Who has Power?

Warning! 

Gonna get on my soapbox for a moment.



Visit this link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0RDTZML-7wDuyS-9VoZWNZLWMcFEvsjXG0JfDjchvEIgZY6X61T10n6bc&v=1l5354hYmtk

This (above) video makes me angry to realize (yeah, duh!) that the rich and powerful 2% so firmly controls everything about the rest of us. We (98%) are nothing more than slaves in a degrading global society....given a little freedom so we won't notice we don't really have any freedom.

Sure I have a little power...enough to control how long I can sleep, or how I respond to situations, but we have minimal or no power to control things like medications, homeschooling, how to best provide for my family, whether I can have a pet in my home, and who makes the clothes I wear (and where they are made).

Governments and employers watch and listen to us via phone, computers, etc, even incorporating drones. We now live our lives under a photo-scope (microscope with everyone capturing pictures and vids of anything anywhere and anytime).

If we take a moment to really THINK about our lives, we come to the realization that we have much less power than we think we do.

Twilight Zone...ish.

Ok. Done.

Time for a Victory Garden

During this global pandemic, food is still being farmed and manufactured, but while we sit, stuck in our homes or at bug out locations, many people are eating junk to comfort themselves. After the expected months of this, our bodies will be in even worse shape...from battling the CV-19, other health concerns, too much TV watching or other sedentary activities, etc. 

We are going to need the activity of gardening, and the healthy food it will produce.

Figure out how much space you have (even a few pots on a windowsill can yield constant salad greens and some strawberries.)

So plan your garden, order seeds, potting soil and pots...whatever you need. Get started on those seeds now so you can benefit from the 'fruits of your labor'.

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I will soon be writing a book about this, and using methods like Square Foot Gardening.

Stay Safe

I was a prepper for a long time, but when I moved from my farm in Colorado to this tiny apartment in.KY, I had to downsize. Yes, I absolutely regret getting rid of things...like a whole box of R95 masks.

We are only about four months into this pandemic. People are dropping like flies. Health care systems are understaffed, under-supplied and overworked. These medical workers  have cracked hands from so much washing. Their faces bear near-permanent marks from constant mask wearing. They can't see their families. They can't get tested.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Stay at home. Learn something, like cooking or a language. Exercise. Make masks. Teach your children. Anything. Just stay at home.
2. Write the idiot Florida governor telling him to close everything or face a class action suit from RESIDENTS who contract and die from the CoVid-19 from Spring Breakers...all because he is a politician and a dick.
3. Order seeds, pots, dirt, grow bulbs.  Plant a little garden indoors ... lettuce, radishes, carrots, herbs. If you have space outdoors, do tomatoes, potatoes, the three sisters (corn, winter sqash like butternut and pumpkin, as vining green beans), berries, cucumbers, etc. You could be eating fresh food in just a few weeks!!
4. Take the time and effort to make face masks for your local clinics and hospitals.  (See:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4FB--BOyTiU )
5. Nap. Rest. Eat healthy. You deserve it.
6. Catch up on conversations even if it is just via FaceTime or Skype.

You get the idea. 

What are YOU doing with your quarantine time?

By the way...my prepping book is stuck in Amazon-land. I will figure something out.

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...And....I am sick. I won't get tested. (Why bother to try?! I am not a sports figure nor do I work in the White House.)  Will ride this out at home.

Mac and cheese

I don't understand people ripping boxed mac-and-cheese kits away from other people. Yeah, every food item is flying off of shelves because of social distancing and self quarantines (or just plain greed), but if there isn't boxed variations available, is it too much to ask that they make it from scratch?  Don't they know how super easy it is to make?!?

Instructions:

Boil pasta.

Drain.
Put back in bowl.

Add butter and grated cheese.

Stir until heat from pasta melts the butter and cheese.

Eat.

Sure, there are other ways to make it, other ingredients you could add, but still...come on!!

Pandemic Book

Completed writing this book and uploaded it to Amazon yesterday. It has a LOT of information on not only the CoVid-19 pandemic but also Ebola, Entero, and other health scenarios.

