romesticity

video! evacuation on foot

because i promised, i made you a little video.  :)  this is the drill ella and i ran a few days ago for an emergency evacuation on foot.  we started with this because it would be the most challenging type of evacuation for us right now, given that we do not have appropriate gear for bugging out on foot, but we also felt that once we had tackled this one, evacuating by car would be very manageable.  our assumptions for the purpose of this drill were:

 

1. the evacuation order would happen on a weekday, which would mean that rudi would have the car.
2. we would have 30 minutes to pack and leave.
3. ella and i would be the only people in the house so we'd have to do this entirely ourselves.
4. we would be gone for at least 72 hours.
5. we would have to walk less than 5 miles to get to alternate transportation or to shelter. 

the set up:

we went over the grab-and-go lists to be certain she knew what she was expected to gather up, where the items were located, and where to take them for loading.  we also walked thru each of the tasks she was expected to complete.

then, i started the timer and we began.  the plan was that we had 15 minutes to collect the items on our lists and 15 minutes to load them onto/into our wheeled units and go.

here is the video.  the only edits were to take out the parts where i was walking back and forth to the tripod, to the cart, etc.  (note:  the list for the “roughing it kit” and all the other items i mention in this video can be found in my big list of lists).

evacuation drill—leaving on foot

 

mind you, this drill took place under pretty much ideal circumstances:  a sunny, mild day when we were both healthy and we had plenty of time to stop and deal with any problems.  if an evacuation happened on a rainy day, or at night, or when one of us had the flu, etc., things would be drastically more challenging.  that is why i want to run this drill every now and then—so that we know what the system is and don’t have to figure it out under duress.

after we ran this drill i made a few notes, which we will use to adjust our plan and to make the next run of this drill smoother.

what worked:  

• having kits packed and stored together
• having a grab-and-go list posted for things that are in daily use and not in storage
• having talked out the game plan before trying it

what didn't work:

• when it was fully loaded, the recycling bin was HEAVY and hard to steer
• the gardening cart was top-heavy and hard for ella to steer
• the sentimental box takes up a lot of room--will make digitizing that stuff a high priority

changes we are going to make:

• revise the grab-and-go list to make collecting things more orderly
• double check the list as we load the rolling devices to make sure we didn't forget anything
• have practice sessions for ella to learn how to get the harnesses on the dogs by herself

 

MY IDEAL EVACUATION:

1. the car would have at least a half tank of gas.
2. we would have a cargo trailer packed and ready to hitch to the car.

this would leave us with only the pets and the grab-and-go lists to deal with.  if we already had the kits and the water packed in the cargo trailer, i believe we could easily grab everything on the list and be out the door within 15 minutes.

as always if you have suggestions, please leave a comment.  i am certain this could have been smoother and more efficient.

and thank you to all my readers for sticking with me thru this month-long series on emergency preparedness!  your comments have helped me and others feel more confident about our readiness, and your support has been very soothing.  :)  now--go get your preparedness on!

grab-and-go lists

this is an essential component of our evacuation preparedness—having a list of items that we need to take with us but that are not stored with our evacuation kits.  items on these lists are in use in our day-to-day lives, making it impractical to store them with the kits.  each of us has a list of items to collect and deposit on the porch, sidewalk, or driveway, to be loaded into whatever transportation we would be using.

the lists are posted on the back of the door next to the shelf unit where our evacuation kits are stored.  each person is responsible for carrying his/her list while gathering items and for bringing the list for double checking as things are loaded into the vehicle or cart.

you will notice there are two categories on each person’s list:  items to collect, and tasks to complete.

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THE RULES

items are listed in order of priority, from most important to least.  start at the top of the list and work your way down.  when it’s time to go, stop gathering items.

NO GOING BACK FOR MORE.  NO EXCEPTIONS.

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ELLA’S GRAB-AND-GO LIST
 

• 72-hour shelf items: shoes, backpack, pet kit
• dog harnesses
• the portable potty
• walkie-talkies and charger
• wall phone from kitchen
• camping lantern
• household binder from kitchen
• search light from bedroom, charger

 

IF IT'S COLD:

• sweaters/coats/hats/mittens/boots
• extra blankets

ADJUST THE THERMOSTAT!
TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!
TAPE NOTE TO FRONT DOOR!

