The Reliant Self

Hope In Hard Times

2010-07-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I hope you're all having a great summer so far. I have found it necessary to take some sort of a little hiatus to deal with a few crisis and a trauma or two. But as I thought about my blogging friends today, I wanted to share a very beautiful message of inspiration and hope that I heard recently, that lifted my spirits. These are hard times and only seem to be getting harder. I hope this short message lifts you as much as it did me.

(Let it load ahead a few seconds if it keeps stopping.)

Dishwasher Magic

2010-06-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I'm gone away on a trip to Vancouver to see my sister's family and watch my niece and nephew in a big dance festival! I left on very short notice and didn't get to post a great tip and success I had last week that I wanted to share with you before I left. So I'm doing it from her house.

We have a well at our house, so we have nice, clean, mineral rich water. Which means - calcium build-up! We got a new top-of-the-line dishwasher a couple of years ago. The dishes have to be well rinsed before they go in, or they come out dirty. A "professional" told me that's because we don't have a water softener. A few months ago, it just pretty much quit working. The water wasn't even spraying out of the top arm. Upon examination, I discovered that the whole machine was pretty caked with "scale" or mineral deposits. We've been washing the dishes by hand for the past few months - which is a good experience for my boys! But enough good experience. We have a nice machine there and it seems a shame to not be able to use it. So I started looking for solutions.

Mine did NOT look as bad as the one in the picture, but since I'm not at home, I found this nice crusty picture on Google Images. It makes the point. I tried spraying it down inside with various cleaners, baking soda, or vinegar. I didn't want to put toxic cleaners in there, or into our septic system. It looked like the vinegar was the ticket but would be a back-breaking undertaking and I didn't know how I would get it to clean the inside of the pipes and tubes that feed the sprayer arms. I turned it on the "soak and scour" cycle. On my dishwasher, that means the water runs into the bottom of the machine, then it runs (sprays) for 1 1/2 minutes, sits for 16, and repeats that for 4 hours, with one exchange of water in the middle. When it's finished, it then runs whatever wash cycle is selected.

I let the water run into the dishwasher. Then I opened it, dumped in a few cups of white vinegar, shut it and let it continue. I let it do it's "soak and scour" magic for 2 hours and then stopped it. The dishwasher looked sparkling clean inside and the water was spraying out of the arms just fine! The heating element is still pretty corroded but not as badly. I think the trick is to run a vinegar rinse every few weeks or so. Periodically anyway - depends on how quickly your minerals build up.

I was pretty amazed at how well it worked, and it hardly cost a thing! I hope that helps any of you who have hard water and a poorly functioning dishwasher!

Making Money In Hard Times

2010-06-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

When times are tough, it's time to think out of the box. I've had a lot of experience with financial creativity over the years, so I thought I'd share a few good ideas from my experience in case any of you might be tired of filling out applications, or just need an additional boost to your income. If traditional job hunting isn't working, a little creativity might.

National unemployment for May, was 9.7%. On the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics site, you can see what the current unemployment rate is in your state. Last month, Nevada was the highest at 14% and North Dakota had only 3.6% unemployed. Even though Montana is at 7.2% statewide, the county I live in has ranged from 12% to 13.8% in the last few months. Yikes! My husband is employed - sort of. He's self-employed, which means that income is unreliable and we're often struggling to make ends meet. We're getting creative. Here are a few ideas:

IDEA #1 - CLEANING

If you are a fast, efficient and thorough cleaner, cleaning jobs usually pay well. Between myself, my mother, sisters, and nieces, we've had various jobs over the years cleaning for private homes, vacation rental homes, new construction, and business offices. The pay in our valley ranges from about $12 to $25 an hour. I currently have two homes that I clean every few weeks, and am paid $20/hour. It's not a lot of hours each month, but gives me enough spending cash to help out with a little gas or groceries or buy one of the boys a package of socks now and then. I swear, boys seem to go through socks like babies go through diapers!

To find a cleaning job, put an ad in the local paper, put the word out among friends, stop into offices and ask if they have someone to clean for them - and if not, would they like to? If you have a Temporary job service, those kinds of jobs are often listed there. Office cleaning jobs are very often paid at a flat rate, rather than hourly. You need to look at the size of the office, what kinds of cleaning is needed and estimate how long it will take you. If you really aren't sure, see if they would be willing to let you clean once to see how much time you need, before you give them a price. You should be able to make between $20 and $25 an hour, but must be fast a do a thorough job. To be reasonable, prices might be higher or lower in your area. I'd ask at some job services or the Chamber of Commerce to be sure you are getting what your efforts are worth, but not over-charging.

IDEA #2 - RESELLING

My sister told me of a woman in her area who made $60,000 last year (2009) just by selling used golf clubs that she bought at pawn shops and thrift stores. There are a lot of things you can re-sell. This is something you have to have an eye for. You'll need to get a feel for the value of items, how easily they'll sell and what a good price is to pay for them. Many people watch the classifieds and when they spot a great deal, they buy it up, fix it up, and resell it. Whether it's a rocking chair or a car, there are lots of good deals to be had, because people often just want to get rid of something they don't need. Other places to watch are Craig's List, E-bay auctions, and other personal selling sources. Yard sales are also full of treasures. You just have to know what to look for. Check to see if your area has a "Freecycle" group. It's an on-line listing of things that people are willing to give away rather than have to haul it to the local landfill. You can also list things there that you are looking for. Then if someone has the item sitting in their garage or attic, they call you up and it's yours.

IDEA #3 - HAULING
Do you have a pickup? A couple of summers ago, my nephew's friend put an ad in the paper that he had a pickup and would pick up and haul whatever people needed moved. He was busier that summer than a jar of red ants! He hauled construction scraps, furniture, dirt, appliances, plants, garbage - you name it. In a smaller area like I live in (and every other person owns a pickup - this IS Montana!) this wouldn't work so well. But this boy lived in a larger area, where population spreads for miles and miles. Most people in large towns and cities don't have pickup trucks. When people needed things hauled to the dump, he charged enough to pay for his gas, labor and time, and they'd include the landfill fee. If someone has a landscaping or remodeling project at their home, they often don't have any way to haul the materials. I was told he had more work available than he could do.

IDEA #4 - CONSTRUCTION CLEAN-UP

Construction has slowed down, but it hasn't stopped. If you stop by a construction site when it's first started, your chances of getting work are better. Smaller projects, like homes, often don't have any clean-up planned for yet. It's a different kind of cleaning than what you would do in a home or office that is already in use. Since the walls are painted, light fixtures are hung, and the flooring - except carpet - is completed before the finish carpentry is done, everything is dusted with a fine sawdust and needs to be wiped down. New carpet needs to be vacuumed. Cupboards and drawers need to be wiped out, mirrors cleaned off, tubs and showers wiped out, etc. It's just a lot of dust and scraps from Sheetrock, wood and putty. If you let them know you are interested, you may get some hours cleaning up construction scraps during the building process also.

IDEA #5 - SELL A HANDMADE ITEM

Do you have a skill or hobby? Why not make money with it! My brother has a friend here in Montana that makes birdhouses. He makes them all shapes and sizes and his wife paints some little flowers on the side. He sold them in the summer at two different Farmer's Markets and made over $90,000 in one summer. During the winter months, he makes more birdhouses. Unique things sell at Farmer's Markets, Flea Markets, and craft fairs. Wind chimes, creative wood craft items, metal work, pottery, etc.

IDEA #6 - OFFICE PLANT CARE

Almost all offices have plants - some silk, some real. Plants get dusty and need a little trimming now and then. If you like working with plants, this is a great job. The investment is minimal. All you need is a couple of different kinds of plant sprays and polishers. There are products for cleaning silk plants, and products for cleaning real plants. You can probably get a little education at a plant nursery of what products to use on what plants. If you know how, you can include trimming and pruning in your service.