Good for preppers and concerned people of all kinds.

Am now waiting for Amazon and KDP to approve it for release. As soon as it is, I will provide links.

Homemade Face Mask Cover

Finally made my first! Did a test run with some old fabric. Used safety pins to hold the disposable in place. Can be taken off and washed.

(Sorry about the wrinkles...no iron!)

Once I finished seeing it and tried it on, sprayed thoroughly with rubbing alcohol and hung by front door.

I need to make three more and do the same.  Then will be ready to grab as we leave home.

(My special needs son is freaking. He forgot to put a mask on when he took the trash out yesterday. Poor sweet thing.)

Bug-Out Skills

According to www.thereadystore.com ...

A bug out bag is a portable emergency kit that should last you 72-hours. They're also known as 72-hour kits, grab bags, or go bags. The idea behind the bag is to be prepared in need of an evacuation. 

This doesn't address what SKILLS you need. You can't just go, pitch your tent, and sit.

If you decide to bug out “into the wilds” or a remote location while you wait for the Coronavirus (CoVid-19) to complete its run, what skills should you have?

Starter list:

·         Plant identification and food foraging

·         Hunting and fishing/dressing

·         Defense

·         Ability to camouflage yourself and campsite

·         Fire-starting

·         Cooking

What other skills should you have?  And how long do you plan to be out... away from society?

Book on CoronaVirus-19 Pandemic Prep

I am almost ready to release my comprehensive book on preparing for serious health situations.

When I first became interested in prepping, I gave a lot of thought to possible scenarios. So many possibilities, and the whole 'zombie apocalypse ' was barely thought.  I had started writing a whole series way back when, but life got in the way.

Since the attack of CoVid-19 / Coronavirus in 2019, I pulled out my partially-written manuscripts and started massively researching and then writing.

Thing is ... there is new information every day...from where it has spread, to deaths from it, to masks being stolen from hospitals, to India no longer exporting medications or ingredients to make same. Today I heard China is trying to lay the blame for the outbreak on the USA!

My book on pandemics and other health situations is almost ready. The goal is to release this book on Amazon this coming week. I hope you will find helpful information in it.

Hand Sanitizing

I am allergic to a chemical found in most soaps, shampoos, lotions, all kinds of cleaners, medical tape, bandages, etc.  I cannot use any kind of hand sanitizer because they too have the chemical.

So...what do I use, especially with this CoronaVirus spreading across the globe?

One day I came across these little spray bottles. All I put in it is the 70% isopropyl alcohol.  I have 91% but grabbed this first as the CDC (or was it the W.H.O.?) who said it should be 70 or above to be effective.

I regularly spray this on my hands, and because it dries my skin, I use a special lotion after.

When I go out, I also wear pretty lady-like gloves (have 5-8 pairs of various colors) so I don't touch cart handles, etc, then at home, I wash or spray the gloves.

Yes, some people give me weird looks when they see me in my gloves...especially in the Summer, but I have been doing this for years, and really don't care!!

Disposable Face Masks

I had ordered these masks a while ago, and patiently waited for them. They were due next week, but when I opened the front door just now to see if it was snowing, I found this package waiting for me. Confused, I opened it.

At first I was super-pumped that my masks were here. Then I took a closer look. Look at the pic with the pink masks. Note where the manufacturer is located...Wuhan. In China.

Uh...what?

So my conundrum is this: do I open and use them just as they are OR do I take them out and spray every one of them with an antibacterial spray like Lysol?

Fabric that I might use to make mask covers for a friend. She really loves cats!

Fabric for me, because I ALWAYS wear purple for epilepsy awareness.

Fabric for my son to choose through for his mask covers.

I had already purchased the above fabric squares to make covers because I only ordered 50 masks. In between uses, I can take the covers off and wash/disinfect.

Am I going overboard on this?

Maybe.

But ask me if I care!

Source of Water

If things go kaput, requiring you to be quarantined in your home, do you have enough water? Water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, make your baby's bottle or instant lemonade for your child, and for your pets and garden...