 

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MAMA and/or DADU GRAB-AND-GO LIST

 

• purse/wallet, keys, eyeglasses
• cash
• 72-hour shelf items:  shoes, backpacks, food kit, health and sanitation kits, medicine kit, emergency binder
• rudi's prescriptions
• cat crates
• cell phone, laptops, e-readers, cameras, external hard drives, thumb drives
• chargers:  phones, laptops, cameras, e-readers, laptop accessory kit
• water

 

IF NEEDED:

• roughing it bucket
• tent

 

IF IT'S COLD:

• disconnect outdoor hoses and cover faucets

 

IF THERE'S TIME:

• computers
• the safe
• my jewelry box
• fill cooler with any fresh food
• put meat and dairy in freezer
• disconnect ice maker in freezer

 

LOCK THE SHED! 
LOCK THE DOORS!

 

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the last task on ella’s list is “tape note to front door!”.  this note is printed out and taped to the same door as the grab-and-go lists.  the task is to move the note to the front door.  the note says:

 

“GONE TO SEEK OTHER SHELTER

3 humans, 2 dogs, 3 cats

[rudi’s phone number]

[my phone number]”

 

this way, when the neighborhood is checked by emergency personnel, nobody spends any time breaking down our front door to see if there is anyone still inside.  :)   it also gives them a way to contact us if there are any questions as to where we are or if there is additional damage to report, further emergency instructions, etc.

the big list of lists

today is the last day of national preparedness month for 2011 and to wrap things up i’m going to publish three posts today, so bear with me.

as i promised diane, here is a list of all my lists—all our emergency supplies as they exist today.  the “bugging out” lists are the things that are packed and ready to go if we have to evacuate.  the “staying put” list is the stuff we have in home that we would rely on in an emergency that did not require evacuation.  the “when i win the lottery” list is all the stuff that would be in the back of a sears and roebuck wish book for survivalists.

PLEASE DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED BY THE SIZE OF THESE LISTS!  we have been working on this off and on for a long time, and when we first started, our “list” was basically a pair of shoes and a flashlight.  just start with what you have and add to it as you can.

please also note that these lists are not all-inclusive.  if you have babies or young children—if you have household members with special needs—if you have exotic pets--your lists will be very different, maybe longer.  build your kits according to YOUR household’s needs.

items marked with * are to be upgraded/updated/replaced as needed or as we are able.

items in red are still needed to complete the kit.

BUGGING OUT

adult bags:

• one full change of clothing including undies
• one blanket
• ID cards from homeschool registration
• bottle of water
• hand-cranked radio
• hand-cranked LED light
• lanyard
• carabiner
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• deodorant
• hand sanitizer
• two disposable rain coats
• mylar blanket
• glow sticks
• pen and paper
• sneakers are stacked on the shelves
• contact information sheet*
• list of contents*
• belt for rudi

 

ella's bag:

• one full change of clothing including undies
• one blanket
• a whistle
• two disposable rain coats
• bottle of water
• contact information sheet
• photo album of pets
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• deck of cards
• pair of dice
• piece of chalk
• package of glow sticks
• mylar blanket
• folding hairbrush
• hand sanitizer
• hand-cranked radio with LED light
• contact information sheet*
• list of contents*
• sneakers are stacked on the shelf

 

pet box:

• leashes
• collars
• rain coats
• flea and tick meds
• 3 days of dry food
• packets of gravy mix
• newspapers for litter box
• roll of paper towels
• collapsible water dish
• frisbee (can be used as water and food dish)
• immunization records*
• collapsible crates for the dogs 

pet items stored separately:

• crates for cats

 

food box:

enough for 3 days for each person

• pop tarts
• fruit bars
• tuna salad and crackers
• vienna sausages
• canned sardines
• sunflower kernels
• instant cocoa mix
• instant apple cider mix
• kool-aid singles
• jello fruit cups
• yogurt-covered raisins
• instant coffee
• instant non-dairy creamer
• sugar 

note:  all canned foods have pop-top lids--will replace with food that is not in cans

 

medicine bucket:

