Get ready for flu to spread in August

We haven’t heard much about the swine flu lately.  Once MJ and the angel died, much of America’s focus was on Hollywood.  However, the flu is still spreading and once school starts, I expect to see an increase in the spread.  Are you ready?

It became personal this morning.  I haven’t been thinking about it much lately.  You can’t sit around and just wait to get sick – you’ve gotta live and be productive with each day God gives.  However, I received an email last night that got my attention.  Last week the girls attended VBS at a fairly large church in Houston.  Yesterday, a 5 year old child that had also attended the same VBS program (and is same age as my little one) was diagnosed with swine flu.

The last time we could have been around this child was Friday noon, which was several days before the sick child’s symptoms appeared.  I’ve read that you are contagious one day before showing symptoms.  The time line is looking good for us, but there is still a small chance we were exposed.  No symptoms from any of us, so that is another good sign.

Had we all gotten sick, I would not have had to run to the store.  I have easy to prepare food like canned soups.  I have juices and over the counter meds ready.  This is not only good for me, but for others.  The last thing I should do if I’m contagious is run to Walgreens to get our supplies / meds and infect many others.  That is just cruel when we can prepare now.  We know the chances are high of it spreading, even gov’t officials are calling it a pandemic.

I’m not alarmist.  I’m not losing sleep we’re gonna die from the bug.  But I am realistic and see the need to be prepared for illness.  It just makes common sense.  However, in our society it seems that common sense is flying out the window and many expect others to run to their rescue.  I saw that first hand during Ike.  As soon as folks could leave their house, they were screaming for supplies.  This panic wipes out the stores’ inventory and you could be without what if you wait.  For example, once the news hit from Mexico about the flu last April, you could not buy face masks in Houston.  I don’t know that these masks will do much good, but the herd ran out and collected all that were available.  Same with hand sanitizer.  You couldn’t find it after the news spread.

We cannot also ignore the possiblities of a more serious and widespread strain that could cause a quaranteen.  Are you ready for a 90 day quaranteen?  That gets a little more serious.  Again, I’m not being alarmist.  Even our gov’t is telling us to be prepare for no help for at least 2 weeks.

If you’ve done nothing, then I suggest you consider what you’d need if you got the flu tomorrow.  It would be nice if you wouldn’t leave your house and infect my family.  Is that too much to ask?

• Do you have meds?
• Do you have food / liquids?
• Do you have communication in case you need help?
• Do you have entertainment while you’re recovering (books, TV, etc?)

There are more thorough posts in Internet Land giving lists of items to have on hand.  You can search and find these easily.  But you don’t have to spend hours researching, rather (i) use common sense; (ii) and assume you’ll get the flu tomorrow; and (iii) acquire what you think you’d need.  Pretty simple.  To my friends who are prepared, thanks in advance for staying home and not spreading to me.

Food close to home

Here’s a new video of my friend who runs a veggie coop.  I’m not a vegan or vegatarian, but I still love this coop.  The food is fabulous and the cause is worthy.  She is trying to increase the demand for local farmers to grow food close to home.  It tastes different.   A bell pepper tastes like the one my grandpa used to grow.

The food in the supermarket is just not the same as what used to come out of my grandparent’s garden.  I grew up in a small town in deep East Texas.  Back then, many people gardened, canned, hunted and fished for their food.  I could have cared less and couldn’t wait to get out of the “back woods.”  I hated picking green beans or pulling weeds in the hot Texas sun.  Now I would love to be back in that life.  I can remember running purple-hull peas through the sheller and the kitchen smelling like fresh peas and ham.  Yum. Yum.

Then I moved to the city and started a new life chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Married a wonderful man and have great kids.  When I went back home, my grandpa called the girls the concrete kids.  It is so true.  Most kids in Houston are concrete kids.  They have no idea how food is grown and how much work / skill it takes.

We’re in trouble because we’ve lost this good growing knowledge close to home and our country is a net importer of food.  Can you believe the United States of America does not grow enough food to feed its people?  That is a travesty.

Little house on the prairie – living off grid

Yesterday afternoon I watched 4 hours of Little House on the Prairie.   We took a break and came downstairs for a snack.  The girls told Dave what we were doing and they were so excited Mom was watching the show with them.  Dave got a grin on his face and proceeded to tell them that I wasn’t watching Little House on the Prairie but was watching living off the grid.  That was really funny and partially true.  I love living off the grid stories…. even if they are a few steps from true living off the grid reality.  I wish someone would do a real show on this life.  We have the Les Stroud show, but it is not representative of what really happens.

Les Stroud – living off the grid

I just watched the “coolest” video.  Les Stroud’s (survivorman) family in Canada moved from their city home onto 150 acres.  And they set up a cabin off grid. I’ve seen stories of others doing this, but I enjoyed this one the most because this family has young kids about the same age as my older two.  They didn’t give up all modern conveniences, but definitely had to sacrifice.  I love these stories.

