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.

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

We Need to Fortify Our Homes, Our Family  
          and Ourselves Both 
                 Temporally and Spiritually  . . .

How do we do that? 

The past few weeks I have been reading Alma and Third Nephi in the Book of Mormon. I got to the chapters were Captain Moroni and the Nephities are at war with the Lamanities (Alma 50). And in Third Nephi where the Nephities and Lamamities are at war with the Gadianton Robbers (Third Nephi 3). We are told to liken the scriptures to ourselves. I started thinking about these scriptures and how I can liken them to me. I realized we need to fortify our homes, our family and ourselves from the evils of the world both temporally and spiritually. We need to stand strong. How do we do this? Here is how Captain Moroni did it . .

Temporally  . . .
 
Each time Captain Moroni, along with the people, fortified their cities the Lamanities and Gadianton Robbers could not penetrate their cities. In Alma 50:1-4, 6 we read "And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for wary, or to defend his people against the Lamanities; ... , that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephities. (v.1) And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be timbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities. (v.2) And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high. (v.3) And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the tones and the arrows of the Lamanities could not hurt them. (v.4) Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies, round about every city in all the land. (v6)" They gathered all the women, children and their provisions within the walls of the fortified cities.

In Third Nephi the Nephities and Lamanites once again fortified their cities by the same means (3 Nephi 3:14), "And he caused that fortifications should be built round about them, and the strength thereof should be exceedingly great. ....". And once again they brought all their provisions into the cities (3 Nephi 4: 4). Their cities were fortified against the robbers,  "..., for it was impossible for the robbers to lay siege sufficiently long to have any effect upon the Nephities, because of their much provision which they had laid up in store." (3 Nephi 4: 18). 

Spiritually  . . .

Captain Moroni knew they not only needed to fortify their cities temporally, but they also needed to fortify themselves spiritually against the evils of Satan. How did they do this? In 3 Nephi 3:25 we read, "..., they did repent of all their sins; and they put up their prayers unto the Lord their God, ....:  And throughout the scriptures is says they lived in righteousness and kept the commandments of God.

How can we fortify our homes and our lives?

Temporally . . . 

As the scriptures say, we need to fortify our homes with a firm foundation. How do we temporally fortify our homes? We need to be prepared in every way possible with extra food and water and other emergencies supplies we might need in times of disasters (natural or man made), civil unrest, sheltering in place, or what ever may come our way. We need to take good care of our homes as admonished by President Spencer W. Kimball. We cannot build motes or heaps of dirt with timbers around our home, but we be prepared as much as possible when the storms hit.

Spiritually  . . .

We need to fortify our home with the spirit of God. We need to make our home a haven from the temptations of the world, a home of righteousness, allowing the spirit to reside by the things we do and the things we allow into our home, television programs, the things we read, music, art, etc.. In Doctrine and Covenants 109:8, we read, "Organize yourselves; preparing every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God".  We can fortify our homes spiritually by having daily family prayer, daily family scripture reading, individual daily prayer and scripture reading, Family Hone Evenly weekly, Family Councils once a month or weekly, attending church every Sunday (all meetings), partaking of the Sacrament each week, attending the temple on a regular basis, and by staying close to the Holy Ghost and following his guidance.

The world and Satan are constantly trying to break through into our home, family and us. Our daughter recently posted on YouTube a personal experience of how they fortified their home and family spiritually. They are continually striving to make their home a Zion home, a Zion family and a Zion people. Please click here and watch their very touching and uplifting story.

Elder W. Don Ladd taught: “When it starts raining, it is too late to begin building the ark. … We … need to listen to the Lord’s spokesmen. We need to calmly continue to move ahead and prepare for what will surely come. We need not panic or fear, for if we are prepared, spiritually and temporally, we and our families will survive any flood. Our arks will float on a sea of faith if our works have been steadily and surely preparing for the future” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 37; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 29).

What do you need to do to fortify your home, your family and yourself?



A Lesson Learned  . . .

A few days ago I needed some pure vanilla extract and the regular grocery store wanted to much money. We have a local community grocery store I have gotten it from before. On our way home we stopped by to purchase some. As we entered the store we discovered their lights were out, the cashier said their electricity was out, they had no way to take my payment thinking I was using a debt  or credit card and could not make change. I explained I was paying cash and I could give her the exact amount, would that work? We made our way back to the shelf were it was in the dark with a small flash light I keep in my purse and paid the cashier the exact amount. This experience confirmed to me the importance of keeping small bills and change with you at all times in your purse/wallet, car glove box or 72 Hour Emergency Backpack (which we keep in our car). Because I had the exact amount of money I was able to pay for it and leave while others stood in line and along the sides waiting for the electricity to come back on. There are going to be times when there is no electricity due to disasters, etc. and stores cannot sell you what you need because their cash registers do not work and they cannot scan the items or except debt or credit cards or make change for large bills. This is where the extract amount of cash helps.

  March Monthly Assignment
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.

This month, March, continue 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.

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.

  March Monthly Assignment

Emergency Preparedness Supplies

This month add some type of shelter to your emergency supplies. If you already have a tent or other items to make a shelter inspect them for any damages or ones that might need replacing or update. After a disaster shelter will become very important to survival. You may not be able to stay in your home, you will need to provide some type of shelter from the elements. Check out the posting on the right under "Postings", then "Shelter" for more information.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

High salt content in dehydrated food products  . . . 

Food storage entree meals/pouches: I recently had a friend ask if there are any dehydrated entree meal products that have less salt content. Her husband has to watch his salt intake as many of us do. After checking with all the major emergency preparedness food storage companies I discovered they all have a high salt content. The reason for the high salt content is salt is a preservative. They do not use other preservatives, only salt.

One way to get around the high salt content is when you add water to rehydrate the entree meals, add a whole potato or some pasta to the food while boiling it. The potato or pasta will help absorb some of the salt as it cooks. I prefer a potato because it is easily removed if you do not want to eat it.

Separate food storage #10 cans: Another way to get around the high salt content in your long term food storage is to purchase food items separate, like vegetables, meats, fruits, etc. Because they are mostly freeze-dried, some are dehydrated, there is no need for the salt. Yes, it will take up more room and you will need to spend time preparing your food,  but it will help with your  issue of the high salt content.

Top Ten Food Storage Companies Comparison Cart . . .

In my research to ask the question above I came across this great food storage company comparison chart. Click here to view the chart. It may help you when deciding what companies to purchase your long term food storage from.