Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignment (November 2018)

PROCRASTINATION . . . Not a Good Thing!

Last Sunday, at our Stake Conference (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), one of our Ward Bishops came up to me and made an interesting statement. He said, "I can count on one hand the number of people in his Ward who are prepared". WOW!!! That is scary! Why are we procrastinating? Some say I have no time, some say it cost to much, some say I have plenty of time to prepare.

We are continually admonished and warned by our local and federal governments, our various churches leaders and throughout the Bible, Book of Mormon and Doctrine Covenants to prepare both temporally and spiritually. Why are we not following their warnings and council?

To those who say I have lots of time: As we know by the news media, natural and man made disasters can happen in an instant. Sometimes we receive warnings ahead of time, sometimes there is no warning. Even when people live in areas where they have annual hurricanes and tornadoes they still wait until the last minute.

To those who say it takes to much time: How much time does it take to pick up extra cans or packages, especially when on sale, while grocery shopping? None at all. Find a cupboard, closet or under the bed to store your food storage. Get a notebook and keep track of how much have you. Keep the notebook with your food stage. Before you know it you will have 1-3 months of canned and packaged food storage. 

To those who say it cost to much money: You may need to re-prioritize your needs and wants until you have at 3-months food storage. Give up going to the movie theater and rent a movie. Stop eating at fast food places (healthier and cheaper), cook at home, cut out purchasing drinks and deserts when you eat out, try less expensive places to eat, hold off on wants, find others ways to save and use that money towards your food storage. Purchase items when on sale. There are so many ways we can afford to build up our food storage.

Many various churches warn us of being in the last days as the scriptures forewarn us. President Russell M. Nelson said, "The Lord is hastening the work. If we are not close to the Spirit we will not survive the last days."

My old saying is so true, "I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it".

Procrastination is not a good thing! Preparing is a great thing and brings peace of mind!  It also allows us to help others in need.

November Monthly Assignments

3-Month Food Storage 

  

       Now are you doing on your 3-Month Food Storage? 

Since January of this year we have been working towards a 3-Month Food Storage supply. Each families is be unique in that not one family eats the same things. You will tailor your food storage according to what your family will eat. Do not purchase items just because they are sale, your family will not eat foods they do not like, and you have just wasted valuable money that could be put towards foods they will eat.

A 3-Month Food Storage supply consists of commercially canned and packaged food and home canning foods. You can also include frozen foods.

• January we worked on keeping track of what your family eats in a month. Go back to January 2018 posting to see the details and a printable chart to keep track. Now that you have figured out what your family eats in a month you can set up an inventory notebook.

• February I showed you how to set up your Food Storage and Emergency Supply Inventory Notebook. Go back to the February 2018 positing to see how to do this.

• March through November we continued to add commercially canned and packaged foods, frozen foods, and home canned foods to your 3-Month Food Storage. Watch sales, allowing to purchase more. Keep track in your inventory notebook. Rotate as needed.

This month continue to add to your 3-Month Food Storage.  

This might be a good time to inventory what you have so far and what you still need.

If you have completed your 3-Month Food Storage Supply start adding Long Term Food Storage items, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods in #10 cans or buckets.

  Emergency Preparedness--
                           Water Filtration

Each house hold, besides storing water, should have 

different ways to filter water.

Several years ago I learned about a great company, Seychelle Water Filtration, whose products filter out 99.9999% of all bacteria and contamination, some even radio-active materials, 100 gallons per filter. We own several of their products and love them. Purchasing directly from the company can be expensive. You can also purchase some of their products from amazon.com, store.lds.org (scroll to bottom), The Jim Bakker Show (online) and other stores. There are other companies that offer  filtration systems, but I find Seychelle is the best company. Click here to go to their website.

Seychelle Water Filtration Pump: This pump comes in section and can be put together for the size of water barrel you have. All together it will fit the 55 gallon water barrel. It filters out 99.9999% of bacteria and contaminants. It filters 100 gallons of water. The filter can be replaced as needed. I suggest you have several extra filters on hand.  We have used our pump many times.

The Seychelle water bottle is great:  We have them in our 72 Hour Emergency Preparedness Backpacks, plus extra filters. The best place, and inexpensive, is to purchase them from store.lds.org (linked above). Our church purchases them for all our foreign missionaries.

Christmas is almost upon us!

This is the time of year when we start thinking about Christmas gift ideas. A great idea is to think about giving emergency preparedness products as gifts. Emergency Essentials
(emergencyessentials.com) has great products at great prices. They have many small items  that would make great stocking stuffers.

Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments October 2018

We All Need to Prepare For What May Come  

When we see the images on the news media regarding the destruction from hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Florida USA and other disasters, we many often ask, "why prepare if it can all be destroyed in a few minutes"? Why? We prepare because we are admonished by our prophets in the scriptures and our modern day prophets, apostles and general church leaders to be prepared both temporally and spiritually. We are being obedient and we will be blessed.

We never know how the disaster may effect us. Some areas are hit hard while others are not. Yes, we can loose everything, but if we are prepared we can also have peace of mind knowing we are prepared and able to help others. When the category 5 tornado hit Joplin, Missouri USA a few years ago, the area where our daughter and her family lived was not hit. Many parts of Joplin were destroyed. Our daughters family was able to help others who had lost everything with food and emergency supplies they had stored. 

Yes, disaster can strike us. But I would rather be prepared and not need it and be able to help others, than need it and not have it!

October Monthly Assignments

3-Month Food Storage 

  

       Now are you doing on your 3-Month Food Storage? 

Since January of this year we have been working towards a 3-Month Food Storage supply. Each families is be unique in that not one family eats the same things. You will tailor your food storage according to what your family will eat. Do not purchase items just because they are sale, your family will not eat foods they do not like, and you have just wasted valuable money that could be put towards foods they will eat.

A 3-Month Food Storage supply consists of commercially canned and packaged food and home canning foods. You can also include frozen foods.

• January we worked on keeping track of what your family eats in a month. Go back to January 2018 posting to see the details and a printable chart to keep track. Now that you have figured out what your family eats in a month you can set up an inventory notebook.

• February I showed you how to set up your Food Storage and Emergency Supply Inventory Notebook. Go back to the February 2018 positing to see how to do this.

• March through October we continued to add commercially canned and packaged foods, frozen foods, and home canned foods to your 3-Month Food Storage. Watch sales, allowing to purchase more. Keep track in your inventory notebook. Rotate as needed.

This month continue to add to your 3-Month Food Storage.  

This might be a good time to inventory what you have so far and what you still need.

If you have completed your 3-Month Food Storage Supply start adding Long Term Food Storage items, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods in #10 cans or buckets.

  Emergency Preparedness--

         First-Aid Kits

Every house hold should have a good first-aid kit. Not a small cheap one, but a substantial one. Each car in the house hold should also have a good first-aid kit.

If you have one at home and in each car check to see if it needs updated or used supplies replaced. Check all ointments to make sure they have not expired and replace as needed. I like to pick up extra band-aids (all sizes), gauze, ace bandages and other medical supplies at yard and garage sales.  

Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments (September 2018)

Family . . . a most precious thing!

 

We are back from taking a break in August. This past month we have spent time with our family. What a blessing! We hiked, swam, bowled, cooked together, eat together, prayed and read scriptures together, served together, talked, encouraged and uplifted one another. Family is the most precious thing we have here on this earth. Would we not want to do all we can to protect and provide for them both temporally and spiritually?

This emergency preparedness blog is all about that, providing and protecting our precious family both temporally and spiritually. 

As I have watched once again this past month of how quickly our lives can change due to natural disasters like wildfires, flooding, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and some man made disasters, I see how important it is to be prepared for what ever might come our way. We can do that my having our 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Bags, water and food storage, emergency supplies, emergency medical supplies and evacuation and shelter-in-place plans in effect. 

Yes, it all sounds so overwhelming! But you can do it if you make a plan and set some goals. This blog and monthly assignments will help you do just that, provide for your precious family both temporally and spiritually. Why not give it a try? It cannot hurt. And if anything, it will bring peace of mind knowing you are prepared. We all say I have lots of time! I will do it someday! Someday will be too late! Things can happen in just seconds! We see on the news all the time. Show your family how much you love them by being better prepared. 

Spiritual Preparation  . . . 

"And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojour in the wilderness." (1 Nephi 17:3) 

"For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:5) 

What a great promise from our Heavenly Father! If we keep the commandments of God he will provide the things we need and the Holy Ghost will guide us to do all things we should do. If we strive to follow the commandments and the admonishment of our church prophet, apostles and leaders of being prepared with food and water storage and other emergency supplies, Heavenly Father will provide a way for us to accomplish it. All we need to do is try our best to provide for ourselves and our family, to be self-reliant.We need to do our part and Heavenly Father will help us! 

September--

National Emergency Preparedness Month

A good time to start!

