OINK OINK! It's here.

Well this is the second time in my lifetime I've had to worry about a "pandemic" the first one was the Anthrax scare. This one took me by surprise because I was thinking the avian/bird flu would be the culprit. I had never heard of the swine flu.

Let me tell you how I'm coping/preparing. Yesterday I brought hand sanitizer to work to use in between hand washing (sometimes I can't always get to the restroom to wash them as often as I'd like). I handle people clothing so I use gloves, I "Lysoled" the phone, cash register, credit card machine, & light switches. I'm sure there were a number of things I missed spraying. I did this because my co worker came back from Mexico City about 5 weeks ago, and spraying made me feel better.

We have a couple bottles of hand sanitizer at home, a box of gloves, at least a dozen face masks in our first aid kit a big bottle Lysol, bleach, fever reducers (ibuprofen/acetaminophen) cough & cold meds, food & water, an new thermometer. Talking to a lot of people, they seem totally clueless as to what could happen if you are told to stay in your homes.

Tomorrow night I'm thinking of picking up more fever reducers for the kids (I need more anyway), some more food , water and pedialyte. I know there are medications out there that treat this, but we've found they are near impossible to get right now. I 'd love advice & to hear how you've prepared, and if you're in panic or wait and see mode.


On a lighter note I have found someone who is going to show me how to can. I am so excited, I almost cried when she told me she cans...I had been so nervous about trying it myself ( I didn't want to kill or poison anyone LOL) I'm going to get some mason jars to share, there will be three of us girls...what an awesome way to spend the day!

Also, another friend has a little garden plot her neighbor is letting her use (he even tilled it). I'm going to see if I can bring her some seeds, and give her a hand and see what grows for her. I'll write here what's been able to grow, the trials & errors, possibly post some pictures of what comes up. I'm excited because all I'm going for this year is that "Topsy Turvy" thing on my balcony...possible tomatoes and strawberries.

Well enjoy your night stay healthy & safe!

Alternative cooking/heating

Good Morning All.

I am so happy I don't have to work today.

One of the many things I do is constantly think about ways to cook food off grid. My Nana heated her home & cooked on these kerosene stoves until the early 80's. My Grampy always went down to the basement to fill the kerosene. She had a metal box with a temperature gauge on top of one of the burners to bake in . She made the best pot roast. She lived in a small New England seacoast town that now-a -days most people that grew up there can't afford to stay. She passed in 1987 when I was 13. I still think about her all the time. I know if she were still alive she would be a wealth of information. Okay moving on so I dont cry on my laptop.

Other ways I tought about cooking/and or heating is on a wood stove. I would love one like the one pictured above.

Then there is the solar oven which would take the place of my crockpot, also pictured above. The outdoor oven made of brick or adobe, propane & open fire.

Because we are in an apartment I have the small propane camping oven & the Coleman camping oven "the metal box". The outdoor propane grill, and the Mr. Buddy portable heater. My next cooking purchase may be a solar oven.

My thoughts on this is you should have multiple sources to cook/heat with depending on the season, weather & what sources are available to you.

So for now I use what I can in my apartment ...longing for fresh air, stars in the sky, and my husband being able to "working to live ...not living to work", and trying to learn as much as I can by reading my books and "listening" to all of the like-minded bloggers in cyber space.

Enjoy your day everyone!

Comment & Ideas are appreciated. I would love to hear about other ways you cook your food.

Miscellaneous rambling

Good Morning All,



We have beautiful weather here today after those storms moved through, just tornado watches here no warnings. I have to get some housework done before going to work at 3PM. I know I only have to work out of the home for one more year, and we'll have our own property. I would rather be doing something like this today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul0kQ_2lvrE . gardening in a bag. This link was posted in my comments section by Ginger. What a great idea if you are limited on space, soil & other resources. Thanks Ginger for sharing it.



The neighbors woke me up with their drunk rendition of N' Sync's "Bye, Bye Bye at 2AM. I keep telling myself & praying one more year.....



I am still working on my husband about that small chest freezer. I got hit in the head when some mixed vegetables flew out of my overloaded freezer this week, not fun first thing in the morning.



I ordered my Angel food box yesterday as will as the additional fruit & vegetable box. I hope to use my dehydrator on some of it.



The North Korea thing was a dud... I'd like to know what happened to the third stage??? Where did that land? The secret surrounding that bugs me. My opinion about the celebrity rock star bowing ...he definitely bowed... not good. Some of the negative shooting stories that would usually stay in local news, suddenly making national news....interesting. Our celebrity rock star ordering the pizza maker from Missouri http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1168940/Obamas-fly-chef-860-miles-White-House--just-make-pizza.html ...really stupid for the image, his handlers need to get him under control. Enough political ranting....just my opinions folks.



Well that's it for the day, I don't want to scare anyone with my miscellaneous ramblings.



Enjoy your day!

Patriots

This is from the very first Survival blog I ever read.... www.survivalblog.com


"Today is the "Patriots" Book Bomb Day!!! If you have a blog, then please mention this one-day event, and if not, then please send a brief e-mail to friends and relatives on your e-mail list, today, to let folks know about "Patriots: A Novel Survival in the Coming Collapse". The new edition features both an index and a glossary. This is the day to place an order. Please consider buying any copies for birthday and Christmas gifts early. This new edition of "Patriots". is priced at just $10.17. Our goal is to jumpstart the book's Amazon sales rank well into the Top 50, and perhaps even in the Top Ten. (When I last checked, it was ranked #135.) Many, many thanks!"

