So is all this intentional?

Looks like the world is going through uncertainties still. What with the lies about our economy and how well were doing?! Heck just tell that to the guy who has been out of work for over a year, or the family that cant make the mortgage because they are under employed. Tell that to the food shelves that are seeing record number of people getting groceries, the economy dosn't appear to be getting better by an understandable measurement. It rather appears this whole situation is by design. Why would in the worst of our economy our government bail out the banks? Why do we JUST HAVE TO PASS HEALTH CARE reform now. Our government is broke. It has to run the presses to devalue the dollar. We owe our collective souls to the federal reserve central bank.

The middle east is still a hot box and getting hotter everyday. Especially with Iran successfully testing and firing missiles that can carry payloads. Why have we not targeted them? Were already over there wasting lives and money? Heck whats another couple billion?! Or why have we not allowed Isreal to do the same. Its as if we want Iran to launch. With a missile that can travel 1200 miles carrying a nuclear pay load it would be easy to launch one over the US from a disguised fishing boat or fleet. 1200 miles would put it over the central U.S., burst way up it would cause an EMP effect.

There are a lot of misconceptions about EMP and what will be effected and what won't. I certainly don't know the answers to that. But the answers are out there.

Regardless of whether we are in a financial crisis or war or pandemic. Now is the time to get your homes in order if possible. The Prophets have told us repeatedly to prepare, to get our food storage together, to put together as much savings as we can. This next months Ensign (January) has a section on provident living and being self reliant.

These things I write of are not meant to scare as much as they are meant to motivate. I pray with all my heart that my friends and family will see wisdom in following the council of the Lord and "prepare every needful thing". I pray that my family and friends will stay close to the Lord.   

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Winter weather is coming so is Christmas

Tomorrow me and my side kick are going to start and Finish our Christmas Shopping. Every year we try to keep the price reasonable but even more important we try to follow a theme. The Theme never changes. Its always preparedness. so this year we will buy Silver Eagles for all we need to buy for, this will do 2 things. Hopefully it will get them thinking about increasing there reserve stock of money. The other thing it will do is allow us to stay within budget and have ALL our shopping done in an hour. Then we can set back and better enjoy the season.

Check your food storage and rotate it

As fall approached we decided to start making our bread again. We usually don't bake to much over the summer as it causes to much heat in our little apartment. Almost exclusively we make our bread from whole wheat flour, sometimes store bought, but usually our own grind.  Cheryl has decided to do some other baking today and opened up the last two Mylar bags of WHITE flour we had stored. This was from 2004. We don't use a lot of white flour so its not unusual that the date is so far out there. Now i know white flour doesn't last long. Even with good oxygen absorbers. I wont say these oxygen absorbers were bad because we were  stretching the limits of the white flours shelf life anyway. One bag smelled old so we tossed it. The other bag seemed OK. Maybe boarder line. We will try using it and see what happens. Even if it is a little rancid i don't expect it would make us sick but it would have an off flavor. That will be enough for Cheryl. She is very picky about food storage items smells and taste. So this was another good reminder for me to not stock more of an item than needed and make sure you rotate through your storage in a TIMELY manner. If things are getting close to expiration try either using them up as quick as you can or give the stuff away to some one or someplace where it will be used quickly. Now in our case I have given items to our children but they are no longer readily assessable, so I have made donations to the food shelves in my area.

Anyway like i said this was a good reminder to me.       

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Recovering from surgery

Being laid up is no fun. I just had surgery on my right foot last Friday. So a week ago today I was released from the hospital. After a week the pain is finally starting to subside. Ibuprofen still isn't cutting it yet but I hope by tomorrow it will be. I'm getting better on the crutches. But I still hate them. Crutches are not made for big men. So do you know how you will handle severe pain? With narcotics I do pretty well, but to be honest I've never had to deal with severe pain so up until now aspirin, ibuprofen, and BC Powder have always been my turn to pain killers of choice. Tylenol has just never worked well for me.

Mostly this post is a test to see how well I did reformatting my laptop and reinstalling a few essentials. Looks like i have scribeFire installed OK

OK More later as I recover and my mind clears.

The Dollar

I don't often make copies of articles written by others, but I will link to them. Today is an exception. I have the deepest respect for Dr Ron Paul as the patriot that he is. So I am linking and copying this article below.

Now you may ask what does this have to do with preparations? I say if we do not see whats coming we can not prepare fully. It can be hard enough to prepare for life's every day problems but when things start sliding down hill in a big way it would be nice if my friends and family had a heads up and were able to get their houses in order.

If the dollar does collapse and that is a very small if, what you have on hand may be what you depend on for your families piece of mind. If barrels of fiat money are worthless then where will the real value be? You decide. It is to critical a question for someone else to decide for you. But I do have opinions. Food storage will be critical. So will skills that can be bartered for things you don't have. Tools and the knowledge to use them will be important. The time to learn how will not be when it is desperately needed. Also products for everyday comfort will be wanted but may be hard to get. So the best time to get may be now when the dollar is still of value.