Here are some great links to help you prepare: 

https://www.ready.gov/september 

 https://ehs.unc.edu/news/2018/06/04/national-safety-month-2018-emergency-preparedness/

http://www.caloes.ca.gov/ICESite/Pages/California-Day-of-Preparedness.aspx 

thearkcarsonward.blogspot.com

September Monthly Assignments

3-Month Food Storage 

 

       Now are you doing on your 3-Month Food Storage? 

Since January of this year we have been working towards a 3-Month Food Storage supply. Each families is be unique in that not one family eats the same things. You will tailor your food storage according to what your family will eat. Do not purchase items just because they are sale, your family will not eat foods they do not like, and you have just wasted valuable money that could be put towards foods they will eat.

A 3-Month Food Storage supply consists of commercially canned and packaged food and home canning foods. You can also include frozen foods.

• January we worked on keeping track of what your family eats in a month. Go back to January 2018 posting to see the details and a printable chart to keep track. Now that you have figured out what your family eats in a month you can set up an inventory notebook.

• February I showed you how to set up your Food Storage and Emergency Supply Inventory Notebook. Go back to the February 2018 positing to see how to do this.

• March through August we continued to add commercially canned and packaged foods, frozen foods, and home canned foods to your 3-Month Food Storage. Watch sales, allowing to purchase more. Keep track in your inventory notebook. Rotate as needed.

This month, September, continue to add to your 3-Month Food Storage.  If you have completed your 3-Month Food Storage Supply start adding Long Term Food Storage items, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods in #10 cans or buckets.


  Emergency Preparedness--Evacuation Plan

Do you have an emergency evacuation plan in place for you and your family? 

Weather you are at home, at work, at school, out shopping or on vacation, does your family have an emergency evacuation plan? Do they know what to do and where to go if you are separated or during work and school hours? You never know when you might only have seconds to evacuation where you are. Have several evacuation plans for different types of disasters and evacuations, routes in place. Practice them often with your family, especially if you have children in your home. 

This month sit down and set up emergency evacuation plans for a fire in your home, an earthquake, wildfire, tsunami, hurricane, tornado, flooding, what ever it might be for your area,  Keep a street map in your cars in case you need to take a different route than planned. Always keep at least half a tank of gas in all cars at all times. Review and practice your family plans often. It will save a life! 

Click here to read about other types of plans you should have in place. Scroll down until you see Emergency Preparedness . . Family Plans.  

Emergency Preparedness Ideas 

On the right of this blog you will see "Blog Archive". You can click on any of them and find many great emergency preparedness ideas I have posted over the past 9 years. 

Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments (July 2018)

Why do I need food storage 

and emergency supplies? 

Why not???

 

With all the natural disasters, man made disasters, civil unrest, wars and other things going on around us it would be a good idea to be prepared. When the storm is upon you it is too late! Prepare now so you will not fear. Why live in fear when you do not need to? Why not prepare now when you can? It is not hard! Take baby steps. You do not have to do it all at once. We have been working on our food storage and emergency supplies for 47 years. It is a life time of work that you are continually updating and adding too. As our lives change our needs change. 

I felt inspired by the Holy Ghost about 9 years ago that we needed to be better prepared and to warn my family, friends, neighbors and the world they needed to better prepared. So, with the help of my daughter I created this emergency preparedness blog to help you, to make it easier to prepare and not feel so overwhelming. I promise you if you will use this blog and the monthly assignments you will be prepared faster than you can realize. It works! Why not try it? Why live in fear? Do not procrastinate and think it cannot happen to you. It may at some point. It may be the lost of income, health or a disaster. Why live in fear of not being prepared for what may come your way? Just try it! In safety there is peace!

July Monthly Assignments 

3-Month Food Storage 

 

       Now are you doing on your 3-Month Food Storage? 

Since January of this year we have been working towards a 3-Month Food Storage supply. Each families is be unique in that not one family eats the same things. You will tailor your food storage according to what your family will eat. Do not purchase items just because they are sale, your family will not eat foods they do not like, and you have just wasted valuable money that could be put towards foods they will eat.

A 3-Month Food Storage supply consists of commercially canned and packaged food and home canning foods. You can also include frozen foods.

• January we worked on keeping track of what your family eats in a month. Go back to January 2018 posting to see the details and a printable chart to keep track. Now that you have figured out what your family eats in a month you can set up an inventory notebook.

• February I showed you how to set up your Food Storage and Emergency Supply Inventory Notebook. Go back to the February 2018 positing to see how to do this.

• March through June we continued to add commercially canned and packaged foods, frozen foods, and home canned foods to your 3-Month Food Storage. Watch sales, allowing to purchase more. Keep track in your inventory notebook. Rotate as needed.