• ibuprofen
• acetaminophen
• children's liquid ibuprofen
• thermometer
• cough drops
• antihistamine tablets
• sinus nasal spray
• antacid tablets
• dental repair kit
• bug spray
• lip balm
• saline spray
• hand cream
• hydrocortisone cream
• chewing gum
• sunscreen
• spare eyeglasses
• calamine lotion

 

health and personal hygiene kit:

• toilet paper
• feminine hygiene
• wet wipes
• soap leaves
• liquid soap
• package of trash bags
• bottle of chlorine bleach
• dropper for dispensing bleach
• first aid kit
• instant ice pack
• instant heat packs
• disposable gloves
• disposable face masks
• net bags
• half-roll of gaff tape
• permanent marker
• scissors
• sewing kit

 

emergency binder:

copies of:

• birth and marriage certificates
• titles to cars
• insurance policy statements
• mortgage statement
• pay stub from rudi's work
• social security cards
• driver's licenses
• registration with homeschool organization
• last will and testament
• health care directive
• several blank, unsigned checks
• maps of tennessee and surrounding states
• list of hotels that allow pets
• http://www.pet-friendly-hotels.net/
• emergency preparedness manual
• ella's immunization records*
• current photos of pets
• the book “preparedness principles”
• microchips for all pets

note:  current photos of each family member are on homeschool ID's

roughing it kit:

• four-man tent
• magnesium fire starter
• roll of charcoal brickets
• canvas tarp
• compass
• leatherman tool
• magnifying glass
• aluminum foil
• plastic painter's sheet
• plastic bags
• bottle of bleach
• leather work gloves
• solar camp shower
• several yards of tie line
• one dozen pulleys
• 50 large safety pins
• cloth for straining water
• trowel*
• water purification tablets
• sleeping bags
• inflatable bed

 

cold weather kit:

• extra blankets
• blankets and towels for the pets

on ella's grab-and-go list:

• coats
• hats
• mittens
• rain boots

 

sentimental box:

• this box contains photos, videos, wedding album, baby book, etc. that are not actually essential but that i would be sad to lose.  these are items that are not scanned into a drive somewhere.  as time permits i have been scanning items and removing them from box.  the goal is to no longer need this box.

 

STAYING PUT

everything on the above lists, plus:

• 3 months of canned and dry goods
• 4 small vegetable gardens
• 1 year of meat
• 1 year of pork
• propane grill
• fire pit
• emergency fund in the bank*
• 2 tanks of propane

 

 

WHEN I WIN THE LOTTERY

• small cargo trailer or camper
• vehicle to tow said camper
• mid-size generator
• in-ground storm shelter
• food storage for a year
• solar power for the house
• portable solar power unit

interview with an expert: flood survivor

this week i'm taking a back seat and letting the REAL experts have the floor:  people who have experienced actual emergencies and lived to tell the tale.  several friends have graciously agreed to share their stories and wisdom so we can all benefit.  i asked each person the same set of questions and i'm publishing their stories in their own words.  today's post comes from my dear friend linda sue, who some readers will know from my post on rostitchery about easy art quilts for babies (linda sue is the second from the right in the picture at the top of the quilt story).  linda sue and her family lost their home in the 1000-year floods of may 2010. 

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how do you want me to identify you online (full name, first name, initials, code name?)
Linda Sue

please briefly describe the situation that caused your emergency.
Our emergency was the flooding around Nashville in May 2010.

We live on a little creek a quarter mile from the Harpeth River. Our house is built up 4 feet above 100 year flood stage, so I guess that was one of our emergency preparations.

Over the last 15 years, I have witnessed the Harpeth back up into our creek and flood the road, making it impassable, several times. I would always look at it as a little vacation from all the running around.

This time was different from the start.

We lost power on Friday evening. The road was impassable by Saturday noon. I went ahead and filled up the tub and drinking water jugs either Friday or Saturday knowing that we might lose clean water as well.

By Saturday late afternoon, the water was 30 feet higher than anyone had ever seen, so we rolled up rugs and got things off the floor.

Saturday night, we moved the cars up the ridge to higher ground as the water was up to the wheel wells.

I sent everyone else to sleep upstairs and I slept on the ground floor so I would know if the water came into the house during the night. (The water at this point was maybe 6 inches under the flooring and had already torn away the ductwork and water heaters under the house.)