My next opinion is that hard money like gold and silver will also be an asset. Small denomination coins are best. It may be very hard to make change from a one oz gold piece but if you bought an item with 2 oz of silver you may be OK.

Above I mentioned bartering; That may be the way some folks survive. DON'T barter away things your family uses regularly unless you can produce more. DON'T barter away things that could come back to hurt you. I mean thing like ammunition. If you have a small supply of .22 ammo for small game hunting or pest control don't trade any of it. Ammo traded into the wrong hands could be used against you.

Now as always my disclaimer. I am not an expert, I don't claim to be. But I do encourage you to PRUDENTLY set a course that will over time help you and your families to become more prepared. Do it prayerfully. Do your own research.

Now for the article below.
Peace


Ron Paul: US Dollar Collapse When China Stops Buying Debt

by Jesse Wojdylo

Subprime Blogger

Tue, Oct 20th, 2009 12:00:00 am

Source: Subprime Blogger

In February of 2009 Ron Paul warned of a US Dollar collapse when China stops buying out debt in this video. There are many good points that Mr. Paul points out in the video but none were more prophetic then calling for the dollar bubble to burst. When the video was recorded the US Dollar index was around 86. Today the US Dollar Index is currently at 75.5.

Another ironic fact about this video is that shortly after this video was recorded President Obama went on 60 Minutes and made the statement that “the dollar is still strong.” Unfortunately the dollar was not strong and we have seen that as a 10% drop has happened since the president’s statement. For those of you wondering why the value of the dollar continues to decline it is truly supply and demand.

The Federal Reserve Bank continues to print money at will. The billions of dollars that have been created out of thin air because of the stimulus package are only decreasing the value of the dollar. Not only is the value of the dollar decreasing, the Federal Reserve Bank is causing people to do things that they normally would not do. With extremely low interest rates people are going to buy homes. There is no problem with people buying homes except that many of these home buyers cannot truly afford homes. For reference to this take a look at the subprime mortgage crisis.

Ron Paul has hope that things will get better though as many Americans are educating themselves to the situation at hand. The book End the Fed by Ron Paul remains on the Amazon.com Top 100 list when is encouraging. If we continue to do the research and better understand what is going on then we are more apt to make the changes necessary to avoid possible disaster.

As we get deeper and deeper into fall.

As we get deeper into fall and move toward winter I would like to remind you all to start changing out your mobile preps. Start moving winter gear into your 72 kits or BOBS. Check medications and food for expiration dates and check children clothing for size changes.

Also now is a good time to restock your automobiles winter kit. Same things apply as mentioned above. Throw a shovel in the trunk, possibly a tow strap, and certainly jumper cables, and blanket, and some warm items for you or passengers. Also it would be good to have a source of heat just in case. There are lots of ideas on the net. But what I carry is a couple of tuna cans with rolled up corrugated cardboard cut to the depth of the can and then filled with melted wax. This could be used by itself or under a #10 can with lots of holes in it for a cook surface. All my stuff is stored in a tote similar to a rubber maid box. It includes extra gloves, blanket, sweatshirts, candles, Bic lighters and wooden matches, TP , nd in our case a large transfer belt that I made to help my wife walk easier in the deep snow if needed. Its your kit put what you need in it.

2012

As we approach the 2012 date that the Mayans predicted would be the end of the world I am afraid there are a lot of people that will jump on that band wagon and stock up on supplies in their mind are needful. Now I as one who is preparedness minded see this in a bad light.
#1.) These people will just buy anything, and buy Willie Nillie.
#2.) This could cause wide spread shortages of food stuff that others may need.
#3.) Shortages could extend to other areas including equipment. Raising the cost of items. Supply and demand will take over.
#4.) Folks less prudent will spend money they don't have, buying items they may not need.

Now myself and lots of people I know believe the preparedness lifestyle is a prudent lifestyle. But every expenditure is bought when its affordable, and bought with clarity of thought and reason. It makes no sense to stock up on gold or silver when you have no beans.

Firearms are cool. I really enjoy shooting all kinds of guns. I would own many hundreds if circumstances allowed. But the cool factor aside, they are a tools. In my mind an important tool but no less so than a good pair of boots or your heavy winter parka, or a good hammer or saw.

My point in this post in the next few years leading up to 2012 there may be a lot of panic buying. Please don't get caught up in the hype and hoopla. But also keep in mind if you have needs there may be reason to get your items sooner rather than later.

Some ancient Mayan may have run out of space on his rock so ended his calendar at 12/21/12. Who knows? All I know is the Lord said no one knows the hour. Not even the angels, but My Father in heaven knoweth. Thats good enough for me.

God bless
Mark

Interest in bloging on preparedness.