This month, July, continue to add to your 3-Month Food Storage. 

Big box stores vs regular grocery stores: Recently I purchased a case of Kirkland brand, 12 cans of green beans (14.5 oz each) at Costco for $5.99. That works out to 50 cents a can, a great price. At the regular grocery store like Safeway, Ralph's or Albertsons in Southern California, USA they run, on sale, about $.70-$1.00. And of course, at the discounts stores they are $1 each, but watch the expiration dates. So clearly in this case the big box store is less expensive, but it depends on the item. Do the math and watch your local grocery stores for the best price. Watch for case lot sales too.

  

Emergency Preparedness Supplies

Shelter-In-Place 

What would you do if you were told immediately to 

"shelter-in-place"? 

What does that mean? 

Are you prepared for it?

"Shelter-In-Place" means to take immediate shelter where you are, at home, work, school or in between. It may be used in instances of violent weather, civil unrest or accidental or intentional releases of hazardous materials that may affect he outside environment. When the warning is issued do not hesitate! Take immediate shelter! 

Each family should have a 'Shelter-In-Place" plan in affect. Practice it often, especially if you have children in your home and the elderly.  

Here are ideas and rules to follow:

  

What supplies will you need to keep on hand if this happens:

  

1) Extra large heavy black plastic (like the 55 gallon trash bags or a roll of plastic). You need the heavy black plastic to block out light from those outside so they do not think you are home to possible protect  your family. You will also need to seal the door, do not forget the bottom.
2) Duck tape to tape the plastic to all the windows in the room you are shelter in.
3) If it is cold and for some reason you have no heat or advised to not use your gas you can line the room with your bed mattresses. It is amazing how this will keep the room warm.
4) You should have a "shelter-in-place" kit that can easily be accessed quickly. It should contain bottled water, medications, snacks, food (granola bars, peanut butter, Ritz crackers, trail mix, etc.) just in case you need to stay there for awhile. It should also contain some card and board games to entertain the family, scriptures and favorite reading books.
5) Flashlight with extra batteries, and maybe an LED lantern, in case you loose electricity.
6) A radio to get updated news. If you are in a room with the TV then you can watch the news.
7) Do not forget your pets and their needs. Have small kit put together for them. 

What to do:

 

1) Plan ahead of time which room you will shelter-in-place in, one with the least amount of windows and doors. The master bedroom with an adjacent bathroom would be idea.
2) Gather the family together quickly. 
3) Cover all window and doors with the heavy black plastic and seal with the duck tape.
4) Listen to the radio or TV for further instructions. If you do not have a phone in the room you are sheltering in, take your cell phone with you and the charger.
5) Pull out your "Shelter-in-Place" kit and keep everyone calm and ingaged in activities, especially the children, to keep their minds off what is happening.
6) Bring your pets in from outside. 
7) Listen for the all clear sound or announcements on the radio or TV.
8) DO NOT leave the room until you know it is safe.

At work:

1) Check to make sure your company and/or employer has a "Shelter-In-Plan" in place. IF not, suggest they put one into place.

2) Follow the company or employee guidelines.  

3) Have your own "Shelter-In-Place" kit which you keep under your desk, with your 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpack, or near by.  

4) Know here in the building you can "shelter-in-place" safely and leave a note on your desk where you went. 

4) Do not leave until the warning has been lifted and you know for sure it is alright to leave. 

Gun Shootings:

1) With more gun shootings at schools, places of employment and malls and other businesses we each need to be award of our surroundings. Next to see if your schools and places of employment have "Shelter-In-Place" plans. 

2) Know your surroundings when you enter malls or s places of businesses. 

3) Know where you can take shelter if a gun shooting happens.  

4() We safe and be wise.  

Resources:

Click here for more information on "Shelter-In-Place". 

The CDC, Center for Disease Control and Prevention has some other great advise. Click here to read more about this subject to help you plan. Everyone should have this plan in place in their home, at work, at their children's schools and elsewhere. If you have family members in a nursing home or assisted living facility make sure they have a plan in place for this type of event.

There are other websites and local governments that may have more information on this subject. 

August Posting:

I will be taking a vacation in August. Continue to add to your 3-Month Food Storage and Emergency Supplies. Continue to use this blog to help you become better prepared. Next posting September 2018. 

Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments

And I Thought We Were prepared!

A few weeks ago as we entered our neighborhood, one night after attending a church activity, we noticed all the lights were out. Soon we discovered after a chain of events, we were not as prepared as we thought we were. Let me share our experience and what we learned. 