IDEA #7 - BE CREATIVE WITH YOUR SKILLS
One summer, when I was about 14, my sister and I put an ad in our local paper. We sat down and made a list of all our skills, and then wrote an ad that went something like this:

Two ambitious, talented, hard-working, teenage girls looking for work. We will milk your cow, paint your fence, cut your hair, bake your bread, tend your animals, watch your house, mow your grass, weed your flowers, wash your car, sew or mend your clothes, tend your kids, water your lawn or just about anything else you need done. Please call Karen or Susan at...

The phone started ringing and the jobs poured in. There was a movie crew in town at the time and they ordered home made bread and hair cuts. My sister was older than me and she could cut hair and can sew like nobody's business. I was the bread baker. We both pretty much did the rest together. We milked cows and goats and took care of farms and houses while people went on vacation. She got mending and sewing jobs and I babysat. We stayed very busy and made a lot of money that summer.

These are only a few ideas. Take inventory of your skills, interests, and resources, and capitalize on them. With a little creativity, you could bring in some nice extra cash, or maybe even a healthy income. Just think out of the box!

Be Still

2010-06-16T01:19:00.000-07:00

"Be still, and know that I am God"

Psalm 46:10

I've always read this verse as two commands, given to us from God.
1. To be still
2. To know that He is God

But while studying the scriptures recently, I had the understanding that perhaps it is actually more a statement of "cause and effect".

We live in a frantic-paced world -- unique to any time in history. Media of all kinds competes for our constant attention. We have fast food, instant messaging, rapid trasit, and on-demand information and entertainment. With the touch of a button we can communicate instantly with the other side of the globe. We're offered every magic solution to lose weight now, get rich quick, and swallow this pill for an instant fix. Many of us hit the floor running in the morning and drop into bed exhausted at night. How can we come to know God? It's difficult to feel peace at such a pace.

Yet God speaks to us in "a still small voice". (1 King's 19:12) How can we hear a still, small voice through the commotion and attention demand of cell phones, TV's, computers, MP3 players, ear buds, texting, and twittering? Those things are not necessarily bad, if they are used wisely. Any one of them could be used destructively - or as a tool to do good. It can be a challenge to know when even "good" is no longer good because it takes the place of "better". With all that distraction, we can lose sight of the real purpose of our lives.

This life is a time to prepare to meet God. He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to show us the way. He taught His gospel and set the perfect example, so we could know how He wanted us to live. But how can we focus on Him, and becoming like Him, when all these things of the world are consuming our time and attention?

We have to plan some time for "listening" to His voice. I hear myself say that my highest priority is to serve and obey God, and yet sometimes realize that I have planned and scheduled everything except time for Him. We "listen" to His voice when we study His words written by Holy prophets. We "listen" for His voice when we allow some quite time to ponder. I learn the most from the scriptures when I ponder, or sit and think about what I just read. The "whisperings" of the Spirit come to me when I am driving with the radio off, or walking through the woods, or stay on my knees for a little while after talking to Him - just "listening".

It seems so easy to fill our time with appointments, to-do-lists, meetings, and schedules. I have learned to schedule a set time to read, study, pray and ponder. And amazingly enough, when I do, the day seems less stressful and I feel more productive. The demands of daily life feel lighter, and I enjoy all that I accomplish, more than feel like a slave to it. A wise man named Neal A. Maxwell said, when we "plan some time for contemplation and renewal, we will feel drawn to our work instead of driven to it." Having had this experience, you would think that I would live this way every day! I don't. It's an on-going effort to discipline myself and not always give the "squeaky wheels" all the grease!

In all our talk about getting prepared for the events that may come in our lives, there is no greater perspective to keep focused on, or event to prepare for, than the return of our Savior and our reunion with God.

(Painting by Simon Dewey)

Chocolate - A Necessary Storage Item!

2010-06-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

Every preparedness pantry needs some "comfort food". Mine has chocolate. But not just any ole' cheap chocolate. Assuming I'm not the only one around here who enjoys chocolate, I thought some of you may appreciate a little-known chocolate fact that I learned, and why I believe it's actually a benefit to have some good chocolate in your storage! I'd like to say it's essential - but I won't go that far. :)

I have a cookbook called The Healthy Kitchen by Dr. Andrew Weil (M.D.) and Rosie Daley. I have several of Dr. Weil's books. He is the author of 8 Weeks to Optimum Health, Spontaneous Healing, and many others. He's been a real pioneer in getting the Western Medicine world to merge somewhat with natural healing. In the cookbook, he shares some information about chocolate that I haven't heard or read anywhere else. I've followed his work for many years and trust what he says. He added this little note in on page 301:

"CHOCOLATE

Most people love chocolate; many are passionate about it. Some say dessert is either chocolate or something other than chocolate. But this food of the gods, enjoyed as a sacred drink by natives of ancient Mexico and Meso-America, has gotten a bad reputation in our times. Considered a "guilty pleasure," it has been demonized because of its fat content and is said to have no place in a good diet. Some health-food producers have even come up with a wretched imitation of it--carob--that they use to make "nutritious" fake chocolate candies, cakes, and cookies. In fact, chocolate not only beats carob hands down in both the taste and health categories, it has many attributes that recommend it for inclusion in an optimum diet.

Cocoa butter, the fat in chocolate, turns out not to be so bad. Although it is a saturated fat, the body turns it into monounsaturated fat, processing it like olive oil. Chocolate appears to be neutral, at worst, in regard to cardiovascular health and may actually lower serum cholesterol. In addition, chocolate has strong antioxidant activity, equivalent to that of red wine and green tea. It is a stimulant because it contains theobromine, a relative of caffeine, but for unknown reasons, it is also, for many people, a rapid-acting antidepressant.

The best form of chocolate from a health standpoint is high-quality, plain, dark chocolate. I say "high-quality" because cheaper brands contain less actual chocolate, often replacing expensive cocoa butter with unhealthful hydrogenated vegetable oils. The first ingredient on a bar of high-quality chocolate should be chocolate--usually indicated as "chocolate liquor," "cacao," or "cocoa." It should not be sugar. The brands I like best contain 70 percent cocoa. (Bitter baking chocolate is 100 percent cocoa; more than 80 percent is too bitter for most people to enjoy.)

I say "plain" because chocolate candies often contain butter and cream, sources of highly saturated animal fats, as well as other ingredients much less good for us than the natural constituents of cocoa beans. And I say "dark" because milk chocolate contains much less cocoa and more butterfat and sugar.

When I want a sweet, I usually go for a piece (or chunk) of high-quality dark chocolate, which I regard as a pleasure, but not one I need to feel guilty about. I often serve dark chocolate with fruit as a dessert (the recipe follows) and keep dark chocolate sorbet in the feezer. In moderation, these treats are not fattening, provide important nutrients, are perfectly fine for people following low-carbohydrate diets--and they certainly add to the pleasure of eating.
--A.W."

A recipe for Dark Chocolate With Fruit follows. There you have it: theobromine - not caffeine. (Maybe it has both, he doesn't specifically say.) But that makes sense to me as to why chocolate often helps to calm - which caffeine doesn't do.

For my storage, I buy the large bars of dark chocolate, usually 70-something percent. And then to keep them fresh, about once a year I find it necessary to take them out of the storage room, eat them - slowly - and buy fresh chocolate for the storage! There are SO many great benefits to being prepared!

Survival Bread

2010-06-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, at a Preparedness Fair, I picked up this recipe for Survival Bread. The recipe says that after it's made, it "will keep indefinitely". Hmmm... Made me think of Lembas bread - something the elves would make (for you Lord of the Rings fans). "One small bite will fill the belly of a grown man." Since I can't stand to waste, it didn't sound like anything I wanted to HAVE to consume on an otherwise perfectly good day, with soft yeast bread and an abundance of other good foods in the fridge. But this recipe keeps popping up in front of me, so I decided to throw caution to the wind and bake up a brick of Survival Bread today.

