Odds ‘n Sods:

Ed B. mentioned this: Obama TSA Nominee Erroll Southers Calls Pro-Life Advocates Terrorists in Videos. (And tars survivalists with the same broad brush.) Ed’s comment: “Apparently Christians and Pro-life advocates are more dangerous than Al Qaeda. Oh and then he throws in the survivalist angle too. So if you’re prepared, you’re a danger.”

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Julie flagged this: Sun may soon send magnetic storms toward Earth

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Our friend Bill Buppert recommended this article Protect Your Family.

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Simon in England mentioned that Survivors – Series 2 will premiere on BBC1 tonight (Tuesday, January 12th, at 9 PM GMT.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 26 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Luger, 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $249 value.

Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 26 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Death and Dying in TEOTWAWKI, by Snowman

Most of the SurvivalBlog.com articles focus on the “how tos” of living in or preparing for survival situations. We all understand these needs. However, there has been much less discussion on preparedness for death and dying. I have worked in the medical profession since 1975. I have worked with people in various stages of death and dying in hospitals, hospices, operating rooms, clinics and accident sites. While most of us are doing as much as possible to prepare and stay alive in bad situations we know that our options may be greatly limited in future scenarios. Death and dying are two examples. Initially, I thought that this subject would be too abstract or “soft” in comparison other “how to” articles. However, after some consideration it seems that I was wrong.

Death, dying and bereavement make take very different forms in future scenarios. Our society generally requires a fairly orderly approach to these issues. Much of this process is sanitized in the form of body management and dying locations.. Aside from accidents, civilians usually die in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes or their own residences. We have witnessed many recent natural disasters that displaced thousands. Many of those died in strange or makeshift environments. Families and friends often find closure at a planned funeral. Some have the benefit of resolving bereavement issue with clergy or counselors. How do you suppose that will change in TEOTWAWKI? Many of those services will either be nonexistent or deferred to the most skilled family member. You might be that “go-to” person. The sanitized funerals of today will look very different tomorrow. Death and dying will become a more visible. This is was the case in Europe during the Great Plague in England in the 1600s.

This country has gone through years of pandemic planning in corporate and government sectors. I have been on some of the planning committees at those levels for pandemic preparedness. Government plans for the dead and dying in a full blown pandemic are very real and very ready. Large institutions (i.e. prisons) have purchased or at least budgeted for body bags and other burial supplies for on site mass graves. I never saw these details made public so I can only assume that smarter people didn’t want to scare the general public. Although these are largely public health and institutional security issues the same should apply to personal preparedness.

Consider a medication issue: while many may be able to manage various acute medical problems it is unlikely that any will be able to manufacture medications required to sustain life for the long haul. Simply put, a lot of us won’t last very long in a TEOTWAWKI or even a protracted natural disaster- regardless of preparedness because our we are living due to modern medications. How long would a fragile insulin dependent diabetic live without insulin? When we look at supply lines we find that much of our generic medications come from foreign nations. Major foreign producers already have major quality control issue with medication production. supply shortages will only worsen any product.

Because of restricted budgets many foreign countries already lack access to medications commonly found in America. Those countries may well be the ultimate survivors, in terms of medication need, as many have already developed and adapted in the absence of modern medicine and limited national budgets. A trip to China, India or any Eastern European nation will demonstrate the point. Could it be that modern medicine has actually placed us behind the curve by making us more dependent on technology? Let’s consider practical alternatives.

For starters, take a quick self/family inventory. What will happen to you when your medications are gone? Which of your family members requires meds for diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure, cancer, chronic pain,mental illness or chronic infections? Who requires dialysis, oxygen or is bed ridden? Start by talking with your medical provider. Ask for help to prioritize your meds. This is commonly done in clinics because of cost concerns so the question should not seem odd. What would happen if you had to reduce your dose or ran out completely? Your provider should be able to give you planning options. Ask about alternatives for cheaper or more readily available medications. Pharmacists are also excellent resources for these questions. What are your options when the local pharmacy closes? Many now order drugs on line from out of country. Medication planning could help to avoid death in a scenario of limited duration, i.e. natural disaster. The same concerns apply to those dependent on medical devices and related equipment: ventilators, pumps, oxygen, braces and wheelchairs. Many avoid this aspect of preparedness planning as the details can be overwhelming. Despite our best efforts, many will die quickly or painfully because of the lack of medications and medical devices. There are options.

