

Ok, I am the first to admit that I should definitely know how to change my own tire, but I don't, even though I have been shown how before. Thing is, in this particular situation, I wouldn't have changed the tire even if I had known how--I was unwilling to even go around the side of the car and see the extent of the damage done, due to the location I was in and the amount of traffic going by.

Then, YAY, an Idaho state trooper stopped behind me. I was impressed by how much this state trooper helped us, though I never knew his name.

He came up and I told him what had happened, and that my husband was on the way. He asked if my husband was in town, and then said, "Is that him?" and yes. Yes, it was. He was backing up to my car.

My husband proceeded to work on the tire, and the state trooper moved his car out so that anyone coming toward our car would have to go around him. Then he got out and helped my husband, and they were done in like, no time flat. No pun intended.

The state trooper then asked how long I had been waiting before he showed up, and I said, "Oh, five to seven minutes." He then said that they try to patrol the roads so that no one has to wait long for help, but sometimes in the more isolated areas it takes a lot longer. He was very nice, and didn't have to help my husband, but I am so grateful that he did. It was a dangerous spot, and he made it a lot safer. He also went above and beyond the call of duty. He deserves more than a YAY!, but perhaps and maybe he will see this post and know how much we appreciate his help.

Soooo, turns out that it was the tread on the tires that was bad that caused this unfortunate situation. Now we have a good tire in place, but I feel that I was blessed in many ways when this happened to me:

1. There was no snow on the ground at the time, just as there is no snow on the ground in this area as I write this. When I think about how slick the roads can get around here, and try to imagine what slick roads + flat blown out tire + no place to turn off to speak of when there is good (but windy) weather, well, it doesn't add up to anything good.

2. I had someone to call that could help me, and if my husband had been farther away, the state trooper was there quickly, and as mentioned, he made it a lot safer by locating his car to minimize the chances of an accident as the tire was changed.

3. We had a good tire, (not a donut) as the spare, so I didn't have to worry about the spare blowing up on my way home. Which is where I went immediately, and was not late for something I had to be home for. (Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about "donuts" so the likelihood of one blowing out on my way home is not something I know a lot about. However, I did feel better that I had a regular tire as a replacement.)

So, I reiterate, have you checked your tires lately? I am surprised that we haven't had more snow yet, at least in this part of Idaho, but it does give us more of a chance to check (and if necessary) improve our situation before the roads get slick...

Friday, November 11, 2011

Happy Veteran's Day!

Wanted to express my gratitude to those who have served and sacrificed for our country in the armed forces-- I could never say it enough, and will never forget it. Thank you for your service.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Nothing like the 31st...

...to make you realize that you have once again procrastinated, and it is past time to post those things you have been thinking about writing about...

First, a huge thank you to those who have contributed information on Idaho on the last post. If you read the comments, you will find varying opinions about Idaho and a lot of info. There is also a comment from my friend Carl, who asks a very specific question about a particular region. You can go to the comments section under the last post for the comment in its entirety, but the following excerpt is where I come to my readers for help:

"We are looking at Idaho again, but I am concerned about hospitals in the Northern Idaho area near Spokane. I am wondering if any of your readers can comment?"

I will ask around here to see if I can get some info, but thank you in advance for any information you may be able to offer on this specific area!

On another subject, at an emergency preparedness presentation I attended recently, there were a couple of things that stuck out that I don't remember seeing mentioned anywhere else on the internet, or at other presentations:

--The presenter asked if we kept a permanent marker in our 72-hour kits. Turns out that when Hurricane Katrina and all the accompanying problems happened, that families would sometimes need to be separated, and some parents had the brilliant idea to write vital information on their childrens' arms in permanent marker--things like contact information with important phone numbers, etc., so it would be easier for the families to be reunited again. I can't remember what was specifically said, (and that is what is wrong with procrastination) but it seems that things like medication information for children and/or others who might need help with such issues might also benefit from having it written down where others can see what is needed and render aid.