Here's the original recipe, just as I received it:

Survival Bread

2 cups oats

2 1/2 cups powdered milk

1 cup sugar

3 Tbl honey

3 Tbl water

1 pkg. lemon or orange Jell-O (3oz)

Combine oats, powdered milk and sugar. In a medium pan, mix water, Jell-O and honey. Bring to a boil. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. (If the dough is too dry, add a small amount of water a teaspoon at a time.) Shape dough into a loaf. (About the size of a brick.) Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cool. Wrap in aluminum foil to store. This bread will keep indefinitely and each loaf is the daily nutrients for one adult.

Well, the ingredients don't sound too bad, but that last line bothers me for some reason. Healthy food should deteriorate, shouldn't it? I have teenage boys and not much goes to waste around here, so I figured it was worth trying out. Even though the recipe doesn't specify, I used quick oats. As for the liquid, that little bit didn't even begin to cover it. It was so dry, I was still stirring mostly powder, so I ended up adding another 1/3 cup water plus more - almost 1/2 cup! It was very stiff, and very sticky. I wonder if I should have added less and got my hands in there and just packed it all together when it was still a lot drier. I don't know, but here's the results:

It doesn't look so bad! AND - it actually tasted pretty good! It has a heavy powdered milk taste, which I'm not a big fan of, but with a little butter, or honey, or butter AND honey(!) I hardly noticed. I'm sure the recipe can be altered. Maybe less powdered milk and more oats? Unless it's formulated to an exact scientifically nutritional specification! :) But I doubt it.

Has anyone else had any experience with survival bread? Or maybe if you have a different recipe you'd like to share, email it to me and I'll post it with your name. My email is naugafarm@gmail.com. I'm always looking for good recipes that are made from truly storage-type ingredients - things easy to store, and nothing out of the ordinary.

After Rain

2010-06-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't resist. It's so many shades of fluorescent green here in June. We've had a lot of rain lately and when it stopped yesterday evening there was an eerie glow about everything. I snapped a few shots in and around the yard. I hope you don't mind this little side trip!

This is a wild Sarvis Berry bush - sometimes called June Berries. They are scattered throughout our woods and I've got a couple at the edge of my yard. The berries are good to eat right off the tree, and make good jam, also. There will be lots of berries this year. :)

Some garlic chives growing with the flowers.

First 100 Items to Disappear During An Emergency

2010-06-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

When the power went out surrounding the DC area, residents reported that store shelves were emptied within hours. Every time we have a big snow storm here, all the stores run out of shovels the first day. I always wonder how so many people could live in Northern Montana and not have a snow shovel, until after a blizzard has buried them. It happens every time. Wouldn't it be a good idea to buy a shovel in the spring when they are all on sale? Then it will be in the garage next winter, just waiting for the snow. This picture is of me and my friend from Brazil. She is experiencing, and shoveling, snow for the first time in her life!

What if any kind of emergency hits your city, town or neighborhood and you have to get out - maybe go to a relative's house. Do you have enough gas? Remember how many people sat in mile-long lines on the side of the road waiting to get some gas from the pumps, until they were empty? Those who kept a few 5-gallon

gas cans full in their garage were able to hit the road and make it to safety. It's pretty easy. Every few months you dump that gas in your car and refill the cans. The gas is always good and ready to get you where you need to go.

If you have candles, oil lamps or other emergency lighting, you won't be left in the dark if your power goes out. It's happened here many times. 9:00 at night and all of a sudden the house goes black. No panic - no problem. I feel my way to the closest matches (and I know right where they are), light one, go to the nearest candle or oil lamp and light it. We calmly carry on with whatever we're doing until the power returns. Picture the alternative: the baby is upstairs, you trip over unseen obstacles on the floor, you were in the middle of writing or cooking or bathing. It's frightening to children and very inconvenient, at the least. It's so easy to buy a few candles or lamps when they are in abundance and even on sale. We just HAVE to plan ahead!

So take a minute and ponder your possible scenarios - however unlikely. What will you be in need of if:
- your power goes out?
- your heat source is off?
- you have no phone?
- the city water is off, or your well pump can't operate?
- you can't get to a doctor?
- you can't get to a pharmacy to refill your prescription?
- you have to get out of town and need gas for the car?
- you need supplies for the baby?
- the store shelves are empty?
- you have pets to feed?
- a pandemic hits the area and the only safety is to stay in your home?
- looters are looking for unprotected food and provisions?
- you don't have a stove to cook on?
- you have to flee your home and camp out?
- the only food you will have is what you can grow?
- the water supply is contaminated?
- you need some wood to burn but have no way to cut up a tree, fence, boards, etc?
- you have a bicycle to ride for help, but the tire is flat?

Following is a list that was first assembled over 10 years ago by Joseph Almond (before Y2K). I don't know the criteria he used in deciding these items, but I'm sure it's a great resource for considering things that you may want to make sure you have. Since someone started circulating it on the Internet, some of you might have seen it there. Of course, the specifics will vary a little depending on the area, but it's a good list to go over as you plan how you will take care of yourself, your family, or others when an emergency hits.

Top 100 Items to Disappear First During a National Emergency
1. Generators (Drawbacks: Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood can take 6 months to 2 years to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white & brown sugar
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY - note - food grade if for drinking.
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.)
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. ("Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans, Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress's
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Livestock

In Honor of Veterans and Patriots

2010-05-31T01:27:00.000-07:00

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.
--- Joseph Campbell ---

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
--- John F. Kennedy ---

"...we remember today that all our gentle heroes of Vietnam have given us a lesson in something more: a lesson in living love. Yes, for all of them, those who came back and those who did not, their love for their families lives. Their love for their buddies on the battlefields and friends back home lives. Their love of their country lives."
--- Ronald Regan ---

"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.
--- Thomas Payne ---

"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.
--- John Quincy Adams ---

"A patriot without religion in my estimation is as great a paradox as an honest Man without the fear of God. Is it possible that he whom no moral obligations bind, can have any real Good Will towards Men? Can he be a patriot who, by an openly vicious conduct, is undermining the very bonds of Society?....The Scriptures tell us "righteousness exalteth a Nation."
--- Abigail Adams ---

"Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster, and what has happened once in 6000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world."
--- Daniel Webster ---

"The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them.
--- George Washington ---

"The said constitution shall never be construed to authorize congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
--- Samuel Adams ---

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
--- Patrick Henry ---

Cooking - Tips and Substitutions

2010-05-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever gotten half-way through making a recipe, only to open the fridge to get an egg and discover that there are none? Ever needed some buttermilk and didn't have any? Or over-salted a pot of soup and are afraid you'll have to dump it out? Believe it or not, there are solutions to those problems! I love solutions. :-) They can help you save time and money, save you in a crisis, and maybe relive a little stress. Here's a few tips and resources I keep on hand...

Egg Substitute - (for use in baking) Combine 1 tsp of unflavored gelatin with 3 Tbl of cold water and then another 2 Tbl plus 1 tsp of boiling water. This will take the place of one egg in recipes for cookies, cakes, etc.

Meat Substitutes and Extenders - You can use cooked wheat, cracked or whole, in spaghetti sauces, pizza, Sloppy Joes, soups, etc. You can also add it to your ground beef for meat loaf, taco filling or hamburger patties when you don't have quite enough. Whole grain wheat berries are about 15% protein, on the average. Wheat germ can also be added to recipes, and contains about 23% protein. Millet is another grain that is high in protein, like wheat, and can be used as a substitute or extender with meat recipes.We like cooked millet with milk and honey for a hot breakfast cereal.

