More Preps

 So, I'm pretty sure you have heard all the rumors floating around these days.  The economy is about to crash.  World war is just around the corner.  The store shelves will soon be empty.

Might happen.  Might not.  We just don't know.  

What we do know is that the smart thing to do is to make sure we are as ready as we can be for whatever happens.

I'm not canning as much these days as I was before I began having problems with the new canning lids.  My large canner holds 18 pints.  The last canner load I did wound up with only half the jars sealing.  I then invested in one of those electric canners.  This one is a Nesco brand.  Same problems with lids not sealing.  Has to be the lids.  The Nesco works great for everything else.  Sigh.

I live alone.  I get busy with one project or another and often don't want to stop to cook a full meal.   I found that by canning a bit of meat plus veggies together in a pint jar, along with some appropriate seasonings and broth, I have a meal that only requires a couple of minutes in the microwave and dinner is served.  

Because of the problems with canning lids, I decided to put together similar meals using dehydrated foods that can be cooked in a crockpot, with the meat added close to the end of the cooking time.  I'm not using recipes but am just tossing together what sounds good to me.  Some are just assorted dehydrated foods like carrots, onions, peppers, diced potatoes, celery, etc.  Others include pasta, packaged separately, as pasta doesn't need a long cooking time.

We are nothing if not problem solvers.  Unable to properly home can?  Put together dehydrated meals.  Should the grocery store shelves become bare?  By now we should have enough put back to get through that particular crisis.  

I pray nothing bad happens.  But if it does, we are ready.  Or we should be.  As we always say, "Keep stacking.  Keep praying.  And may God bless."

Happy Easter

I grew up with church pastors who weren't afraid to preach fire and brimstone.  Who often made us feel uncomfortable because we knew we weren't living as we should, and they pointed that fact out to us.  Who told us that we needed to beg forgiveness of our Creator.  Who told us that the alternative was an eternity of misery.

Where are the truth telling ministers?  As I am unable to get out to church services these days, I have found services online to watch.  To my dismay, many of the messages are watered down versions of the sermons of old.  It is like those preaching are afraid to hurt the feelings of their congregations.  Many seem like they are more interested in having a band play on stage than they are in preaching the gospel.

Some time back we managed to eliminate God from schools, courthouses, public places.  Some communities banned the manger scene at Christmas time.  Others arrested those who dared to preach God's Word on street corners.  

And just look at where we as a country are now.  We are a divided nation.  Hate and discontent are common.  Bible teachings are being ignored.  Truth might hurt someone's feelings, after all.

I do not expect anyone to believe as I do.  But I would hope that we would remember that this day is not all about colored eggs and bunnies, but is a day to remember the One who suffered a horrible death and then rose from the tomb to save us all.

We need Jesus more than ever now.

Sometimes...

 things actually work out.

You may remember that in a previous post I was bemoaning the fact that one of my nurses was clueless when it came to being prepared.

Same nurse.  Yesterday.  Telling me about her purchases to be stored for future emergencies.  Asking my advice about pressure canners.  Wanting to know how I store water in an apartment where I can't have those huge water storage containers.

She told me that her husband has been interested in preparing and was delighted that she now thinks it is a good idea.  Feel like together, they can accomplish something good.

This gives me reason to hope.  Sometimes when we are surrounded by people who live in a world that is not real, we tend to feel like all is lost.  Then along comes someone who restores our faith in the human race.

Thank you, God.

Having Fun

 Sometimes I think we have forgotten how to have fun.  

We get caught up in news reports and podcasts and YouTube videos that are screaming at the top of their lungs how we are in such trouble that we all will surely die.  Soon.

I know that I have been guilty of that sort of behavior.  Previous rants on this blog are the proof.  And chances are pretty good that another rant or two could show up here.

But a couple of things happened yesterday that got me to thinking about this.

Two of my kids spent time with their Mom.  I understand they are busy with their families and their jobs, so finding time for visits isn't easy.  I so enjoyed seeing them, hugging them and hearing about what is happening in their lives.