I read alot. A lot has to do with preps. What I read I generally try out. Some of it I put in my blogs. Some of my blogs are questions meant to get others thinking. Times are getting tough for a lot of folks. I was hoping a blog that focused on preparedness and allowed others to comment and participate would keep my friends motivated. I was also looking forward to meeting others not of my faith but truly concerned about the last days and our need to prepare.
I am back on the band wagon
God Bless
Mark

Dollar in decline, Unemployment , Swine Flu, North Korea

Whats a person to do. Hunker down? In a sense I suppose that is the right thing to do. But I say that metaphorically. At least for the present. With the dollar in decline. Ive heard it said that now is the time to by the goods you may need. They will cost you less this year than next. Of course it does no good to spend money you don't have or to be irresponsible with your money but if there is a genuine need for something that you have been putting off and you can afford it, now may be the right time to buy. Remember the old adage buy once cry once? It refers to buying the best you can which usually cost more hence the cry once. Sacrificing quality in favor of a better price is just buying trouble down the line and often leads to a repurchase of the item and usually of the better more costly item. Learn to care for your property. Whether it is real estate or a fishing reel. Regular maintenance will help it stay operational and hold its worth.

In this era of unemployment I hear so many people still she-dogging about there jobs. I hope they don't do that at work. With so many out of work there are quit a few of us that would be glad to step in and do the work with out compliant. I suppose it is human nature to complain but be careful to whom you complain.

The world just seems to be going crazy right now. North Korea is being an agitator. Setting off more missiles and more missiles will continue to be launched as well as a promised up coming nuclear test.

Swine flu is making its way around the world. The WHO is very concerned. If it is this viral now in the normal off season what will it be like this fall and winter. Its predicted to be much stronger more easily spread and more deadly. http://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2009/influenza_h1n1_lessons_20090702/en/index.html. Check out the link.

Is Iran looking for a show down? Are we (USA) going to overstep our bounds and interfere in there internal affairs.

The media is sure playing it up. It seems to be wanting our citizens to be outraged at the Iranian government. To what end? Is this another bait and switch. Watch Iran and not our own government.

Lots of questions.

I cant believe its been almost a whole month since my last post. My son is home on leave and has occupied a lot of our time. He reports back tomorrow. -(

The world is in an uproar at the moment. North Korea launching missiles and testing nukes. Now they have pulled out of the 1953 cease fire agreement.

While the world watches NK lets not forget to keep an eye on other serious issues. Iran is still a player. Avian flu is still rotating out there and Swine flu is becoming more of an issue everyday. (this fall could be bad) Its following the path of the 1918 spanish flu pretty well. Heck lets not forget the economy is still in the toilet. Don't anybody flush. The POTUS still thinks he can fish this out.

With the above mentioned missile tests and nuclear tests the western world is in a tissy about EMP attacks. Probably for good reason. The powers that be have largely ignored EMP threats and haven't treated them with the same concern as other threats like pandemics or biological attacks or terrorist attacks of a more conventional nature.

Once the power goes out it may be out for awhile. Can you take care of your family for even a short while while solutions are being worked out? Can you you? Have you topped off any of your stores? How is your gas storage? (your car may or may not work) propane? Medicines? Do you have a way to treat water? How is your food storage? Any spare cash on hand? The ATMs wont work.

If the power goes out what about the food in your freezers? Can you can the meats or dry the meats fast enough to avoid spoilage? Do you know how? The time to learn is not in a crisis.

There are a lot of websites out there that deal with how to do almost anything and everything. If the power goes out they will be mostly unavailable. Do you have any of the needed info in hard copy form? Do you have any books on the subjects you need or printed out any pages from reliable websites?

Is your garden in and have you planted things that your family will eat? Zucchini isn't any good if your family wont eat it unless you can barter it for another vegetable.

Lots of what ifs in this post. What if the power goes out for an extended length of time and lawlessness and riots break out in urban areas? Will that travel to suburbia? How do you deal with it? Police cant protect you now, that is not even their job anyway. With communications down and no way for them to get around will they be a factor in your safety? HHhmmmm Lots of questions. Some are moral questions and only you can answer.

Pigs Again

Seems the news is being blasted with this swine flu. And for a very good reason. But I feel there is much the media doesn't understand and certainly the lay person as well. The following link I will provide gives pretty well written and easy understood terms what a flu is where it starts and how it effects humans. This thing has the potential to go catastrophic. Please learn what you can as fast as you can.


All flu starts in birds. Stay safe. God Bless

see the link. http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=100175

H1N1 Swine Flu

Looks like it is spreading and at last report from the CDC it has about a 10% mortality rate. That is including all known cases in the world and all known deaths. So far the US has been spared deaths. The CDC is very concerned over this. There are 4 possible vectors for this flu. Swine, Human, Birds, Cats. All can pass this to humans and once in human it can easily go human to human. If you have taken any precautions in the past for H5n1 Avian or Bird Flu the same precautions will work now. Wash you hands a lot. Use sanitizer when not practical. Isolate yourself when it hits your area. Stay home if you are sick.

If you were planning to wear masks at all N100 are still the best. N95 are good as well but not as good as N100. If they have the valve in the front they will last longer as your hot humid breath will escape with out saturating the mask.

Of course if you plan on spending time in isolation you need to make sure your home stocks are up to snuff. Flu and cold remedies should be purchased ahead of time. They will last on the shelf if not used right away. Keep you larder up so you don't have to make any trips out or have someone drop items off for you.