I have to work today, so I'll update later this week.

Have a good day!

Things have been so crazy lately. I've been spending so much time reading all the blogs I follow, I haven't had a chance to update mine.

I've been steadily adding to my preps, my regular freezer (the one on top of the fridge) is so full, when you open it you need to take cover. I'm really hoping to get a small freezer soon, I have a corner in my bedroom all prepared for it, I'll just buy a semi nice table cloth & ..put some pictures on it & voila a "decorative table" LOL.

I've also been picking up canned goods, rice, oats, batteries, TP, paper towels, lamp oil for my new handy dandy lamp (pictured in another post) & water. I use Angel food (where you buy a box of food for $30), I watch their prices carefully to make sure I'm getting a good deal. I like the fact that it comes with shelf stable liquid milk (not the powder, which I will stock up on & mix with liquid eventually, to get my son used to it).

This time next year we should be financially ready to purchase a property without a mortgage. Hopefully before anything major happens (Apartment living stinks for us.)

I'm trying to do some hanging strawberries & tomatoes on our small 2nd floor balcony..any suggestions on where to get these are greatly appreciated. I am also going to try a container of salad greens. The container of soil can't be too heavy, the apartments are old & I don't want my balcony to end up on the 1st floor LOL.

Thank you Kelle for telling me about this site www.thetreeofliberty.com. It's very informative as well as entertaining (quite some characters there, but very thoughtful & bright people). I am also in awe of your experience with The Encyclopedia of Country Living, thanks for sharing that, what an awesome life experience.

I'm also trying to stick the blogs I follow on my blog instead of in the dashboard part of the blog...but it seems to want me to enter all the links individually..if anyone knows an easier way to do this...please share.

I'm waiting patiently (impatiently) to purchase property so I can grow some of my own organic food, but meanwhile I use food storage, & prep all I can. I can't wait for those local farmers markets to open....a couple months away.

Last but not least ....things I worry about/question....Korea and its "satellite", the stock market (manipulated or not) ...and if our current country spokesman has too much power, has blinded people by his "rock star/celebrity status", has way too big of an ego ...oh the list could go on. I guess I just should put all my worrying energy into taking care of my family, praying, and leave the questioning to all those experienced political bloggers I read daily.

Sorry so long-winded today...It's been building up.
Thanks for "listening".
Enjoy your day!

Good Morning All,

It's Spring break! My kiddos are driving me cuckoo. It is so hard living in an apartment without a yard. It is hard going outside because the grassy areas are muddy & inundated with dog poop (I think I'm the only one in the complex who owns a pooper scooper)...We are saving & saving to buy our home with some land using cash....We are aiming for next Summer (not the one coming up).

Now to answer a couple of questions.

Why am I looking for pre 1965 quarters? Silver content, good if something happens to the almighty US dollar & my son collects coins.

Coupons...They work for some people depending on your area & commitment. I have a store 1/4 of a mile that doubles. I get a lot of items less than the storebrand/bulk brand cheap or free. I base my purchase off unit price (per pound, ounce etc...). This store also sends our storebrand coupons & FREE milk, yogurt...etc,..because we still live in an apartment & they don't allow cows...I can't get my own.

I dehydrated some corn to make some room in my freezer for my Angel Food order I pick up tomorrow. I just might be getting that additional small freezer this weekend : ). I am loving my Seal-A -Meal...Keeping that freezer burn off my stuff.

Thanks for the info on the Red Feather canned butter Jim...Now if I can find a place that has it in stock (that kind of worries me hmmmm).

I haven't been sleeping well, I keep thinking I'm going to miss something big in the news....

I hope to post more often, I have lots of things to talk about...I even made a list...Now if I could just find it! LOL

Enjoy your day!

Canned Butter, Quarters & Coupons...

Good Morning All...I'm impatiently waiting for my coffee to be done. I'm tired because I worked until 11PM, I could not wind down & my husband is still snoring like a bear, so I ended up on the sofa.....

I have a few things I wanted to mention/ask .

1. Canned butter, has anyone tried this? I'm not interested in canning it myself just yet. I'm thinking of ordering it, but I don't want to order it if the taste is horrid and we end up not using it. So if you've had it let me know what you think.

2. Pre 1965 quarters. I have tried in vain to find these. At my weekend job I see over 100 quarters a day & not a pre 1965 coin to be had. I have a few pre 1965 (mostly dimes), and have been trying to find a local coin shop, I'm not totally comfortable purchasing these from someone I don't know over the Internet, so if anyone can recommend somebody trustworthy, I would appreciate it.

3. Last but not least... a little rant....Coupons, I've been having trouble matching the "crappy" coupons I've been getting in my Sunday paper to any sales....I don't use a coupon unless it's for a product I regularly use , I'm getting it FREE , or getting it for less than the storebrand.


That's all for today..comments, suggestions...etc are greatly appreciated. I read at least 20 blogs before bed & always try and keep up with all the states on the APN...Man I end up crossed eyed sometimes LOL.

Enjoy your day!