If your health is fine then you are good to go, right? Wrong! What about your spouse, child, friend or pet? The ultimate part of preparedness includes an understanding of death and dying. Although faith is obviously a cornerstone to this discussion it is not the entire story. It is not enough to simply put your loved one in a back room until God decides the time. I have been with many people of faith during their dying time. Responses are varied. Often, the relatives of the dying require just as much care.

Aside from your own discussions with your maker, there are some other practical considerations to a death and dying scenario.

  • Develop an understanding of how your religion or belief system values death and dying.
  • Help those in your community who struggle with health problems, aging, chronic disease or sudden loss. Shovel a neighbor’s snow or mow a yard. This will frame your mind for understanding community effort as well as just doing the right thing.
  • Volunteer as a nursing home/hospice visitor. Learn to see dying up close. Make yourself available. Listen to the dying person.
  • Help your neighbor when they lose a member. Take a meal to a friend. Help your sick farm/ranch neighbor with their cattle or crops. Get used to exercising your “volunteer” muscle.
  • If your community is culturally diverse then you will need to at least be aware or cultural requirements for dying/death rituals.
  • At the risk of getting yourself committed, consider talking with your family members about death and dying for the purpose of stimulating their own planning. You have to be careful with this one as many professionals see this as a sign of suicidal intent. This discussion definitely takes planning! Some “loving” members will only be interested in getting your guns and gold after your demise so don’t be too surprised. Some will consider you just plain crazy. You might just decide to skip this one.
  • Survival community members may have different ideas about cares for the dead and dying. Planning will help to minimize fights and will develop cohesiveness.
  • Reevaluate your bug out plans. Do you have a contingency plan for a relative who suddenly dies or cannot be transported because of injury or illness? Would you leave that person or pet to die alone? Do you need to add supplies to your BOB for that dying person?
  • Even if not eating or drinking, dying folks continue to require oral and other personal hygiene cares. Helping people to die with dignity often includes helping another with bathing, shaving, dressing, toiletry,, and cleaning up after they drool their food.
  • A bed ridden person requires attention to range of motion and turning. A dying person can develop unnecessary pain and bed sores if these cares are avoided.
  • Address acute and chronic pain as best as possible. Current management of cancer and other end of life pain includes appropriate uses of various medications. Future scenarios would limit access to what is now more readily available. Research your options.
  • Stock a bedpan/urinal. Be prepared to change bedding when needed. Learn to change bed linens with someone in the bed.
  • If at all possible, don’t let loved ones die alone. Move beyond your personal fear of death.
  • If death is imminent (particularly in a field situation) ask if there are any special requests. It might be a prayer or last rites. Family members are often greatly comforted by simply knowing that a last request, especially a religious request, was granted. Don’t be afraid to say a blessing or prayer over a dead body.
  • Communicate your desires (e.g. CPR) to family and friends. Does your aging grandmother expect you to perform CPR and break all of her ribs when she has the Big One? Again, be careful with this one per the preceding discussion least you get locked up. You can do this in a more acceptable manner if you refer to this as “advance directives”. Have a written will. It might be as simple as dividing bullets and beans. It will help to avoid bickering will help to keep the family unit together.
  • Be prepared to deal with a dead body in the absence of a funeral home. Other articles have already addressed this. If possible, be sensitive to cultural codes of body management. Is your retreat space planned for this?
  • State laws require that most deaths be either investigated or reported to the appropriate agency. These especially include infants, accidents,and unexpected deaths (medically unattended).Just be aware of your legal obligations under current laws.
  • Include death and dying books in your library. Also include basic nursing texts that cover care of the dying. Medical texts often omit this chapter as most doctors aren’t the ones who provide actual bedside care.
  • Research the role of humor in dying and chronic illness. This could be a very useful and established skill for your tool box.This skill is not overlooked in cancer and pain management centers.
  • Don’t be afraid to tell family member, on a regular basis, that you love them. Remember 9-11? Any of those people would have given everything to have been able to have said just those words.
  • Read John Donne’s Meditation XVII (“No man is an island”). Donne was an English poet and preacher in the 1600s. Death was then rampant and very visible because of the Great Plague. He describes, from a Christian perspective, man’s mortality and how the death of one person affects an entire community.We may well find ourselves returning to that scenario.
  • Never assume that a dying person cannot hear. I have witnessed many folks bad mouthing their comatose relative only to see them walking the hospital hallway the following day- and the still dying person remembered every word!
  • Learn to be a good listener.

