Funny - but when I told our youngest we were supposed to get more snow today, he was less than enthused :) Probably because he is already home and these snow really do nothing for him - wasted snow days....
Anyway - went and filled my car up, got coffee and am home all day today - have a cobbler in the oven, bout to make some of that hot chocolate mix and then kick back...
But in the making of the cobbler, realzied something - I NEED MORE SUGAR. Not that I am out or even close to be running out, but I dont keep enough on stock. Nope - not at all. I mean, I can go lay my hands on 50# and that doesnt count the stuff that I have packed or other varieties (only the white stuff) but we go through it fast.
I dont buy carbonated drinks. So, around here, you can drink water, juice or milk. Unless you make the Kool-aid. And the hubs likes Kool-aid so there is a lot that gets made around here. Those little packets really take a tole on my sugar stash.
All this to say - if you stock Kool-aid or any other little mix - make sure you have an extra stash of sugar to satisfy. Because I would not be a happy camper in the least if I went to make a cobbler and all the sugar was gone....humph.....
Pray - Praise - Prepare
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
What I learned from Blizzard 2009....
Here in OK we got a heck of a wallop. All the computer models showed we should get 14" of snow, but forecasters just couldnt believe it and so they prophesied that we would get 4"-7" which means people expected 2"-4". We got 14.1" And thats a lot. A lot for people thinking they could do what they needed to do on Christmas Eve and get home.
And you all know how busy Christmas Eve is anyway - so add to it all this snow and things were ugly and got ugly FAST.
My Hubs took my truck that day which was good but he also took my oldest child which made me a nervous wreck when the entire state of OK was put under a State of Emergency. There were highways where the only thing moving was the National Guard. I will tell you this, I didnt eat anything until my family walked through the door, which wasnt a good thing - snack in an emergency even though you wont feel like it. Also - I now know the best websites that update traffic situations and I am good on Google Earth (which has an unbelievable creepy factor since it shows real photos....)
My husband spent 4 hours a mile away from our house because of one old lady in a truck. He finally walked up to the front to see what was going on and the guy behind him went too and they got her out of the way - Hubs was home just 10 minutes later.
It was ugly and it was insightful.
Here is what we learned:
1 - Dress like you are going to have to walk home - not just in and out of a store. If you dont dress for it, at least throw your boots in the back of the truck. My hubs would have been fine on the walk, but my daughter wasnt - remember your kids.... They may roll their eyes, but make throw their winter gear in the truck.
2 - Just because you have a truck doesnt mean you know how to use it or are qualified to be driving. That iPhone or whatever isnt worth your life or someone elses'. Write an IOU and give at Christmas - I got one for a pair of boots :)
3 - Having a winch on your truck is fabulous! We pulled 3 out on Christmas Day on our way to my parents and 1 out today. The Hubs and I are fast at it now and get a car out of a ditch in about 5 minutes. And that counts turning around and asking if they need help. This is also a great feeling. It makes you smile - it makes them smile - and you use and become familiar with your gear.
4 - In a true apocalyptic situation it would be hard....emotionally.... John saw one family that ditched their car Christmas Eve and had to carry a grandmother/mother that couldnt walk. He couldnt help as he was stuck unable to move (see above) and they were just looking to walk to the nearest hotel - about a mile from where he was. Knowing you would pass those that you just couldnt help - knowing that things were going to be impossible for them would be very difficult, at least for me, and knowing my kids would probably witness it means I may spend some time in thought about how I would answer questions and give comfort. Questions like "Dad, can we help them?" will be hard to answer.
5 - Always - ALWAYS have a folding shovel in your car - PERIOD....
6 - People wait for someone else to rescue them - those people make it hard for those that can take care of themselves. This old lady had my husband sitting 4 hours - 4 HOURS. She just sat there - waiting - waiting for someone to step up and make it right for her. My hubs and a few other men did that - but they werent doing it for her. They did it for themselves - my Hubs did it for the child he had in the car. If you think you will be able to bug out and leave everything behind, that isnt likely. You will have those waiting for help that you need to do something about in order to be on your way. This could be a dicey situation. No one could drive on and just leave this lady behind. She was sitting in the only passable lane....
