I know- the alliteration could already make you gag, but “p”s are nice and Preparedness always seems so harsh, scary and dull…

but let’s face it:

The inevitable is inevitable.

The rains will come, the snow will fall, the ice will weigh heavy, the winds will blow, the sun will scorch, the ground will shake, the creek will rise.

What happens then?

I sat in church on Sunday here in sunny southern California, and a good little shaker woke us all up [ahem- figuratively- no one was sleeping. I repeat NO ONE was sleeping.  We were all listening very attentively, really. You'd get some good preachin' at church].

It went as fast as it came and nothing was affected.

But the questions flooded my mind:

How would I get to my kids?

Did they know I’d find them and to trust their teachers?

What if the ceiling was caving in and bits of this and that was falling on our heads? How would I respond? Do I have a plan? Does my husband know it? Do my children? Do my fellow gatherers?

On and on, right?

If you have ever considered or even begun to prepare for whatever emergencies you  might potentially face, you know as well as I , that preparing for them can be overwhelming.

The lists are long, the details many, the scenarios countless, the stuff is expensive all added up, and where, really do you start?

Since THINKING doesn’t cost a thing, lets start there. We’ll get to the flashlights, food, financial disasters and firefighting later.

But will you all really be together?

Who knows.

Those in closest proximity will either be your greatest asset or your greatest concern.

Make a point of pursuing cooperation and brotherhood after an emergency situation has occurred.

START A NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK!

Give everyone a flyer with a date, time and place with enough notice to avoid most scheduling conflicts.

[Many people don't appreciate an unexpected knock on the door, and if you don't yet know your neighbors, they may be a little leery.]

IF you can comfortably approach in person, let them know that you will be holding a meeting to prepare and plan for whatever disasters your locale may face.  Offer your phone number or email so they can contact you with question.

Mama’s neighbor greeted her when she moved into the neighborhood and explained that his family tried to keep current contact info for everyone to distribute, so that we can reach one another in emergencies or just look out for one another as a sort of “neighborhood watch”…even for situations like a vacationing neighbor who suddenly has water seeping out under the garage door…

I loved it.

Perhaps you could send a flyer to invite everyone over for rootbeer floats one summer night, or to share from a big pot of soup you heated and some fresh loaves of bread from the bakery ( not too pricey).  Once you have all had a chance to meet one another a socialize a bit, suggest haveing a gathering to discuss emergency preparation on the street, in the building or what ever your living situation is.

You likely will meet reluctant neighbors.

• Try to let them know there is no p[, and although it’s a “downer” of a subject, it could take a lot of the fear away in an event, because there is SOME sort of plan.
• If someone seems favorable, get a number or email address so that you can follow-up and remind them closer to the date of the meeting.
• If you can’t seem to meet someone face-to-face, leave the flyer as planned.

For the first gathering in your neighborhood here are a few points to discuss:

1. Identify what problems you may face: wild-fire,flood, earthquake, tornado, hurricane…
2. Explain briefly how important preparing as a group really is…and how it can restore peace of mind and bring calm in an otherwise chaotic situation.
3. Try to begin to take an inventory of supplies, tools etc. that people may be equipped with.
4. Note any special skills that could be helpful and make note of them.

Try to find a list of trainings available that those interested could attend, like First Aid & CPR http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class,

or CERT training. http://www.fema.gov/community-emergency-response-teams

If you can gather handouts for them to take home that reinforce the importance of planning and also provide tips, do so!

Finally, ask if any others would care to join in the efforts more heartily, and plan to discuss further with them.

Peace on Earth & Peace of Mind.

Mama is preparing  READY BAGS for a customer’s family members for Christmas.

People are inviting neighbors to their home to walk through Mama’s Family Emergency Planning Workshop before the Christmas tree dries out, and the family fills the house, lighting candles and cooking latkas.

A satisfied customer says-

“My husband – a former EMT – and I are mindful that we live in a earthquake zone, and we bought one of the Emergency Mama backpacks for us. (And I am thinking about another one for my car.) He was really impressed with the breadth of items in the pack… so much so that we bought additional backpacks for our niece and nephews who live in tornado country in Texas because emergencies happen, no matter the natural disaster you face. These will be their family Christmas gifts this year. Thanks, EM, for giving us peace of mind and a great gift idea!” – P. M. Smith

2 Person 3-day READY BAGS: $115 $75!!!

Compare to other companies at $129-$169

• Mama hands selects QUALITY items.
• Mama DOES NOT include junky, non-functioning or useless fillers.
  

email: mama@emergencymama.com

paypal: marlasuep03@gmail.com

Out-of-state shipping varies. Email for info.

