Nov. 5 at 9:30 a.m. there will be a class at the Shook's on starting a small business.
President J. Reuben Clark (Church News, 1953) –
“When we really get into hard times, where food is scarce or there is none at all, and so with clothing and shelter, money may be no good for there may be nothing to buy, and you cannot eat money, you cannot get enough of it together to burn to keep warm, and you cannot wear it. You can’t eat money, but you can eat your three-month supply of food – IF YOU HAVE IT AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT."
We never know what is around the corner this is sound advice.
I find that there are things we could never dream of if we sat all day long thinking then when it happens it is totally unexpected and never did we ever think that could happen.
President Ezra Taft Benson - "Plan to build up your food supply just as you would a savings account... We urge you to do this prayerfully and do it now."
President Harold B. Lee – “If you knew what I knew, you would pile it up (referring to food storage) in the middle of the floor, throw a cloth over it and walk around it!”
As Elder Featherstone proclaimed, “The Lord will make it possible, if we make a firm commitment, for every Latter-day Saint family to have a year supply of food reserves… All we have to do is to decide, commit to do it, and then keep the commitment. Miracles will take place; the way will be opened.”
Now the we have had a little snow rain mix three times I have been in it already this is essential that you start now to put your winter car kit together. I leave mine in all year-round just change out anything that is needed to be eaten.
When the kids were home and driving vehicles, we made sure that there were kits in their cars too. I know it is one more thing to do, but you will thank yourself when you are in need to use it. Nothing like having kids in a stalled car with no blanket, no way to keep them warm. And the thing that is always a concern to me here in Iowa is that you get on the interstate and there may be a terrible accident or a jack-knifed truck blocking all traffic which then backs up and you are stuck with no way to get out of that and you must try to keep your car filled with gas. I often wonder how people make it through stranded on the interstate for ten hours, yep happens a lot so get on this. I, myself, need to do a clean through and transfer before the snow flies.
http://voices.yahoo.com/15-must-winter-survival-kit-items-drivers-7337680.html?cat=27
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/ilx/pdf/Winterstorm_Survival_Kit.pdf
http://www.nd.gov/des/uploads%5Cresources%5C147%5Cwintersurvivalkit.pdf
This would be just as good in Iowa.
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/safety/motorist/winterdriving/survival-kit.htm - this is like the first one
Here is one for the home - http://www.ncemcs.com/electricity/safety/winter.htm
http://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/advice/emergency-preparedness/
Lots of sources are saying that this will be a very cold and very snowy and rough winter so be prepared....
I think you can plan a box, instead of rainy day call it a snow day box. Go to the dollar store and gather things that they can only play with on snow days. Add games and snacks, keep it in your room or in some location that they won't get into it till you present it. Of times you cannot count on that, there will be electricity if things get too bad so have plenty of blankets, and ways to fix food and spend the day playing. Keep flashlights. Things you can think of that would be helpful.
Read up on stories of people who have lived through weeks without elecricity due to snow or ice storms. You can learn from them what to have on hand. I read one that was after the bad ice storm in Canada and the woman told of what they did and how they would go out to the car once a day to get the local news and that once they ran out of wood it got dangerous to go out and look for wood as the ice was snapping the trees and you could be hurt. The one thing that stood out for me was that the lady said the one thing that bothered her the most not being able to vacuum the carpet and so I thought hmmmmmm and went to a yard sale and there was a carpet sweeper for 75 cents and I got it in case but I found that I use it a lot, so I have that covered but reading on these experiences of others will help us prepare.
A few tips - freeze some empty milk jugs that have water in them and when you lose power and need to keep the frig cold you can take them out and put in the frig to help with that.
Keep in mind that when power goes out you will have no heat as electricity powers the fan on your furnace. So plan how to have heat. If you have a fireplace, have wood stored. If you have a gas fireplace, see if it will still work without electricity, ours does but not all may do. Remember using other heaters in the house is usually what kills people, you hear of that all the time.
Get long johns for everyone. yes they are unflattering but helpful when cold.
Have food in your storage that can be fixed without heating if necessary.
We now have gas stoves with those rotten electronic ignitions I am sure are a safety feature but you cannot run your oven in a power outage. You can run the burners, so keep that in mind unless you are all electric and then you will have to have another source like a camp stove or such.
Another thing is that you might think you can go to so-and-so's because they have the warm house... I can tell you the roads may not be passable. We once lost electricity in an ice storm and you could not even walk to the mailbox or a neighbor's house.
So it is time to be working on those sorts of things.
Those huge Halloween totes you see out now would be good to make a home winter kit of sorts.
I think now is the time when we are thinking of having our stuff all secured and safely gathered in to weather what may come.
If you have not done so DO IT NOW, get those hoses off the house faucets or they will freeze and cause damage. If you have water barrels EMPTY THEM NOW, the cold weather will freeze and crack the barrels. It is time to button up everything and be getting ready.
Now on another topic... Keep looking for sales and stocking as you can, remember do the best you can.
I keep working on Christmas gifts here...
http://beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-outfit-for-dolly.html I am making two dollies with this outfit only using velcro so that the dress is reversible.
http://beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com/2012/01/diapers-for-dolly.html doing the same with velcro for the diapers so they can be reversible as well. I am sure you all are working on your own gifts, I just happen to be working on these.
I also crocheted a Mario for our oldest grandson.
I have lots of things going when you do the same remember to rest, I keep forgetting that myself.
I love to visit teach and I am always looking for ideas for Christmas and birthday gifts for my special sisters. Here is a site with ideas for yours. http://www.pinterest.com/barbarayork/visiting-teaching-gifts/
Keep up doing the great things you all are doing, remember to keep working on your storage. It is not something you set down for a year, it is rather like doing dishes - you always have them to do and you always have storage to do. Remember to keep being frugal. Let's remember how long our loved ones and us have worked to make the money that we spend it most frugally make it go as far as it can....
Remember to keep Christmas in a frugal way, do not go into debt and don't do more then you can... I will insert a story about my grandma here...
She had six children and her husband died during the depression. She had no money and worked so hard. One year she had nothing to give her children, so she tried to make it special by opening up the cook stove and they all sat and looked to see what things they could see in the coals, kind of looking at clouds when ones sees a rabbit or such... that was all she could do but she was blessed in town, someone knew how hard it was for them and they brought out a tree and all sorts of things for the kids and food to eat... That is the real meaning of caring and love and what Jesus would want us to do to celebrate. We do what we can and remember to serve others who are in need, I am so thankful that someone did this for my grandma.
In years after she would make little cupboards out of crates for the girls, she did what she could and is my wonderful example.
Lets work hard to make a very meaningful Christmas this year!
