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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Items for your storage

Here is a simple list for the storage today:
matches
candles(12)
bar soap(12)
peroxide(3)
toothbrushes(1 per person)
cotton swabs(you know Q-tips)

1 lb. dried item(such as lentils, pinto bean etc)
1 lb. rice


So that is the list, depending on where you shop or if you make your own soap, this list should be fairly inexpensive. Make sure that you put a date on each item 12-30-09 so that you know when you purchased it and rotate it. Please remember that you should not buy items that you and your family do not already eat. You also need to remember that these items should be stored in what I call an in house grocery store. Your storage is not something that you fill and never touch. No, it is something that is slowly being built up, while you use from it.

I believe that a problem for many people is not grasping the notion that we are not storing up goods to leave alone. I believe that one should be storing up goods to help one in a crisis, or something economically devastating, but use them. If I were regularly buying only for the week, this should change to buying for the week, while stockpiling items that you already use. If toothbrushes go on sale stock up(a toothbrush should last two-3 months, so don't over load on an item that you may only need 5 per person).

I pray that those who visit here understand that having storage to get one over a crisis is critical. I pray that those who stop by go to the store and buy a few extra items for the times ahead. We are crossing into uncharted territory(as many economic forecasters have stated) and therefore the comforts we find in our corner grocery may not be there as readily or as cheaply as we have grown accustomed to.

Happy New Year
Jen

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Alarming

DHS has done WHAT??? Here's a snippet:
The Department of Homeland Security has placed an order for 200
million rounds of pistol ammunition (.40 caliber, hollow-point) over the next
five years for use by its Immigration, Customs and Enforcement
division
.

Go here to read Wizbang's take, or here, or here at Gun Reports.

I have news for you readers To Me This is Pretty Alarming News.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Prepping Humor From the Younger Preppers

One of my sons told me this today and I knew I needed to share it with the Preppers!

If the world ends in 2012, I would have spent my whole life in
school...lovely.

It is always important to get a broad perspective of any and all things that may occur, and the thoughts of fellow family members. Ironic that the fear in this above quote is non existent, and only an observation about what a waste something was. Perhaps we could take something from this little gem: Are we wasting our time on things that, if the world were to end are full of it? Now I am not suggesting that we give up hobbies or things that offer us a bit of relaxation. I am only thinking about the things that are absolutely zero for what life is about. Sometimes this makes me think about when we lived in Nevada, and folks would commute 100 miles(one way) to Las Vegas for the big paying jobs- every day. To me from the outside, that seems to be a waste. Is the money that great? Is the commute worth it on the vehicle? Is the commute worth it on the relationship one has with his or her spouse or children? To me I could never see that work out as a positive in my head, but I must remind you that my thoughts about what is wasteful are mine, please take this post as a time to assess things in your life based on your needs, wants and goals.

Happy New Year in case I don't see you all again until 2010~

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Hurry Up and Wait

Is that how prepping has become as no serious crises has happened? Life is still awesome, job intact, and you spend like you always have?

What are you doing? Are you one who desperately needs a "high" to continue or do you appreciate that a life of a prepper is a lifestyle change. Living does not cease, nor does joy or happiness. No, the only thing that changes is that way you see things and the way you do things. Gone should be the conditioned spender that needs new all the time. Gone should be the conditioned spender that has no clue how to maintain anything. Gone should be the conditioned spender that has no idea how to make any food of substance from scratch. Gone should be the person who was properly molded into a consumer living a life based on a number. Gone should be the person who is living in a home only as a step to the bigger, better home in the best neighborhood. Gone should be the person that has no clue what contentment is.

Yes, I ended that paragraph with what has happened to all of us. In the frenzied path of accumulation we have lost our simple ways, our simple joy and peace in appreciating the real things in life. Capitalism is not this...but it has been converted to this bizarro interpretation...and then spun by the Left. When everything at your fingertips has been made in China, how can it be Capitalism that has gone awry?

I say it is time to hurry up and wait. If you can begin thinking about a move to a rural place near the work that you have. If you can, begin spending money on the one tangible thing out there~ land. Not over priced land that is in a hip locale...no, buy land that can be used and lived on. This will carry on for generations. Buy land that has water- that is a place that you can hurry up and wait.

Just my thoughts.

Merry Christmas to You All
From The Double Nickel Farm

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Must See Chart

Unemployment Chart from 2007 to 2009 - actually it is a few second animated chart(click on words "unemployment chart- as my computer does not show link)

Kind of shocking if you asked me.

Thursday To Do List

This is a simple list: add food to your food storage.

Rice- 2lbs
flour- 5lbs
fruit-either dried or cans at least 2 bags of dried or 6 cans
vegetables-canned 6


Circle the actual expiration date on the food item- then write the date of purchase underneath. It is very important to rotate the foods in your storage.