For some of us, our ultimate value will be appreciated by how we both lived and died. Dying members of any group will threaten to drain limited resources. However, their death, if handled properly, may ultimately strengthen their community.

Letter Re: Advice on Firearms Training for Teens and Pre-Teens

Sir:
I’m coming up to speed by working my way through your blog archives (which are amazing, BTW), and have come to realize that while I know how to shoot, my skills are marginal. I’ve concluded that I’m what the firearms trainers call “consciously incompetent.” My wife and I plan to go do the Appleseed training, and then once that is under my belt, I plan to go to Front Sight. (I’ve read that you can buy “gray” Front Sight “first-timer” course certificates for cheap, on eBay.) After that, my wife and I can train our kids.

Here is my question: At what age should I start to teach my kids how to shoot? As background, they are mature for their age (they go to a parochial school and they both have good dexterity. They excel at Wii and foosball.) Our son is just 11, and our daughter is 13. Is that too young? Thanks, – Rob and Linda

JWR Replies: In my experience, children as young as eight years old can be taught to shoot safely and accurately. By the time they each reached 12 years of age, my kids had put thousands of rounds through a Chipmunk single-shot .22 rifle. Chipmunks are dimensioned specifically for young shooters. Our Chipmunk is an early production one, circa 1990. They are now made by Rogue Rifle Company. My kids have now mostly transitioned to a Ruger 10/22 with a shortened stock. (I bought a spare birch stock at a gun show for just this purpose, for less than $10.) Shortening it took just five minutes with a crosscut saw, some sand paper, and a coat of linseed oil on the butt–and it was good to go.

To illustrate what a a pre-teenager can accomplish, watch this YouTube video of an 11 year-old girl named McKenzie shooting an autopistol in an intermediate class originally intended for adults. And here is the same young lady showing her expertise at field stripping and re-assembling an AR carbine. Do not underestimate what your children can learn and accomplish!

Two Letters Re: “Apocalypse Man” Absurdity on the History Channel

Good day Mr. Rawles,
I love to read your blog and recently noticed a few articles about the “After Armageddon” program on your blog, but I have not seen it yet. Last night I did see a show, also on the History Channel, called “Apocalypse Man”. I usually enjoy a new book or television show along this subject line; even though most prevailing theories are fairly similar, it’s nice to compare details. “What’s in your bag?” “Mine is bigger!” “Oh yeah, how many rounds do you have?” and so on. However, the show last night was a little off the beaten path. By that I mean to say are the people that produced the show clueless?

T hey have this “professional” apocalypse survival guy running around like a ninja with his head cut off. He tells us the audience that the first thing we should do is to head to the city because there will be food there. Then we should head to the hospital, after siphoning a gallon of diesel fuel, to get this huge generator started for power for a few hours. The show goes on like a bad Bruce Willis movie. It includes jumping across an open draw bridge and jumping into a dark elevator shaft for safety. My personal favorite is when he siphons the diesel fuel with a bicycle tire pump and then uses the same pump to siphon water for drinking. I love the taste of diesel in the morning. Tastes like ignorance.

