Experimental Challenge!

How much toothpaste do you think you need to store to be able to say you have a full years supply? What about soap? Or shampoo? Or deodorant?

That answer will be different for each individual. Children tend to have a harder time judging amounts to use. Teenagers are more self-conscious and will use those items more often than others. Adults tend to have developed habits and routines that are specific to them. So which category do YOU fall into?

Since these things are hard for anyone to give a definitive number recommendation, take the opportunity now (while we're not pressed with a sudden emergency) to time your products and your usage patterns. Take this list of items, choose your favorite brand and size and then use a permanent marker to label the container with the date you open it. Then use as normal.

• Deodorant
• Toothpaste
• Soap (liquid soap stores easily and is easy to label)
• Shampoo

Take note of the date on your calendar when you throw out the empty container. Then you'll know YOUR typical usage patterns of these items and can judge your needs for a full year. Of course, thinking ahead is a good idea- so store a couple extras "just in case"!

Alternative First Aid

I earn my living working in a retail herb shop. This shop is a little different than most too, because we feel like knowledge is more important than the sale. In keeping with that notion, we have implemented a monthly class at the shop that is open to the public free of charge. One of our recent classes covered First Aid, and it just so happened I picked that topic to coincide with the Emergency Preparedness Fair we held for our Day of Service. The following information comes from that class.

Alternative First Aid Notes

When putting a first aid kit together, there are several types of ingredients to remember. If you chose to go ALL herbal for your kit, then you would include at least one item from each category, but if you aren't quite ready to go "all the way" yet, look through the list and choose things you are familiar and comfortable with.

• General Activator
• Immune Stimulant
• Natural Antibiotic
• Topical Analgesic
• Astringent
• Absorbant/Mucilant
• Shock Remedy
• Expectorant
• Burn Remedy
• Antispasmodic
• Pain Remedy
• Tissue Healer

And of course, there are those items in the category we'll call...
Other Supplies

• Bandages
• Cotton Balls
• Gauze Pads
• Tape
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Flashlight
• Candle
• Matches
• Enema bottle
• Bulb Syringe
• Emergency Radio

1. The activators have the ability to enhance circulation and energy. By doing this, several things get accomplished at one time, which (of course) is good. One such activator is capsicum, or as you might call it, "cayenne pepper".
2. The immune stimulants help the body fight infection by increasing the production of white blood cells and antibodies. Echinacea is a familiar and gentle herb that works this way. It's not something generally recommended for constant use. Using occasionally allows you to avoid becoming immune to effects.
   
3. Natural antibiotics don't have the side effects of synthetic versions. You still need strength when fighting infections, and probably the most awesome choice here is garlic. The most potent of that is in its fresh and raw state. It's something you can use externally AND internally, giving it a broader spectrum.
4. Topical analgesics are things you apply to the skin to relieve pain. Essential oils can provide that, and they can blended with creams, lotions, water, other oils,... and provide many ways to apply as needed. Lavender is one such essential oil that can be used for pain relief of insect bites, burns, scrapes, headaches and other needs.
5. Astringents help to stop bleeding. They can do other things too! Cayenne pepper powder can stop bleeding (try it and see!) and so can other plants. One such plant is yarrow, and that's a plant that grows wild all over the place, making it fairly easy to locate.
6. A mucilant is an absorbant material, meaning it will help absorb stuff. If you get food poisoning and go to the hospital, chances are they will give you some activated charcoal to absorb the toxin. It helps absorb toxins that promote diarrhea too. This is NOT charcoal out of your grill! It should already be in pill form.
7. Shock remedies are important, because they help us "keep it together" under stressful conditions. The Bach flower remedy Rescue Remedy is a good one here, and helps bring relief to panic attacks.
8. Expectorants break up mucus and congestion. This a job for more than one ingredient, and Nature's Sunshine has combined ingredients just for this purpose. One such product is called AL-J and can bring wonderful relief to allergies and colds by simply taking care of the mucus.
9. Burn Remedies are important, because burns can come from so many sources: the sun, fire, cooking, under the hood of the car,... Aloe Vera gel is excellent to care for burned skin, and so is raw honey!
10. Antispasmodics relax muscle cramps and spasms, which of course ease pain and anxiety. Lobelia extract is good here, but this herb also can induce vomiting if taken in large enough doses. This is not bad in some cases, but it can be if you aren't expecting it! Relaxing spasms can bring relief to coughs, muscle tension, asthma attacks, earaches and more.
11. Including a pain remedy is an obvious thing. White willow is where aspirin came from originally, so including it in a first aid makes sense!
12. A tissue healer eases pain, reduces swelling and promotes healing. Arnica gel is an option here (so long as it is NOT applied to broken skin). Nature's Fresh enzyme spray is another option provided by Nature's Sunshine.