7 - Always have a map - dont rely on your cell phone or your memory - those tiny streets that go through you just dont think about would be easy to spot on a map.
8 - Always - ALWAYS - go to the bathroom before you leave any place.....enough said about that.....
All the above is in addition to having your truck or car stocked with food - water - matches - medical kit - blankets and a full tank of gas, yada yada yada..... You know the list ;)
I hope this snow found you home, warm and safe. If you were out in this, you know what I am talking about. This was a good trial run and I am proud of how my husband handled himself and how my daughter helped him. She didnt freak and did what was asked when asked. (She had to stick her head out of the window at one point to navigate for Hubs because of the white out situation.)
As always -
Pray - Praise - Prepare and go check those winter car preps now.....I hear we may get more snow this Wednesday....Have mercy.... :)
And you all know how busy Christmas Eve is anyway - so add to it all this snow and things were ugly and got ugly FAST.
My Hubs took my truck that day which was good but he also took my oldest child which made me a nervous wreck when the entire state of OK was put under a State of Emergency. There were highways where the only thing moving was the National Guard. I will tell you this, I didnt eat anything until my family walked through the door, which wasnt a good thing - snack in an emergency even though you wont feel like it. Also - I now know the best websites that update traffic situations and I am good on Google Earth (which has an unbelievable creepy factor since it shows real photos....)
My husband spent 4 hours a mile away from our house because of one old lady in a truck. He finally walked up to the front to see what was going on and the guy behind him went too and they got her out of the way - Hubs was home just 10 minutes later.
It was ugly and it was insightful.
Here is what we learned:
1 - Dress like you are going to have to walk home - not just in and out of a store. If you dont dress for it, at least throw your boots in the back of the truck. My hubs would have been fine on the walk, but my daughter wasnt - remember your kids.... They may roll their eyes, but make throw their winter gear in the truck.
2 - Just because you have a truck doesnt mean you know how to use it or are qualified to be driving. That iPhone or whatever isnt worth your life or someone elses'. Write an IOU and give at Christmas - I got one for a pair of boots :)
3 - Having a winch on your truck is fabulous! We pulled 3 out on Christmas Day on our way to my parents and 1 out today. The Hubs and I are fast at it now and get a car out of a ditch in about 5 minutes. And that counts turning around and asking if they need help. This is also a great feeling. It makes you smile - it makes them smile - and you use and become familiar with your gear.
4 - In a true apocalyptic situation it would be hard....emotionally.... John saw one family that ditched their car Christmas Eve and had to carry a grandmother/mother that couldnt walk. He couldnt help as he was stuck unable to move (see above) and they were just looking to walk to the nearest hotel - about a mile from where he was. Knowing you would pass those that you just couldnt help - knowing that things were going to be impossible for them would be very difficult, at least for me, and knowing my kids would probably witness it means I may spend some time in thought about how I would answer questions and give comfort. Questions like "Dad, can we help them?" will be hard to answer.
5 - Always - ALWAYS have a folding shovel in your car - PERIOD....
6 - People wait for someone else to rescue them - those people make it hard for those that can take care of themselves. This old lady had my husband sitting 4 hours - 4 HOURS. She just sat there - waiting - waiting for someone to step up and make it right for her. My hubs and a few other men did that - but they werent doing it for her. They did it for themselves - my Hubs did it for the child he had in the car. If you think you will be able to bug out and leave everything behind, that isnt likely. You will have those waiting for help that you need to do something about in order to be on your way. This could be a dicey situation. No one could drive on and just leave this lady behind. She was sitting in the only passable lane....
7 - Always have a map - dont rely on your cell phone or your memory - those tiny streets that go through you just dont think about would be easy to spot on a map.