--When a sample 72-hour kit was presented, there was an empty gallon jug attached to the backpack, so that when this person and their family were headed out the door, they could quickly fill it up, and have the "extra" water with them. No doubt it would be a little heavy, but like I always tell my children, even if you have to lighten your pack, you keep the water...I wouldn't expect my children to carry an extra gallon, but I can imagine that there would be great benefits from the adults to carry one each, and if you are able to fill it up before there are water issues and are able to stay home or evacuate by vehicle, all the better....

And, you have probably heard about the prices on peanut butter going up--this article has more information, and in the video in the article, has the percentages for some brand names for how much, as well as when, the prices are expected to rise. This to me is one of those examples of how it's good to have a couple jars/bags/containers of products you use regularly put aside, so that you have a little leeway on when you have to stock up again, and can hopefully hold out until you have coupons and/or a sale...Unfortunately, the massive price increase on some brands of peanut butter have already started, if I have understood correctly, and the others will not be far behind--stock up on what you can, while you can, if peanut butter is one of your preferred preparedness items....

Thanks again to those who commented on Idaho, and thanks for coming back to read despite my procrastination--hope all is well with everyone!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Need information on different areas of Idaho...

...to answer questions from someone interested in possibly relocating to Idaho. Readers of this blog may remember and/or been affected by the fact that I sometimes am slow in checking the e-mail account connected to this blog, (sorry!) but recently I did check it and found an e-mail from D.S., who sent, in part, the following:

" I live in Chicago and I need to get out of here before things get ugly and I have been thinking about moving to Idaho somewhere. The problem I'm having, and the reason for this email, is that I have no idea where a good place would be to buy a home for someone with a "prepper" mentality. It seems like Idaho is completely off the grid, in the mountains, and wooded which is great but makes it difficult to know where a good spot would be for someone like me who lives in a big city and has never lived in any kind of rural area."

Readers may remember me talking about things that go on in my neighborhood, so may have guessed that my neighborhood wouldn't really fit the description of an area that D.S. is looking for. So I replied, in part:

"I personally don't live in the kind of area that you are looking for, (hey, but Idaho is great everywhere that I have seen :) but I know that at least some of my readers have more info on different areas from where I am located. Even if I did, I have often found that my readers give out a lot more information than I do, and I learn a lot from them..."

So, I am requesting info from anyone who does have more information on areas that are more along the lines of what D.S. is interested in. Many thanks in advance for input that you are willing to share!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

A little on the late side...

As in it's the last day of a sale at Albertson's, but they're pretty good deals. You have to buy 10 items that are included in the deal (General Mills products) to get the $5.00 off, but many of the items are pretty good:

--Progresso soups end up being $1.29/can when you buy 10, and put any of those soups with mashed potatoes or rice, and you would have a pretty filling meal.

--Handily enough, if you buy packages of Betty Crocker specialty potatoes, they are $.50/package if you buy 10.

-- Also $.50 are select varieties of Green Giant vegetables (11-15.25 oz.).

Those are my favorites this week, although I must say that in my opinion, Albertson's has got a lot of great deals this week. No, no one I am related to works at Albertson's, that I know of. And yes, as usual, if you are not sure that your particular Albertson's is participating in the festivities, please call ahead and ask if they are having these deals. Thanks, Albertson's!!

Sorry for the late notice--hopefully many of you have already found these deals and saved lots of money...

And for those who may not be located near an Albertson's (much as I am not located near an Albi's store, although I hear they have great deals), perhaps you are located near a Sam's Club, and would like the chance to win a $40 gift card. Regardless of your proximity to an Albertson's, you can enter for a chance to win by commenting on this post over at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. That giveaway ends tomorrow at 10 pm Eastern Time. So a little more notice than the end of the Albertson's sale (tonight), but not much. Thanks, Harried Homemaker!

In any case, hope you get a chance to get to Albertson's if those deals interest you, and good luck on the giveaway, if you decide to enter!