These are just a few suggestions. I recommend checking out The CDC website as well as the MN department of health.

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.health.state.mn.us/

Until next time
God Bless

Getting or staying employed

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/04/22/global_economy_may_shrink_for_1st_time_in_60_years/

The above link is to a an article detailing the future of our economy over the next couple years. Not only ours but the economy of the world.

Unemployment is going to get worse. That just gives me warm fuzzies all over. Being unemployed I can speak first hand of the hardships this causes. It takes a a toll one ones outlook. Long term its mentally debilitating. There have been times that depression runs rampant. I don't know the best ways to combat this. Medications?  Someone out there must have ideas to combat this malidy. 

Enough of my problems. If unemployment is going to be so bad then who's job is safe? What are good industries to get into? For you younger folks still in school my suggestion is to stay there as long as you can. Get the best education you can. A high school education doesn't mean anything anymore. Associate degrees dont mean squat anymore. Today you better have a 4 year degree or better to succeed.

Education!!! Thats the ticket today. It probably has been for a long time I was just to dense to see it. If college is out for you then try a trade school. Look to see where there is long term growth and pick that field. Find something that you will like. It is always better to work at a job you like. Then stay current with that job by attending what ever classes and seminars you can.

Till next time.

More and different reasons to prepare.

Well again its been awhile since my last post. There are multiple things going on in the world to be concerned over. Israel may still attack Iran's nuclear facilities. Of course that would have bad consequences, and our government has stated so. Country's in the area like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and a few others are getting ready for Iran's retaliation against Israel if they attack Iran

North Korea has reactivated its nuclear program.

H5N1 is still out there still growing, still mutating. And there is much doubt about any effective vaccines.

The world economy is still in the toilet. And I think one of the next shoes to drop will be the commercial real estate market. It was announce last night that our local Mall of America will be getting 15 new shops opening this year. But if you listen to the names of most of these shops they were small specialty shops, specialty eateries. I don't think they will last long. Many of the malls are trying to refinance right now. Hopefully they wont have any trouble.

So what does this have to do with preparedness? Everything. There just isn't space enough to list all the things that are in turmoil in the world and I am not a very good typist as most of you can tell. I would be at this for a very long time.

"If ye are prepared ye shall not fear" I really do believe that. I think it prudent to watch the signs of the times. We are even instructed to do so in scripture. If the worst happened could you care for your family for a week? Month? Even longer? With NK recently launching a missle and setting up another missile launch soon how long before they have the success they are looking for? How long before they tip one with a nuclear device and send it into orbit over the USA? How long before NK or Iran sets of an EMP device that could change the way we live for a very long time? It has been discussed at length that it would be easy for a small ship ( think fishing ship or fleet) sitting off the coast in international waters to very quickly deploy a nuclear tipped missile high enough over the center of the US to detonate an nuclear missile. This at an altitude of 150 to 250 miles would make for some pretty intense living conditions here.

Im not prepared long term to live life as they did 100 years ago. Lots of what we take for granted in an EMP situation may not work. Power may be out, localy or regionally. Cars may or may not be operational. Broadcast stations may or may not be spared. Are your electronics protected? Do you have a Feraday cage (large or small) to put your laptop or cell phones and radio's into or any other device that may depend on electricity. Such a cage isnt hard to build.

(Faraday cage, make sure its grounded and the contents are not touching the sides or bottom.)

Just more of what im thinking about this morning.

What is brewing

I have been reading some pretty disturbing things recently. The links of which I have included here. Things  are not looking good for the home team. If the economy gets worse, and there is civil unrest what do you plan on doing? Other than stocking and preparing as best you can I have no suggestions for anyone.

I do believe if it comes to our military being used against our own citizens and martial law being declared things will be much worse in urban and metro areas. But I don't think that suburbia will be immune. If there is out right martial law declared that will put a pallor of fear in right thinking citizens everywhere.

Leaving politics aside as that is not the purpose of my blog, I think it behooves everyone no matter your politics to prepare for your families needs. Food, water should be the easiest to start with. Energy needs will be tougher for most of us. Money? Whats that? I mentioned to a good friend the other day if the economy nose dives money may not be much good. either there wont be much around or there will be way to much and it will be worthless. In either case having commodities will be beneficial. and if your in a position to have extra for trade or barter so much the better. Just remember to take care of your family first.

Now for those links.
http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2008/10/2/amy_goodmans_latest_column_invasion_of_the_sea_smurfs  
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/

http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20081005214457557

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123914805204099085.html

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Spiritual Preparations

Today is for us LDS a good day. Today we get to sit and listen either by radio, internet, television, satellite or cable to the Prophets and Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am confident that there will be talks and messages given today and tomorrow that will be inspired and just what we need to hear.

BUT it may not be what we want to hear. Not unless we are ourselves in tune with the Spirit. How many times have I sat through a talk and thought to myself, that talk was meant just for me. Sometimes something in the address strikes a chord within us.