Sunday morning the water had receded and was down 8-10 feet so we felt we had dodged a bullet. We had not. Around noon, while I was outside taking pictures, the water came rushing back (guessing a dam was opened). We had maybe an hour before the water was 9 feet deep in the house.

 

how had you prepared for this emergency?
First we put our daughter/pets upstairs along with whatever food staples and jugs of water we had. Then we started grabbing what seemed most valuable to us and getting it upstairs: phones, computers, family pictures, artwork, important paper work (which was in one box thankfully).

As the water continued to rise, we worried about staying in the house. After calling 911 and being told that no one could get to us, we decided we should get out and hike up the ridge. Thank goodness we had moved the cars to the cow pasture the night before so we did not have to sit/ sleep in the rain.

Now we had to decide what we were going to take out of the house quickly - the water was 3 feet deep and rising quickly.

I grabbed my daughter, a bag with some warm clothes and some food and made my first trip out. I deposited her with my sister on higher ground and went back in.

We carried out some cans of Progresso soup, jugs of water, crackers, peanut butter, nuts, jugs of water. Cell phones, computers, the box of important papers. we made maybe 3 trips before we were swimming.

The last trip, we grabbed the dog and she swam out too. I hoped the cats would be ok as they could climb bookshelves.

We were able to change into dry clothes and sleep in the van. We had food and water as well as a line to the outside world with the cell phone and car charger.

 

what worked well in your preparations? what did not?
We were not really prepared for this flood.

Things that worked well: Having jugs of drinking water stored. This is a biggie! Having ready to eat food like nuts, crackers, easy open cans of Progresso soup on hand. Having important papers in one box (should be water tight and fireproof). Having hand crank charging flashlights, candles on hand was good.

 

what would you do differently if faced with a similar emergency?
Things I would do differently: hmmmmm...... I think I would plan for the worst far ahead of time. I would not wait until the water was coming in the house to get things out or at least upstairs. We did have a drop down ladder upstairs in case of fire.

I would not assume that just because something had never happened before that it wouldn't happen this time.

I do have 6 sealed gallons of water on hand now. We always have plenty of nuts, crackers, easy open cans of soup on hand.

 

what advice would you give readers who are making their own emergency preparations?
Writing this reminds me that I would like to have water proof totes packed and ready for emergency. Food, water, blankets, extra clothing, flashlights, important papers.

Pet food

what is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
(linda sue declined to speculate).

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*for days, our circle of friends wasn't sure where linda sue and her family were or how they were surviving.  we tried to get a boat out to pick them up but couldn’t get one thru to the area they were in. nearly a year and a half later they are still displaced from their home.

this flood was the single largest disaster to hit middle tennessee since the civil war, and the costliest non-hurricane natural disaster in united states history.  as you can imagine, this particular emergency hits very close to my heart.  my city suffered a devastating disaster from which many are still recovering.  to this day i have a hard time looking at pictures of it, and particularly linda sue's pictures and those of other friends who lost their homes.  the national media barely mentioned this event because it happened at the same time as the deep horizon oil spill in the gulf of mexico.  

since this is my blog :) i'm taking the opportunity to share this great video that shows not only what happened but how we nashvillians handled it on our own.  

interview with an expert: extended medical emergency

this week i'm taking a back seat and letting the REAL experts have the floor:  people who have experienced actual emergencies and lived to tell the tale.  several friends have graciously agreed to share their stories and wisdom so we can all benefit.  i asked each person the same set of questions and i'm publishing their stories in their own words.  today's post comes from a friend whose family experienced a total loss of income for an extended period of time due to her husband's medical emergency.  my comments are in italics.

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how do you want me to identify you online (full name, first name, initials, code name?)
You can refer to me by my first name. No problem.  

my friend's name is Nibal.  isn't that pretty?

 

please briefly describe the situation that caused your emergency.
In March 2007, Drew suffered an aortic dissection due to a previously undetected malformation in his aorta. He endured a 7 hour open heart surgery, 23 days in a medically induced coma (to allow his body to heal), and a total of 3 months in the hospital. Once discharged he did 6 weeks of out-patient rehab. He was out of work for 6 months due to his medical situation.

 

how had you prepared for this emergency? 
We were very lucky to have been given a Dave Ramsey book during our 2nd year of marriage and immediately decided to get on the program and get rid of all our debt, except our mortgage. We had mostly student loan debt and a minor amount on credit cards and paid it all off in 5 years. We also made a decision at that point to always have 6 months of salary put away in savings.