8 - Always - ALWAYS - go to the bathroom before you leave any place.....enough said about that.....
All the above is in addition to having your truck or car stocked with food - water - matches - medical kit - blankets and a full tank of gas, yada yada yada..... You know the list ;)
I hope this snow found you home, warm and safe. If you were out in this, you know what I am talking about. This was a good trial run and I am proud of how my husband handled himself and how my daughter helped him. She didnt freak and did what was asked when asked. (She had to stick her head out of the window at one point to navigate for Hubs because of the white out situation.)
As always -
Pray - Praise - Prepare and go check those winter car preps now.....I hear we may get more snow this Wednesday....Have mercy.... :)
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Reason #4867 of Why I love my Pantry
One of the reasons I have listed for deepening my pantry is for charity. Its listed in just about everyone's reasons (to take care of those you love) but it is a practical reason when the world hasnt gone to hell in a hand basket. Someone's personal life may have....
People fall on difficult times and different times. It may be a baby is born and things are tight. It may be a husband is out of work. It may be that they are home bound. It may be due to a death in the family or even divorce.
I have gone to my pantry recently for a couple of these reasons for someone else. It is an amazing feeling to take a box - pick out a weeks worth of food - attach recipe cards - throw in some fun/comfort foods and drop it off on a front porch.
I love the sneaking away feeling knowing that there will be a blessing when they open their front door.
With the recipe cards and fun stuff, it feels more like a gift than charity - but what is charity? Charity is love, so yes, I guess its love that you dropped off on their porch.
I dont want a "thank you" and I dont really care if they know it was me. I cant fix what is wrong with their lives, but I can make it better for a brief moment - give them one less thing to worry about. It also gives my kids something to think about. Something for them to recall as they are older as "thats just how my family did things."
Merry Christmas Bloggerville. God bless you during this season and in the seasons to come.
Praises for the birth of The Baby.
Praises for the life of The Man.
Praises for the victory of The Savior.
(Happy Holidays for those of you that do not share my beliefs....Blessings to you in this Season and upcoming year)
People fall on difficult times and different times. It may be a baby is born and things are tight. It may be a husband is out of work. It may be that they are home bound. It may be due to a death in the family or even divorce.
I have gone to my pantry recently for a couple of these reasons for someone else. It is an amazing feeling to take a box - pick out a weeks worth of food - attach recipe cards - throw in some fun/comfort foods and drop it off on a front porch.
I love the sneaking away feeling knowing that there will be a blessing when they open their front door.
With the recipe cards and fun stuff, it feels more like a gift than charity - but what is charity? Charity is love, so yes, I guess its love that you dropped off on their porch.
I dont want a "thank you" and I dont really care if they know it was me. I cant fix what is wrong with their lives, but I can make it better for a brief moment - give them one less thing to worry about. It also gives my kids something to think about. Something for them to recall as they are older as "thats just how my family did things."
Merry Christmas Bloggerville. God bless you during this season and in the seasons to come.
Praises for the birth of The Baby.
Praises for the life of The Man.
Praises for the victory of The Savior.
(Happy Holidays for those of you that do not share my beliefs....Blessings to you in this Season and upcoming year)
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sniped and expanded....
I sniped this link off of Survival Blog - 2010 Food Crisis I find it very interesting as I am living in an Ag state and shortly intend to become "Ag" myself (Ag = agriculture).
The author is accurate in regards to the damage done to those that grow our food this past year. Its not just our food, but as carnivores, a lot of what is grown is fed to things we eventually eat.
This past summer/fall I passed mile after mile of feed corn that couldnt be harvested. Ground too soft.... I watched it bake in the sun - turn brown and eventually some of it fell and some looked like a skeleton of its former self. It finally was "harvested" and I use that term loosely - I am not sure any of it was any good as it was many months past harvest time. I would be afraid of mold.... And dont get me started on hay.... Wet hay kills, rots, nasty stuff.... It also bursts into flames... Oh, the irony...