Monday, August 8, 2011

On the question of sanitation

I have read various ways of dealing with the sanitation issue, something that is of concern when dealing with situations where there is little to no water, or even in the case of running out of (hopefully massively stockpiles of) toilet paper. I recently received a link in an e-mail from a preparedness expert that I know in Utah that deals with this issue, and thought I would share. There's a video and everything!


Seems like an appropriate time to thank everyone who continues to read even though I don't have exciting things like videos on this blog...thanks!


Anyway, also on the linked site are info for storing a 3-month supply, and info for turning off your water at the street. Thanks to the creator(s) of the site for sharing such useful information!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Preparedness Expo July 31--in Spokane

Thanks to idahobob for sending the information link about the Sustainable Preparedness Expo this coming weekend in Spokane. From that page, when you "click here for more info", you will find that there is a lot more info. It may not work for everyone in Idaho, but for those who would be interested, the information is there.

Sounds like a lot of valuable information in one place...thanks, idahobob!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Really, it's not that we're unfriendly--it's the Snake

As in the Snake River. Allow me to explain.

The Snake River is a dangerous river at any given time, due to water speed and/or temperature, but things don't improve when there is flooding. So, while there has been some flooding this year where the Snake is concerned, the following conversation (related according to memory) would probably have been about the same on our side, regardless of the year. My husband and I were with our children at a park not far from the Snake, when we were approached by a young guy who was obviously not from the area. ( Note: FV stands for Friendly Visitor, and SUIs stands for Seemingly Unfriendly Idahoans)

FV: Hi, are you guys from around here?
SUIs: Yup.
FV: I was just wondering if there was a beach somewhere around here where we could just go down by the water, go swimming. (Not sure if swimming was actually mentioned, but that was how I took it...)
SUIs: Nope, not really. Well....there are places that are by the water, and supposedly you could go into swim, but there are signs everywhere saying you do it at your own risk.
FV (probably wondering why we were showing no enthusiasm whatsoever on this hot, hot, hot afternoon about so much water and a beach) Oh.
SUIs: Well there is a dock you can walk on and put your feet in the water over the other side...
FV: Oh. But not really a beach anywhere around here?
SUIs: No. There are places further away, but I wouldn't go swimming in the water.
FV: Oh. Thanks.
SUIs: We wouldn't let our kids go in the water.
FV: Ok. Thanks.
SUIs: Sorry.

Sorry because it's inconvenient to find out that there is no beach-ish joy to be found around the Snake River when it comes to swimming, but oh-so-not-sorry to warn someone about the dangers of the Snake. Just sayin'. That river is dangerous--so dangerous that my husband's parents told him and his siblings: "If you go in the Snake, don't bother to come home."

Please be careful around the water--including the canals, which are all over Idaho. Oh, and the water in the one that we were sitting next to on the 4th of July had the water of the Snake running through it. We were watching a wonderful small town parade when it came to my attention that there was a woman trying to retrieve a ball out of the (swiftly-moving) water in the canal behind us. The gentleman next to us, and perhaps others, were being nice about it, and offering to help her get the ball, but it seemed obvious to me that they were just wishing that she were farther away from the water. She got the ball without falling in--but would the ball have been worth it if she had fallen in?

Seems timely to once again link the article, "Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning". It's important information that I linked to last year, but you never know who it might help. And of course, the dangers of rivers are not limited to the Snake River. Over at Utah Preppers there is the article, Parents--Keep your kids AWAY from the rivers!, which reminds readers, among other things, that we should never think that a particular problem won't happen to us...

Just be safe out there, and avoid any and every emergency you can!



Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy Independence Day!

Land of the free and home of the brave! And, as my husband pointed out this morning--land of the free because of the brave--thanks to all who defend and uphold our freedom!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Unfortunately, it's not just the wheat....

Let's hope conditions improve soon--according to this article, the weather we have been having in Idaho has also negatively affected the barley, lentil, green pea, oat, and hay crops.