With the constant buzz over the possible Coronavirus pandemic (still just an epidemic), there is a flurry of activity for people to gather supplies for a possible quarantine.

Have you given a thought to water? Sure, you can stock up bottles and jugs of water, just in case something happens to your current source, but what about beyond that?

There is a small creek behind my patio fence that could provide water for my kid and I (we would have to strain and boil first/otherwise purify it).

And with all of the rain we have been getting lately, I put out four buckets to catch what I could. When they get full, I will snap the lids on...can always use to water the garden later.

What are YOU doing for extra water?

SHTF and Prescription Medications

I belong to a few prepping groups on Facebook. A post recently caught my eye. Of course, it was about the Coronavirus.... so many are these days.

Pictures and video have been circulating across the internet of how China is quarantining many of its residents, and even in some cases, welding doors shut.

I live in the United States. I can't imagine a time when a policeman or National Guard person would come to my door, tape up a notice saying that we were quarantined, and then weld my door shut. It seems unfathomable, but did make me consider the state of health care preparing, OTCs, and  more specifically, prescription medications.

I have numerous health issues including liver disease and diabetes. I can do without prescription medications if necessary... as long as I alter how I eat and how I take care of myself.

My son has uncontrolled epilepsy; he is on four seizure medications and believe me when I say that it is impossible to stock up on these medications. There is only one that I sort of accidentally stockpiled three months of, but the other three... I can barely get them on a month-to-month basis. The pharmacy just does not stock them, and other methods (CBD oil, keto diet, etc) don't work on him 

So what would happen to my son when his seizure meds begin to run out? I wouldn't be able to double up on the one I have stockpiled because it would quickly cause liver and kidney damage as well as probably put him in a suicidal or homicidal rage. So my best guess is that the seizures would start back... perhaps slowly at first. But after a while, they will increase intensity until finally he has that one last fatal seizure.

I would have absolutely no way to stop it.

So powerless.

If there's a situation where I cannot get his seizure meds every 30 days... what would we do?

Have you taken a look at your own health lately? Do you know how many extra pills of your prescription medications you have? Can you get more? Are there alternatives say holistic measures?

Give it some thought.

Ncorono Virus Truth

As you might know from my post last week, I fell for the lies about this Coronovirus virus...hook, line and sinker.

I believed the reports that it wasn't nearly as bad as we expected a pandemic to be. That it didn't kill except the weak.

The following is directly from the USA's Wall Street Journal on Feb 7 2020 at 9:30 a.m.

BEIJING—China pledged "thorough investigations" into the death of Li Wenliang, a doctor who raised early alarms about a new respiratory virus, as public anger built across the country over the government's handling of a coronavirus epidemic that has spread quickly across China and around the world.

Dr. Li, who died early Friday of the coronavirus, had been arrested shortly after he warned former classmates on Dec. 30 about a new pathogen, with police accusing him of spreading rumors and forcing him to write a statement admitting to "illegal behavior."

China's National Supervisory Commission, the country's top anticorruption body, said Friday that it would send a special team to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, to investigate the circumstances around Dr. Li's death.

The Wuhan municipal government, meanwhile, published a notice on its website Friday to pay tribute to Dr. Li, expressing profound sorrow and conveying condolences to his family. The National Health Commission and the health commissions of Wuhan and Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, issued similar statements.

Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry, praised Dr. Li during a daily briefing with reporters, expressing condolences to his family and calling him one of many medical workers who had given their lives in the line of duty.

Chinese online commenters have been calling on the Wuhan government to apologize to Dr. Li for having reprimanded him for sending warnings about the virus.

Dr. Li himself contracted the virus, and as news of his declining health spread online Thursday evening, a hashtag calling on the Wuhan government to apologize to him spread quickly on China'sTwitter -like Weibo service. Public anger grew further after the hashtag appeared to be censored.

On Chinese social media Friday, commenters posted tributes to Dr. Li, circulating a quote from an interview he had given just days before his death: "I believe a healthy society should not just have one voice."

