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In 2006 I was writing a preparedness column for my local newspaper when it was requested that I post my information on a website. I did for several years, but then life got the better of me and I was pulled in too many directions and so I slowly slipped away from it all. Well, I’m back and have even more to offer this time around. As I was reviewing my old articles, I was reminded of how much information they contained. I’m going to start bringing them back with possibly a few small updates but mostly as they were when they were originally published. The prices have changed (and how they have changed!), but the advice and information is still sound. I hope you enjoy.
The emphasis of the A Prepared Home website, will be day-to-day preparedness and food storage. ARE YOU STILL THERE? I really hope so. I know that the fastest way to lose somebody’s attention is to say the words: preparedness, grain, food storage, or even worse (whisper) suggesting you actually eat from your food storage.
I have gathered a group of very intelligent and highly capable women who have walked the walk and talked the talk. If we have experienced something we will share the good, the bad, and the ugly. We hope to take you with us on our journey of preparedness. If at first it is kicking and screaming, that’s ok, we’ve raised children. What we are hoping for is that you really won’t notice that you have changed your thought process until after you have adopted a new way of looking at food storage and preparedness and are no longer afraid of it. We want to show you that with a few small changes, a bunch of new ideas (that are easy and very reasonable) you won’t want to go back to your old ways. We don’t want you to be overwhelmed, and if you take it “bite by bite,” you won’t be.
We look at food storage a little differently than most people. We don’t prepare because we think that the world is coming to an end, this is just how we live as families day-to-day - although, one of us has lived off the grid for more than 16+ years. What we do want is to be a part of our community and to take care of our families – especially during difficult times. We believe that for the majority of people the crisis that they will endure will be closer to home: loss of jobs, a downturn in the economy, too much debt, poor health, and a variety of other problems. Yes, there will be community wide disasters too, you hear about them daily in the news, but being prepared for any situation will do nothing less than give you the confidence and ability to face any problem head on and overcome challenges with confidence. We don’t want you to be afraid of the future – we want you to prepare for it and enjoy the journey.
In my house I don’t really store my food; I just have lots, and lots, and lots of what I like to eat stored. That way I can shop in my basement like it is a store and just replenish my shelves when they get low, just like a store. I call it R&R – rotate and replenish (preferably when it is on sale). I also like to cook big meals (yeah right – with a hint of sarcasm); actually, I like to cook quick and easy, yummy and nutritious meals, and those are the types of things that we will be sharing with you.
Being prepared, in all aspects of your life, for a disaster, personal, community or national, is the best way to maintain peace of mind. It doesn’t mean that the disaster won’t come, but it will make it more manageable when it does happen. One of my favorite sayings is: Knowledge is Power. I’m going to provide you with knowledge to empower you during a crisis, of any kind, large or small.
In my next article I am going to talk about water. I love water; eight glasses of water? Pshaw, child’s play. Ok, I hear the moaning right now, “but I can’t drink water, I can only drink gallons of _______________ (insert favorite beverage here – e.g., Pepsi/Coke, coffee, Kool-Aid, or whatever has sugar or caffeine in it) every day”. That’s all good and dandy, but you will NOT die if you don’t have a Diet Coke™ (quit arguing with me – you won’t, really!), but if you don’t have water you can die. So, to prepare you for next week just remember: Two gallons, per person, per day, for a two week period. Remember that, and I’ll fill the rest of it in next week.