Wish it was better news, and hoping for the best for the crops and farmers.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Preparedness Expo...in Montana

Thanks to idahobob for bringing the information in this link (and the link itself) to my attention--some parts of Idaho are closer to the location than others, and for those who would like to attend, the information is all in the linked announcement...

The more we know, the better prepared we become...Thanks idahobob!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Bad news for the wheat crop here, in Idaho...

Well, wish the news was better, but if you go to this link, you will find that wheat crops in Idaho are not thriving in the cool weather we've been having. I didn't know that so much wheat was grown in Idaho, (according to the article linked, 42 of our 44 counties grow wheat) but the way things are going, it may turn out that we all wish that even more had been planted and/or was growing regularly right now...

So, it looks like prices will be rising even higher--if you don't have any pasta or other wheat-based products (pancake mixes, waffle mixes, flour, etc.)that store easily, please consider getting some in your pantry so you won't have to pay (even) more for them at a later date. Those would be great if you are looking for a couple of easy quick fixes for the 3-day supply of food recommended here, although you would probably want to figure in storage of additional water for cooking them.

If you just get a couple of buckets of wheat, they will store even longer, and you can make whatever you want out of the wheat, if you have it. If you want to make bread, you might want to include yeast and oil, and maybe some sugar or honey in your storage--yeah, the list gets longer when you figure in how to use wheat, but it looks like the prices will only get higher regardless, when it comes to the wheat....

Monday, May 9, 2011

Scarcity is at the very least annoying....

Scarcity in good times is annoying. Scarcity in an emergency situation is worse, worse, worse--at best, best, best...

I have run into various levels of scarcity lately, and the first I will mention here involves ground turkey, which I generally buy in a 3 lb. package, brown, and store in the freezer. It held steady for a long time at either $5.58 or $5.38 (I think it was $5.58, but I am striving for accuarcy here :). Then one day, I went to get some, and was surprised (probably shouldn't have been, considering how long the price held steady, but I was..) to find that it was now $6.22. Still very reasonable price per pound, considering the prices of other meats, (and in comparison with prices at other stores, from what I've seen) but still. Who doesn't want it for less? So the price had gone up.

Thing is, I went back for some more, and the display case was empty. I was in the position that at that point I didn't need to buy turkey, so I decided to wait. If memory serves the following then happened: I went back two more times, and each time the display was empty. So I decided to ask an employee when there would be more ground turkey. Very kindly, she went in the back to see if there was any ground turkey back there, but to no avail. I asked her when the turkey would be replenished, and was told that she didn't know exactly, that I should probably try in the mornings, and that it generally disappeared pretty much as soon as it was put out. As a result, because by the third time, I did need the turkey, I asked my husband to pick up a 3 lb. package on his way home from a different grocery store. The price on that package was $7-something, although it had a different fat content, but the real difference was this: The $7-something package was in my hands. Sounds like something that they would put on a TV commercial, and then say "priceless".

If you are still reading, :) my point is this: I could have used something else for dinner, so at this point, scarcity was an annoyance. What happens when you have no other options? That's when scarcity becomes much, much, more than an annoyance and turns into an emergency....

One other example: when it comes to macaroni and cheese, there is one brand that I buy that (a) my children like, and (b) is cheaper than the (seems like ever-upward-spiraling prices of) other brands. Soooo, every time I go to the particular store that sells this macaroni and cheese (it's a store brand) I pick up a couple of extra boxes usually at 2/$1.00, and on good days, or with coupon, 3/$1.00. Last time I looked, that brand was gone. There were other brands, but the space for this particular macaroni and cheese was eeemmmmppppttty. So there wasn't a scarcity of macaroni and cheese, per se, but the kind I wanted, and I knew that my children would eat was unavailable. My point? Serving my children something that they don't really like during an emergency situation is so much less than ideal that I'm trying to avoid it. I still have some boxes of said macaroni here, so again, scarcity of it right now is more a matter of annoyance and inconvenience. But in a case where there might be less fuel available to cook (pasta's pretty much a quick-cook meal) scarcity could turn into so much more...