With those options in mind, sort through your first aid kit and see what additions you can make. You might find you are better prepared than you thought!

Carroll County on fire?

Were in Carrollton this afternoon? Maybe 3ish? Did you notice something? If you didn't, you weren't really in Carrollton. The entire town was blanketed in smoke and it reached as far south as MY HOUSE even,...and I don't live in Carroll County even!

I had to work today, so I'm at the shop and happen to look out the front door during a quiet moment and noticed that the trees across the highway sure did look ethereal.

Wait,... ethereal?
So of course, I went out to the parking lot and looked north,.... then south,.... then west,.... (east is the treeline remember).... something was on fire! The lady who lives across the highway came over and asked if I could tell where it was coming from, but of course I couldn't. It was the entire area! That much smoke was a large area, and there were no black clouds overhead. The smoke smell was so thick that even my throat developed that scratchy feeling you get when you inhale smoke from a campfire. I thought it MUST be a woods fire. I went back inside the shop and called a lady who also works at the shop sometimes (her husband is a fireman) and I asked her what was on fire in Carrollton. She called in to find out and calls me back. She says Mt. Zion has a big fire going on, and that Stripling Chapel where it meets Oak Grove Road has a woods fire. As a crow flies, that's a mile or so from the shop!

Finally one lone fire truck came down the highway with his siren screaming and I figured I was safe, but it stirred up my thoughts-- which is why I decided to post this.

What if fires become commonplace here, like they are out in California? What if we have to experience such a devastation? How terrible and frightening that would be. And since it isn't something we ever think would happen HERE, we likely wouldn't think to plan ahead for such an event. ..... My friends, we had 2 local fires going on at the same time. They highway didn't have lots and lots of firetrucks screaming in because they were divided between the fires. Had there been more than 2 fires, or if the fires had been bigger or wider spread.... somebody or somebodies would have likely had some serious worries!

So this note is just a call of warning, that we have daily threats to our well-being. We never know when they will happen. Had the woods fire raged a little wider and a little hotter, Walmart would not have been able to supply you with emergency needs. So go there NOW,.... stock your shelves NOW....purchase your fire safe NOW....store those fire extinguishers NOW.... replace your smoke alarm batteries NOW..... plan your home escape route NOW..... practice your fire drills NOW..... Let today serve as a warning, and heed it.

Emergency Preparedness Fair

As a part of the emergency preparedness coordinator calling, many emergency preparedness fairs are put on. They oftentimes entail short demonstrations, handouts, taste tests, examples and speakers. I've seen/heard of other wards including FEMA, the Red Cross, local fire departments and some of the inventive and imaginative members of the ward. I like to think of myself as one of these imaginative members.




When I was called, I was so excited that NOW it was my RESPONSIBILITY to pull off one of these such fairs and I had every intention of including these big organizations to help instill the sense of urgency as well as excitement in the efforts we are called upon to make on behalf of our families. And now it is coming to pass!




April 24th, I hope you will come to the BIGGEST, most EXPRESSIVE, most ENLIGHTENING emergency preparedness fair you have ever heard of! I hope you will find a thrill in the helicopter that will be coming. I hope you'll find great deals on generators and win yourself a free strawberry plant! I hope you are amazed and astounded at the outdoor fire-building skills and cooking talents of our area Boy Scout troops! I hope you discover the alternative first aid items and methods you can implement should necessity arise. I hope you'll be amazed at the skills and comradery of the area ham radio operators as they demonstrate emergency communications. I hope your tastebuds are tantalized by the fabulous products made from fresh milled wheat. I hope your knowledge is expanded by the information provided by the county extension agent showing food preservation techniques. I hope you gain insight into the inner workings of Tanner Medical Center. I hope your children are excited about the goodies available there for them!