Unfortunately there have been off key chords struck in me as well. Not that the speaker was of key. But I was. Sometimes when we are not in tune, there flows in us seeds of discord.

This can get in the way of all our everyday life events. God, Our Heavenly Father, wants us to be happy. He wants us to live according to true gospel principles. By doing so we don't have to become slaves to the selfish desires of men or devils.

In all your preparations I urge you to get closer to the Lord. Closer by prayer, fasting, scripture study. Follow the Savior. He will guide us home. Ultimately that is where we all want to go.


He invites us all.

Gerald Celente helps keeps me motivated

Does anyone out there listen or read Gerald Celente? Within the last few months I have found different posts, articles and videos by him and find his information pretty concerning. I mean, for Joe average, it looks like life not only in this country but world wide is going to get pretty difficult.

What I do like about his information is, it helps to keep me motivated. I keep trying to find ways to further my preps. One such way is over the past few months when we have needed to purchase items, usually clothes, we shop second hand stores. I have routinely found items that I can wear that still had the original store tags on them for pennies on the dollar. That has been a real plus for us as my size and weight have both been reducing and I’ve needed to purchase new clothes.

Anytime I can save money, to either save, or use elsewhere (such as bills) that’s great. Another place I found to be of worth is Aldi’s food store. They’re not fancy, but the saving are good. Do a Google search to find the one closest to you. Also for some of your larger purchases of rice or noodles try the Asian markets. Here in the Twin Cities, University Ave and that area in St Paul has lots of them. My favorite is one off of University and Dale. They have a good selection of lots of items and the store is pretty clean.

Apartment Food Storage Space

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post. My idea today is to start thinking outside the box for storage area ideas. I live in a small apartment. Having space available for food storage has always been a problem, especially when we had a kid still living with us. Now this has not always been the case. When we owned our own homes and had basements available, we made our pantries in the basements.

Here in our apartment we have to utilize space better. We also decided to give up the idea that our home will never be a model or on the cover of better homes and garden. We have had 2 liter containers of water stored behind chairs in our living room. Now we only have a few 5 gallon Jerry cans of water behind these same chairs. The upper shelves in our closets are for storage of larger #10 cans. One deep broom closet has 6 gallon buckets of wheat and rice stacked floor to ceiling along the back wall. Another closet has light weight metal shelves installed that are used to stack boxes of dry goods. The spare bedroom that used to be my sons room is now my wife’s “sewing room/food storage room.” I was lucky to be able to get for free some very heavy duty metal shelving and installed four of them in this room. They are used for canned goods and a few items we use a lot of.

In the master bedroom we have rubber maid style totes along another wall stacked two and three high. Some of these contain first aid gear. Some items I hope we will never use but we were able to procure during better times. One of these totes contains cold and flu medications. Others contain pasta’s and macaronis.

We have 72 hour kits in back packs stored on the floor of a closet easily retrieved. That reminds me its time again to start switching out some of the winter items in these packs for spring and summer gear. Under our bed has items stored. We have a couple extra dressers or bureau’s that are dedicated to storing candles, wicks, emergency radios, lights, first aid items.

Most stuff is out of the way of the casual observer unless we are careless and keep doors open. Operational security is important. I don’t want it known far and wide we have items that may be of value under less than favorable climates or a SHTF scenario. Our little place is crowded and its time to de-junk and make better use of what space is still available.

Those are my thoughts for today. In a small apartment it is still possible to find some space to store food. Our Prophets have been asking us to do this for over 60 years now.

Look around you, Who is preparing in any way?

Hopefully you have started putting back food and cloths. Maybe the odd coin or 2 in the piggy bank. Your 72 hour bags are prepared and loaded next to the closet door. You have a bug back bag in your trunk. This just in case the extreme happens and you need to make it home. Your set up. You have been working at this for sometime now. Your to the point where you know your preps will never be done. But if disaster hit right now you would have it covered. You know who's job it is to contact the kids. The school is on lock down but you have already told you teens sneak out and get to the south end under the bleachers and you would meet them there. You wont trust there lives to some government bureaucrat. So every one is monitoring their radios and you finally make it home. What ever this problem is, its keeping people in lock down confinement for a week. Your neighbors are going hungry. They have eaten the last of there pancakes with no syrup yesterday. The kids are hungry. They're bored. They cant go outside to play. Power is off so no video games or computers. Evening are worse, its dark and except for a few candles and maybe a lantern with a oil wick it remains dark. They'll be out of light in a few more days. Then what happens?

Mr Neighbor sees you have a stronger light in the evening and can even hear the muffled thrum of your generator in the garage keeping your battery banks charged and the freezer and TV working. Ms Neighbor comes over for some food to beg for her children. NOW its crunch time. You need to make a decision how to handle this. And of course a lot of factors come into play. Like what exactly is going on and how long will it last? Your reactions can depend somewhat on these answers.