Hope everyone is doing well, and stocking up at prices where they are now (read: steadily rising) even if it's only one box of macaroni and cheese at a time--or even better, at 3/$1.00. It may not seem like much, but it all adds up, and it will be priceless if there should come a time when you can't get whatever item you are looking for at any price....

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Gas prices go up...as do other costs

Yeah, not newsbreaking, or anything, to say that when gas prices go up food costs and other costs go up along with them, because of transportation and production costs, etc.--but thought you might be interested in the details in this article, which talks about what's going on with the prices now.

Also, found this article on the shelf life of spices interesting. If you are going to try to make limited resources taste good, spices are a good addition to the food storage list. They, as mentioned here, can be expensive, but might help when one of your children or other member of the group you'll be responsible for is really craving something with a different flavor...


Hope all is well with everyone--weather here in Idaho can't seem to make up its mind. At some points, it has seemed like spring has arrived...only to find that it's raining/snowing/sleeting (? It has looked like possible hail recently, but I wasn't curious enough to go out and actually get hit with it to find out :) soon after. Anyway, got to get to the gardening soon, even if it's only inside.... :)

Oh, and on the third try I did get the deal on the flour mentioned in an earlier post. Am wondering at what time the price of the gas surpasses the money saved on the food deal, though....

Monday, April 4, 2011

This is a rush deal...

I have tried repeatedly to get my earlier post of today to space correctly, but it's not working. Since the deals mentioned are over tomorrow, I will leave it as is, however much it bothers me that the spacing won't work out and makes it looked garbled. If you end up getting the deals, however, hopefully it will be worth the aggravation of reading stuff all mushed together. Thanks!

Today or tomorrow....

You might want to visit your local Albertson's, with the usual assumption that the deals that I'm about to mention won't be available unless you have an Albertson's card. Also, never hurts to call your local Albertson's to make sure the deals are available where you are.... ---5 lb. bags of Albertson's sugar for $1.99/each Limit 6 ---5 lb. bags of Albertson's flour for $.99/each Limit 6 ---Green Giant canned vegetables 3/$1.00 Limit 24 ---Hunt's ketchup 24 oz. 10/$10.00 The above deals are the ones I was hoping to get, although I visited two different Albertson's, one Friday, and one today, and neither of them had the flour on the shelves. The cashier today said that she thought that they would have more flour coming in on a truck tonight, so I may have to head back at that price. For price comparison, the 5 lb. bag of sugar usually costs $4.49, if memory serves. Prices everywhere are going up.... It's my understanding that these prices are good through tomorrow night. I mention these deals because there is no coupon attached, though there is a limit. Speaking of limits, gotta love how the limits on (most if not all) the coupons I have seen lately in the Walgreens ads don't apply in Idaho.... :) You may also be interested in the deal on milk and cereal highlighted (which is also at Albertson's) over at The Grocery Girls. Thanks for the info on that, Grocery Girls! Sorry I didn't get this up earlier. Hope that everyone who wants these deals gets them, and maybe the third time will be the charm for me in terms of the deal on flour.... :)

Friday, March 18, 2011

Helpful info re: radiation

My heart and prayers go out to the people of Japan. I hope all improves there quickly, and that they're able to get access to help--all the help that they need.
If you've been following the news, you've heard the news about the nuclear situation there. I recently got the following e-mail from a preparedness expert on some of the things you might like/need to know about for dealing with radiation, among other things. With permission from the author, here is the almost the entire e-mail, with few modifications on my part:

"Here I am again, hoping that all of you are calm and prepared for every emergency, and that all are safe and sound in your own homes. I am, however, especially concerned for those on the west coast in case of an earthquake like that in Japan. We live right on a fault and I know that not all of my neighbors are prepared even though we are constantly being warned by the government and the churches to be ready to take of ourselves. I hope each of you is completely prepared and ready to take care of your family and yourself. Have you set up a plan to contact one another if a disaster occurs in your area and the phones are all out? Do the kids all have a printout of the phone numbers of extended family in their 72/120 hour kits? Do you have an out of town contact for everyone to report to? Do you have a meeting place for everyone to head to if possible?