•  First, I grabbed the small flashlight I keep in my purse for emergencies so we could see as we entered our house. Unfortunately,  the flashlight was dead. So we stumbled and felt our way to the kitchen to retrieve the flashlight there. 
• Since we did not know how long the electricity would be out my husband got the emergency garage key, electric garage door, to open the garage so he could get our solar emergency generator out to connect an extension cord into the house so we could attach a lamp for lighting. 
• While he did that I got a small battery operated lantern out of the closet so we could have some light. In this process I discovered I needed to get the step ladder to reach the lantern, then get batteries and struggled a little holding the flashlight so I could put the batteries in. 
• In the mean time, my husband discovered the solar generator was not charged. Just a few weeks before that I realized we had not checked the 3 large batteries inside the solar generator in awhile, they need replaced about every 2 years, and I had procrastinated in having him check, now they are dead. 
• Then my husband said he would get the small gas generator and use it. In trying to get to it we discovered it was not easily accessible, especially when you can not see very well. So he decided to get the large gas generator, but it needed gas. 
• Then we discovered the gas containers were also empty, we had just a few weeks ago rotated the gas to our car and meant to refill them, but once again with our busy life we had procrastinated. 
• Just as my husband decided he could hook up the car battery by a devise he has, the lights came back on. 
• Wow!!!

We discovered very quickly how we thought we were prepared, we were not! This was serious! What if there had been a serious disaster or emergency that lasted days? We would have been in trouble! I say many times to people when they ask me how you know if you are really prepared, "Sometimes you do not really know until a disaster or emergency situation is upon you". Boy, was I right!

So to remedy our escalate of problems that night we have replaced the batteries in my purse flashlight, moved the small battery operated lantern easier to access with batteries taped to it, replace the solar generator batteries, filled the gas cans and made the small gas generator more easily accessible. 

What lessons did we learn from this experience? As I always say and did not follow my own rules, "Continually check on your emergency supplies, update, repair and replace as needed, make them easy to access and do not procrastinate when the emergency supplies need replaced and repaired".

June Monthly Assignments
 

3-Month Food Storage 

 

3-Month Food Storage  . . .   

This year we are working towards a 3-Month Food Storage supply. Each families will be unique in that not one family eats the same things. You will tailor your food storage according to what your family will eat. Do not purchase items just because they are sale, your family will not eat foods they do not like, and you have just wasted valuable money that could be put towards foods they will eat.

A 3-Month Food Storage supply consists of commercially canned and packaged food and home canning foods. You can also include frozen foods.

In January we worked on keeping track of what your family eats in a month. Go back to January 2018 posting to see the details and a printable chart to keep track. Now that you have figured out what your family eats in a month you can set up an inventory notebook.

In February I showed you how to set up your Food Storage and Emergency Supply Inventory Notebook. Go back to the February 2018 positing to see how to do this.

In March through May we continued to add commercially canned and packaged foods, frozen foods, and home canned foods to your 3-Month Food Storage. Watch sales, allowing to purchase more. Keep track in your inventory notebook. Rotate as needed.

This month, May, continue to add to your 3-Month Food Storage. 

Big box stores vs regular grocery stores: Recently I purchased a case of Kirkland brand, 12 cans of green beans (14.5 oz each) at Costco for $5.99. That works out to 50 cents a can, a great price. At the regular grocery store like Safeway, Ralph's or Albertsons in Southern California, USA they run, on sale, about $.70-$1.00. And of course, at the discounts stores they are $1 each, but watch the expiration dates. So clearly in this case the big box store is less expensive, but it depends on the item. Do the math and watch your local grocery stores for the best price. Watch for case lot sales too.

  

Emergency Preparedness Supplies

Water 

The most important Emergency Preparedness item to store! 

It is a known fact you can live without food for several days, but you cannot live without water for more than 2-3 days! 

Each family should have 1 gallon of drinking water per day per person stored for your house hold. The United States Government and our local community Emergency Preparedness units advise us we should have enough drink water on hand for two weeks. I strongly feel two weeks is not enough, look what happened after Katrina and other disasters. I think we should have drinking water stored for at least a month, or more if possible.

The best way to store drinking water is in 15-55 gallon water barrels. See the link below regarding information. Another way is in the store commercially bottled plastic bottles. Be careful with these. If you buy them by the case do not store them directly on concrete, the water will absorb the chemicals from the plastic. Raise above the concrete on 2x4 wood beams or pallets. No matter what types of containers you store your water in, it all needs rotated. Check out the link below for how long to store the water. Click here to learn and read more information about water storage.