We have decided to try and talk friends and neighbors into collecting their own food and extras. The less people come to my door the less I need to feed or turn away. Of course we wont turn away family and friends. I would never turn away a child. But there could be some people that would want to take what is your. Take it by any means necessary. Can you stop them? Do you have the means. I'm not talking about a gun or knife( knife = nasty business ) I mean do you have the mindset to survive, to defend your stuff, even to the point of extreme aggression. If needed could you kill to defend your child, your husband your wife. Having a firearm will make you dangerous to all concerned. Knowing how to us that arm will make you lethal to the right people. Get your permits to carry and practice. Practice dry firing 1000's of rounds in the house. Practice retention, practice clearing your home. ALL WITH AN EMPTY GUN. Then load it up at the range and shoot. If your allowed to draw and shoot, do it.

Cheryl and myself decided we have to feed even those of our family that is poo pooing the idea of getting prepared. That will be a big drain on our limited resources. But in our mind it is the right thing to do. But we will defend our property against thievery.

Just some more to ponder.

Bullets and beans

Using your food storage. Last week Cheryl was getting the taste for some Mexican food. I prepared a dish that mostly came from our food storage. Tortilla hot dish, (hot dish= casserole) its a MN thing. Any way it was real good. I also prepared some re fried beans out of the buckets of dried pinto beans we have on hand. Cheryl loves bean and cheese burrito's and having a container in the fridge lets us easily make a few for lunch when ever we want. Today after church it was rice and canned chow mien, easy and fast and all from food storage.

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Last night I heard on the news how a MPLS off duty cop working as security in at a gun show accidentally discharged his weapon and wounded another security guard who was a retired LEO. It seems to me anytime there is an anti gun legislature or anti gun bills waiting to be passed there is always some type of accident or worse a tragic event that happens. My problem is I do believe in conspiracies. So I look for them. The justice department is looking to ban imports of popular ammunition like 45acp, 9mm, 7.62x39, .308, 223, and a few others. If your a shooter or believe you have the right to self defense using a firearm and need ammunition for your weapons now would be a good time to stock up if you can. Actually it would have been better to start 6 months ago. Have you noticed the lack of ammunition on Wal-Marts shelves? I looked last week and they were out of almost all hand gun ammo except one box of 44 mag and a few boxes of 38 special. Even if all you have in the house is a 22 get your ammo for it now. Prices will continue to rise and somethings will just be hard to get later. Also if you can swing it, consider getting conversion kits for your pistols. It is something that will turn your 45 or 9mm into a 22. It makes for real cheap practice with the same gun you would use for defense.

Pressure canning on a camp stove.

Almost 20 years ago I found that I could use my camp stove to do some pressure canning. We had a glass top range in our home. That was fine for most things, but it wouldn't bring a pressure cooker up the pressure. What I did was bring in my Coleman propane camp stove. That camp stove would bring a pressure cooker up to full pressure as fast as any gas stove would. One of the benefits I noticed from using this camping stove was I could move the stove where I needed it. if it was a hot day. I could move it to the basement, or even outdoors. This kept most of the kitchen, even the rest of the house, relatively cool on a hot summer day. I have used both propane and gas in our camp stove to can many items. Be careful of using gas indoors. It would need to be well ventilated and indoor use is not recommended. But propane does not offer the same problems. For a gas stove such as dual fuel or white gas outdoor use is really the only consideration. Propane use in a confined area becomes a consideration if you're not able to supply enough oxygen to the room.

If you lose power, are you able to cook a meal? Keeping your camp stove accessible would allow you to a least heat up a meal for your family.

Canning in the heat of summer

Years ago we used to have a glass topped stove. For most things, it worked just fine. But I found that it was difficult to get a pressure cooker up to pressure to can vegetables or meat. One of the ways I dealt with this is I used our camping stoves. I could do this either indoors or outdoors. I had a kitchenette set up in our basement with a sink, counter tops, tables, cabinets and just didn't have a refrigerator or stove. So I brought my propane camp stove to the basement and used it to bring my pressure cooker up to pressure. It worked great and kept the heat out of the kitchen. Ive even done this outside in my back yard on the picnic table. Just find a spot where the wind wont be a problem with the flame.

There is currently more talk on the internet news sites about drought and food shortages around the world. Effected areas I have read a little about are China and parts of South America. Seems this would concern us in the USA as well. Not so much that we are having a drought but because of import and export. I hear rumblings that the cost of grains are going to go up again.

Also H5N1 is still rumbling around out there. China and Indonesia are still dealing with this in a big way. I hear the CDC says its only a few mutations from being easily transmitted human to human. Ive been hearing this for quite a spell now, but that doesn't make it any less so. It just give people more time to study and prepare.

If you don't have your supply of grains or items that depend on grain, now may be a good time to get started. Its never to late to get started until it really is to late. Think of the parable of the Ten Virgins. The five that kept their oil full were allowed in. The foolish five that wasted time were not allowed in. Yet at anytime before the Bride Groom came and the doors were locked they could have filled their lamps and gained entry as well. Also think of what the the five foolish virgins did. They asked the wise virgins to share with them and what was the wise virgins response? They didn't share did they? There are plenty of other parables and not all need come from the scripture to be correct. Think of the grasshopper and the ant.

