Sanitation Preparations

We always think about preparing our pantry with food storage, or packing a 72 hour kit, or remembering to store batteries for every imaginable tool, or having enough bandages in our first aid kit...sometimes we remember to store toilet paper and soaps and such...

...but...

Have you ever considered putting a whole TOILET into your storage?


This might sound odd until you've thought on the subject a little longer. I might even suggest you print out this post and take it to your bathroom where you can give it your focused attention (heheh) and consider why it might be a valuable thing to invest in. In our not-too-distant past, a hurricane ripped through Louisiana and other coastal areas leaving terrible devastation for the residents. Some who went to provide aid there saw filth strewn everywhere by the storm and the decay of all forms of matter was dangerous to the health of all there. Sewer systems weren't very helpful for a bit, because there were few homes and no clean water to use. In this extreme example, sanitation was crucial just to survive, and many became ill from exposure.

We never know when our precious running water and comfortable facilities will be lost to us, but our need for sanitary conditions will continue to be mandatory. So how do you prepare for this? One way is to store a portable toilet. It's a simple thing really, its just a bucket with a special lid. The only things you need to store with it are the enzyme packets (or the "blue stuff" as we call it at our house) to help break down waste material, and toilet paper. This is an inexpensive venture. In fact, I'm sure you've spent more on toilet paper than you would on this toilet!

Your health needs you to think ahead about things like this. If you have a portable "john", you have something you can take camping with you. For those with physical disabilities or difficulties, this little gadget is MOST helpful to cut down on the need to search for a place "to go". It eliminates the concern of poison ivy in uncomfortable areas. And on top of that, it is a part of the group specials for the month of July at Emergency Preparedness. (Carrollton Ward, we will be participating in this special so we can get them for $6.) Those of you who do not live in Carrollton, you can still purchase one of these at a sale price too! Visit www.BePrepared.com and place your order, or check with your own ward to see if you can participate in the group specials too.

Are your children safe?

My son Morgan is a cub scout. He is also schooled at home. I have found that combining his schoolwork and his scout work helps him spend more time on studies without feeling like he is "working"...and thus, we accomplish more in both categories: school & scouts.

Recently, he had one requirement left in his book to achieve a new rank: he had to go to the fire department. Luckily, we just got a new one about 2 or 3 miles down the road from our house! So Monday afternoon, we all piled into our car and headed to the fire station. Morgan asked his questions and got his answers, and then he wanted to see a fire truck. The wonderful firefighter on duty that day showed Morgan around and let him sit inside the truck and see all the great gadgets. He turned on the siren and lights for him and took pictures with him. He was awesome!
During our adventure there, the fireman asked ME a question. He wanted to know if I let my kids sleep with their door shut. I said "oh no! I don't! They keep the doors open." He said that if he could make one change in our lives, it would be our sleeping habits. He said "Please have your children sleep with their doors shut." I was dumbfounded! After all, how do you hear your children cry in the night with the door shut? How do you know something is wrong with the door shut? What kind of mother shuts bedroom doors at night and cuts herself off from them? I'll tell you! A mother who is protecting her children in case of fire.

The fireman tells me that more people die from smoke inhalation and heat than from actually burning in a house fire. He told me that if the doors are open, smoke and fumes and flames can rush right in. If you are in bed and the smoke alarm goes off, chances are that you will sit up straight in bed, inhale and pass out before you can get out of your room to help your family. If your door is closed, you give yourself several extra minutes to get out a window without suffering the effects from the fire. He showed us to touch the door with the back of our hand and move it upward to see how high up we can go before heat bothers us. THAT is the level of smoke and fire on the other side of the door. And if the door is hot, the fire is near. That tells us "go out the window instead." Something as simple as sleeping with your bedroom door closed can give you precious extra minutes to get to safety.

As a family, we already have an escape plan and already have a meeting place chosen outside. We already talked about going out windows and which doors and what hazards we have to take care of NOW before something could happen. We've not had actual fire drills, but if we did, that practice would create a memory in our minds and we would automatically do something similar during a real fire. And now we have one more tool to protect us.... closed doors at night.

Moms, if you are truly uncomfortable having your children's doors closed at night, then invest in baby monitors and place them next to your bed. You will hear the sounds from their rooms even better that way.

So ask yourself again,.... are YOUR children protected?

Freeze-Dried Recipes

Our ward has been participating in the Emergency Essentials "Group Orders" for the past few months. I've noticed a trend with the items on the group specials list: lots of freeze-dried choices. You might recognize freeze dried fruits from your cereal box, since that's the same type of fruit. That gives you one idea of how to use these foods, but eating dried food all the time would become difficult if you had no other choices, right? So I've been looking for some recipes (particularly because I got some of the freeze-dried broccoli and I want to know what options I have too!) and thought I'd share some of my findings. Perhaps they will be useful to you also. Just click the name of the recipe and it will take you to the original posting website.

Preparedness Pantry
Turkey Salad Sandwich
Chicken Curry
Chicken Soup

Emergency Essentials
Sunflower Strawberry Salad
Strawberry Cooler
Strawberry Bread
Strawberry Milkshakes
Apple Cake
Crockpot Oatmeal
Beef Stroganoff
Broccoli Soup
Vegetable Fried Rice

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!