All in all, I hope you discover that preparing really IS a lot of fun when we do it together! And I hope you get to see me in my really awesome HELPING HANDS t-shirt!

Communications

Q- What do you do when the power goes out?
A- Light candles, hurricane lamps, camp lanterns, dig out flashlights,...

Q- What do you do when the heat goes out?
A- Pull out all those extra blankets and emergency space blankets and extra coats and clothing.

Q- What do you do when the weather turns bad?
A- Store up food and water so you aren't bombarding the store for bread & milk.

Q- What do you do when all phone lines go down and cell phone service no longer works?
A- *crickets*

This actually is a situation faced in our recent history. Think back to hurricane Katrina and the devastation from that event. Think to even nearer history as Haiti suffered similar devastation. You can prepare for some things, and indeed we do try, .... but how do you prepare for communication outages?

Ham Radio.

True enough, its the "nerdy" people who get involved with ham radio because they are the ones interested and actually GOOD at taking apart and reassembling electrical components that become a communication device. They are the ones with a technical creativity to build units that carry our voices all over the world and even up into space. When those horrific disasters strike and there are no phones available, ham radio operators are the ones who get the word to relief agencies nationwide that come to our aid.

Studying and becoming an amateur radio operator is not difficult at all. I just did it myself and I am SERIOUSLY not gifted with this talent! Start by going to QRZ.com and click on Main Menu at the top. Then choose the practice amateur radio exam and choose technician. Go from test to test and practice. You'll learn the answers and be prepared to take the licensing exam just from doing that. Now to be GOOD at it and to be able to do something with that license, you'll want to get in touch with local hams who are always communicating with each other anyway. They are all over the place and not difficult to find. They are kind people who help without expectation of payment or reward, and they will help YOU become the very same! These are the people who assist emergency personnel, weather reporters, accidents, and much more. They practice regularly and they experiment with new options all the time.

If you are not a radio operator, and if you don't personally know someone who is,..... who will be helping YOU communicate if all else DOES fail?

Preparing for Waste?

That sounded like an odd title...I admit.

Give it some thought. How prepared are you for taking care of your toiletry needs if things in our world stop going "right"? Putting aside some toilet paper is one thing, but look at the housing market and compare it to the job market. Times are already pretty tight. And consider if something disastrous happens with our weather and you actually lose your house! You won't necessarily have a toilet to put that paper into! And if you end up using that 72 hour kit to the extent you have to pull the tent out of it,..... toilet necessities might take on a whole new way of thinking.

With that craziness in mind, take a look at this site: http://emergencyportabletoilets.com/ and if it strikes your interest enough to actually make a purchase, LUCKY FOR YOU I have a coupon code you can use to get 25% off your purchase price. Just use coupon code: prepxmas (and just overlook that xmas part in that. I didn't make up the code and I hate that abbreviation at LEAST as much as you do) and start saving!

See? More to consider when you are working on your storage than JUST food :)

Thanksgiving Dinner

What will you be having for Thanksgiving Dinner? Did you madly dash out to the grocery store for some last minute fresh items? Did you think to yourself at any point "I forgot to get ___!" ? What if disaster strikes us during a Thanksgiving time? Will we have used up our food storage for that one meal and have nothing to speak of for the days after?

As you sit down with your family to indulge in a fabulous meal that shows the good fortunes you've enjoyed over the past year, remember to give thanks that your ingredients didn't HAVE to come from food storage, and that you could enjoy a bounty instead of "make do with what you had." And as you clean the table and all the dishes, consider what you could do differently next year so that you can look at your bounty in the pantry and smile with courage that you've done as the Lord has asked and gathered what you could.

If you venture out to shop over the next few days, keep your eyes open for sales on canned items and dry goods that you can put away. Stock up where you can. Keep in mind that you might find good sales on things you might not need, but perhaps you could store it and have it to trade someone else later who might be in need of it. Even if you have no babies in your house, diapers make great bandages in a pinch and what mother wouldn't be glad to give you a pound of beans for a few diapers during a time of need? Keep thoughts like this in mind. The sales will be upon us soon! Be aware and get prepared!