Boiled Eggs - To keep the shells from cracking while boiling, add a dash of salt to the water before you start.

Tupperware Stains - Spray your Tupperware or other plastic containers with cooking oil before you put tomato sauces in them and they won't stain.

Over-Salted Soup - If you give your pot of soup the taste-test and find it's way over-salted, peel a potato and drop it in the soup raw. It will absorb salt into itself. Leave it in until you're left with just the right amount of flavor.

Stained Fingers - Speaking of potatoes - I'm told that rubbing a slice of raw potato on your fingers will usually take stains off them.

Sprouting Potatoes - When you have a large amount of potatoes in the cupboard that you know might start to sprout before you get them all eaten, put an apple in the bag with them. It will keep them from sprouting.

Buttermilk - Buttermilk isn't something I use very often, so every now and then when I get a hankerin' to make buttermilk pancakes or something, I don't usually have any. Well, I discovered you can make your own. 1 Tbl of vinegar or lemon juice added to enough milk to make 1 cup, let it stand for 5 minutes, and whalaa! You have buttermilk.

Powdered Sugar/Confectioners Sugar - Put 1 cup of sugar in the blender and blend it up. Commercial products usually have corn starch added. If you want to more closely imitate that taste and consistency, add 1 Tbl of corn starch to the sugar when blending.

"Dusting" the Cake Pan - I never liked that look of gooey white flour on the sides of my cake or brownies. That's easily remedied by dusting the cake pan with a little bit of the dry cake mix instead. Or, if you're making a chocolate cake or brownies, you can dust the pan with some cocoa powder.

Measuring Sticky Stuff - Run your measuring spoons or cups under hot water before measuring molasses, honey or syrups, and the sticky stuff will all come off clean. Or, coat them with oil first.

Separating Eggs - If you have trouble separating eggs, use a small funnel. Crack the egg into it - the white will run through and the yolk will stay in the funnel.

Maple Syrup - I don't buy imitation maple syrup because it's basically High Fructose Corn Syrup with flavoring. HFCS is REALLY not good for you. Real maple syrup is extremely expensive. When I can't spare the money to buy it, I buy Mapleine at the grocery store. It's a natural maple extract mixed with some of the usual not-so-natural things. The little 2 oz. bottle will make 24 pints of syrup and costs about $4. You make the syrup with boiling water, sugar, and the Mapleine. I wouldn't call it a healthy "food" but this is one of those times when I'm happy to use good ole' regular sugar, because it's much preferable to the alternative. It has a real good maple flavor, is very inexpensive to buy, and is a great storage item.(Hint - make small batches that will get used right away. It tends to "sugar" on the bottom of the jar as it sits in the fridge.)

Some of these tips I've used, and some I haven't yet. They're all taken from various sources of information I keep on hand for food storage, cooking and other things. One of my favorite sources is a book my mother gave me a couple years ago, called Jumbo Jack's Helpful Hints Almanac. It's only $4.99 on Amazon, and worth every penny! I hope some of these ideas can make your life a little easier.

Self-Reliant Health - Comfrey

2010-05-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

Comfrey is one of the first herbs I ever used, and another one that I would highly recommend everyone keeping on hand. It is an amazing herb for healing wounds and injuries. It is known as a "cell proliferant". In other words, it promotes cell growth in the repair process. The Blackfoot Indians from this area refer to comfrey as "bone knit." It can be used topically as a poultice or in a healing salve - or "green" salve. Most "green" healing salves you buy will have comfrey as the main ingredient.

Comfrey Healing Salve
I've made my own healing salves over the years and always keep some "green salve" on hand. It is also easy to find in health stores and not very expensive. Comfrey is easy to grow and will spread if not kept under control. A couple of plants were added to my parent's garden area and left to grow freely, and now they have about 1/4 acre of fresh, organic comfrey!

In our home we use a comfrey salve on any cuts or open wounds. With 3 boys, we've had plenty of injuries over the years. If comfrey is kept on the wound until healing is complete, there is usually no scar left behind.

A friend of ours used a homemade comfrey salve on her son's finger when he accidentally cut the tip off. He had severed the entire pad on the end of one finger, leaving only the skin attached on one side. They laid the pad back on and covered the entire end of the finger with the salve and wrapped it up. It healed with no visible scar and complete feeling.

Comfrey Poultice
We've also had a lot of experience in our family using comfrey poultices. To make a poultice, you either blend the fresh comfrey plant in the blender, or use a dried comfrey powder. Both the plant and the roots are used for healing. You can mix other healing herbs with it, or use just the comfrey. Make a paste out of it by mixing it with Wheat Germ Oil or some other oil. Honey also has healing properties and can be added to the mixture.

On one occasion, a friend of ours who is a fiddle player dislocated his elbow in a biking accident. The elbow was moved completely out of it's socket and the ligaments pulled. Since it was the "bowing" (right) arm that was injured, the one that gets the most movement, the doctor told him he would not be able to play the fiddle for several months. We made a poultice with comfrey powder and Wheat Germ oil and covered his entire elbow with it. Plastic was laid over the comfrey mixture and then wrapped in flannel. Within 2 weeks he was playing again just fine.

My brother has used comfrey poultices with great success. When his daughter broke her wrist, they had it x-rayed and found she had a buckle fracture. He put a comfrey poultice over the fractured area, covered it with gauze and then loosely wrapped it with Saran Wrap so she could sleep without getting it on the bedding. The aching stopped and she had no more pain. The fracture had been completely healed when it was checked again at 5 weeks.

My aunt had a horse who was badly injured when a barn collapsed. A large hole was gouged in it's rump area. My brother made a poultice from comfrey, lobelia, plantain, dandelion root, carrot juice, honey and Wheat Germ oil. He harvested all the herbs fresh except for the lobelia, which he had some dried plant on hand that he had bought. He blended it all together in the blender, and they packed the hole, which was big enough to put your fist into, with the mixture. Puss oozed out when they packed it in. They covered it with gauze and taped it in place. After a few weeks it was completely healed. Even the hair grew back completely and in it's natural color. Often, with horses, if the hair regrows over a wound, it will grow back white, without the normal pigment.

When my aunt took her horse to the veterinarian initially, she was told that it should be put down (killed) because it would not be able to heal well enough to ever function normally. Well, since her horses are like her kids, she took him home and called my brother. A few weeks later, she took the horse back to the vet who was shocked. He had never seen anything heal like that and wanted to know what she had done. She just told him that her nephew had "filled it with some weeds"!

Another horse was badly injured on his front shoulder. We think he'd been chased by a mountain lion since another horse with him had claw marks down his rump. The horse ran into a fence or the end of a log or something that tore a large hole, almost the size of a dinner plate, and a couple inches deep. Like the first horse, the wound was packed full of a very similar mixture. Within a few weeks, new flesh had grown in to fill the hole, natural brown colored hair grew back over the area, and there was almost no scar. She also fed the horse 2 to 5 lbs of carrots a day to help in the healing process.

You can also take comfrey internally, but like all substances, it's wise to only use what your body needs. If you don't have an injury for your body to use it on, I would not recommend consuming it. If comfrey is growing around livestock, they will only eat it when they are wounded. We can learn a lot about how to heal ourselves, by observing what animals do naturally.

So put on your list to make a quick stop at a health food store and pick up some comfrey powder. Then you'll have it, and the next time you or someone else is injured, mix a little comfrey with some honey or oil and try it out. If you really want to be self-sufficient, get a few comfrey starts and grow your own. You can have enough to help a lot of people in a crisis. And without spending hardly anything!

Photos of the Flathead

2010-05-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

This amazing view is in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. This 1,000 foot high outcropping is known as "The Chinese Wall". It's virtually unbroken for about 20 miles. Only a lucky few get to see it, and even less ever stand on top of it, because it's a few days hike in from any roads. My husband and sons took this picture while on a week-long 50 mile hike (turned out to be 64!) with their Boy Scout troop. Those little green dots at the bottom are huge trees.