There are many things transpiring around the world to upset our way of life. This post isn't meant as a news post. There may be some of those in the future. But it is a recommendation to fill your oil lamps. There are many places online that sell bulk grains. Just do a search. Also make sure you never leave the grocery store with out at least one item to add to your food storage. Make it a rule to live by.

Do you have a way to stay warm in prolonged cold? How about light or a way to cook simple meals? I think these are all worth discussing in my next post. For now I need to get Cheryl to Rehab.
Adios

Below is a copy of the email i sent to my friends... some here may find it useful.

Good morning brothers and sisters below is a post from a Website I frequent. If you buy or keep Gold Or Silver this is an add that ran in the Smithsonian Magazine.

They are currently out of the gold coins and all years of the silver except 2009 and they are limiting 2009 to one per household . But at $12.50 it’s a great deal. That covers shipping and insurance as well. The company is 1st American reserve. Spot right now is 12.53. to buy from a dealer there would be mark up beyond that. its only one coin but still it’s a silver coin

Hope this is info you can use

Bro Mark Murray
http://mark-thespot.blogspot.com/

Appearing in an advertisement in the January 09 issue of Smithsonian magazine is an offer for a 2009 $12.50 ASE- limit one per household. Offer made by 1st American Reserve. The offer includes a free five year newsletter subscription and a free Baush and Lomb numismatic loup.

Or you can get the same fee offers if you buy a 2009 $5 gold American Eagle for $80.00.

No shipping fees listed.

Vault Verification: ASMTHNC0109 Call 1-888-324-2646

Keeping fit should be part of preparedness

If the stresses of the day have you down, what are you doing about it? One of my suggestions is to work off your frustrations, depressions, anxieties, fears, what have you. Its easy to say that a body in motion tends to stay in motion. But that really is the truth. No matter where you are when it comes to physical fitness I can tell you that life feels better the more you move. For us couch potatoes I found the best and easiest method to get back into a habit is to schedule it. What ever works best for you. For my self I like early mornings. That is my time. No one interrupts it as I wont let them. I take an hour each morning and do what ever program I've set up for myself.

Your programs can be what ever you choose. I don't run yet but when my weight hits the 200 lb mark I will start. Thats a goal i set for myself. Im almost there. For now I ride a stationary bike. ( a Schwinn airdyne) I also do resistance and body weight exercises. I mix these up doing one type one day and another type the next.

Riding the bike to nowhere can get boring so learn to spice it up a bit. Some folks watch TV while riding. My self? I like putting on the ear buds and playing fast past music and just zoning out to a beat that is about 130 to 150 bpm. I down load a lot of it from http://www.djsteveboy.com/mixes.html. its free and easy.

I think that you will find that being fitter gives you a better out look on life. Not to mention more stamina. So what can you do for better fitness? Here is a short list to get some ideas flowing. Go for a walk, start slow after a few days pick up the pace. Walk around the block, walk in the park, walk at the mall, or on you treadmill. Run, ride a bike or stationary bike, lift weights, use rubber tubing for resistance if you don't like weights. Do body weight exercises, push ups, burpees, squats and lunges. Situps and crunches are great for the abs and the hip flexors. Use a fitness ball, do yoga or pilates, rent or buy some tae bo disks or tapes. SPEED vacuum, what ever winds your binder.

In any kind of emergency being fit wont hurt and most often will be a help. Wether you need to evacute a store because of a fire or shooting or just dealing with sick children. Life happens, its easier to deal with when your stronger mentally and physically.

Cold

Its been cold here lately. At 4:00pm it currently 3 degrees. What do you keep in your car for a cold weather travel kit? I have a Rubbermaid container in my trunk that has a spare coat, gloves and hat, a blanket, candles matches and butane lighters. as well as some small tuna can sized heaters. Also i keep a small first aid kit and a rechargeable battery and air compressor combo that can jump start my car or inflate a tire as well as a snow shovel. When my kids were home I would never let them travel in the car during winter with out hat gloves/mittens and coat. Even if they didn't wear them they at least would have them available if the car broke down and the cold became an issue. Years ago outside of Aspen Colorado i was first on the scene of an accident in the mountains. A Volks wagon beetle had run through the guard rail and was spinning on its top. One occupant was out side the car wandering around the other was inside semi contiouse. Being late fall i had to crawl into the car and wrap my blanket around the victim and actually get in with him to help keep him warm while my fellow traveler flagged down a semi and used a CB to call for help. This was the mid 70's so no cells phone then. Keeping this guy still and warm was a priority. Having some basic gear with even just a blanket proved to be very helpful.
I cant say how many times ive jumped stranded motorist, or shoveled out myself or another stuck vehicle.

Winter is about half over but February and early March can be our snowiest months. If you dont have an emergency kit in your vihicle please consider putting one together. Throw in a few protien bars or energy bars, even a small tin to melt snow in so you can drink.

In the summer time you could change out a few items for more appropriate items. Like water, crackers, cookies, things that dont melt, Keep the blanket it could come in handy for things like shock. Or just every day warmth MN summer can be cool especially in damp weather. dont forget a poncho or other rain gear.