As to Christmas- if you cannot pay cash for an item- DO NOT BUY IT. If you are in arrears on payments elsewhere-DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON GIFTS. Pay your debts. Sorry if this comes off as harsh but we need to start relearning or learning how to be financially responsible. Gifts do not make the holidays.

Ideas for Christmas- have a game day, where you have playoffs with the chart. You can play two player games like chess, checkers, ping pong, or mancala- then keep going until there is a grand champion.

Have a day of baking cookies- and actually decorating them the old fashioned way, without all the store bought falseness. Show enthusiasm and your children will too. Plot giving two dozen cookies to a neighbor and go and sing carols and deliver the gifts.

Have a day where you sit and do crafts or projects such as models with the family. It was fun when we were kids, but as of late the game systems, the computers, and the TVs take away from simple pleasures. Remember that models do not need to be store bought. I remember during the Stars Wars craze of the seventies, my brothers made Star Wars ships, that they hung from their bedroom ceiling, from shampoo bottles- and they were truly sharp!

Have a day where you plot with your children to make a gift for the other parent-even if you are divorced. The other parent may not be your spouse anymore but they will forever more be your children's parent. This will create so much respect from your child. Your action will speak so loudly.

Sit down and write a year in review with your family. Instead of embellishing it for those you mail it to, be true and document even the seemingly trivial things. Make a cover and then when you take down decorations leave this in the Christmas box. Each year read the previous years accomplishments, then add to them.

Make coupon books for each member of your family for something that you can do for them.

These corny ideas are only corny, because the media has played us like fools. If we do not spend money then we are poor, or someone will have a terrible day. This is not the case. If you have debt be responsible, and then you can give in a unique way which cost nothing at all. You can give of yourself...and to be honest the birth of Christ, leads us to the ultimate gift of One, as Christ gave all for us.

Don't forget to mark Thursday on your calendar- To Do: Add to food storage.
(c) Double Nickel Farm
Jennifer

Monday, December 14, 2009

To Prepare To...

A town in the mountains went without power due the wind and snow storm that we had last week. I want to share some things about this not to make this a post about a local story, but a post on how we should prepare for anything and everything.

Losing electricity during storms is a common occurrence nationally, but could you go without power for a week, or more? The folks in Cloudcroft, NM had to do just that as they were without power for several days. Sadly many ended up going to hotels, or coming down the mountain and living in a shelter set up in Alamogordo, NM. Crises come in all shapes and sizes and not every crises should require you bug out to another locale.

But ill preparedness does require leaving and most likely with no plan or direction.

Not every situation a prepper prepares for is of rogue government takeovers or the likes. Preppers prepare for things that naturally occur in their regions too. In fact, this should be your number one thing to prep for because each year we deal with the natural weather situations such as hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, floods, and such. These will do more damage to more people annually. So this is the time to prepare.

Do you live where blizzards are a risk to you? If so, why not invest in a woodstove, as if you have one then you can stay in your home even without power. You can heat water to sponge bathe, cook, and heat the home. You will not have pipes freeze if your power goes out, and the family is not shaken up with the crises. It will not define you if you can maintain normalcy in your home.

Suppose you are on vacation to a resort island. Do you understand that tsunamis are a risk? If many a few years ago understood that a receding water line is NEVER something you should go out and see, the numbers of dead would have been less. The tourists were the ones that did this, as most did not live near coastlines and were ill prepared for what to expect if a natural disaster occurred.

Where I live, because of a construction site east of us(near the base of the mountains) it seems like we are going to have to deal with flooding because of man diverting a natural arroyo(wash). So preparing next year began this year. The animals are not going to be at risk like they were last year. We are planning for what we know as this is what prepping should be about. We should ascertain what is possible in the regions we live in and study resolutions and prepare for them. Basements are a must in the band of the country known as Tornado Alley. For those on the coasts- hurricane prep is a must. Not the week it is heading your way, but today, when hurricane season is over- this is the time to buy the plywood and materials to cover your windows.

Does this make sense? We must prepare for all situations that we are exposed to, first. Then we must have a few bug out places to go to if in a crisis we have to leave our homes.

As to having a bug out place chosen if all heck breaks loose and our economy tanks- well this is something entirely different. This is something that if you must do, prepare for now. How you prepare is not about how much you have in food storage or preps, but how you will adapt to leaving all you know to head to an unknown. Can you preserve foods? Can you grow foods? Can you butcher an animal? Can you build a structure? Can you find water? Can you protect yourself? These questions are critical to prepare for now. If you cannot do any of these things than you are ill prepared for a situation that may be a national crisis. The reality is that if a situation arises where you will be facing a meltdown nationally-you will need as much moxie and skills possible. I recommend that you prepare now by reading as many books as possible about the above listed items, and then trying to apply them in simple training lessons. I will write more later.