Since you all liked the photos so well, I thought I'd just give a few quick links to some more. Our valley is unique. Other than the old-timers who were already here, it has attracted several specific groups of people: celebrities, retired seniors, families wanting to get their kids out of the cities to a place where there is very little crime, and "survivalists" or preparedness minded folks. My family has been here for about 75 years, so I guess I fall into the "old-timers" category. Oh, and don't forget around 2,000,000 visitors each year - but they aren't permanent. There are still only around 80,000 residents in the entire valley, which encompasses 5 small towns, Kalispell being the main one. Like so many other names around here, "Flathead" and "Kalispell" are both named after native Indian tribes.

This Bighorn came to get a closer look. My sister took this picture in Glacier Park.

Here are a few links with more info and pictures:

Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort - If you look at the archive photos, there are many of the surrounding mountains and valley, from a bird's eye view! Click on "Shot of the Day" and then "View More". Or click on the "Photography" link at the top of the home page for more photos.

Flathead Beacon - A small local publication. Click on the link to "Montana Photo Gallery" on the right.

Google images for Glacier National Park - or change the search to "Flathead Lake" or "Flathead valley". The park is only 30 miles away. I used to work there when I was younger.

In Repair

2010-05-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hi! I haven't skipped the country! I have just been unable to upload photos to my post. Hmmm... Working on it with blogger. It sounds like I'm not the only one having this problem. Hopefully, we'll be back up and running soon! And I hope you are all having a great week!

Beautiful Montana Weather!

2010-05-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

After showing you all what winter can be like here, it seems only fair to give you a little glimpse of some other weather! This valley is a resort destination. For being so far north (about 60 miles from Canada), and inland, it has exceptionally mild weather. The elevation is low, the mountains around it are high, and Flathead Lake is so large that it creates a thermal effect. Huge cherry crops are shipped out of this valley every summer.

The rainbows in the picture above are in front of a "wall" of weather rolling in. That "wall" is hiding a tall mountain range behind it. This evening photo was taken from Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort (Used to be Big Mountain).

Flathead Lake is one of the crowning jewels of the area. It's the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi at 26 miles long. The next 3 are all of Flathead Lake. I only have a point-and-shoot, so if you want to see endless professional quality photos of this area, google the Flathead Valley, Glacier National Park, Montana, or Kalispell, Whitefish or Bigfork Photo studios. It really is a photographer's dream destination (Did you hear that Nikon Sniper Steve? :)).

I love this little barn. I just snapped this shot a few weeks ago and the grass wasn't green yet. The lake is long, and this picture is looking across it from side to side with one of it's many islands in the background. With over 2000 bodies of water - lakes, rivers and streams - we live in a sportsman's paradise, and a vacationer's dream!

My little Cub Scout.

Crazy boys at the lake.

A late summer hay cutting.

After a forest fire. This is an 8 year-old burn. Most of the black has been washed off the trees by weather.

This is the same view from my deck that was in the Crazy Weather post with my husband and son shoveling snow.

My summertime yard, with fire pit.

The yard again, and woodshed when it's empty.

Me, on a bike ride with my son to Cliff Lake.

Heirloom Seeds - Sustainable Living

2010-05-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Anyone can grow food! Everywhere I look, I'm confronted with articles and information urging everyone to get and store food, food, food! Political, spiritual and economical sources are all saying the same thing. Everyone who is "in the know", or who is watching the trends in our nation and world, are warning and urging everyone else to get ready. So let's do it!

I just want everyone to know that they CAN grow food for themselves - no matter where you live. If you are in a city apartment, you can grow vegies on your balcony, in your living room, in your kitchen, or in your bedroom! Maybe you can use a spot on the roof! Even if you just start with one package of seeds in one yogurt container -

ANYthing you do, is better than nothing at all! Please start. And once you do, you'll be hooked. Plants are "infectious", in a good way! Something about dirt and growing things has a healthy nurturing, even healing effect on us. Indoor plants also purify and recycle our air into good oxygen. So this is my best shot to inspire you all to grow something.

If you are already a gardener, many of you probably already have seeds in the dirt, especially if you live farther south than I do. But whether you've started or not, I want to pass on what I've learned about where to get the best seeds for the smallest price.

The goal is to grow "SUSTAINABLE" PRODUCE. That means you can collect some of your own seeds every year and continue to propagate your own garden from one year to the next without having to buy new seeds. Not all seeds will grow plants that can reproduce, and not all seeds will grow healthy, natural plants. But it's really simple if you are just aware of a couple of basic things to look for.

Non-Hybrid - HYBRID SEEDS DO NOT REPRODUCE. They are specially cultivated from "genetically dissimilar parents or stock" (dictionary). The plants will not produce seed that can be germinated, and they are genetically manipulated plants. I prefer to eat food that I know has grown naturally, just the way God made it to grow.

Hybrid plants are developed for a number of commercial reasons. They could be more insect or disease resistant, have brighter color, grow larger than normal, need less water so they can be grown in harsher climates, produce more "fruit", or many other reasons. Some of them are good reasons, maybe to help people in developing or third-world countries have food that they wouldn't have otherwise. Never-the-less, I want real food that I can propagate and continue to live on.

Non-GMO - GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. I'd suggest that we all take the time to learn a little about it. It was an "experiment" started 40 or 50 years ago. More and more books are being written to warn us of the dangers of eating GMO foods. Our grocery shelves are full of them. They affect us, insects (like bees), the soil, and everything in nature adversely. The scientists do unnatural things like cross genes of a plant with a fish, or a goat with a spider. The results are ruining once-good soil content, killing important insects, creating devastating bacterias and other organisms, and even altering human DNA. That's all I'll say here, but the books will shock you with scientific study and evidence. Some of what is happening is like something from a horror movie. Here are a few of the most touted books, and I'm sure there are plenty of others. None of these are very expensive and would be well worth the education.

Seeds of Deception

Genetic Roulette

The World according to Monsanto

Your Right to Know - Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food

When you are choosing your produce in the grocery store, you can watch the numbers on the little stickers that you find on each piece of fruit or vegetable. They tell you a little about the food's origin, based on the number of digits and what the first digit is:

Organic - 5 digits, starts with the number 9
Conventional - 4 digits, starts with a 3 or 4
GMO - 5 digits, starts with an 8

I carry a little paper in my wallet, with that info for reference when I am shopping.

Heirloom - This is the term used for seeds that come from original, natural, unmodified in any way plants. Many heirloom seed growers can trace their seeds back to the pilgrims and early settlers. Sort of like seed genealogy, I guess! Heirloom seeds are not GMO, or genetically modified. However, if the vendor doesn't say they are Non-Hybrid, they may not be. They could be from plants with mixed breeds, like a Crenshaw Melon with a Honeydew Melon. They could be cross-pollinated or grafted from original heirloom plants and still be sold as "Heirloom". I think that's wrong. Natural is natural. Nature never mixed an apple and a pear together. Man did. However, if you can find out what kind of "tampering" has gone on, and you are OK with it - that's fine. Just know what you are getting.

Where to buy - I buy all my heirloom seeds on E-Bay. Last year I spent days searching every heirloom seed seller I could find on the internet, only to discover that many of them also sell on E-Bay - for a much smaller price. On E-Bay, do a search for "heirloom seeds". You will find individual seed packets for a certain plant, herb, vegetable, etc., or "seed kits" or package deals with a huge variety of seeds for a bulk price. Just watch for "Non-GMO" and "Non-Hybrid" labeling. Many of them are also certified organic. If you collect a few seeds each year from your home-grown produce, you will only have to buy seeds once, and will be set with good healthy food for life!