Alright, I apologize for ranting and being negative. I am generally a fairly happy guy. This television show reinforces my belief that it is becoming more and more popular to be prepared for the end of the world. We need a secret handshake. This trend is in my view very entertaining, but for all the wrong reasons. It will cost “Joe Armchair Quarterback” and his family their lives if this is their only source of information. I am not going to write the producers or stage a picket line protest or anything like that. In fact, I love the fact that this show is on television because the idea of thousands of people heading downtown to the hospital WTSHTF will make my route a lot less crowded. If you haven’t seen it or don’t watch television, believe me, this one is worth a giggle or two. Best wishes in 2010. – Cozy in Western North Carolina

Sir,
There’s a fairly thorough pulling apart of the [“Apocalypse Man”] show on the Zombie survival group on LiveJournal.

Here is my take on it:
I am not impressed. The mistakes made by the host in the first show:

1. He takes needless risks (A drawbridge over a river was up. Rather than finding another means to cross, he jury-rigged a grappling hook and swung across. There were several other incidents.)
2. He wastes resources. (Rather than using a small bit of steel wool to start a fire, he used a huge lump of it. He also wasted food.)
3. After emphasizing keeping a low profile to avoid people, he then broadcast over the CB emergency channel his travel plans and left it broadcasting on the frequency using a tape recorder. This not only
compromised his security, it also steps on any other broadcasts on that channel.

I also question his choice to move into the city. I would rather try to make it in a rural area rather than an urban one. But, there were some good scrounging tips. – Tim C (Reposted with permission from a forum hosted by SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson)

Letter Re: The Advantages of Home Canning Meats

Jim,
Storing meat long term has been a problem for me for several reasons, but I think I have a pretty good solution. I recently started canning it myself. I bought a 25-quart pressure canner and a few dozen jars just as an experiment and tried it a few months ago and was amazed at how easy it is. Canning is not that much more trouble than freezing (assuming you re-cut and re-wrap meat before you freeze it). I still freeze steaks and fish, but I pretty much can everything else, from left-over turkey to hamburger meat.

You can cook up about 20 pounds of stew meat or hamburger at a time, can it, and then use it for a variety of things throughout the month. The effort required is not as much as I feared and the quality of the product is excellent. For making stews, soup, or basically anything of that sort, it’s indistinguishable from fresh meat and much more convenient. Almost every recipe you prepare starts with “brown the meat”. Your canned meat is already past that stage, so you can skip that step. I find myself grabbing a jar in preference to frozen meat just for the convenience.

It takes about 3 hours per “run” with my pressure canner, but most of this is spent reading or watching television or something. I start with the least expensive lean meat I can find, already cut into stew by the butcher, so my prep time is roughly 30 minutes. By the time the canner is up to the boiling point and ready to close, I have pre-cooked the beef and stuffed it into jars. Then, I wait 90 minutes, turn off the canner and wait another 20 minutes for it to cool and remove the jars. I find that I can do 2 runs after work in the evening while I am relaxing and by bed time, I have about 40 jars of meat sitting in my pantry. Since I can twice a month and use less than a jar a day, my stocks are building up quickly.

Canning saves freezer space and the meat doesn’t end up freezer burned in a month. In fact, I just opened a four month old jar of stew-beef and I didn’t notice any change in quality yet. I assume a year shelf life is about the most I can expect, but with rotation, that could allow me to store a year supply of meat with little trouble.

I first started with pint jars, but found that they are too large for me. I switched to 12 oz jars which were still a little big, and finally settled on 8 oz jelly jars as the optimum size for me. Figure about 4-8oz of meat per meal per person. Canned meat has already cooked down so you use less than you would if it’s fresh. . A pint jar should be about right to cook a meal for 4 people.