The following is my weekly emergency prep letter for our area. I hope it will help you in some way with a bit of info you may not have thought of.

As our neighborhood emergency prep person, I have gotten a couple of calls from people who are concerned, not panicked, about the air currents and the radiation from Japan. The following is general information that probably should be reviewed by most of us to help us be in control of our own situation, no matter what that may be now, or later.

Potassium Iodide (KI) should be used only when needed, and then very carefully. According to those calling and asking me for info on what to do if the radiation from Japan is blown all the way here, the stores in our area are sold out of KI. The health food stores are apparently also out of kelp, which is high in iodine. I hope that it has all been purchased by persons preparing for a “just in case” situation and not by anyone taking it as a preventative. It does not work that way. When you go to this site http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp you will learn that it is to be used only when there is immediate expectation of radiation exposure. There is a listing of doses for different age groups and health conditions if you are interested.

If you are anxious, please study out precautions that should be taken should there actually be radiation in our area. Read about the half life of radiation and the surprising lack of long term harm to those in Japan after the bombs and those near Chernobyl. Things certainly were bad for many, but if they survived the immediate blast and fallout, the majority did not suffer nearly as many cancers, etc. as I had believed they had. You will find that things are probably not as dire as you have imagined either. All that being said, when the stores get some KI and/or kelp back in stock you and I will each probably get a bottle for everyone in the family…. to have on hand “just in case” a CA quake could cause damage to the reactors there, similar to what has happened in Japan.

We are much more likely to have need for food, water and shelter for after “our own earthquake / tornado/ hurricane/ blizzard / flood”, than KI at this point. In Japan many millions need those so much more than they need KI right now. If they don’t get those things soon they won’t need KI no matter what happens.

Do YOU have enough food, water and shelter for your family??? Do you have an alternate heat source and a way to cook your food? If we have to stay in our homes for a few days or a week or more, is your 12 week supply ready to be used? Do you have an extensive first aid kit? Are there extra blankets and cold weather sleeping bags for everyone in the family? Could you take in extra people in an emergency and provide both for them and your own family for an extended period of time? Do you have an inventory of your food supply so that you would know how to ration it out to cover an expected long term dire situation? While the economy is relatively decent, and there are still supplies to be had, please finish your family’s storage and then consider storing just a little more to share with those who cannot, for what ever reason, provide for themselves.

If you really feel compelled to do something more, right now, to prepare then go buy a roll of heavy duty plastic and some rolls of duct tape at the hardware store for sealing off a safe room…you need to have it on hand anyway for after our own disaster to cover broken windows.

“If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” "

End of e-mail.

One of my modifications was to make the link to the website mentioned link from here. It looks very useful and provides a lot of information if you want to know more about potassium iodide.

Thanks, emergency expert, for the e-mail, and for allowing me to post it here! I'm not an expert, but I like to share what I learn--and learning what you can is definitely a way to prepare...

Monday, March 7, 2011

Interesting things from the e-mail box...

If you are in Northern Idaho, you may be interested in this website to get acquainted with others who are interested in being prepared. This group is in the Sandpoint area, and it would be great to see it go well.

Also learned about this blog, a new addition for the list of Idaho links. Whether through meetup groups, or blogs, we can really help each other when we share information...thanks for the e-mails!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Missing man--please keep an eye out

Have heard about Mr. Grant Moedl, who is currently missing. He's from Rexburg, apparently, and went missing around Mountain Home. More information is here, with video and details. He has been missing since Wednesday--am hoping he is found soon.

You never know who might end up helping in a case like this...

Monday, February 14, 2011

Thanks, APN, for the new masthead!