FABWODI 

Years ago my husband entered a work competition for a new slogan. He won! He came up with FABWODI, "Find a better way of doing it!"  Many people do not understand why they cannot seem to build up their food storage, emergency supplies, get out of debt, save money, etc.. There is a saying, "If you keep doing what you are doing, you will always get what you have gotten." So if you are struggling with acquiring food storage and emergency supplies, change what you are doing. This blog will help you do that. If you follow each month's assignments, before you know it, you will have your 3-months, year food storage, water storage and emergency supplies. I am trying to make it as easy as I know how. 

Many people ask me how I lost so much weight, 66 pounds so far, and ask my daughter how they got out of so much debt, they are debt free now. We both tell them it takes patience, persistence, consistency, dedication, determination, sacrifice and hard work. There is no easy or magic trick! Emergency preparedness is the same!

Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments (May 2018)

Health Emergency Preparedness  . . . 
                                 Are we ready for this?

This blog has been mostly directed at temporal emergency preparedness, food and water storage, emergency supplies for cooking, shelter, heating, lighting, etc. and spiritual preparedness. After the experience we have had the last 3 months I feel I need to address health emergency preparedness. We never know when a family member, or ourselves, will need care, possibly100 percent care, for an extended amount of time. It can happen at any time, immediately.  Let me share what has been going on with us . . .

About 3 months ago my husband's cousin, 75 years old, received some very serious injures. He lives in a senior living complex with various levels of care, his being more independent. He fell and was unconscious for awhile, when he came to he could not get up or reach the emergency cord. When the staff came in around 7:00 a.m. to check on their residences he was in agonizing pain. He was immediately transports by Peri-medics to the hospital and later transported to another hospital who had the critical care unit he needed. He was there for about 3-4 weeks after having surgery and treatment, then transferred to a rehab/skilled nursing facility for another 4 weeks. Then he went back to his senior living complex requiring a full time caregiver. The senior living facility he is living in does not offer full time caregivers so we had to hire an independent company. The cost, $17 and hour, over $12,000 a month. Ouch! Even though he has full time caregivers, we are still very much involved with his care and needs. 

During this time we learned he did not have the important documents that should have been in place. He did not have a Healthcare Advanced Directive, a Durable Power of Attorney, a Do Not Resuscitate, and a Will/Trust. Thank goodness he has Long Term Care Insurance to cover his full time care, but it has a 60 day deductible/elimination period. Which means he has to pay for the first 60 days of full time care. Yes, he has Medicare with Supplemental insurance, but it does not cover Long Term Care with a full time caregiver unless you spend down your money to a certain amount to go on Medical Long Term Care and go into a nursing home facility, not always the best care. We have tried for several years to have him put these into place, but he never felt the need. Now he has the need! Fortunately, we were able to put all these into place, but it was stressful and a lot of work. What if he was unconscious or not mentally able to have done this? It would be a very difficult situation right now!

We all need to plan for this time of emergency in our life. It can happen to anyone of us or anyone we love.

What we have learned  . . . 

1. We each need a health care plan for extended care, age does not matter.

2. We need certain documents in place before the event happens to take care of our future needs and allowing others to handle our affairs when we cannot. Please, do not make it difficult on your family.

3. We need to know who will take care of us if and when the time comes.

4. We need health insurance to cover our expenses, especially, long term care insurance if at all possible. It can be expensive but important when you way the cost down the road when you are without it.
5. Make sure the appropriate people, those listed as decision makers on your behalf, have copies of the documents. Doctors, DNR and Healthcare Advanced Directive and family member(s) who are listed in the Healthcare Advanced Directive, Durable Power of Attorney and Wills and Trust.  We could not find my mother-in-laws will which made finalizing her affairs much more difficult. My brother-in-law did not have a Healthcare Advanced Directive which made the decision of turning off the respirator and letting him go our decision, so very difficult. Do not make your family make these decisions for you.

Please think about your care, or a family member, and your family if you became in need of care orfull time care or some type of long term medical assistance. Have a emergency plan in place!

  May Monthly Assignments

3-Month Food Storage 

 

3-Month Food Storage  . . . 

This year we are working towards a 3-Month Food Storage supply. Each families will be unique in that not one family eats the same things. You will tailor your food storage according to what your family will eat. Do not purchase items just because they are sale, your family will not eat foods they do not like, and you have just wasted valuable money that could be put towards foods they will eat.

A 3-Month Food Storage supply consists of commercially canned and packaged food and home canning foods. You can also include frozen foods.