The price of home canned meat is roughly half the price of store bought product once you own the jars. (All jars cost a little under a dollar each in my area). The lids are maybe 10 cents each. I can’t vouch for shelf life yet, but the quality is at least as good. It’s a great feeling to see rows and rows of tasty and wholesome canned meat in the pantry.

BTW, I have also started storing my beans, lentils and other legumes in quart mason jars. Each one holds about 1.5 pounds. Just fill them up and drop in an oxygen absorber and you are done. – JIR

Economics and Investing:

Don’t Think That it Can’t Happen Here Department: Chavez devalues currency by 50%. (Thanks to Damon for the link.)

Eric. C. mentioned the latest piece by Dan Denninger: A “Macro Level” Look At The Economy

The Economist makes a Bubble Warning: Markets are too dependent on unsustainable government stimulus. Something’s got to give. (A tip of the hat to GG fro the link.)

KAF sent this: China Overtakes Germany as World’s Biggest Exporter. But wait! You should also read this: Contrarian Investor Sees Economic Crash in China. (Thanks to Rick V. and Darryl C. for sending the latter link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Are You Ready for a Stock Market Crash of 2010?

Fed Statements Clear Any Doubt of Gold Hitting $1,700

United States Debt Ridden Road to Perdition

Contracts Down: Is US Housing Heading for Double Dip?

California Requests $8 Billion in Federal Aid

Odds ‘n Sods:

Dane S. suggested a handy winter preparedness page, over at LifeHacker.

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Garnet spotted this: Heavy snow halts planes, trains and cars in Europe. I hope that folks there have their fuel, gear, and food squared away!

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The latest from Nanny State Britannia: Myleene Klass warned by police after scaring off intruders with kitchen knife.To quote the article “The youths approached the kitchen window, before attempting to break into her garden shed, prompting Miss Klass to wave a kitchen knife to scare them away.” “When they [the police] arrived at her house they informed her that she should not have used a knife to scare off the youths because carrying an “offensive weapon” – even in her own home – was illegal.” (Thanks to GG and Ferd for the link.)

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NRA News: UN Doomsday Treaty With Ginny Simon. (Thanks to Word for the link.) Beware: International treaties could usher in “back door” gun legislation!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted. That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history." – Aldous Huxley

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 26 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Luger, 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $249 value.

Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 26 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging

A Preparedness Plan for a Single Woman With Children

I’ve been reading SurvivalBlog for almost a year.  I am thankful for the advice that I receive each day.  I have had a “be prepared” attitude for about 30 years, although the past two years have thrown several speed bumps and roadblocks my way.  Two years ago my son and his family were in a life threatening accident.  I spent almost every penny I had saved toward retirement to help my daughter-in-law recover.  This year I fought for and won custody of three of my grandchildren from my daughter.  So now, instead of planning for TEOTWAWKI for just myself, a 50 something divorced woman, I now am the proud “parent” of three elementary aged children.  Even with these changes to my situation, I am still actively preparing.  I wanted to share what I am doing with your readers, so that those who are still in the thinking stages rather than the action stage can see that it’s not too hard to begin. 

Years ago I decided to create a written plan.  I started with my basic premises.  First, I assume that I will live where I’m at forever.  I live 10 miles from a city of 100,000 and 15 miles from a city of 500,000.  While it’s really close to a lot of people, it’s not in the direction that the masses of people would head toward.  I have five acres with a good house, a good well, a great climate for growing food and lots of storage.  With that in mind I need to set up the house and yard to fully sustain me and now the three grandkids.  I also need to make some changes along the property boundary to make it less welcoming.

Second, I assume that when I retire from my government job that my pension income will exist.  That doesn’t mean that it won’t be reduced, I expect the government to steal some of my pension.  (Most people just think that we are given money but I put in 20% of my income into this pension fund) I also expect to receive some social security benefits and plan to start collecting my money as soon as I hit the minimum age.  Barring any additional family disasters, I also plan on having cash on hand.  I am working hard to cut my expenses to almost nothing.  That way I can retire sooner and live prepared rather than being in a state of getting prepared. 