It is 7 parts on you tube:  first one here.

End times events blog

There’s a blog I regularly read that I have not included on my blogroll.  There are many views of end times in the Christian community, and even many more in the non-Christian community.   It is hard to find info on this topic that I completely agree with, which is why I haven’t put many on my blogroll.  However, I am fascinated with end times.  Especially with the current events we are witnessing.  I love seeing God be God.  God is so amazing.

This site takes current events each day and ties them to end times scriptures.  I do not always agree with his analysis, but it is thought provoking.   Since there’s even more going on in the middle east and our world right now, I thought I’d share this resource with my disclaimer.   When you’re reading analysis, remember you are reading man’s opinion, not God’s ultimate Word.

http://frankdimora.typepad.com/the_last_chronicles/

Are you ready to be quarantined?

We’re hearing about swine flu again.  Personally, I’m not alarmed unless it mutates and becomes really nasty.  But this bug is a good reason to look at what our government is telling us to do.  I can’t believe I just said that.

I checked out the gov’t preparedness site they recommend keeping a 2 week supply of water and food.   I think a 90 day supply is more prudent.   Here’s a small portion of what  they say:

Stock a supply of water and food. During a pandemic you may not be able to get to a store. Even if you can get to a store, it may be out of supplies. Public waterworks services may also be interrupted. Stocking supplies can be useful in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters. Store foods that:

• are nonperishable (will keep for a long time) and don’t require refrigeration
• are easy to prepare in case you are unable to cook
• require little or no water, so you can conserve water for drinking

Being Joyful in an Uncertain Time

I’m pretty open about my view of the future.  The world is changing at breakneck speed.   This video is another example of how the world we know it may not exist  in the not so distant future.  Many of the changes in our world are wonderful and we benefit from these enormously.  However, the potential for craziness and sudden destruction is also amplified.

When I’ve posted about Celente or other grim news, I get comments and emails from other moms who are seeing the same thing.  The problem is we hear so much about the problem and less about how to adjust to this changing world.

I watch current events and try to prepare to the extent I’m able.   I’m finding these two activities are adding to my life, not adding more fear.  Some would think a focus on these things would take away from day to day life, but for me it is not the case.

Rather, there has been joy.  The more I look at current events, the closer I see Jesus’ return.  We do not know the exact time, but we do know the season.  It appears to me that we are in that season.  What an exciting time to be alive.

I’m not saying I’m never down because I still do have days of fear.  But I’m also learning joy like I’ve never known.   I listen to guys like Glenn Beck and don’t know what tomorrow will bring.  That is more reason to enjoy today.

I’m finding joy in things I didn’t notice before.  When I go into the grocery stores and see the shelves stocked, I thank God.  Before Ike, I just took it for granted.  When I can sleep at night without fear, I’m thankful we live in a place where crime is not rampant.  I’m thankful I have a sewer system that works and clean water.  I’m really thankful for our doctors and medical care.  This may seem trite, but the growing uncertainty of tomorrow is causing me to rethink today.

I’m thankful we have income.  At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. We’ve had such wealth in this country that many of our poor are rich by world standards.   The thought of seeing massive poverty is a new idea for many of us.  I believe we will have less wealth in the future.  But maybe this will strengthen our values and change our priorities.  Mine are certainly being tweaked.

I’m trying to laugh and play more with my kiddos.  The other day I played with Shea on the trampoline instead of wiping the countertops one more time.   Or sit down with the girls and read a book together.

And most importantly, I’m also finding joy in being able to worship God and have a Bible.  I recently heard if you’re caught with a Bible in North Korea that three generations in your family is executed.   Christians all around the world are facing terrible persecution.   I’m so thankful I can freely share the Gospel with my children.

There is joy in today.  I am trying to get ready for tomorrow without missing the moment now.

One more thing… here are a couple podcasts that are on point with my thoughts today that you might find helpful.

Familylife broadcast: “In uncertain times, we need to focus on that which is certain – the Word of God. Dennis Rainey helps us find certainty in uncertain times and faith in time of fear, as he offers practical tips for preparing your home to withstand the current economic and cultural storm.”

Olive Tree  Ministries May 23 2nd hour broadcast: Jerry Robinson is Jan’s guest. He is a World Net Daily columnist and author of the new book, “Bankruptcy of our Nation: 12 Key Strategies for Protecting Your Finances in these Uncertain Times.” Robinson says we are entering the most grave period of financial instability in history. He explains the real reason for the bailouts, why the dollar is doomed and what that means, the forthcoming hyper-inflationary period and how that compares to the Weimar Republic in the 1920s, and much more. Jan and Jerry also go over the 12 key strategies for your protection.

There’s also an excellent women’s Bible study in Houston teaching on this subject.  You can call the church and get CDs at little or no cost. Lois McCall is teaching “God’s Wisdom for Today’s Woman.”  I went to the first class today and it was excellent.  She showed the video at the top of this blog.