Having 6 months of salary put away was a very smart part of our preparations. In addition, Drew had short and long term disability insurance through his job which proved to be a life saver. The insurance paid 60% of his salary after a 30 day waiting period and until he went back to work. His job paid out all his sick and vacation time to help us out.

 

what worked in your preparations?  what did not? 
What we weren't prepared for was a medical situation of such large proportions. We are healthy people who eat right, exercise, rarely drink and don't smoke. Drew played basketball twice a week and tennis once a week at that time. No one in his family knew, before this incident, that they had a genetic malformation in their aorta, which basically is a silent killer. So, even though we had enough money put away to pay our day-to-day expenses, we did not have enough to pay all the medical bills. Luckily the hospital provided interest free financing for 12 months so we were able to pay it off w/o any penalty. But between the work stoppage and the medical bills, our savings were wiped out.

what would you do differently if faced with a similar emergency?
I don't know what we would do differently. I felt we were well prepared and very thankful that someone gave us that Dave Ramsey book so early on in our married life. We live well within our means so there are no changes to make there.

what advice would you give readers who are making their own emergency preparations?
My advice would be to not take all that you have for granted. Be sure to have a budget and to be very clear about your needs vs. your wants. Invest in quality when needed (ex. good basic pieces of furniture that will last over time) and try to make do when possible. Pack your lunch. Brew your own coffee. You'd be surprised how much those little things add up. Make sure you have at least 6 months if not a full year of salary put aside in cash form so that it is easily accessible.

what is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
(nibal declined to speculate)

 

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*thank you, nibal, for being so open about your family's emergency and for your suggestions on how others might prepare for such an event. 

nibal's story illustrates the fact that disasters are not always community-wide--sometimes they are limited to one's own home and family.  provident living means doing our part to provide security to those we love so that if disaster strikes, we are as well prepared for it as we can be.  while not everyone has access to the same kind of income protection that nibal's family had, every step we take to provide some security makes a difference.  whether that is a pantry ready to feed your household, or an emergency fund to draw upon, or the peace of mind that comes with having no debt to pay off--you can take steps today to provide some breathing room and maybe even comfort for those you love during the most stressful events a family can face.

interview with an expert: hurricane evacuation

this week i'm taking a back seat and letting the REAL experts have the floor:  people who have experienced actual emergencies and lived to tell the tale.  several friends have graciously agreed to share their stories and wisdom so we can all benefit.  i asked each person the same set of questions and i'm publishing their stories in their own words.  today's post comes from a friend whose family evacuated prior to a hurricane.  my comments are in italics.

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how do you want me to identify you online (full name, first name, initials, code name?)
diane sussman (or, as i like to call her "my awesome friend diane").

 

please briefly describe the situation that caused your emergency.
We had to evacuate for hurricane Katrina from New Orleans.

 

how had you prepared for this emergency?
Yes, we did prepare and did every hurricane season. I would put all the pictures and photo albums in plastic bins. They stayed there all season. We had boards for every window that could be set in place and bolted down in about two hours. Clothing., etc would be packed as needed. I had a set of dog bowls ready to go with the photos as well. Because a Hurricane gives one plenty of warning, I packed the car each time based on what we needed. Family photos and hard drive of computer went with me every time.

 

what worked in your preparations? what did not?
What did not work for us was the fact that we were out of the city and our house for a month, in which time the seasons changed in St. Louis where we were staying. Thanks to the Red Cross, we were able to buy clothes for us.

I am not prepared for an emergency now. I have fallen behind in thinking about this. And I should prepare better. The only thing that we have done, is that all family photos are backed up on discs and the discs live in David's (her husband) desk drawer at work. If we lost the computer/house, we would have our photos.

 

what would you do differently if faced with a similar emergency?
I can't stress enough the fact that if you are out of your home, so are your pets. So many animals were left behind in New Orleans and perished because they were not welcomed in shelters, etc. In an emergency, you must have a plan for your pets. Our dog stayed in a hunting dog kennel for our time away. She was in shock, as she has no idea she is a dog. Her entire face turned grey in that time. If I had to live in my car to keep my dog with me, I would.