Could you leave your home quickly without feeling too frazzled and that you left important things behind?

Take this quick” YES- or- NO- circle- one” survey to see how prepared you already are!

Even if you answer NO to many or most of the questions, if you start burning through the list you will find your self WAY more ready in a matter of minutes!

Check it out below or print it!

Emergency Mama’s Quick Questions

Have you created & practiced escape routes from your home?                                      Y  N

Does your household know what to do before, during & after and emergency situation?        [like an earthquake, blizzard, hurricane or tornado]                                   Y  N

Do you have heavy objects hanging over your bed that could fall during an earthquake?                                                                                                                       Y  N

Does every room in your house have access to a working flashlight?                             Y  N [candles could be a danger if there is leaking gas]

Do you keep shoes near your bed to protect your feet after a disaster?                          Y  N

Do you know how to shut off the main water line?                                                            Y  N

Can you do this by hand or does it need a tool?                                                               Y  N

If you smell gas, do you know where and how to turn off the gas line?                            Y  N

Do you have the right tool to turn off these lines? Is it near them?                                   Y  N

Can you turn your furnace and hot water heater back on safely?                                    Y  N

Do you have functioning smoke alarms in your home?                                                    Y  N

Do you have and know how to use a fire extinguisher?                                                    Y  N

Do you have extra sets of keys outside the home?                                                          Y  N

Do you have copies of important documents safely stored?                                            Y  N

If you had to evacuate your home, do you have a meeting place?                                   Y  N

Do you have a functional radio to get emergency information?                                        Y  N

IN A 72 HOUR/ 3 DAY EMERGENCY WITHOUT HELP…

Would you have sufficient food?                                                                                       Y  N

Could you cook it without gas or electricity?                                                                     Y  N

Would you have enough water for drinking, cooking and hygiene?                                  Y  N

If YES to the above questions, how long would your supply last?

Do you have a 72 hour evacuation kit?                                                                             Y  N

Can you move this kit?                                                                                                      Y  N

Do you have an out-of-state contact designated?                                                            Y  N

Do you have a First Aid kit at home and in all cars?                                                         Y  N

Do you have work gloves and tools for minor clean up and rescue?                               Y  N

Do you have emergency cash on hand? [atms and banks could be closed]                   Y  N

Do you have a means to heat your home without gas or electricity?                               Y  N

Do you have a month’s supply or prescriptions on hand?                                                Y  N

Do you have a sanitation plan if toilets don’t work?                                                           Y  N

Do you have water, food, clothing and fuel for extended times? 3 mo. 6mo. 1 year?

I found my trick though.

Cotton balls dipped in petroleum jelly!

I have learned several tricks, which I’ll share in the coming weeks, but lets look at this simple, practically free way to have a fire easily started: camping, in an emergency for warmth or cooking, or just that nice little fireplace fire.

…and do try it at home! [with parental supervision, and safe fire handling, and your ABC fire extinguisher nearby, of course]

Store your prepared cotton balls in a Ziploc baggie! You just did something that you may be rejoicing over in that next rolling blackout, hurricane, ice storm, or rainy camping trip!

You thought of potential hazards you might face. If you didn’t do this, get out a notebook or piece of paper and answer the following questions:

Is it a hurricane, firestorm, power-outage, tornado, flooding, blizzard, earthquake, civil unrest…? Perhaps it is several. Write them all down.

PART TWO: What then?

How would you be warned?

How would it affect communication, transportation, employment, access to utilities, and necessities like food and water?

List the things you know or have that would be useful in each situation.

Just brainstorm. Quiet your inner perfectionist. Just let the thoughts roll.

Good. That’s all for today. You did it! Now, save that paper and later you will build on that information.

e·mer·gen·cy

[ih-mur-juhn-see]

2. a state, especially of need for help or relief, created by some unexpected event

Source

I noticed in this definition, the word UNEXPECTED.

We don’t know WHEN an emergency will arise, but we DO know they will.

Knowing that, it would behoove us to think about how we will respond.