And secondly, I received an email from a friend who lives in another part of this great country.  He sent me photos of the landscape in his area, including orchards in full bloom and mountains in the background.  We don't have much for mountains here in Minnesota.  The view was a treat.

Both experiences were fun.  Brightened my day.  Left me with smiles.

Seems to me we need more fun and less fear and anxiety.  Granted, we do need to know what is going on around us.  We can't be ready for the bad stuff that happens unless we pay attention.

What we do not need is to be living in fear.  So many of those in charge prefer to keep us fearful.  Scared people are much easier to control.  Folks who are confident and positive in attitude don't tend to knuckle under to every elite or politician who wants total control.

We spend time and money preparing for whatever comes at us that is not good.  We can also enjoy this life we are blessed to have.

Don't forget how to have fun.

Done

 This past week I have been printing out much of my family tree data.  I am old school.  I like paper.  And I don't trust computers all that much.  I have two dead laptops and a dead desktop in my closet that back up my reluctance to keeping 15 years of research on any electronic device.

This activity doesn't require very much of my attention.  Over the years I have put together Family Group Sheets for most of the characters in my ancestry and it is just a matter of printing them.  I found I had quite a bit of time to ponder other things.

One of the subjects on my mind has been the reluctance of so many I know to prepare.  Many don't see the need.  Nothing bad will ever happen to them.  Others have convinced themselves that store shelves will always be full.  And some just don't want to be bothered.

Others are so wrapped up in political hatred that they can't see beyond that.  Doesn't matter which side of the aisle they are on, the other side is wrong thinking.  The other side is bad.  The other side needs to be eliminated.

Media is pretty good at feeding us lies and are good at little else.  What surprises me is just how many buy into the BS flowing from 'news reporters.'

I have come to the conclusion that I can rant all day long, but I can change nothing.  

Seems to me the best way to get rid of a headache is to stop bashing your head against a brick wall.

I am just done.

I have come to the conclusion that the best way for me to proceed is to concentrate on what I can do.  I can preserve food.  I can stockpile supplies.  I can stay in touch with like-minded people for support, encouragement and sharing ideas.  Without the anger and without the hatred that has become so prevalent.

If the younger ones want to get into the insane fight happening in the world around us, they are welcome to it.  Me...I just want peace.  I want to know that no matter what happens, my family will be OK.  I want to snuggle my great grands and hug my grown kids and their kids.  

Do whatever it is you feel the need to do.  It isn't about giving up or giving in.  It is about staying sane in a world gone completely mad.  Stack it high.  Pray.

Responsibility

 So yesterday, the home health care nurse who deals with my leg problems was a new to me person.  Lovely girl.  Friendly.  Smiling.  Very good at her job.  Dumber than a box of rocks when it comes to the preparedness lifestyle.

I normally do not bring up the subject of being prepared.  I don't need locals knowing what I have stored.  That's for family, should the need arise.  But this person saw several jars of home canned food sitting on my kitchen counter and she asked about them.  I told her just a little bit about the home canning I do.  She mentioned that her aunt and uncle were "preppers."  They canned a lot of food to set aside "just in case."  Seems her husband has an interest in being prepared as well.

So I asked what she was doing to prepare.  Her reply was that she just didn't like to do anything along those lines.  She said (kid you not) that she didn't have to do anything related to preparing because others would take care of her in bad times.

Now there are days when I am not particularly fond of doing the adult thing.  Times when I really would rather not spend a day filling jars and running my pressure canner.  Days when I would rather do something other than dehydrate onions or repackage rice or pasta for long term storage.  Times when I might enjoy reading a good mystery book instead of checking my inventory to see what I need to buy to fill in the items that I am running low on.

It's called being responsible.

I have to admit that the temptation to ask her what she would do if there was nobody around to take care of her was strong.  I am not known for my subtilty some days.  OK...most days.  But I didn't.  Maybe I should have.

The sad part of this is that should bad times descend upon us, and we really need what we have stored, those who believe that others should take care of them will likely suffer.  As will those who depend on them.  Like their kids.  Like their grandparents.  

Me... that scenario would break my heart.