 

what advice would you give readers who are making their own emergency preparations?
My advice is to document your home with photos and video if you can. Make sure you have INSURANCE and that you are properly covered. Please know that your aunt's prized chest of drawers that has been passed down to four generations is of no matter to an insurance company. A chest of drawers is a chest of drawers and they will refund you for a shitty piece of furniture that you can buy at Kmart and not what you lost. IF IT IS OLD or VALUABLE it must be scheduled on your insurance. This costs more and only do this if you have something that is truly valuable. Also, get to know your insurance agent. Call him frequently for any changes or to see if you have fallen below where you should be insurance-wise.

Also, be aware, that most mortgage companies now pull the rug from under you at the worst time. If you lose your home in a fire, etc., the mortgage company may demand that you pay off your mortgage off the top of your insurance settlement. Cruel, but it happens all the time.

Also, remember that most insurance policies have a loss-of-use component. If you need to be out of your home, there is a per-Diem that you can live on if need be.

Also, in the case of an emergency, the Red Cross is an amazing agency. FEMA, in my best estimation screwed us royally in Katrina and did a make-good with the floods in Nashville. We were able to replace all systems in our flooded basement with no out of pocket expense. Make sure you fill out your form on-line and take your time. Any mistakes will kick you out of FEMA for good.

I would like a list of the items in your emergency box, if you please. (i'll post a list of everything i have in our evacuation kits this friday--i'm going to decorate the copy i send to diane with hearts and flowers).

 

what is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
45 m.p.h.? 

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 *did you notice something special about diane’s story?  she and her family had to turn to FEMA not once, but twice—first because of katrina, and then because of the 2010 floods in nashville.  :( 

while of course i am truly sorry for what diane and her family went thru, i am blessed that eventually they settled in nashville, where our girls could be BFF’s and i could take my rightful place as diane’s biggest fan.  she has taught me a lot in the five years i’ve known her, including how to come out on the other end of an enormous natural disaster with grace and dignity and with your sense of humor intact.

thank you diane, for taking the time to share your experiences and wisdom, and for your friendship.

interview with an expert: extreme winter weather survivor

this week i'm taking a back seat and letting the REAL experts have the floor:  people who have experienced actual emergencies and lived to tell the tale.  several friends have graciously agreed to share their stories and wisdom so we can all benefit.  i asked each person the same set of questions and i'm publishing their stories in their own words.  today's post is from one of my sisters, whose family survived the north american blizzard of 2009.   my comments are in italics.

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how do you want me to identify you online (full name, first name, initials, code name?)
You can call me anything you want. I like Tallulah. Hahaha

please briefly describe the situation that caused your emergency.
It was the blizzard of '09. The snow came down hard and fast. I don't believe anyone thought it would be bad cause where we live it snows all the time and the trucks come out right away and we can still get out and businesses stay open.

 

how had you prepared for this emergency?
We hadn't prepared for the reasons stated above. The storm started nearly an hour after school had ended for the Christmas holidays and we were just preparing for a long winter's nap.  We did have snacks around for afterschool stuff like peanut butter crackers, cheese sticks, stuff like that. And I always have a full supply of batteries for flashlights and toys and Phillip (her husband) always has his headlamp charged for riding or working on his bike. Phillip's brother got us a generator from Knoxville.  (the generator got there several days after the blizzard began—they were completely without power for the first four days).

what worked in your preparations? what did not?
Since we hadn't prepared I don't think I can answer this question.

what would you do differently if faced with a similar emergency?
I would make sure that you had headlamps and lots of spare batteries for any lamp or flashlight and store them together. Lots of dry snacks like granola bars, uncrustables, peanut butter crackers, fruit cups, things of that nature. We had our mini dvd players already charged so that helped. We had propane heaters from the restaurant to use during the day. Definitely firewood or fire logs, lighters, thick socks and rubber boots (cold air can't get through the boots), blankets made from that polar fleece cause it's warmer than terry or yarn, things like that.

