Thursday, April 5, 2012

Be Prepared

We were in the city yesterday taking care of my folks and doing the shopping. I have a bridal shower to go to next Friday and for three weeks now have tried to get to the store where she is registered and once again it didn't happen yesterday. I found the stores were filled with people, I suspect before the holidays....shopping. I was wanting in to get one or two items and out again. Needless to say I think I shall save myself the anguish and just give the bride cash.

I bought a lot of meat yesterday. I have not bought any meat since January and my freezer was really lacking in variety. It is now filled to capacity and I am able to work on my once-a-month cooking.....Today!!!

In fact I didn't even go down the rows in the store yesterday. Rather just stuck to the outside core buying fresh produce, meat and cheese.

I don't know if it is me, but there seemed to be little in the way of any sale this week at any of the grocery stores. Perhaps because of the pending holiday they know people will buy no matter the cost? use to be a turkey was a good deal this time of year. Not so this year.
This is my baking cupboard. Yes I am an organized freak. 

The Tupperware I have owned for over 20 years. Note the pink lids? Think 1980's! I bought them over time and threw parties to get Tupperware deals. I haven't been to a Tupperware party in over 15 years.

The real reason I bought them was because in our old house, (Circa 1836 stone house,) we had a real problem with mice. Nothing like loosing all your loose grains and sugars to mice.

Note the ceiling in my cupboards ( ugly as they are) have tin nailed to them. That has rid me of mice in the cupboards in this house ( Circa 1881).

My baking cupboard is well stocked again. I have bought sugar dirt cheap over the later winter, for canning this spring. Still have our whole grain wheat to be ground in large pails in the basement. What I use everyday is here in this cupboard.
My kitchen sink area
At our Meeting Hall this past Tuesday we were reminded to have our emergency preparedness ready. It is a always good reminder because we never know when an emergency could strike.

Living on a farm we are more prepared then most. I have 300L of drinking water in the basement. Every beginning of the month I empty these water bins into the wash machine and refill them dating them for freshness. We don't need an emergency to be without water. Our power outage will stop the pumps from running water.

We have gas tanks filled with Petro. It gets used on the chainsaw, farm truck and lawnmower, but is always refilled. for that just in case moment. If power goes out in the area, fuel pumps don't work either!

Do you have all your important papers, passport, house insurance, mortgage or ownership papers all together in one spot that you can just get in a hurry if you must leave the house quickly? Ours are in a Ziplock bag in a backpack along with a plate, tumbler, cutlery, matches, can opener, rain coats, mitts, socks, maxi-pads ( homemade ones), personal items, list of each item a family member would need to collect when disaster strikes ( medication, clothing, favorite toy).

How about cash? Your VISA or bank card will not work without electricity. You need cash. We have been told to keep about $300. of small bills ( $5. and $10.) in a safe place in the house. This I need to replenish. We have dug into this stash. So the reminder was a good one.

Then the canned goods, and emergency foods. Everyone should have some supply of the different food groups in your house at all times. That just in case factor.
This was the fire a year ago here where we live. It consumed four farms in total, and reached the edge of ours. We lost one field, but that was it, thank goodness. However because we had the emergency plan in hand we were ready to leave in 5 minutes notice.
This was the aftermath of the fire. April 2011

A reminder to all, be prepared.

4 comments:

Jane and Chris said...

What a great post. I will refer to this to get everything ready...the lack of water bothers me so we need to do this. Thank you.
Jane x

Anonymous said...

Thank You for the reminder to evaluate our 72 hour / bug out bags as you stated replenish the cash etc that may or may not have been used ...
Happy Easter to You & Yours
~~HUGS~~

Margo said...

excellent post. I need to do these things for emergencies.

We have an old house too, so we get mice. I keep everything in hard containers!

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