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...

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.....

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...

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.... :)

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... :)

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....