(a few days after responding to this question, “tallulah” wrote back to add the following): After rereading this I see that I missed the question about what I would have done differently. I think If I had known what was coming I would have made sure that I had more nonperishable foods and a generator. Even the small, jug-like size is like manna from heaven when it helps to light a lamp or plug in the coffee pot or charge the phone. And another thing that helps in this situation when it is freezing cold is the heat patches that you can get to put on sore muscles. I get the non-medicated, odor-free ones. They heat for about 8-10 hours and they stick right to your skin. Those and wet ones are the best short term solution to sanity.

 

what advice would you give readers who are making their own emergency preparations?
As for advice, first of all I'd say find as much patience as you can and hoard it. The children faired better than the adults during this storm. They actually had a good time. We played games, read I SPY books by flashlight and firelight, read books to each other, played board games, cooked over the fire in the fireplace. At night we would huddle together to sleep or I would put the dogs under the covers with the kids to keep them warm. It was actually colder inside the house than outside. We put our drinks in the snow. We would go to the Food City down the road to charge our phones but I would suggest getting car chargers for phones and dvd players, converters for other things like nintendos or computers if the internet is still working. Ours got wiped out for awhile. Definitely have gas on hand for generators ,and really long extension cords. In our case, we had sleds so the kids got to play during the day outside. Have dog food or cat food. We had running water but some others didn't so I'd probably get jugs of water. Definitely get Wet Ones. They are like gold when you can't take a bath. I'm sure there are other things but I can't think what at the moment.

what is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
3 mph. Laden, 1.05

 

---

thank you, “tallulah”.  :)  you know this already, but i love you guys and i’m so thankful you were able to take care of yourselves until the crisis passed. 

for my readers:  tallulah and her family were without power for over a week—it came back on in the late evening of christmas eve—just in time for santa to arrive!

after reading tallulah’s responses, i immediately put “heat packs” on my list of things to my shopping list, and a few days later i found some at the dollar tree so they are now safely in our emergency boxes and evacuation bags.  i also added a generator to my wish list at harbor freight—this is the type of item that cascades into what i call a “brady bunch bedroom” situation—first you want to paint the room, then when you do, you realize that the carpet doesn’t go with the wall color anymore—then when you get new carpet you discover that the drapes don’t go with the new room color scheme—and then you get new drapes only to discover that you have to replace the bed linens because they clash.  that happened when i put the generator on the list—i then had to add “gas cans” to the list, which meant i had to add “take the fire extinguisher to be recharged” to the list, which made me think i should also add “buy another carbon monoxide detector” to the list.  so i guess the lesson from my example is:  have a longer piece of paper ready when you make a list.

if you have experienced a similar emergency, or have questions about how to get thru such an emergency, please leave a comment below.  let’s help each other be ready for the coming winter!

and now for someone completely different

sorry for being so absent--this weekend has flown by!  starting today and for the rest of this coming week, my family will be reviewing all our preparedness plans, checking our kits, etc., and on friday i’ll post the big list of lists with everything we have done so far, including pictures and maybe video (not good video, probably—just video).

meanwhile, monday thru thursday i have four special guest “speakers” lined up who have generously agreed to share their personal experiences with actual emergencies so that we may all benefit from their wisdom.  i’m really excited to share their stories with you, as they are all thoughtful people who have taken the time to reflect on their emergencies and offer their insights as to what went well, what went wrong, and what they’d do differently in the future.

if you have any preparedness questions that have not been answered yet—any suggestion that you haven’t posted yet—time is running out!  (not really, but time on this series is).  leave your comments this week and i’ll do my best to get some information for you.  it is my hope that by the end of this month of emergency preparedness planning we will all be more ready, physically and mentally, to handle any emergencies that come our way!

 

*if you haven’t already, set aside some quality time to check out the fabulous preparedness articles at backwoods home magazine.  my friend annie is managing editor there (hi, annie!).  BHM opened my eyes to so many possibilities and made me realize that real preparedness was within my abilities.

we interrupt our preparedness program to bring you: squash

a few days ago some friends on facebook were discussing how to use and store winter squash and i promised to show them how i do it, so here it is.  in this post i am showing butternut squash but you can do this with any other winter squash.

first, i cook the squash.  in this case i pressure cooked it but you can bake it or roast it or boil it--whatever is handiest for you.  (in fact, if you have a little squash left over from a meal, just put it in the freezer--when you have enough saved up, preserve it the way i'm doing here!).

 

once it is cooked, i scoop the seeds and set them aside for the composter. 

