Mental Prepping

  

I have often in my life been called a day dreamer.  I suppose that could be true.  Truthfully, anytime that I have a problem or a plan, it has always helped me to work through the details or solution in my mind. I do believe that in preparing for a catastrophe or for any crisis that might come along in your life, the mental prepping is the most important. It's great and smart to have all the physical basics of survival...water, food, etc., however if you're not mentally prepared for an upheaval in your life, you will be in desperate confusion.    

 

I think that it is very beneficial to think through "what if" scenarios. Allow your mind to explore the possibilities such as, what if  my car would not run, what if there were no utilities, no power, what if  I needed to eat and function right here for an extended period of time and protect my family?  I'm not talking about brooding or fretting over worrisome events, just thinking of some solutions, thinking of how you can insure that you have some options.  Mentally prepping for disasters will make you much more capable of dealing with difficult events that might occur.          

 

To me there is another part of mental prepping.  If you had visited my home for the big Thanksgiving meal, with my whole very eclectic family in attendance, you would quickly know that we are like the majority of American families these days. We are NOT a Norman Rockwell perfect picture.  The world is very complicated in our times. Families...grown children, grand children have tangled and far from simple  relationships and problems of dealing with the world of today. My family is no different from many. We love each other but we don't always like each other.     

 

The important thing is that we try to not live like we have an infinite amount of time to deal with disagreements and problems that arise.  None of us have that luxury.  I'm not saying we always totally solve all of our problems or that feelings are completely repaired.  We do try to find some middle ground, some places to make peace and accept our differences. The people that we love the most have the ability to hurt us or disappoint or make us the most unhappy. I honestly believe that we should not waste our energy or very precious time on anger, grudges or resentment. After all, tomorrow you may have to stand side by side against a threat to your very survival.

 

Mentally prepare for catastrophe.  Make thoughtful plans and do not bear grudges against those that may someday be your strongest allies.

 

 

 

                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Burnt Cookies & Maddening Calls

It really does just burn my cookies.  Is it not my own private phone? Does anybody at any time for any reason have the right to call.  I accept that I have the right to not answer the ring of my phone and very often...no recognizable number or area code or ID, unknown, incomplete...I exercise that right.

Still, it's the most aggravating and infuriating thing.  I detest the feeling that I have to be leery, study the blanking tiny screen to see IF I want to answer my own phone.  The solicitors, charities and fundraisers have become completely obnoxious, rude and and invasive. I just recently learned that many of the fundraising companies that have been retained by very worthy charities get a high percentage of the donations that are collected.  Smell those cookies scorching?

The strategies and tactics of these fundraisers are as despicable as old bill collecting agencies. Like most people I know, we give to the charities that we really feel are worthy or have a particular affinity with.  We give when and the amount as we are able to. Even one of my very favorite charities that I truly believe does immense good works and whom I have already given my donation to this year, has begun to call at least twice EVERY day.  Another, as I was writing a check out, I noticed that I had already written a donation out and sent it, less than a month before.  The phone rings with unwanted calls all day long and the mail box is clogged with slick begging envelopes.  There seems to be no real recognition of gifts just given and they bury me with labels, calendars, stacks of small freebees that I do not want. How much of such stuff can a person use?  Obviously, with your name already nicely printed, your guilt will make you send in another donation. 

These practices are so maddening and I'm so disappointed that reputable and admirable charities are using them.  I have already dropped several organizations from my list, refuse to donate to them.  I do not answer the calls and I often dump a pile of unopened envelopes into the trash, goodies and all.  What a waste!  These mailings, these calls cost the charity money.  I truly believe they are having a negative impact. 

The most heart breaking thing that happened to me lately.  A very old dear friend passed away from cancer. It so happened that on a day very close to her leaving, when she was so desperately ill, a fund raiser from one of the cancer charities called. I answered the phone that day, not wanting to miss any calls. So sad and with my stomach twisted, I politely told the person that I had a friend dying of cancer and that any help I would have to give would personally be given to her and her family at this time.  This rude beggar actually argued with me, tried to get me to give my friend's info. so they could offer help. Really?! Offer help or add her family to their solicitation list. "Shame, shame, shame on you...aren't you ashamed of yourself?" My grandmother's voice echoes in my ear.

I will never give to that charity again and many others. I look up the record and information of any charity that I wish to donate to. I'm perfectly happy to use my own envelope and stamp and do not want money that should be spent on the cause used on insignificant trivials and  to annoy me.

Small Space Prepping

My recent contact with the website The Survival Mom, (http://thesurvivalmom.com) has reminded me how much I truly believe in the varied and sensible philosophy of the prepper movement.  A wonderful website, one of the top respected prepper websites, owned and managed by a "mom"...the site is filled with practical, clear and useful information. As I was reading through the articles and tips, I suddenly realized that a plan the spouse and I recently birthed would mean a lot of thought about my survival preparations; the preparations I've been able to gather and future accumulations. 

Over a time span of a year to year and a half, we will be downsizing and changing our summer cabin in to our primary residence.  With children, grand babes and even a great grand child here in Texas, not to mention old friends and ties, we will not be abandoning our home state, we just will no longer maintain a home here.  Even though, I've always been what I would call a practical prepper and have never had vast stores or an underground bunker, etc. the changes will make it necessary to rethink my survival supply storage.  Our cabin is small and it's likely that a travel trailer will be our residence when we are visiting our hometown. 