Jennifer

Friday, December 11, 2009

Northern New Mexico Information

Thanks for the tip CKraus 111!(Feel free to email me if you would like to write for New Mexico Preppers as I would love to have another New Mexican sharing prepper skills, information, and ideas)(hint ~hint!)

Gun Show This Weekend at Expo NM December 12-13, 2009 8 AM - 4 PM

Albuquerque Tea Party will have a table at the Expo NM Gun Show in Albuquerque this weekend. We will also have a raffle for a gift certificate to one of the major Shooting & Sporting stores. Come see us and be sure to check out our flyer's from other concerned groups, including the NRA and Oath Keepers.

Quarterly Meeting and Greet January 16, 2010 7 PM - 11 PM. Albuquerque Tea Party has extended an invitation to all congressional candidates for this Quarterly Meet and Greet. Join us in getting to know them and strike up a conversation with other like minded people so we can coordinate our game plan for 2010.

Pass this on to anyone else you feel might be interested and RSVP soonest (bokor1933@aol.com; rsvp@abqteaparty.com).

Please RSVP no later than January 8, 2010.The Inn at Rio Rancho1465 Rio Rancho Blvd(a little past Sara Road)Hors d'oeurves, tea and water will be served. Cash bar.$12 per person, payable at the door.Large attendance expected.RSVP required. Space is limited. See www.albuquerqueteaparty.com for additional details.

Prepare Now

Do people find you odd or unusual because of the lifestyle that you live? I say so what! Check out this family that was a traveling reporter team from the mid 1930's.

Now during the Depression many people lived in their cars in a less than desirable fashion all because they didn't have the means to live anywhere else, nor realized that they could improve the situation. You do see the times that are coming our way. We may not be able to have the perfect prep closet, but we can have the vision that we can make life comfortable.

I do not believe we have seen the end of the housing crisis, and I do believe that many people will become homeless. So then what? Are you prepared to think outside the box? Are you concerned what others will think? Or have you considered options such as living in a tent at a national park(for example)?

I know that there are some folks out there that will be blindsided when they lose their home- whether it is unforeseen or a tragedy occurs, but others know that they are close and refuse to prepare. If you are close to losing your home because you have not made payments, prepare. Look for options now. Do not resort to pleading in front of a news camera...stand up now and look. The burden is heavy if you are close. But this is not the end of the world. Many rise from failure and shine. I know that this is hard to believe because we live in times where everyone is a winner, and many have never had to learn that one must know how to lose in order to win.

Now is the time. If you are close to losing your home- do not, I repeat- do not purchase anything for the holidays- no justification. Stop now. Make a card for the loved ones, or refurbish something you already have, or just be honest with those you love. Now is the time. Children will understand. Please prepare now.


Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Why?

I have been deeply reflective for the past few days, pondering one word~why? You see alarm bells and common sense have fallen away. We are in the epic battle for a way of living that has granted freedom to so many and hope to so many more. Yet doubletalk has won.

We are no longer discussing if we should have government run healthcare- nope...we gullible Americans are concerned now only if abortion should be covered. The snakes did a bait and switch and the conservatives have allowed themselves to be pulled in.

How dare we? Hasn't the blood of those before us meant anything?

How dare we? We have fallen like everyone else. You know how? By justifying our actions. I do this because. I do that because. So when the Left justifies we cave as we have lost our foundation.

Stop waiting for something big to happen. Stop waiting for a crisis to happen.

It already has.

We all have been too busy to realize it. With climategate we realize that we have been lied to for a long time, yet many, even preppers will discuss the planet and how we need to care for it...you see the bait and switch occurred and we were just trying to be good citizens.

With everything going on it is hard to keep up on events... it seems like each day we have something else that the government is doing. Perverting our children? Check- have you removed your children from public school? No, because of justifying. I am tired of how we all cannot understand that the battle is not in how much we have in preps, but how the government has stolen the next generation- and we sent them, all nicely tucked in a bright yellow bus.

It is over.

So now what? I received an email confirming what I had read over the weekend about what our children are being taught. Now I am pretty naive on things of this nature, because I choose not to read about perverted sexual behaviors. I get people have sex with animals, and do abhorrent things to eachother- I do not need to read anything else. But dear friends, when the government is teaching YOUR CHILDREN fisting, and you allow them to continue to go to school I have lost my zeal to share anymore.