Third, I assume that the weather patterns may fluctuate as they have throughout time, but I will not buy into any of the global warming and cooling as something that we can truly prevent.  If the environmentalists wanted us to change our habits and become more energy efficient, I wish they would have just come out with that statement.  Or, they should say that we can alter our microclimate (planting trees lowers the temperature around our homes, paving roads and parking lots raises the temperature in the city, lakes add to the humidity) rather than trying to scare people into believing that we are destroying the world. 

Fourth, I will practice, as I know that when you practice, the act becomes second nature. Times of trouble is not when you should be learning new things.    

Fifth, I do not panic.  Part of this is because I practice.  Part is because I do not allow myself to be influenced by the news story crisis of the day.  I behave very level headed and am rational.  I know that my attitude and my actions will influence those around me to be either calm or crazy.  I vote for calm.

Sixth, I trust God.  I know that God expects me to take care of myself…or at least to prepare myself to take care of myself.  I can not say I don’t need to be educated, or prepared, or dedicated because God will provide.  I am expected to work hard.  God will take care of me if I try to take care of myself.

The first thing I did in my quest for independence was to determine what I really needed.  The stuff.  I also figured I probably have 30 more years to live, although I hope I’m blessed with much more.  Now I have three more people in the house.  How would I figure how much I need?  I decided to keep track of what I did and what I used.  I started by going through my entire house, room by room, and making an inventory of everything. 

Let’s start with household items.  There are items that can last forever: dishes, glasses, pots, pans, furniture.  There are items that are used up daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.  Well, how much do you need for the next 30 years?  I started keeping track of what I was using.  Keeping track of exactly how much food purchased, how much toilet paper, paper towels, soap, shampoo, etc. was used in a year gave me a very good idea of what I would need for 10 or 20 or even 30 years.  Then I just started buying extra.  It was simple.  Every time I went to Costco I’d buy an extra laundry detergent, bleach, dish soap, 409, Simple Green, vinegar, etc.  I probably have a 10 year supply on hand without any pain at all. 

I don’t have a basement but I do have a huge garage.  It holds my truck, tractor, freezer, tools, and what seems like miles of floor to ceiling shelves.  It looks like a mini Wal-Mart.  Now that I have the grandchildren, I have devoted space for bins of clothing.  The bins include the basics in every size: jeans, t-shirts (long and short sleeve), sweatshirts, jackets, socks, underwear, hats, gloves, and shoes.  I also sew and have fabric, thread, and am well stocked with sewing supplies. I keep it very organized.  I witness my friends buying things that they know they have somewhere in their homes but they are so disorganized they have no clue what they have or where to find it. 

I’m not going to discuss weapons to any real extent.  This topic is definitely best left to someone who knows what they are talking about.  I really get into this topic on this blog so as to learn more.  I do have a .22 pistol, a .22 rifle, and a 12 gauge shotgun.  The last thing I shot was a rooster who was roaming my yard and continuously tried attacking me.  I know I should have more protection and I also need to involve the children in gun use.  Maybe this summer we will all go to gun camp and then set up a practice target in the back yard. 

Change your diet! Stop eating instant boxed stuff.  If nothing else, you will save lots of money.  Learn to cook.  Learn to bake.  You can buy a pound of yeast at Costco or Sam’s for the same price as three small packages of yeast at the grocery store.  I love the 5 minute bread recipe.  6 cups flour, 3 cups warm water, 1 ½ tablespoon yeast, 1 ½ tablespoon chunky salt (kosher, sea, etc.).  Mix it together with a spoon. Let it rise an hour.  Put some flour onto the counter and pour the dough onto the flour.  (At this point I like to add Italian seasoning to half the dough) Shape into individual rolls or two round loaves.  Bake 350 for 15 minutes.  Noodles are another one of our favorites.  Flour, egg yolk, water, salt. Mix and roll out.  Cut into whatever shape you want.  We use the pizza cutter and make crazy shapes.  Boil for about 10 minutes. 