Yeah, computer ingenuity is not my forte, but I appreciate others' talents in this area--in this case, thanks to APN, for the new and improved masthead for the Idaho Preppers Network! I think this is a great example of the beauty of Idaho....

Thursday, February 10, 2011

It's that supply thing again...

And it looks like a lack in the supply is coming, and staying for awhile according to the links in this post over at Coffee with the Hermit. The supply-demand balance, especially for things like wheat, is at a scary point. Can't hurt to have some food storage set aside, because even if there is still supply, looks like the prices won't go anywhere but up, at least for a while.
Thanks, Hermit Jim, for the info!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Humor can be relative...

Received the following e-mail message recently in my inbox recently (sorry that I don't know the original source, but thanks, whoever you are) :

The Government has issued a travel warning due to the cold weather.


They suggest that anyone travelling in the current icy conditions should make sure they have the following:

Shovel
Blankets or sleeping bag
Extra clothing including hat and gloves
24 hours worth of food
De-Icer
Rock Salt
Flashlight with spare batteries
Road Flares or Reflective Triangles
Empty gas Can
First Aid Kit
Booster cables


I looked like an idiot on the bus this morning!

End of e-mail

Ok, I thought this was pretty clever when I saw it. Here's the thing--with the weather in Illinois, many people had problems (whether they were in a bus or in their cars) last night and this morning, and I bet they wouldn't find the thought of having extra supplies with them in their situation very amusing. You can read about it here. Just something to think about--during cold, wintry weather (or any weather, really) you might want to think about packing a little something along with you if there's any possibility you might find yourself stranded--in a car, bus, or wherever you may be...

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Gotta love info from other blogs....

Not that much from me in this post--just links to a couple of posts that you might be interested in:

1.) On my other blog yesterday I mentioned the cost of tortillas (and will ask the same question here: Has anyone else noticed the price going up? I didn't buy tortillas last time I was shopping because the cost of a large package was closer to $5.00 than $4.00, which to me was not worth it...) and linked to the tortilla recipe that I use, which is here. Then, imagine my surprise when I headed over to Preparedness Pro, and there were not only many uses for tortillas in this post, but also many that you might want to check out the comments there as well, since there are more great ideas there too--gotta love variety and options.

2.) Over at My Adventures in Self-Reliance, there is a great list of some sales that you might be interested in. The more money you can save, the more you have with which to prepare for emergency situations... :)

Well, thanks to My Adventures in Self-Reliance and Preparedness Pro for sharing their info--sometimes one of the best ways to prepare is to gather as much information as you can...

Friday, January 14, 2011

Gotta love snowbibs for $3.50

I just got back from Wal-Mart, and they are having a great deal on snowbibs and coats. We're talking $3.50 or $3.75 for the snowsuits (the cashier thought it was weird that they were ringing up different prices, but I'm not going to complain when the original price was $15.00.) There were a variety of coats for $13.00 each. So if you want to put some clothes away for the future, or just replace something now, you might want to check out your local Wal-Mart and see if it is having the same deals. The one near us has this sale for today, tomorrow, and Sunday, but at these prices, don't know how long they'll last, or how long you will be able to find the sizes you want/need. I know, that sounds like a commercial, but hey, like I've said before, if someone gives me a good deal, I don't mind giving them a little free advertising... :)

Thing is, I might not have noticed this had it not been for a cashier who mentioned to me earlier this week that the snowbibs that we could see against the wall in the distance were going on sale today for $3.50. They were closer to the exit that I don't frequently use, so I may have missed out entirely. Then, this morning, I thought, "Wow, it's Friday already!" Then later I thought, "Wow, I should have already blogged about this!" So now I have, and it's only Friday morning, so hopefully that will be enough time for everyone. Thanks, friendly cashier, for the great customer service! If you want to take advantage of the sale, I hope it's happening near you--never hurts to call if you're not sure.....

Thursday, January 13, 2011

But what about medication?