At Wuhan Central Hospital, where Dr. Li had died, bouquets of flowers were left outside one building entrance on Friday, accompanied with messages wishing him peace and thanking him for his bravery

The mix of anger and anguish over Dr. Li came as the death toll from the virus rose to more than 600 and the number of infected cases topped 30,000 in mainland China by the end of Thursday, according to the National Health Commission. The 73 people who died in China on Thursday matched Wednesday's single-day high.

In Beijing, officials on Friday acknowledged disruptions to the economy from the outbreak, including a likely increase in soured loans. Officials said they would slash taxes, while calling on banks to offer leniency on mortgage and credit-card payments.

Separately, Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Trump in a phone call Friday morning Beijing time that he had confidence the country would win what he called a "people's war" against the deadly coronavirus, according to readouts from the White House and Chinese state media reports.

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There was more... you get the drift.

The Chinese people were lied to, as were we all.

No, it is not time to panic, but please take precautions. Good hygiene. Healthy food. Avoid sick people, especially those who cough without covering their mouths.

(link: https://www-wsj-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/in-china-anger-simmers-over-coronavirus-doctors-death-11581061065?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCKAE%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&aoh=15810870595154&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fin-china-anger-simmers-over-coronavirus-doctors-death-11581061065 ) ...

Eating to Boost The Immune System

I don't plan on taking the H1N1 Flu Virus vaccine that supposedly will help prevent the "swine flu". I don't believe it, and really doubt that the vaccine came about while this virus is still mutating.

I've done my own research and am working to change my eating habits and food storage plan to go through this naturally. Here's our plan:

• Lots of fresh vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, with gluten-free grains (for 2 of us but the 3rd gets other grains too).
• Very little cooking to preserve nutrients.
• Minimize processed foods. Processing foods into chips, candy and etc. takes out vitamins and other nutrients.
• Cut out dairy products. Milk from dairy animals can cause an increase in mucous production. We've switched to supplemented rice milk and hemp milk. (Can't have soy milk.)
• Cut out flesh products. We're not going 100% vegan or even vegetarian but we're minimizing. I recently saw a special on PBS that discussed how horrible the meat processing is ... and it's so bad that many meat inspectors become vegetarian. Meat is recommended to be fully cooked not because of the intrinsic nature of the meat but because it almost certainly has e-coli or other bacteria that needs to be cooked to be eaten safely. Except for tuna and some bacon (probably), we're working to become mostly no-meat people.
• Garlic. I have lots of dried garlic and will add that everywhere and every chance I get.
• Increase Vitamin D levels. It appears that Vitamin D levels are lower in the Winter when we're less exposed to sunlight. I'm storing rice milk supplemented with Vit D and the actual capsule/pill supplements. We'll also sun ourselves on the patio whenever we can.
• Pro-biotics. Supplements, sauerkraut (for hubby because... ew!), kefir, etc.
• Sugar - cut it out! We like honey in our rice and oatmeal, but I'm working to at least cut it back to one tablespoon per meal. We don't use white sugar. I like a little stevia in my tea but can do without. We eat a lot of fruit but since it has a lot of sugar in it - albeit natural - we'll cut it back.
• Blueberries. Yes, I know, blueberries are fruit but they are a superfood and great for the immune system. I have a lot of dried blueberries stocked up, and we'll have one small "dixie" cup each day with lunch.
• Lots of liquids. Keep things moving along with lots of water. Don't skimp.
• Elderberry capsules. Starting with the first sign of Winter, we'll be taking one a day. Should I come down with a respiratory-something, we'll take elderberry syrup/extract.
• Vitamin C... well, this one everyone knows. Goldenseal and echinacea are absolute musts for supplements.

Other things to do:

• Get lots of rest to help the body fight off viruses and bacteria.
• Use coping mechanisms to deal with stress - talk, throw pillows, scream, cry, hug, etc.
• Exercise is essential to get the body in shape to fight off illnesses, but also produces adrenalin and endorphins and helps the circulatory system.
• Wash hands often. Everything I touch has already been touched by someone else... shopping cart handles, items in the grocery store, car door handles, door knobs, money, etc. Keep hand cleaners handy, but don't use too much because we need some bacteria! Buy a good plain chemical-free soap. Even a "dry-rub" (rubbing your hands together for 3 minutes to get rid of the top layer of skin) is a good substitute when you can't get to a sink and soap.