Events will happen. They will illicit a response from each of us.

What would yours be?

Do you have any guiding principles in your life that will influence your response?

If so, how will they color the situation differently?

Will your paradigms be so rocked that you are wiped out?

Or do you possess a perspective that will allow for a sound mind, a mysterious peace, and wisdom for moving forward?

A little garden analogy:

I tried to thin my lettuces and tried re-planting the tender shoots that I dug up [and I did the digging carefully!]  but they were fragile and immature and their root systems were not complex or hearty enough to withstand it.  The harsh experience destroyed them.

Not so, for my more developed tomato plants.

again, I moved them with care, but they had deeper roots that held to the soil around them and they were able to be uprooted, transplanted and settle in again.

True, they were in shock for a few days, and they looked about to wither for good…the leaves were slouching and the stems leeeeeaning sideways… but they made it, in fact, one especially damaged one, I re-planted sideways underground. I wondered if we’d ever see it again.  It looked dire. But THAT is the one the grew countless new shoots and thrived more than all the others!

This reminds me of you and I.

We need to find a place to let our “roots” grow down deep, where they will soak up substantial nutrients, and have a depth that provides for strength, longevity, durability, and even the ability to weather and endure an emergency- an uprooting, a transplant, and re-settlement.  Sometimes, we may even need to just lay low. Reconnect with what feeds us. And quietly, ever so quietly and steadily, we might grow like never before.

Hi all!

Mama has been away and busily being mama.

But I’m back and this is what I am thinking about:

What do I have to trade/barter in a difficult time?

Nearly a year ago, I started learning to make some home remedies from a friend who’s a self-taught pro- and learned that vodka [which I do not consume] is a great base for home made tinctures.

So I bought some. Then I got some more- for that “just-in-case” time.

Imagine an economic collapse where the dollar is best used as fuel for the woodstove like we have previously seen in Germany.  Having items on hand that can compensate for things you are lacking as a trade with someone who needs or wants something from your store could prove invaluable.

I might trade some of my hens or their eggs, for antibiotic my child needs.

You might have an elixir for a bad cough, and your neighbor may need it and offer in return some ammunition for hunting.

Even things you may not personally use can be handy in a tough time.  These are not exhaustive, obviously, but I also chose to leave off the ones I am opposed to for health, moral, or spiritual reasons.

Mama’s Top Ten Barter Items [in no particular order beyond #1]

1. Water- Remember the tip: You can live 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, 3 minutes without air.
1. Bleach- Disinfect water, or minimize the spread of germs and filth
2. Water filters-UV, WAPI, all types- this saves lives.
2. Soap and Detergent- Laundry soap, wet wipes, Fried Chicken packet hand wipes even. It’s all good and may be high-demand commodity.
3. Alcohol- As I mentioned above, there are a variety of honest to goodness uses for alcohol, beyond inebriation.  Not only is it valuable as a bartering good, but it also has medicinal purposes.
4. Silver Coins- Even though an ounce of silver at the time of this writing is at $32, older pre 1964 coins would be a usable monetary trade item at some point. Silver is not only valued as a metal but has uses in medical and technological applications.
5.  MREs- I’d rather send someone off with a whole meal, than to crack open my sealed 5 gallon bucket before I need to…
6. Matches, lighters & Candles- Pretty cheap stuff right now, but if kept dry and safe in a tough time, fire serves a multitude of purposes, and the ability to build one and see in the dark would be practically priceless.
7. Toilet paper- I haven’t seen one in ages, and I’m not so interested in the Sears Catalogue, are you?
   
8.  Batteries- I can’t imagine this needs any explaining, but radios, phones, flashlights…there you go.
9. Ammunition-You may not be a gun-lover, but if you have one for protection or hunting, its not going to do you any good with no ammo.  And if you don’t use one, others DO. So get some commonly used calibers, like 9mm, .22, .38, 12-guage shells, etc.
10. You really might want to carefully tuck away some chocolate. I know it melts, but take the wrapper off, baggie that stuff up, and make yourself rich.

What would you add? comment and share!

Call on God

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 17:6

I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:3

In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. Psalm 18:6

Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place. Psalm 28:2

This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. Psalm 34:6

…and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me. Psalm 50:15

As for me, I call to God, and the LORD saves me.
From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 55:16

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.  Psalm 86:5

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.  Psalm 65:8