He is also accurate in the estimates given by the USDA and you yourself probably noticed that your food prices havent gone up - certainly not 30% reduction of food production worth.
With so much of our food production depended on by people not just in this country, but by other Countries (author quotes 40% of our soybean and corn is destined for outside our borders) there is at least a HUGE price increase coming.
Hungry people are unstable people. Hungry people are dangerous people. There is nothing a mother wont do to feed her child....
Hungry people also follow those that promise them a meal. "Chicken in every pot" elected a U.S. President.
Even our previous Progressive (Socialist) president FDR realized this fact:
I see a twisted logic in seeing him get everything passed his Socialistic heart desires - but in doing so alienating the masses. But the masses are going to get hungry..... The masses are going to be without a job.... Does he then think that he can exchange their votes for food? Does he believe that his popularity will rise when he feeds the hungry? Would the hungry remember it was this President that starved them from the beginning?
The author is accurate in regards to the damage done to those that grow our food this past year. Its not just our food, but as carnivores, a lot of what is grown is fed to things we eventually eat.
This past summer/fall I passed mile after mile of feed corn that couldnt be harvested. Ground too soft.... I watched it bake in the sun - turn brown and eventually some of it fell and some looked like a skeleton of its former self. It finally was "harvested" and I use that term loosely - I am not sure any of it was any good as it was many months past harvest time. I would be afraid of mold.... And dont get me started on hay.... Wet hay kills, rots, nasty stuff.... It also bursts into flames... Oh, the irony...
He is also accurate in the estimates given by the USDA and you yourself probably noticed that your food prices havent gone up - certainly not 30% reduction of food production worth.
With so much of our food production depended on by people not just in this country, but by other Countries (author quotes 40% of our soybean and corn is destined for outside our borders) there is at least a HUGE price increase coming.
Hungry people are unstable people. Hungry people are dangerous people. There is nothing a mother wont do to feed her child....
Hungry people also follow those that promise them a meal. "Chicken in every pot" elected a U.S. President.
Even our previous Progressive (Socialist) president FDR realized this fact:
"People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made."
And so I ask.....To what end?
The Government has raised the debt ceiling.
Government now owns 2 out of 3 American car companies.
Government has a tight hold of the financial sector.
Government is on the verge of controlling the Health Care Sector (1/6 of the U.S. Economy)
Government wants Cap and Trade.
And I ask - to what end?
With President BO's approval rating at an all time low (-21) according to Rasmussen, he cant think that his actions are winning him votes. A man of his ego would not be happy being a one term President. So, to what end? Why throw his Name, his Presidency behind policy that will not get him elected?
I see a twisted logic in seeing him get everything passed his Socialistic heart desires - but in doing so alienating the masses. But the masses are going to get hungry..... The masses are going to be without a job.... Does he then think that he can exchange their votes for food? Does he believe that his popularity will rise when he feeds the hungry? Would the hungry remember it was this President that starved them from the beginning?
I have absolutely no answers - It would be a fools errand to try and predict what this President has planned - a man of such ego, evil and ambition - nothing is out of the realm of possibility. I do know this....
You need to Pray. Pray that those around you see the prudence of storing in for a long winter - both physically and politically. Pray that good men rise to serve. Pray grace and generosity on those that are in a position to help the most people.
You need to Praise. Praise that despite in this winter we find ourselves, there isnt a Country in this World that is more blessed. Blessed by people of integrity. Blessed by people with an honest work ethic. Blessed by people who have given more to those without than any Government or peoples before.
And You need to Prepare. Prepare your pantry to meet your physical needs. Prepare your larder to provide for those around you and those you love. Prepare your heart to know truth, to recognize truth and to hold to truth.
"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it. "
"Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise. "
The above quotes brought to you by Adolf Hitler - the master of using hunger to gain control and a lie to maintain it.... And look what it cost us.....
Pray we dont dare tread near that kind of evil again.....
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