In January we worked on keeping track of what your family eats in a month. Go back to January 2018 posting to see the details and a printable chart to keep track. Now that you have figured out what your family eats in a month you can set up an inventory notebook.

In February I showed you how to set up your Food Storage and Emergency Supply Inventory Notebook. Go back to the February 2018 positing to see how to do this.

In March and April we continued to add commercially canned and packaged foods, frozen foods, and home canned foods to your 3-Month Food Storage. Watch sales, allowing to purchase more. Keep track in your inventory notebook. Rotate as needed.

This month, May, continue to add to your 3-Month Food Storage. 

Big box stores vs regular grocery stores: Recently I purchased a case of Kirkland brand, 12 cans of green beans (14.5 oz each) at Costco for $5.99. That works out to 50 cents a can, a great price. At the regular grocery store like Safeway, Ralph's or Albertsons in Southern California, USA they run, on sale, about $.70-$1.00. And of course, at the discounts stores they are $1 each, but watch the expiration dates. So clearly in this case the big box store is less expensive, but it depends on the item. Do the math and watch your local grocery stores for the best price. Watch for case lot sales too.

  

Emergency Preparedness Supplies

Emergency Cooking 

What would you do if you could not use your conventional stove or it was not safe to cook inside your house after a disaster?

How would you cook in an emergency situation? 

We each need to think about this possibility and prepare for it. We each should have some other source for cooking, be it a BBQ (gas or charcoal),  Butane stove, Coleman stove, a fire pit, a fireplace or some other means. We should have have cooking equipment, like old pots, pans, skillets and utensils we can use. We have a large plastic container with such cooking equipment. You also need fuel for the type of cooking equipment you have, enough for 3+ months. 

Take inventory of your cooking equipment, add another type along with it's fuel, repair or replace broken ones, and add some pots and pans, etc. Keep all this equipment together in your garage or a backyard storage shed. Click here to learn about different types of emergency cooking equipment. Or, you can click under "Postings" on the right of this blog, scroll down and click on "Cooking, Heating and Lighting". 

Emergency Preparedness Ideas 

Another old saying I love . . .

Good old-fashioned horse sense!

What does it mean? The Webster Dictionary states, "the ability to make good judgments or decisions".  People with horse sense are smart and practical and can be counted on to make good decisions. In an emergency situation we need good old-fashioned horse sense. Keep your head on your shoulders, stay calm, pray and listen to the guidance of the Holy Ghost and make good decisions. It could save your life, others and help you when disasters are upon you and about to strike.

Have a great month, become better prepared than you are today, do not procrastinate your preparedness, add to your 3-Month Food Storage, acquire some emergency cooking equipment, and have some good old-fashioned horse sense when disasters are upon you. 

Emergeny Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments (April 2018)

Lessons learned from our backyard   
                            neighborhood squirrel  . . . 

The other day I was sitting at my computer looking out of the window watching our backyard neighborhood squirrel. What a character! Each day I put out birdseed and bread for the birds and peanuts and sunflower seeds for the squirrel. There is also a small fountain and birdbath. As I watched the squirrel he was eating some of the peanuts and sunflower seeds and then taking some and burying them in my vegetable garden area. It is the beginning of Spring. Why would he already be burying and storing peanuts, Winter is a long ways away? 

But as I always say on this blog, do not wait until the storm is upon you to start preparing now! Just like the squirrel, we need to be preparing all the time, not just before the storm. 

What type of person are you? 

My husband once read, 

"There are 3 types of people" 

Those who make things happen!

Those who watch things happens!

Those who wonder what happened! 

Which type are you? Are you the type that works toward your emergency preparedness, 72 Hour Emergency Backpacks, 3-Month Food Storage, etc? Are you the type that watches others prepare? Or, are you the type that wonders when disasters and emergency hit why others are not helping you?

Throughout the scriptures in the Bible, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants we read about those who prepared and those who did not. Their outcomes were very different! We also here the admonishments and warning from our  community, state and federal leaders, church leaders and general authorities.

Spiritual Preparedness  . . .

Those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and others, just experienced and witnessed the most marvelous Annual General Conference this past weekend. Over and over we were admonished to listen to and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, to pray, to have faith, to keep the commandments and our covenants, to be obedient and  prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Our new dear prophet and president of the church, Russell M. Nelson, stated, "But in the coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost".  (Click here to listen to or read his talk.) And, Elder Larry Y. Wilson, Of the Seventy, stated, "What an incomparable gift comes to those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. That gift is the Holy Ghost".  (Click here to listen to or read his talk)

I also know the Holy Ghost guides and directs us with temporally matters. It happens to me all the time. In the scriptures we are taught that all things are spiritually (Doctrine and Covenants 29:34).