If you've never sold or bought anything on E-Bay, here's how it works: The buyers rate (and can comment on) the sellers after they buy something. They rate quality of product and the service they received. The sellers who are not one-time and want to continue to sell on E-Bay, will have good products, send them out quickly, and have great prices. It's a great system that self-perpetuates quality assurance. I looked up a few of the current deals to give you a place to start:

70,000 seeds, $69.99, seller is Mozybeau Auctions, and they are a Top Rated Seller on E-Bay.
50,000 seeds, $59.99, Mozybeau Auctions
30,000 seeds, $19.50, Seller is twinoak12, Top Rated Seller
1900 seeds, $12.50, twinoak12
Seller: Ohioheirloomseeds, Top Rated Seller - They have a lot of individual packets for sale. Like: 200 cabbage seeds for $1.99

That's only a very few. There are MANY more to shop from. The individual prices and number of seeds in a packet varies depending on what the produce is. You might only get 7 miniature banana tree seeds in a packet, but 1,500 carrot seeds. Most of the vendors also have links to info on the best way to plant your seeds, take care of them, and collect your own seeds for next year. Be sure and copy off that information while it's easily accessible. It does not come with your seeds.

How to keep your seeds - Fresh seeds don't stay good forever. At room temperature, most of them will need to be planted within a year or two, maybe more, but as they dry and age and their living enzymes die, they won't germinate anymore. Storing them in a cooler place makes them last longer. Many people keep them in the fridge. I keep mine in the freezer. In the freezer, the enzymes go dormant, and most seeds can still be warmed back up and will germinate 15-20 years later, or longer.

You've probably heard about the World Seed Bank in the frozen mountains of Norway. They are freezing and saving seeds due to the fear of pending catastrophic global disaster that many are anticipating. (That was a mouthful!) Well, you can have your own Family Food Bank right in your freezer. We've already pulled a few out this year to start some corn, tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and a couple of others, in the house while we wait for our "crazy weather" outside to mellow out a little.

I hope you are all inspired to get on-line and order a few good seeds. It's quick. It's inexpensive, and it's a lot of fun to grow your own food! And that "fun" may just end up being a life-saver.

Crazy Montana Weather!

2010-05-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

We have a saying here: "If you don't like the weather - wait 5 minutes." I remember more than one occasion in this valley when it was 82 degrees one day and snow flakes falling the next! I love the Spring because it's very common to be in a torrential downpour while the sun is shining brightly! One big isolated cloud will be gushing it's contents while the rest of the sky is clear and blue. It's beautiful!

Last week we had a sunny snow storm. Snowflakes falling in the sun is a surreal sight. These flakes were "falling" horizontally! They painted the south side of all the trees, then the wind stopped and left everything as bright and calm as before against the backdrop of a bright blue sky.

Like most other places, we used to get a lot more snow on the average than we do these days. But last winter we got dumped on pretty hard.

This is my husband and oldest son shoveling off the garage and lean-to.

Our mailboxes.

Daniel with his prized icicle.

The road to my house.

A view from my deck.

Dad, finding his sidewalk.

A cold day on the ski slopes.

Here are a few more frosty day pictures:

And of course, where there is crazy weather - there are crazy people! This is the annual Polar Plunge held on New Year's Day on Flathead Lake. Some years, ice has to be broken up for the "crazies" to get in the water. Thy guy sitting in the water in the center of the second picture, is my husband. (We're only related by marriage. :-))

Now you know why I grew up preparedness-minded! The snow last winter typifies what every winter was like - and often we had a lot more than that. I knew to never get in the car and leave without having a pair of boots, warm hat, mittens and face scarf, a blanket, and basic first aid and emergency kits. It could be clear and mild when you left the house, but we knew the weather could change dramatically within a very short time. Living several miles out of town, up steep gravel roads with only our home and my grandparent's ranch at the end of it, I had to leave the car in the snow and walk the last mile on more than one occasion! Our road was not the county snowplow's top priority when a blizzard hit. And there were no cell phones.

I'm grateful for having been taught to take responsibility for myself and others, and to be as prepared as possible for whatever situation I might find myself in. As I've traveled and lived in more populated areas, the matches and pocket knife I ALWAYS have in my purse, have been the topic of many good-natured chidings. But I, and many others, have sure been glad they were there on a whole lot of occasions!

Most of us live where there is food, water and shelter always around us. It's so easy to take the convenience for granted and then be caught off guard when they are gone. The blizzards, flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes and power-outages that have been happening around the globe, are prompting many more people to plan for the unexpected. And then there are the others - who watch the news in amazement, but don't think it will ever happen to them. Or maybe just haven't made it a high enough priority to take inventory and start stocking up yet. Please start preparing now, and if you've already begun - keep going! A lot of people around you will be in need if a disaster strikes. Preparedness is Peace of Mind!

It's better to have it and not need it -

than need it and not have it!

Aluminum Foil - Survival Cooking Essential

2010-05-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

One of the nice aspects to blogging that I hadn't anticipated, is making friends. I had hoped to share useful information that would motivate and inspire others to become more self-reliant and able to take care of themselves in tougher times that are sure to come. But in the short time I've been posting, already I feel like you are my friends, and therefor feel an even greater interest in knowing that you will have the food and supplies you need to stay warm, fed, comfortable, or even alive, in the face of disaster. Planning doesn't have to be elaborate. "Simple" is the perfect place to start. You can always add to it from there.

We have to eat. Whether it's a hobo dinner, a reflector oven, or a make-shift griddle - If you have aluminum foil and sufficient heat, you can cook. This is "simple". I buy the large, restaurant supply rolls of aluminum foil at Costco Warehouse. You get a lot more for your money than in the smaller containers, and the heavy-duty foil will hold up much better than some of the very thin kitchen-use foil.

Hobo Dinners
Probably everyone knows what a Hobo Dinner is, but just in case: It's typically meat, onions, other vegetables and seasoning wrapped in foil and placed on a grate over a fire, or in the hot coals. You can really cook a whole lot of things this way - cobbler, cake, camp breads, stews, any vegetables or meats... Rather than completely wrapping the food, you can also form a "pot" shape to set over the heat source.

When cooking in a campfire, it's best to not have the foil right in the middle of the hottest part of the fire and glowing coals, or your food may burn. I learned that the hard way! Pulling some hot coals away into a pile and "burying" your foil dinner in them works great. Or set it on a grate of some kind, just above the heat. I've sat a foil dinner right at the edge of a good, hot fire and just turned it around a few times.

One of my favorite foil desserts is a Banana Boat.
~ Slice a banana from top to bottom on the inside of the curve. Cut clear through the banana without cutting into the peel on the back of the banana. Leave the banana in its peel.
~ Pull the banana open a little along the cut and stuff it with pieces of chocolate and marshmallows.
~ Set the banana on a sheet of foil and wrap it tightly around the banana, twisting and securing the ends.
~ Place it in the coals and let cook for about 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how much heat you have it in.
~Open the foil, grab a spoon and dig in!

Mmmmm! I love those!

Reflector Oven
There are several ways to make a reflector oven. A Solar Oven is a type of reflector oven made of reflective material that focuses the sun's rays onto the food. Or you can make a reflector to sit next to a fire and reflect its heat onto the food, like the one in the picture on the right.

A cardboard box can be lined with foil to set your dutch oven or other container inside with hot briquettes, like the picture on the left. I don't have any photos of my own, so I got these from Google Images to give you an idea of the different options.

The reflector oven I've used is a little different. I lined the inside of a box with foil. Then you set it upside down with one end propped up with rocks about an inch. Inside, you have hot briquettes, and 2 or 4 tin cans to set your cooking dish on top of. For now, you will have to get the idea from my not-so-professional sketches below. I have cooked a casserole and baked a cake this way. I've watched others bake bread and cupcakes. They sat a cookie sheet on the tin cans and then put the bread pans on the cookie sheet. You would bake in this reflector oven the very same as you would in a conventional oven. I was really amazed at how simple and efficient it was.