My garden is my hobby but also something that I’ve set up to feed myself, the grandkids, and my animals.  Since moving to my property 12 years ago I’ve planted fruit trees and plants with most of my spare money.  I have oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, kumquats, apples, avocados, cherries, peaches, nectarines, pears, plums, apricots, kiwi, figs, olives, loquats, mulberry, blackberries, raspberries, almonds, asparagus, and probably some others that I’ve forgotten.  I’ve been canning for 30 years now.  If I can’t can it or freeze it we eat fruit and vegetables in season or we don’t eat them.  The only fruit or vegetables I buy are bananas, pineapple, and mushrooms.  I have lots of gardening tools, at least one for each of us so we can all work together: shovels, rakes, hoes, hoses, irrigation parts.  I also have seeds on hand.  It is crazy to spend the money on the latest fad of “non-hybrid seeds in a container for only $150.” Sure, it will grow you a garden, but is it what you like to eat?  Will those varieties do well in your area?  Go to your local nursery and pick up seeds of vegetables you eat.  Have a garden like mine.  Each year I let some of the beets go to seed in the beet section of my garden, I smash a pumpkin on the ground in the pumpkin section, I let broccoli go to seed, etc.  I don’t have to replant the entire garden each year.  The stuff just comes back.  I do replant the corn, eggplant, and peppers.  I do save seed each year to make sure I have a several year supply of all my vegetable seeds.

We have sheep and goats for meat and chickens for eggs.  Although they are easy to raise, I don’t raise rabbits or hogs due to religious dietary restrictions.  I don’t have enough property for a steer because I don’t want to have to rely on buying hay.  I don’t milk the goats because I don’t have time.  I do buy beef and chicken from the store but know that at any time those purchases can stop and we can provide all our meat needs. 

I have a 500 gallon propane tank that never has less than 250 gallons in it .  The propane is used for cooking, heating the house, and the hot water.  We don’t use much for heating the house.  I try to keep the heater turned off during the week.  Since I am at work and the kids are at school, I don’t need to waste propane heating an empty house.  On the weekends I use the woodstove.  Worst case scenario, I would use wood to cook with, heat the house with my wood stove, and at some near future point, set up a solar hot water system. 

We are on a well so we aren’t relying on city water.  My next project (with money from my tax return) will be to set up a solar power system to charge batteries for running the well.  We don’t usually have much wind so I don’t think a wind generator would work.  I’d also like to set up solar for a backup for my appliances.  I don’t need a huge solar system since we use minimal amount of electricity.  We really do conserve on electricity.  My electric bill is only about $40 a month for the refrigerator, freezer, washer, dishwasher, microwave, television, computers, and the kids leaving all the lights on.

Fortunately, we don’t get sick often.  I keep a good stock of vitamins and OTC medicines.  I haven’t been able to convince our doctor to write a prescription for extra medications but I have been able to stock up on some. I do have a large stock of supplies for injuries.  I have a rescue bag in each vehicle plus a large supply at home.  I do want to remind people that even minor injuries can use up lots of supplies.  You need lots of gauze, gauze, and more gauze.  And, gloves, gloves, and more gloves.  Rescue workers will change their latex gloves every 5-15 minutes.  Read the articles already posted about medical supplies.  Go through your cabinets and see what you use.  Buy lots of them. 

We have a great library at home.  Classic books, new books, survival books, cook books, just about all topics for all reading levels.  I also have school books: math, science, grammar, and history for each grade level.  We also have games, puzzles, and cards.  Lots of indoor activities for the kids to do.

We have tons of office supplies: paper, pencils, erasers, pens, paint, crayons and markers, tape, staples, and glue.  Whatever amount you think you need, double it, or triple it!  Take advantage of the end of summer back to school sales. 