I recently learned about a situation where someone went in for a spinal tap in order to get symptoms diagnosed. After waiting the designated time period for the results, an appointment was made so that there could be an analysis made about the findings from the spinal tap. The person received a call the day before the appointment and was told that the appointment was cancelled, due to the fact that there could be no analysis made on the spinal tap because there were no test kits available.

Well, one might reasonably say, send elsewhere for the test kit. Another lab, perhaps. This person was told there were no kits available at another lab. In fact, there were no other kits available throughout the person's state.

In fact, there were no kits available in the entire country.

This hits me as wrong on many levels, not the least of which is that the person in question had to undergo a spinal tap when there was no way that it was going to be analyzed. (Which begs the question as to why it had to be done at all, if there was no benefit to be had...) But the person relating the particulars of the situation to me said that in many cases, the U.S. as a nation is dependent on other countries for many of our medications, and that many people who need such medications would find themselves in trouble if we were to be cut off from our sources for any reason. It was pointed out during the course of our conversation that in terms of emergency preparedness, people who need medications would be wise to stock up as much as possible to avoid problems in emergency situations.

I was thinking also that it would be at the very least inconvenient if something like Tylenol (or insert your preferred pain reliever here) were unavailable for minor pain issues before, during, and/or after an emergency situation. When you are preparing, you might want to take medical supplies into consideration, whether it be what would be needed if the emergency involved injuries, or whether it is regular medication that might not be immediately available when a crisis occurs. For example, if you have a regular prescription, you may want to refill it as soon as allowed so that you have as much on hand as possible. If you are allowed to fill it a week before it is due to run out, it would be wise to do so. To find out what is allowed you could talk to your pharmacist. It can't hurt to ask your doctor if you can keep a supply on hand...

Friday, January 7, 2011

About those gardening classes...

Well, I have a flyer about the gardening classes that I mentioned in my last post. Thing is, when I went to the website that I linked to, the class list was different, so I called the number on the flyer and asked about that. I was informed that the class for this year is going up this afternoon, so make sure if you are interested and look at the schedule that the year's date is 2011. Yeah, didn't notice that the first time around, and when I just now checked it again, the 2010 dates are still up, so it will not be until later this afternoon, apparently.

Whew. Ok, I'm done now.... :)

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Thinking about gardening yet?

Yeah, it doesn't exactly feel like the season for gardening (although it has gotten warmer since I last wrote). Looks like they are thinking ahead already in Idaho Falls, though.

If you are interested in classes about gardening, starting on January 8-- according to the information that I've seen--there will be some held at the Idaho Falls Recreation Annex in the South Room. According to said information, the address is 1575 N. Skyline, out near the airport. For more information, you can go here to the Idaho Falls Community Garden Association website. Among the many classes listed are "Container Gardening: Growing in Small Spaces", and "Growing and Using Herbs". Classes are varied and offered on different days, so I strongly suggest heading over to the website--wouldn't want to mistype something. (Hope I haven't already.

Glad that people are willing to share their expertise--it's appreciated! And did I mention that the classes are free? (Actually, I didn't the first time I wrote this, but it was good enough to come back and edit the post for... :)

Monday, January 3, 2011

It's cold outside. (Understatement)

I don't know about where you live, but in our region lately, we've been in the midst of a very, very, very cold snap. We're talking O to the teens in terms of actual temperature, and then somewhere way down below zero when it comes to the windchill. This morning it was 20 below with the windchill factor, and it probably won't get all that much warmer today, but one can hope.... :)

What if you got stuck out in the cold? Are you prepared for an emergency of this nature? What's in your car? In this video, there is a report about some scouts who survived being stranded in the cold, and some tips from someone with experience about what you should have in your car. One of the interesting points he makes is that it doesn't have to be extreme temperatures to create an emergency in terms of the cold. It can be a problem at temperatures way above what we are currently experiencing. In fact, I think his words are, "You can freeze to death at any temperature."

Emergencies happen unexpectedly--but being ready all the time can make all the difference....