When our weather turns nicer, I will do some reflector oven baking and take some good photos to show you how it works. Not that you need nice weather of course! This would be the perfect way to cook outside on the ground or a patio or apartment deck in the dead of winter. Just make sure your surface is heat safe. I'll also give more info on how many briquettes you need, depending on how hot you want your oven.

Makeshift foil griddle or pan
This is pretty basic. Lay foil flat over a fire grate, on top of a wood stove, or anywhere else that you can get sufficient heat. If you need to, you can shape the foil into a container to heat a small amount of water or soup or something else with liquid.

While we have easy access to the internet, is the time to search for and collect recipes that we like and other information that would be useful.

Aluminum Concerns
For many years, I have been leery of cooking with aluminum. The warnings came out long ago to throw out our aluminum cookware and replace them with steel or earthenware. We take in aluminum every day. It occurs naturally in the air, soil and water. It is sometimes used in pain killers and other medications, toothpaste, antiperspirant, baking powder, beer, bleached flour, grated cheese, table salt and a variety of other things. Municipal water can be one of our highest sources of aluminum intake.

I've done some research over the years and continue to find conflicting information. Some say that the minuscule amount of aluminum we would get from cooking is insignificant. But there is plenty of literature to warn of the dangers of Aluminum Toxicity. I continue to be cautious. The last time we made foil dinners (Hobo dinners), we wrapped the meat and vegetables in cabbage leaves and then wrapped that with the foil. The cabbage made the food taste even better but put something between it and the aluminum. We threw the leaves away.

In spite of my concerns, I have plenty of aluminum foil on hand for emergency cooking. It would be better to be able to cook with foil, than not cook at all. Also, you can fold a significant amount of foil into a flat shape that takes very little room for backpacking, or to put in an emergency 72-hour kit.

We would be wise to learn all we can and make educated decisions as we plan to provide for ourselves, families and others. I pray you are all taking steps to store necessities and gain needed skills, because preparedness is peace of mind, not panic.

Sunday Renewal

2010-05-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

Aren't Sundays wonderful?! It's like stopping at the filling station to make it through the journey of another week! Meeting together with friends and family, with a common purpose - to worship God and learn how to become more Christ-like. We give each other support and strength. Some days we may give more, and some days we may need to receive more, and that's the beauty of it! We become like a grove of Aspens, woven together to help each other remain standing when the storms hit us and the winds are the strongest.

A small stick is easy to snap in half. But if you take a bundle of those little sticks and bind them together with love and unity and faith in God, the bundle cannot be broken. Alone we are weak. Together we are strong. That is why God put us in families! That is why we have friends. And that is the blessing of a "church family."

Here are a few bits of encouragement and wisdom that others shared with me today:

Be prepared to step in and render service - before any request is made. When we are serving others, we are serving God.

Honesty is like pregnancy. Either you are, or you aren't!

When obedience ceases to be an irritant, and becomes a joy - THEN are we empowered.

I hope we all find many opportunities to serve others this week - and a wonderful week it will be!

Rainy Day Cabbage Soup

2010-04-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

It's been rainy and cold for a few days. A real contrast from the 80 degrees we had about 4 days ago. Rainy days and snowy days always put me in the mood for soup. Today I'm having a cabbage soup hankering. It's a light soup; brothy, nutritious, and the absolute easiest and quickest to make. Of all the soups I make, this is my youngest son's very favorite.

Cabbage Soup

Put some water in a pan and turn it on high.
Slice a head of cabbage into shreds and add to the water.
Chop up some Polish Sausages and add to the pot.
Let it simmer until the cabbage is soft.

Eat. Can it get any simpler? I said "some" ingredients because it doesn't really matter exactly how much water, cabbage or sausage. I fill a big stock pot 1/2 full of water and shred up a head or two of cabbage. Enough that when I stuff the cabbage down into the water, it fills it up without sticking above the water. You could shred 1/4 of a head into a small sauce pan if you only want a serving or two. I chop up enough Polish Sausages to generously flavor the soup. We like lots of sausage in it.

The sausage provides the flavor. I'm sure there are other meats or sausages that would work just as well. My family likes it just like that, without any additional seasoning. You can add more salt, or pepper. I once added curry powder to it and that was really good, adding a little kick. I've also added carrots on occasion. It's a recipe you just can't mess up!

My mother has always taught me how good for us cabbage is. If you feel like reading on, I'll include parts of a couple of articles that give some healthy details:

From an article titled Health Benefits of Cabbage, Aparup Mukherjee says this:

"The health benefits of cabbage include treatment of constipation, stomach ulcers, headache, excess weight, skin disorders, eczema, jaundice, scurvy, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, eye disorders, heart diseases, aging, and Alzheimer's disease."

And here's a great E-Zine article by Dr. Linda Posh (parts have been omitted):

The Health Benefits of Cabbage

Sadly, most American households wrinkle their noses at the mere mention of this valuable, all powerful and sorely misunderstood vegetable. The word cabbage is usually enough to send children to their rooms with a myraid of excuses as to why they may not wish to eat their evening meal. While cabbage is a delicious and healthful staple in other countries, it is almost foreign to Americans, with the exception of good old fashioned cole slaw. Do recognize that this American cabbage specific, mayonnaise laden dish full of hydrogenated oils and other unmentionables, absolutely ruins the reason for eating such a healthful food in the first place.

...Rich in nutrition and fiber, cabbage is an absolutely phenomenal source of Vitamin C. Even more impressive is that cabbage is famous for a specialized, naturally occurring, nitrogenous compound known as indoles. Current research indicates that indoles can lower the risk of various forms of cancer.

...An early Roman medicinal preparation blended lard with the ashes of burnt cabbage to make an ointment for disinfecting wounds. ...Epidemiological studies have found that men living in China and Japan experience a much lower rate of prostate cancer than their American counterparts. Similar data has been uncovered regarding breast cancer rates among women.

It is no wonder that the lowly, plain, boring cabbage gets rave reviews from the world of nutritionists. Cabbage is relatively cheap yet one of the richest when it comes to protective vitamins. Talk about the original weight loss food! One cup of cabbage contains only around 15 calories.

Cabbage is rich in the following nutrients:

Vitamin A: responsible for the protection of your skin and eyes.

Vitamin C: an all important anti-oxidant and helps the mitochondria to burn fat.

Vitamin E: a fat soluble anti-oxidant which plays a role in skin integrity.

Vitamin B: helps maintain integrity of nerve endings and boosts energy metabolism.

Modern science has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the health benefits and therapeutic value of cabbage, which also plays a role in the inhibition of infections and ulcers. Cabbage extracts have been proven to kill certain viruses and bacteria in the laboratory setting. Cabbage boosts the immune system's ability to produce more antibodies. Cabbage provides high levels of iron and sulfur, minerals that work in part as cleansing agents for the digestive system.

Cabbage can be grown about anywhere in the world, it's inexpensive, and very healthy. What a great way to add to your self-reliance!

A Weekend In Spokane

2010-04-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

We took a little break, partly for my son's birthday, and spent the weekend in Spokane, Washington. This is kind of a random post, but I thought I'd share a few photos of what we saw.

Spokane is the site of the EXPO '74' World's Fair, next to Gonzaga University. They've turned the fair site into a nice park and entertainment area, called Riverfront Park. There are carnival rides, a carousel, miniature golf, an IMAX theater, a Sky Ride tram that takes you in front of the falls, and lots of nice grass and pathways. The dome-shaped structure behind the ferris wheel above, is the framework left from the U.S. pavillion. To the right, the Carillon tower bells ring out a melody every hour.

Some of the architecture caught my eye.