Just a few ideas to keep your minds working on preps

God Bless

computer is back up

Having back ups is great. One of the benefits is I didn’t have to try and recreate email addresses. All my book marks were there. I even re-installed all my programs. It was still a bit time consuming, but not like the old days that seemed to take me a week or more to get everything back to where I was. Now i have a clean faster computer. Its not that cluttered yet. I would certainly recommend backing up your computer and reformatting the hard drive periodically.

When Things Break

I'm writing this on my laptop as my main computer is down. Which brings me to another point of preparations. Do you know how to use the tools and equipment you have put aside? It does no good to have a generator stashed if you've never started it. Or to have family frequency walkie talkies that are still in the bubble wrap. What about your computer? Do you have your files backed up? Your important stuff on your hard drive, is it stored anywhere else? CD ROM's,? Flash drives,? Other portable drives?

I haven't yet figured out what is going on with my main PC but I will. And I know that everything on it that was important will only be lost until I get it up and running again then all my back ups will come into play.

Learn how to use your stuff. Learn how to use your computers. If something breaks, burns up, or just wears out learn how to replace it. It is cheaper than bringing it into a shop for repair. And there is satisfaction in knowing or learning how to fix something, whether its your plumbing, or electrical outlet, or increasing RAM in your computer. There are plenty of aids out there. Manuals online, and at the library. Bet there are a lot of experts in many fields just within your circle of friends. Well that is enough for now. I need to get back to my main PC. I kept it running well for 8 years now. Lets see if I can get a few more out of it.

Gasoline Storage

Gasoline. Seems lately the price are rising again. I'm not sure where there going this time but do you have any extra stored. If you can store gasoline its a good idea to store as much as you can and still follow the local laws. Metal cans are best to store in and a preservative is needed if your planning to store your gas for more that a few months. The best thing to use is a product called PRI-G. Its an additive that allows you to store gasoline for longer than normal. i have stored gasoline for up to a year with success. ( meaning it made my vehicle run fine). The best things to store gas in is metal container. I am currently am using plastic containers. I have had good luck so far but feel I am pushing my luck with plastic.

My strategy has been to keep enough on hand for an extra full tank. Its gasoline i don't use unless the price drops. Then I recycle it by adding it to my car and refill the containers right away. this keeps the gas in storage fresher, And allows me the piece of mind to know i have enough on hand to at least fill my tank one more time.

The economy and medicine

Medical

This economy is affecting lots of people in many ways. One is as people get laid off from there jobs they lose there medical insurance. Or as in the case of my last job it just didn’t provide medical insurance. What to do? My recommendation is as long as you have medical insurance DO NOT PUT ANYTHING OFF. Get your check ups done now, keep your dentist visits up to date. Take care of any procedures that need doing now. Tomorrow you could be laid off. There is always cobra. But that is very expensive.

If prescription medication is needed get it now. I have purchased many types of Rx drugs with out insurance and gotten some better deals because I have purchased 3 or 6 months worth at a time paying cash. ( I say better deals, I mean better than buying one months worth at a time) If you are paying cash make sure the pharmacy knows this in advance or they will assume your using your insurance. If you feel like you need many months worth of a Rx talk to your doctor. They may be able to help. Don’t be afraid to ask for samples. Allina has stopped giving out samples but they used to and it was very helpful.

Also don’t be afraid to stock up on the over the counter medications you may need for colds and flu and normal aches and pains. Again look at things that are generic, both in over the counter and in Rx. Most if not all work just as well. A good example is the equate brand of zinc lozenge….. They are manufactured by the same company that makes Cold Eeze.

Lets get started on an objective.

The purpose of this blog is to share good ideas with people as it concerns emergency preparations and the preparedness life style. Life in trying emergency scenarios doesn't have to be all Mad Max ( early Mel Gibson Movie).

What I would like to share is anything from food storage, recipes, whats on sale and where, things that you or I have done to make life easier for now or in the future.

I want this to be an exchange of ideas where everyone can participate. It shouldn't become just a recipe board or a food storage board, or a firearms board or even a jobs posting board. All these topics and more are needed and should be discussed here. I guess what I would like to see is what has worked in your home that your willing to share with anyone who comes here.

So to start this ball rolling I will start with what I know the best, that is food storage. Before the Dollar store here in Forest Lake closed down we did a lot of our shopping there for for food storage items. Things like pasta sauce we would buy faster than we could use and quickly built up a supply. We found things like Vigo brand red beans and rice at $.50 a package. Some items we were unfamiliar with so we would only buy one or two and test it to see if it was worth buying more. This was a true Dollar store where nothing was over a dollar. There may be other stores like this. I hope so but we haven't found as good a store to replace this one.

Another point to make is don't be so quick to dismiss store brands. Like my comment above try one or two first and see if you or your family will like them before buying more for the pantry. I have found that the store brands are as good as the national brands. Sometimes the store brands are made by the same company that produces the national brand.

Lets see where this takes us for now.
Bro Murray