We've set up an indoor grow room in our home (with grow lights). We are planting seeds for string beans, shelling peas and cucumbers. We already have 2 tomato plants, and 2 buckets with strawberry plants. We'll add parsley, zucchini, spinach and carrots when we figure out where to put them! This is in addition to veggies we've already dried.

We are also going to be raising quail soon. This can be done indoors, with very little evidence to people who don't come into the home or garage (not much of a smell or sounds). We'll be eating the eggs - 4 quail eggs equal 1 small chicken egg. Good source of protein.

Preserving Harvests for My Picky Eater

My VHTS (very hungry tween son) is a bottomless pit but a very picky eater. Add to that his food problems and allergies, and we have a problem.

Last year I dehydrated much of our harvest, but I also froze a lot. Didn't do much with canning and pickling. Here it is harvest time for 2009 and we still have lots of the 2008 harvest in the freezer. I got to thinking... what on earth am I going to do?

As I was harvesting yellow squash, zucchini and tomatoes today, I really worked on puzzling this out. How can I get him to eat our harvest several months from now... during the Winter? I expect this winter to be long, hard and early, and combining that with the possibility of a swine flu quarantine, so this could become a very serious problem.

Here's what I've come up with, based on what we grow:

• TOMATOES: He doesn't like these at all, except as pizza sauce and ketchup. However, all of my canning supplies are packed away until we sell the house and move into a new place. So... I'm dehydrating all tomatoes, and will powder and rehydrate to make pizza sauce and ketchup as needed.


• STRING BEANS: He likes this fresh and frozen and canned, but as I said before, I can't can this year. He likes them cooked so I'll freeze these.


• DRY BEANS: He doesn't like my baked beans as well as Campbells or Bush's but he'll tolerate them. I'll finish drying them on the bush and vine (or pick before we move and string up to dry). I'll store them in a mason jar to cook in the winter. Perhaps I can soak, cook, mash, and hide in frycakes?!?!


• YELLOW SQUASH and ZUCCHINI: He likes zucchini better raw but none of it cooked and certainly not frozen first. I'm dehydrating a batch today. I'll store dried in a mason jar, and powder it to hide in pizza sauce or homemade gluten-free bread or smoothies or wherever I can.


• EGGPLANT: Same - dehydrate, store, powder, hide


• CUCUMBER: He hates cucumber unless it's benedictine (cream cheese, onion, cucumber dip) so I'll dehydrate, store, powder, and reconstitute into benedictine during the winter. Hmmm... yum.


• WATERMELON: He hates watermelon too. I know, unbelievable. I'll dehydrate any leftover, store, powder, and add to smoothies.


• PUMPKIN: He loves pumpkin pie. I'll dehydrate, store, then rehydrate to make gluten-free pumpkin pies and turnovers.


• CARROTS: We never have any left over, so we just eat them raw. In the future, hopefully we'll have extras, and we'll dehydrate, store, powder and hide. We don't like the taste of cooked carrots, so this will work.


• PARSLEY: I'm growing flat-leafed and curly, and he won't even try them. I'll dehydrate, store, powder and hide. I can buy more at Vitamin Cottage, already dehydrated.

That's my plan for the little bit we're growing this year. I didn't have the space or time for really anything else this year. When on sale, I'm buying: beets, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, cabbage, cantaloupe, bananas and other fruit. He likes much of those raw, none of them frozen or cooked.

So, as above, I'll mostly dehydrate (at night since the house gets shown during the day), store, powder and hide.

Just remembered that Vitamin Cottage (a local health food store) has mixed vegetables, spinach, parsley and other things, already dried. Especially fruit. I'll stock up on those, store in a mason jar, and powder/hide as needed. All of the dried fruit, whether purchased dried or dehydrated by me, will do well rehydrated and added to his smoothies. Loves it!