The Sky Ride tram takes you in front of the waterfall.

Then we joined in the race around the park.

The local residents were very diverse:

The IMAX Theater had been a part of the U.S. Pavillion also. At the EXPO, it showed a film called "Man belongs to the earth", which showed beautiful scenes of our country, followed by demonstrations of the growing pollution problem. Now, it plays a 45 minute film that documents the story of the Hubble Space Telescope, and shows us some of what the Hubble has seen. It was pretty spectacular.

The trees around the park were just starting to bud, and I noticed these tulips hiding in the grass.

Not far from home, we spotted this mother black bear and her two little cubs. She kept her path as much behind the cover of bushes and trees as she could, so I was lucky to get a shot in a small clearing.

It was a nice weekend break. Now back to business!

Oil Pulling - An Interesting Health Technique

2010-04-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've recently learned of a unique natural health and healing technique. It's called "Oil Pulling". People claim to have experienced a great variety of healing and health benefits from it. It's really simple to do and is only the cost of a little oil.

In all my natural health experience, I've never come across this before, but the principle makes sense to me. For the past 20 years or so, I've studied natural healing techniques like Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Body Talk, Polarity Balancing, Therapeutic Touch and others. I also make my own tinctures, poultices, healing salves, herbal teas and I wild-harvest a lot of the herbs that we use. It has served us well. My 3 teenage boys have never been to a doctor for an illness.The healthier we are, the more independent we are!

Oil Pulling works on the principle of "drawing". There are black salves or "drawing salves" that you use topically to pull infections, poisons, even cancers, out through the skin. Certain poultices can also pull out toxins and infections. Alkaline substances, like baking soda, have a drawing effect. Baking soda works well on bee stings, cold sores, impetigo, etc. Oil Pulling is done by swishing oil in your mouth. The tissues of the gums, and especially under the tongue, are very permeable. As you swish the oil, it draws out impurities and toxins from your body.

Some of the claims listed, are that Oil Pullling has healed, or been the solution to: headaches, bronchitis, tooth pain, cavities, whitens teeth, thrombosis, eczema, ulcers and diseases of the stomach, intestines, heart, blood, kidney, liver, lungs, arthritis, fibromyalgia and women's diseases -to name only some. It's claimed to heal diseases of the nerves, paralysis, encephalitis, prevents the growth of malignant tumors, and heal cuts and other injuries. Basically, if you clean out your body, whatever ails you should improve or go away, unless it's a physical injury. But even healing of injuries is enhanced when the body is healthy.

It's not an over-night "magic pill". But should be done daily for an extended period of time to see results. Put a little oil in your mouth in the morning and gently swish for 20 minutes, then spit it out and rinse your mouth. The oil should be foamy white, or yellow, at that point and full of all the impurities it's been extracting. I use cold pressed organic coconut oil. It's solid, but melts as soon as it's in my mouth. I've only been doing it for a short time, and don't have any known or noticable "ailments" currently, so I don't know what I'll experience, but I'm sure I can use some cleaning and detoxifying just like everyone else! I'll keep you posted if anything note-worthy happens. You know, like if I grow an extra arm or something!

There are a few different kinds of oils recommended as best to use, techniques and details on how to go about it, and other things that are worth reading up on. Rather than go into greater detail here, I'll recommend that you Google "Oil Pulling" and have fun reading the different info and results people have had. No one should be trying to sell you anything, unless you want to know more about the deep workings and principles behind the treatment, and want to buy a book. There is one I've found that comes highly recommended: Oil Pulling Therapy by Bruce Fife. If you try this out and have some great result, we'd all love to hear about it! Happy swishing.

The Light of Christ - Our Responsibility

2010-04-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5: 14-16

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Christ has given us the sacred responsibility to let our light - the Light of Christ within us - shine to others. We do that by striving to be like Him. When we serve others, we are serving our Father in heaven, and we glorify Him. It is our responsibility to help others, lift others when they are down, teach others, share goodness and the light we have within us with others.

We also have the responsibility to be humble enough to receive, because that is how we help others share their light.

What's A Nauga Farm?

2010-04-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

My Google email is naugafarm@gmail.com. (You're welcome to email me.) I've had many people ask me where I came up with that, or what is a Nauga farm? I think the story is worth sharing in case anyone is needing a chuckle today.

Many years ago, when I was in college in Idaho, I had an interesting conversation with a California girl. She was very nice. Now, in spite of the fact that she was blond, from California, and used phrases like "gag me with a fork", I do not have any prejudice against anyone who fits any of those descriptions! As we visited, she asked me where I was from. I told her "Montana".

She said "Wow! Really? Then you're Canadian, huh?" She seemed pretty excited at the prospect of meeting a real live foreigner. I said "no" and explained where Montana was, and that it was next to Canada, so she wouldn't feel like she was too far off. She asked if we had electricity, had to ride horses to get around, and a few other things like that. I answered all her questions until her curiosity was satisfied. She just kind of looked at me, like she was processing the whole thing, and then said "Well... what do you guys DO there? I mean like, what does your dad do for a living?"

I couldn't resist. I said "He raises Naugas."

She asked "What's a Nauga?"

I said "Do you know what Naugahyde is?"

"Oh ya! That leather stuff they cover chairs and things with!"

"Exactly! Well, he raises Naugas and sells their hides."

She was satisfied, and that was the end of the conversation.

(The photo of the "nauga" above, is a Google image."

Light - One More Idea (Addendum!)

2010-04-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

Another great idea for either long or short-term alternative lighting is outdoor solar lights. For those of you who didn't see the comment left by "Kristy", she mentioned using those after Hurricane Ike. If you are lucky enough to have sun during the day, charge them up and then bring them indoors at night. I had intended to include that option and then forgot about it, so thank you Kristy for the insightful comment!

I don't have any experience with outdoor solar lights. I'm wondering if they need direct sunlight, or if they'll charge even on a cloudy day. Does anyone know? I'd love some comments if you have experience or knowledge about that.

And look at all the options! With ambiance like this, I think they would be a very soothing alternative during a crisis. Maybe I'll start using them - crisis or not! And save a lot of money on electric bills at the same time.

Light - When The Power Goes Out - Part 2

2010-04-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

A flashlight just isn't going to cut it if you are without power for a week, or a month, or indefinitely. You will need some long-burning lamps or lanterns, and they need fuel. They can use lamp oil, kerosene, other fuels, or solar powered.

Oil lamps are easy to use and inexpensive. The basic requirements are a container to hold the oil, a wick. Most of them have glass coverings around the flame and come in hundreds of designs and styles. They come in free standing, hanging or wall-mount design. You can burn almost any oil in them, including
olive oil, nut and seed oils, hemp oil, vegetable oils, fish oil, mustard oil, Castor oil... you name it. Other kinds of fuel are coal oil, white gas, and kerosene, also known as paraffin oil. Some fuels burn cleaner than others, and give off different odors. There are a dozen or more different sizes of wicks used, depending on the lamp. We have lamps that use 3/8", 1/2" and 5/8". I keep this lamp sitting on top of a bookshelf, filled and accessible all the time. We've had to use it many times when the power was out.

Here are a few more samples of styles of oil lamps:

Pressure lamps/lanterns use a "mantel" instead of a wick. The fuel is pressurized, usually by you pumping a lever. These give off a much brighter light than a wick lamp. I'm not going to go into detail here about how they work. When you shop for lanterns or lamps, you can learn the details specific to whatever you buy. We have a Coleman lantern and an Aladdin lamp, like the ones in the pictures.

Lamps and lanterns are usually not very expensive. Neither are the accessories for them: wicks, mantels, fuel, extra chimneys (the glass covering). Now is the time to do a little shopping, and stock up on plenty of fuel, wicks, mantels and matches.

And here is one of my little candle lamps that I didn't include in the last "Light" post.