 

then i scrape the pulp out of the shell and place it on dehydrator trays lined with window screening.  i do this over the sink because there is quite a bit of moisture in the pulp.  my tool of choice is the rice cooker scoop.

 

ella prefers the scoop from her pumpkin carving kit.

 

once it is all on the tray, i smooth it out so it is an even layer about 1/4" thick.  this way it all dries about the same speed/time.

 

put the tray in the dehydrator.  if you have a temperature control set it for around 135 degrees.  leave it until it is dry to a crisp (the exact time depends on your weather and how wet the pulp is when it goes into the dehydrator).

when it is done it will look like the desert floor--parched, and kind of crackled. 

 

break it into small pieces and put them into a jar with a mouth opening the same size as the blade fitting on your blender. 

 

then take the pieces for a spin.

 

when it is done it should be a fine powder.  don't open the jar until the dust settles.  :)

2 butternut squash have been reduced to 1" of powder--in this pint jar i can store the equivalent of 6-8 squash.

 

to use, mix 1 part powder with 4 parts boiling water and let it sit until it is reconstituted.  you can use it like any other squash puree.  one way i like it is to pipe it into rosettes and bake—sprinkle with a little pepper or other seasoning of your choice--delicious and so festive!

we now resume our regularly-scheduled preparedness planning, already in progress.

*all my life, i thought butternut squash and acorn squash were sweet--i had never seen them any other way than baked with sugar and cinnamon--so i thought i didn't like winter squashes.  but when we got them with our CSA boxes last year, i figured i’d better learn to fix them a way that i would like.  so now i use them in stews or soups and i LOVE them!  but my family’s favorite way, hands down, is to slice them in half and bake them, then fill the centers with crumbled bacon and blue cheese--come to think of it, a little bacon would make sweet squash tasty too!

sunshine water

ella and i found a solar camp shower on sale this week so we picked one up and tried it out yesterday, and i have to say, we are sold on the whole idea. :)

at 9:45am i filled the bag with cold tap water which registered 73.8F degrees on a digital thermometer.  i put it on the deck (which is raised about 5' above ground level--not sure if that made any difference), and left it for a few hours.

it was in direct sunlight when i put it out there but not long after that the clouds began to drift in and out, and i was worried it would never heat up.  after it had been out there for an hour it had gained about 10 degrees.  but i decided i'd leave it until the deck was actually in shade and see how hot it was by then.

finally the skies cleared and the bag was in direct sunlight again around noon.  at 1:30pm it registered 112.2F--just 8 degrees lower than our water heater is set!  it was time for a shower!

 

ella got her bathing suit on and i hung the bag and she then proceeded to enjoy what she called the best shower she ever had.

 

later in the day, ella said, ‎"mama, why are you taking a bath TONIGHT??? you should wait until tomorrow and use sunshine water. i'll tell you now, it's worth the wait."

here are my thoughts on this bag:

contrary to what you see in the picture at the top of this post, the bag came with a very short piece of PVC to act as a handle.  the weight of 5 gallons of water was almost too much for it—you can see in the picture of ella taking a shower that the vinyl of the bag was stressed to nearly the ripping point.  i cut a longer piece of pipe and wrapped the ends with gaff tape (the bag has a little slit in the handle area, i guess for when they put the pipe into it in the factory).  the longer piece of pipe distributes the weight better and doesn't stress the handle area of the bag as much.

EDITED TO ADD:  aha!  i did take a picture of the longer pipe after all!  i thought i had.

 

however, i still think it needs something better to hold it up, so as a test, i rigged a sling to carry the weight of the bag.  this way there was no stress at all on the vinyl and i could hang the spout so that it didn’t drip while lathering up.  i’m thinking i’ll make a better sling, one that is insulated, which will help keep it warm longer too (details will be on rostitchery when i get this done).

next i want to find a way to capture the used water--big drip pan?  maybe something like the big tubs that rudi uses for his water lilies.

and last, i would like to figure out a way to fully drain and air dry the inside of the bag between uses--suggestions?

 

*i wish i had known about these bags last year during the water rationing that came after nashville’s water treatment plant was damaged in the flood!  but i have learned since getting one that they cannot be used to heat up drinking water.  so now i'm working on figuring out a way i can solar brew hot tea!