To listen to or read all the talks given at the April 2018 Annual General Conference click here. Each one is amazing and filled with the spirit and will help guide our lives in these troubled times.

If we are constantly close to the Holy Ghost and listen to and follow the prompting immediately, we will be guided. directed, comforted and protected as promised in the scriptures and by our dear prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russell M. Nelson.

April Monthly Assignments

3-Month Food Storage 

 

3-Month Food Storage  . . . 

This year we are working towards a 3-Month Food Storage supply. Each families will be unique in that not one family eats the same things. You will tailor your food storage according to what your family will eat. Do not purchase items just because they are sale, your family will not eat foods they do not like, and you have just wasted valuable money that could be put towards foods they will eat.

A 3-Month Food Storage supply consists of commercially canned and packaged food and home canning foods. You can also include frozen foods.

In January we worked on keeping track of what your family eats in a month. Go back to January 2018 posting to see the details and a printable chart to keep track. Now that you have figured out what your family eats in a month you can set up an inventory notebook.

In February I showed you how to set up your Food Storage and Emergency Supply Inventory Notebook. Go back to the February 2018 positing to see how to do this.

In March we continued to add commercially canned and packaged foods, frozen foods, and home canned foods to your 3-Month Food Storage. Watch sales, allowing to purchase more. Keep track in your inventory notebook. Rotate as needed.

This month, April, continue to add to your 3-Month Food Storage. 

Big box stores vs regular grocery stores: Recently I purchased a case of Kirkland brand, 12 cans of green beans (14.5 oz each) at Costco for $5.99. That works out to 50 cents a can, a great price. At the regular grocery store like Safeway, Ralph's or Albertsons in Southern California, USA they run, on sale, about $.70-$1.00. And of course, at the discounts stores they are $1 each, but watch the expiration dates. So clearly in this case the big box store is less expensive, but it depends on the item. Do the math and watch your local grocery stores for the best price. Watch for case lot sales too.

  

Emergency Preparedness Supplies

Emergency Sanitation 

Sanitation is another important part of emergency preparedness. What would you do if you could not use your toilet or had drinkable, usable water? Check out the posting on the right of this blog under "Postings",  "Sanitation", or click here.

Emergency Cleaning Bucket



Each house hold should have an emergency cleaning bucket. Click here to see what should be in it.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

Recently we have been dealing with the care of a cousin and we have been once again reminded of how important it is for all of us to have certain paper work (documents) in place. They should be kept in a safe place, like a fire proof safe, where others know where they are. Documents that give designated people a responsibility or listed as the "agent(s)" should also a copy. I know we do not want to think about these things but it is necessary, It is really hard on others to leave important decisions about our life. Several months ago we were given the decision to let my husband's brother pass on, or be on life support. How much better it would have been if he had the right documents in place. Know the laws in your state or country regarding how they need to be signed and witnessed.

Here are some examples:

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR): A do-not-resuscitate order, or DNR order, is a medical order written by a doctor. It instructs health care providers not to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if a patients breathing stops or if the patients heart stops beating. A DNR order is created, or set up, before an emergency occurs. A DNR order allows you to choose whether or not you want CPR in an emergency. It is specific about CPR. It does not have instructions for other treatments, such as pain medicine, other medicines, or nutrition. The doctor writes the order only after talking about it with the patient (if possible), the proxy, or the patients family. Your doctors and hospital should have a copy the DNR.

Advance Health Care Directive (or 5 Wishes): An advance health care directive, also known as living will, personal directive, advance directive, medical directive or advance decision, is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves because of illness or incapacity. Your family, doctors and hospital should have a copy of this document.

Financial Durable Power of Attorney: The durable financial power of attorney is a simple way to arrange for someone to handle your finances. It allows someone else to manage your finances in the event that you become incapacitated and are unable to make those decisions yourself. The power is granted in a document, and is not only useful for you, but can really help your family in times of crisis. The one assigned as the "agent(s)", doctor and others you will needed should have a copy of this document.

Will and/or Trust: Click here to read the difference and why you might need both. The executor should have a copy of your will/trust.  There have been times when family members cannot find them in the event of a death and it was not filed with the courthouse, nor know who the attorney was.

Other documents you should have: You should also have copies of their driver's license or state ID, their Social Security card, medical and insurance cards, and know where they keep important papers like deeds to property, etc. 

All these documents should be kept in a safe secure place, like a fire proof safe.