Jen, it does not happen at my children's school. ???? Are you trying to cover your shame or do you really believe this? I am sorry if this comes off as harsh...but we need to prep in all areas of our lives. Our children need to be taught- and who better than you? Do you want them to hate Christopher Columbus? Do you want them to read about Kwanzaa and not Christmas? Do you want the children to have school supplies with the Obama logo and campaign motto on it? Do you want your children to praise our president like Christians praise God? Jen, my kids don't do these things.
Are you sure?
What can you do? Please do not be angry at me because I wrote these things. Our public schools are not quaint places to send children to learn their ABC's...no it is a place where an agenda of the Left has reigned for decades. Your children have been taught to be good little people. Questionnaires are given often that never reach home, all about mom and dad, and what you may have at home. Have you ever fought? The Left desires to create America's youth- and they are against you. Public school separates the family unit and now promotes anything but this unit. White males need not ever be promoted and capitalism is EVIL. My kids need a good job therefore they need a good education, is that what you are telling me(or yourself)? Because this is a sellout if I have ever heard one. My kids need the sports and extracurricular activities Jen. Why? How much do you spend so the little ones can play on a team? How much gas do you spend? How much do you spend eating out? Now, are you in debt? Then why? We must cease to pamper the children all the while driving straight into debt. Join city teams, the Y, or church leagues. None of these costs as much as it does in public schools. We have allowed this notion that the children can play- then when they marry they are ill prepared to work as they played in gradeschool, played in middle school, played in high school, and played in college(I mean I wrote a final exam essay that was a blog- come on~) so then the adult is launched and has no clue that work is the key...and hard work at that.
Public school teaches that everyone is a winner. Not in my book...and I would love to challenge these kids in life skills- cause if it is me or a winner that never was taught how to lose, I am going to win every time. We need both sides, to drive us. We need our children to learn how to fail, as well as succeed.
The time is now.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Rethinking Everything

The life of a prepper often means that one must rethink everything. This should not be seen as a negative- different is good in my opinion. For the past four years(it has been five since Bill's accident but he needed a year of recovery before returning to any kind of work) I have been sending homemade lunches. Instead of humdrum cold sandwiches, I try and create meals that Bill loves and that will recharge him while he is working. So this post is a photo sharing of what I made a week or two ago for Bill- and to give you ideas on how to save money in your life, so you can pay off any debt that you may have so that you are not weighed down so heavily.

If you don't have any debt than most likely you can use your money to shore up any prep items that you need or to maintain a vehicle or a roof(you get the idea).

Five meals cost me under $2.00~ each week. Pictured below is a taco meal that is simple, but Bill loves.

Corn torts toasted on the comal- once they start toasting I fold them in the shape of a taco shell.

My older brother(when he lived nearby) saved his TV dinner tray's because I new the minute I saw them that I would use them to send meals to work for Bill. I have about 20 of them! I cook the beans weekly in the crock pot over night. I start them around ten and then by 6 am they are ready. In addition to serving them in any meals I send with Bill, we eat them through the week. The taco has cheddar cheese on the bottom, seasoned ground beef- the sides are beans and a jalapeno.


I use the shower cap style plastic thingies to cover the meal. Believe it or not I wash these out and reuse them!

Then I stack the five meals and put them all inside a plastic grocery bag and freeze. In the morning I will grab one meal and send it with Bill. I also will send a homemade desert, water, tea or a fruit drink too.

Preparing meals in advance does take planning- in fact, I am browning some meat as I type this post for next weeks meals. But this time is well spent as you know what you are eating, and what hands touched your food. Please take the time to reduce the amount of time you spend on eating out, and put this surplus money towards storage.

Jennifer

Thursday, December 3, 2009

I need your help...

I have been busy for a few days and decided to come clean with my prepping blog friends! For the past 15 weeks I have been taking an on-line writing course as I am working on a book about my farm life and felt that it would help.

The problem was that I was required to participate in a community service project for up to 15 hours- boy I am none to pleased with the liberal notions of what will make a person community minded(instead of civilly minded).

Anyhow I had to write a final essay in any forum I choose to share my experiences that I had while performing my community service. Not for one moment did I change anything that I am already doing. You see, I write for prepping sites and have mini courses at the farm for those interested in learning the ways of my family and I on the farm. So I created a blog to share these tips. Please swing by and leave me some comments! I must ask that you not mention that you may *know* me, as I held back what blogs I have- I am guarded that way to protect my family. But as a humble request I do hope you will swing over and say something!

Oh and my brother caught a terrible thing I did on the blog- see if you catch it- I did not do it intentionally and am a bit embarrassed that it happened- innocent as it is.(don't mention it there but come back here and tell me if you see my terrible mistake)

Living Frugally

Thank You All!
Jennifer

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Please Take a Moment

...and read the comments in addition to the previous post. Wonderful thoughtful series of comments which take us full circle on groups or clans! Thank you!

btw-for some reason I cannot leave a comment or post comments. My internet times out. So here I am in post form!
Jen
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