Eating to Help Prevent Swine Flu

I have complete confidence that you've heard about the possible swine flu pandemic that might have started in Mexico and as of this writing, has entered Canada, USA, Spain and more places. It has caused 86 deaths and many more people have caught it and survived.


But don't take a chance; read this article (http://colorado-preppers.blogspot.com/2009/04/swine-flu-pandemic-possibility.html). Then take charge of your life to minimize your chances of getting this swine flu. Supercharge your immune system by making some changes today!

1. Healthful fresh foods and nutritional supplements.
2. Sensible daily exercise.
3. Stress reduction.
4. Heartfelt daily prayers or meditations.
5. Regular loving intimacies with your mate.

Let's concentrate on number 1: eating healthy foods and taking supplements. I've been reading, and based on independent research, many people believe that eating as close to Nature's Buffet will help boost your immune system. That means:

• Take a multi-vitamin daily
• Add to your supplements: echinacea, goldenseal, zinc, vitamin c, vitamin d, and peppermint
• Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and beans
• Don't overcook your food, eating as much raw as possible
• Add lots of garlic to your diet - it helps to clean out your blood and boost your immune system
• Eliminate all meats (animal products) and dairy products (cheese, yogurt, etc.) no matter how hard it is
• Eliminate all sugar, white flour, and any and ALL processed foods, especially any with words that don't naturally occur (like maltodextrin, dyes, enriched anything, etc.)
• Stock up on dehydrated (without sulphur) fruits and vegetables
• Start your garden, if you haven't already. Even if you have only a little bit of space in a tiny apartment, you can have a grow light and couple of pots growing fresh greens, carrots, tomatoes and peppers
• Grow and eat sprouts on a regular basis: beans, alfalfa, clover, etc.

We are pretty ready, considering VHTS (Very Hungry Tween Son) has adverse reactions to many foods, including corn, soybean, wheat, peanuts, seeds and nuts. We could have rice, millet or certified-gluten-free-oats daily, along with lots of rice crackers, homemade rice brownies. He also loves dried peas, blackberries, blueberries and mango so he could have those daily. We have lots of apples and pears - enough for a couple of weeks minimum. He loves canned baked beans so we have plenty of those. He will take fish oil in applesauce (to get more amino acids in him). He's a very picky eater, but I'm working on a flourless brownie that has lots of flax seeds (again, more amino acides) to hide certain bits of produce in it... like spinach, zucchini and carrots. I might be able to hide herbs in there too!

Our garden will soon produce carrots, radishes and greens/lettuce, although VHTS won't eat salads without ranch dressing. Our seedlings for tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, okra, etc. are comiing along well.

We have lots of herbs and medicines stocked up. Besides having lots of fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds and beans, be sure to have lots of herbs and supplements too. Peppermint to settle stomachs. Echinacea and elderberry for lung health. Goldenseal. Zinc. Vitamins C (strawberries!) and D. Grow the garlic. Step out into the sun for 15 minutes a day (that includes your gardening time!).

As you may know, we are starting to prepare to sell our house. We rented a storage unit this past weekend and plan to pack and add to it weekly. Meanwhile, in doing this, I seem to have misplaced much of our prep items, including the night-time cold medicine and cough syrup. That means, I need to get more, dag-nab-it! At least I know where all of the food is!


I already have a cough but have had this for the past couple of weeks so I'm pretty sure it's not the swine flu. But today... besides getting more cough medicine (and celebrating my birthday), VHTS and I have lots to do today:

• I just placed another order for dried fruits and veggies from my fav place (http://www.justtomatoes.com/)
• Ordered more N-95 respirator masks - hope they still have some in stock!
• Health food store for more herbs, rice crackers and puffed rice
• Sam's Club for more honey, peeled garlic, dog food and socks
• Wal-Mart for more water, chocolate chips, eggs
• Dollar Store for disposable gloves, goggles and plain masks

Unbelievably, though, I awoke to 4 inches of very heavy wet snow on my car! What the heck? I can't drive in this stuff any more. Argh!

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Disclaimer:

This website and specifically this article does not intend to replace professional assistance, either medical or legal. Please consult your physician for additional information.