Encouraging stories – being prepared

One blog I enjoy is Casaubon’s Book.  She’s rec’d feedback from several readers who were prepared for the unexpected and the unexpected happened.   In this blog, she summarized a few of these.  I thought you might find these encouraging.

http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/19/real-life-food-storage-stories/

What about those who do not prepare for a disaster?

When I was a little girl, I remember reading about the grasshopper and ant.  It was summertime and at my grandmother’s house in the country… I can still hear my grandmother’s voice reading.  The theme was that the grasshopper enjoyed all summer.  He ate, wrote poetry, socialized and took long summer naps.  The ant worked all summer while the grasshopper watched and laughed.  Then, of course, winter came and the ant was ready.  The grasshopper died.  The end.  Very short story but tells everything.  It is the natural law, which we’ve changed in our society.

If there was such a book today, it would be as follows.  The grasshopper enjoyed all summer.  The grasshopper was entitled to this time because it was a green grasshopper and worshiped the sun god.  Its ancestors had also done the same thing and it was born that way…. to enjoy the summer.  So he should follow his heart.  The insect government borrowed money from the reptiles so they could build the grasshopper a home, because the grasshopper was entitled to a home.  Then all the other grasshoppers wanted their own homes, so pretty soon the grasshoppers all had new homes.  And the grasshopper didn’t like getting hot jumping through the fields, so he borrowed money from the birds and got an insectmobile.

The ant thought this was crazy, but could not stop the trend.  The ant had a really nice ant hill he’d worked generations to build.  But pretty soon he had a hard time keeping his hill because the insect gov’t taxed the nice hill.  It wasn’t fair that the ant hill was nicer than the grasshopper’s house.  But the ant was debt free and kept his head above water for a while.  In the meantime, the insect gov’t kept borrowing from others to build a wonderful kingdom.  All this time, the ant stored away food and survival items.  The ant did not get into credit card debt and tried to save a little money.

Then winter hit.  Many insect leaders had told the insects that winter would only be 72 hours and the gov’t would show up after that time.  But the winter went on for months.  The birds, reptiles and others refused to loan the insect kingdom any more money.  The insect currency collapsed and social chaos erupted.  The grasshoppers came after the ant for food and other items.  The ant pulled out its stinger and there was an internal insect conflict.   In the meantime, the other kingdoms where really mad at the insects for defaulting and decided to take action against them.  Things got really bad.  The end.

There was a wonderful post yesterday at preparednesspro about this subject:  A crisis of choice.    This is really worth a read.  I don’t see many on the preparedness blogs addressing this subject and she did an excellent job with this hot potato subject.

I’m trying to be an ant.  I used to think I was an ant, but after Ike I really got serious on this subject.  Obtaining preparedness knowledge does not happen overnight.  There are people out there who are really prepared for the uncertainties of life.  There are others who laugh or insult you.  Others encourage you but have no desire to do anything themselves.  Since I’ve started talking about this subject, I get…. “I’m coming to your house if…..”.   If all these people come, we’re good for about 48 hours.

Preparedness is mental and physical.  For me, the mental part is about God.  I want to be in His will first and foremost.  I don’t know the future and any plans I make can be tossed aside in seconds by events in this world.    That does not mean I do nothing.  The Bible is full of stories about people getting ready for the future.  Sometimes He didn’t allow them to store food so they would be totally dependent on Him…..  Jews in the desert eating manna.  However, there are more examples about God’s people being prepared.  God told Joseph to store grain.

Being prepared is not just about food.  It will be different for each family. Housing, age, health, etc.  all play a role in what each individual can do.  And each will get prepared to varying degrees.  One basic strategy is debt.  Debt kills.  Another is knowledge.  What do you need in your area?  I’m in Houston, so I need to be ready for a hurricane or 9/11 type event.

In today’s culture, I think this translates to observing our world and doing our best to prepare for what may be ahead.  The proverbs 31 woman did exactly this.  When I look at our world, I see the potential for hyperinflation, increased natural disasters, pandemics, famines, increased crime and global war.  That sounds depressing, but it is realistic.  Much of our country doesn’t choose to think about these things.  But if we did, our society would be a better place.

So if this has peaked your interest… head on over to preparednessedpro and read more.

Lew Rockwell interviews Gerald Celente

I like hearing what Gerald Celente has to say.  Well, I really don’t because it is doom and gloom, however, it rings of truth.  It is not mainstream, but makes a lot of common sense to my ears.  And he has been correct in the past.  We’re not putting all our eggs in the Celente basket, but we are combining what he is saying with what we’re learning from other sources to make our purchasing and financial decisions.

Here’s his interview with Lew Rockwellhttp://www.lewrockwell.com/podcast/?p=episode&name=2009-04-26_117_the_fed_has_wounded_you.mp3