Exercise and being active is important.  This past summer I made an obstacle course for the grandkids (and me).  We have tires to run through, a sprinting area, cones to zigzag around, ropes to climb up trees, nets to crawl under, and a cross country running track.  I also set up a tetherball pole, a basketball hoop, badminton and volleyball net, croquette, whiffle ball, and a soccer goal.  We also go hiking and bike riding.  They think it’s just for fun.  I know that being in good condition helps keep the mind in good condition.

Three months ago I purchased a 23 foot used travel trailer.  It has a stove, refrigerator, full bathroom and a tank that holds 40 gallons of propane.  This winter we took it on a trip to Colorado and Oklahoma and didn’t turn on the heater, just for fun.  Our sleeping bags (from MajorSurplus.com) kept us warm although I’m sure the grandkids would have liked it warmer than 30 when they got up in the morning! The trailer held all the clothes and food we needed for our two week trip.  It was great practice. I have more to do.  I plan on planting some non-inviting plants in the front along the road and along the sides and back of the property as well: probably cactus, blackberries, some itchy thistle, or even poison oak!  I really need to get backup power.  I also would like a holding tank for several thousand gallons of water.  I’d like to hire someone to dig a pond.  Our water table is 12 feet so the pond would have to be deep in order to hit the water table.  I need weapons for protection, not just for shooting roosters and possums.  It all takes time and money, but this is an example of what I have done with not too much money, just some common sense and dedication.

Two Letters Re: Lessons From The Twilight Zone

Jim,
Sean in Malibu mentioned watching the episode of The Twilight Zone called “The Shelter”. Your readers might like to know that the full episode is viewable online [free of charge] at the CBS web site.
Best, – Matt R.

James Wesley,
That episode of of The Twilight Zone a reader mentioned was one of the reasons that prompted me to be very quiet about my preps. I (and my family) use the “need to know” rule.

I’m all for charity, but I agree with your approach of doling it out anonymously, through our church. (We’re Baptists.) The characters in your novel [“Patriots”] showed the right approach. Like them, I plan to “give until it hurts”, but in the event of a major whammy,, I’ll do so very discreetly, through a third party. Thanks for your wise counsel. You truly are the Mel Tappan of the new century. – Alexander G. (Ten Cent Challenge subscriber.)

Economics and Investing:

Reader Thomas B.was the first of several readers to reference this article by Jim Jubak: Anarchy in the UK (and US, too)?

Al wrote to mention that just as I predicted, the base metal value of US five cent pieces (“Nickels”) have again risen to above their face value. ($1.01 for $1.00 face value) I stand by my position that nickels are a good hedge against future inflation. If you have sufficient secure storage space, then gradually accumulate nickels!

Items from The Economatrix:

10 Jobs That Will Get a Raise in 2010

Greece Faces Intrusive EU Surveillance Amid Reports of Burgeoning Deficit

Senate Panel Near Agreement on Role of Fed

Late Credit Card Payments Rise to Record

Bernanke: Low Rates Didn’t Cause Housing Bubble

Banks Trim Borrowing from Fed’s Emergency Program

Odds ‘n Sods:

By way of Tamara’s View From The Porch blog, comes an interesting article about Magpul Industries.

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Reader Dean G. reminded me to again mention of the copious links and references made available by The American Civil Defense Association (TACDA). Take a look!

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Ferdinand found a little Gerber sharpener mentioned on KK Cool Tools. Ferd notes: “It fits perfectly in my knife sheath’s sidecar pocket and cost just a few dollars. It measures 2-1/4 x 1-3/4 inches, and is easy to use, with one side marked “coarse,” the other “fine,” and a little thumb-forefinger hold in between. It’s actually been effective sharpening the folding knife I keep by my desk, and its lightweight, small profile and low cost make it perfect for leaving in a bag, just in case.”