Here are a few thoughts I've had about using small spaces and still maintaining a reasonable amount of preparations in case of a major disaster or crisis:

                    *Dry canning is an excellent way to store dried goods. The food stays much fresher for a long period of time. Boxes are not near as good for long time storage and take up more room.  A box of hamburger helper will fit in a pint jar, a box of cereal in a quart jar or two.  Some of the things you see on my shelf (in the picture) are jars of powdered eggs and powdered milk, rice and noodle dinners.  If you live in an area or fear earthquakes, I've thought before that putting your jars back in the box they came in would provide some protection. It would require much better labeling, since you couldn't view the jars but would make them very stackable.

                   *It's amazing how much stores will fit on even 2 or three feet of several shelves. Under beds is great storage space. You don't have to have fancy containers, just a shallow box that cans or jars, etc. can lay down in, not loaded too heavy to slide out. A suitcase or two, stacked in a closet would hold a lot of first aid and medicines, toiletries or other necessities.  Of course, the plastic buckets from the hardware store also are water proof and hold a lot of small items and they stack well. Put paper goods and soft goods like flour sack towels in a large trash bag, tie it on a hanger and push it to the back of your closet.

                  *If you really look around, even if you live in an apartment or small home, you can find spaces to have some storage.  If you are limited on closets and cabinets, then use containers that serve double purpose, such as old suitcases that stack to make a table, but can be filled.

I don't think that living in small quarters, not having a whole room to spare, should keep you from being prepared.  Use your imagination and as I've always said, just a thing or two at a time and you will not be without if tomorrow is not what you expected it to be.

Wasted

One of the many definitions of waste is to use or spend to excess and carelessly. Even when it is used to describe someone way into the depths of some drug or alcohol, it's the same, a careless use of mind and body.  It can't be denied that as a nation, as a people, we are excessively wasteful.  We live in a land with such extreme plenty that it's very difficult as humans not to partake to the fullest.

Many of us, especially the older population, or folks from a poor background, often carry a lot of guilt about the excess.  The hubby and I often comment that sometimes things just feel obscene. Even the poor in our country, with their televisions, cell phones, food stamps, food banks and a multitude of assistance resources, aren't in the "living in filth, disease and starvation" situation of other unfortunates in the world. If they are in abject poverty in America, there is a belief by many that they have mostly put their selves there. And we aren't speaking of those with chronic debilitating bad health or events in their lives that were completely out of their control or those with diminished mental abilities. There's not a single person that I know, who would not be willing to take half the dinner on their table and share it with another.  Americans are not selfish. We give very unselfishly, even though corruption and evil misuse of charity takes the gifts from the needy in many instances.

 So, in a society that seems to be swimming in the comfortable waters of abundance, what has brought us to be so thoughtless and wasteful of our gifts? Answer number one is that we are human. Humans have an incredible ability to quickly adapt to prosperity, to become spoiled. Our motivation for being wasteful is the belief that there will be more where that came from.  The garbage, the food thrown away, behind just one of our local restaurants is truly obscene. The spouse and I often share a meal because the portions are so huge. I have friends who buy a restaurant meal, take it home and divide it into two more meals for later. Why do restaurants serve excessive portions? Well, because we are spoiled, we demand bigger, better and more. Those that are trying to make a living selling food, cater to the wants of the public. 

There is no stronger motivation for any behavior than experiencing personally something. You very easily want more of that something or never want that to happen to you again and typically act accordingly.  I have known what it's like to go to bed hungry.  Of course, I was determined that me or mine would never be in that situation.  Fortunately, as that child, I had family or others that cared that would've never let me truly starve. There was a time, when only family, good neighbors or the church would be there if you were down on your luck or an unexpected crisis arose. You tried to be as self sufficient and prepared as possible for a stroke of bad luck. You worked because if you didn't, there was NO money to live on, you went to college to be able to work at a better job, you put your extra change in a penny bank and any few dollars you could spare in a savings account. You took care of what you had acquired, it was not something to just throw away or neglect. You wanted your family to have enough but an excess just didn't feel right.

We waste because of a false security that there will be more.  Food will always be on the loaded store shelves, gas at the corner station for our multiple cars, water and electricity at the touch of a switch or handle.  If we get down on our luck, one of the numerous government programs or assistance agencies will be right there to take care of us.  Why be a conservative? It's there for us, isn't it?  We have children who are so completely devoid of empathy for their fellow humans,  they think if someone offends them, if things don't go as they want, if people don't give them all that they deserve, then just like the game or television show, they will shoot them. As if they have no concept of ceasing to exist, no more life. Precious lives wasted.

While very few of us can claim these days to not have waste in our lives, some have come to believe that a people who so carelessly use their resources with no personal accountability and responsibility will surely find them selves with no resources.  The people who prepare for a possible disaster, in ways both small and large, do so because they believe that very likely there will be a day when only their own self sufficiency will allow them to survive. They are not wasting any opportunity to prepare for an uncertain future.  What others do, think or believe should have nothing to do with what your heart and mind tells you is right. I believe character is not about being perfect, it is about always striving to be better.  Ask yourself, what did I waste today?  Is there even a small thing that I could have saved or left for someone else?