EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS - An Overview

DISCLAIMER: None of the information provided is law. I share what works for me. Only you can determine what works in your life.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR MONEY!

One of the first things I want to tackle in Emergency Preparedness is FINANCES. Over the next few weeks we will experience some changes in our household in regards to my husband's job. One of the things that has had me thinking about this change is how unprepared many of the other employees probably are for this drastic change... the selling of/ or closing of the company doors.

Regardless of the path taken, may of the employees will be left without a paycheck and only unemployment to temporarily carry them through until they can find something else. Thankfully, the river/ barge industry has a decent turn-over and jobs at all levels are always available. We are luckier than most.

For years Bob has accused me of making Abe Lincoln scream - I can pinch a penny till I've assassinated our sixteenth President hundreds of times over. But because I am money conscious we will still be able to meet our bills for at least six months without stressing. How? By BEING PREPARED

See, Being Prepared is more than just waiting for that Shit Hit the Fan moment when everything goes to hell in the proverbial hand basket. Being Prepared means being able to weather ANYTHING that comes your way.

Over the next few weeks (and yes, they will post because I am writing them all TODAY and scheduling them) I will discuss various ways I handle our finances. While they may not work for everyone, I hope they will give you something to think about in finding what will work for you.

Each week will come with a Tip or an Assignment. This week you get...

ASSIGNMENT:
Look at your finances for the past 6 months.
Look at your bank balance and or saving balance
Look at your monthly bills - both household necessities and credit card payments.
Look at your credit card statements

With all of these figures in mind, do you have enough money set aside that if you were to lose your job tomorrow, you could still meet your payments?

If not.. DO NOT STRESS over that for now. Next Friday, I'll give you one solution to start building immediately towards building that cushion.

Be Empowered!
Kelly

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Amelia Earhart - Beyond the Grave

I have always been interested in Amelia Earhart. I always thought of her as a feisty, headstrong woman. She was portrayed as such in the movie, Amelia, with Hilary Swank and Richard Gere. As with most movies, the script was nothing like the facts. I need to watch the movie again but I do not recall any of the conspiracy theories that abound with her famous 'around the world' flight attempt.

In Amelia Earhart - Beyond the Grave, W. C. Jameson covers a myriad of those theories. He breaks down each one, and in his professional style, backs up his findings with facts he has uncovered in his thorough research.

While there is a variation in the theories, the core to all of them is a government conspiracy to use her flight as a spy mission.

As I read each of the theories, I discovered one of my own I can not wait to discuss with the author when we have the opportunity to sit and chat.

While W.C. Jameson has become a dear friend over the past twenty-five years, I am always amazed at the way he looks at things and where his 'what if' thoughts lead him.

If you thought you knew the story if that infamous flight of 1937, I encourage you to read  Amelia Earhart - Beyond the Grave and see if you don't come up with your own thoughts. When you do, I hope you will post them here.

For insight, research and thought provoking read, I am giving Amelia Earhart - Beyond the Grave by W. C. Jameson:

 .8

Other books by W.C. Jameson can be found on his Amazon Page

W.C. Jameson is the author of over ninety books, as well as the creator and author of the 'Beyond the Grave' series and 'Treasure Hunt' series, 1500 magazine articles and has appeared as an expert consultant on several history documentaries.  He is also an established poet, songwriter and musician. He resides in Texas with his wife.

You can read more about W.C. Jameson on his WEBSITE

A SMILE FOR JOEY

 

For Joey + Rory + Indiana. Here are the pics I wanted you to see. If you choose to read further, that is fine but I do not want to tire you, Joey. I just wanted my readers to know the special people you are. Country Blessings ~ Kelly

The picture above is of the Container Sweet Corn from Burpees I told Rory about in my comment to his Sowing Seeds post.  I considered a straw bale as a container. They only grow approx. 4' tall and produce ears full of sweet, juicy corn - full size ears!

Both of these photos were taken next to a 1/2 gallon mason jar. The single potato weighed over 8 lbs! I baked them, pureed them in the food processor then froze them in muffin tins as serving sizes. Then I froze the little 'muffins' in FoodSaver bags in the freezer. 

While I did grow them in straw - I used composted straw and grew them here:

These are standard GMC Silverado truck tires (17"s I think). Can you imagine the crop Rory could grow with a couple of tractor tires from the farm?! These were only stacked 2 high. You can see the beginning stages HERE. Stage 2 with the plants a little bigger HERE. This year I'm only doing russets and will probably stack at least 3 high. Plant in the first layer with a composted soil base. As the plants get above that first tire, add a second tire and a layer of straw. Repeat as the plants grow. 

If you feel up to it, Joey, there are pictures of the whole garden from last year HERE. check out the tomato plants in the 3rd picture down. Grown in bales and climbing cattle panels. The cucumber pictures are near the end of that post (as well as a close up of the vines on my sidebar).  I had soooo many pickling cucumbers. I canned sweet relish and Bread and Butter pickles repeatedly until I just could not can any more LOL If it were possible, I'd share with you. 

I hope these pictures make you smile. Love, Hugs, Prayers and CountryBlessings. ~Kel 

aka The Country Angel - http://kellyscountry.blogspot.com (music blog)

My post this morning is a gift to three very special people, who while I've never met them personally, I feel as if they have always been friends. 

For those of you who do not know, I am an entertainment writer. My job gives me the opportunity to get to know  a lot of talented people. While some know they are talented, if you catch my drift, the vast majority are just doing what they love and hope that they bring joy to others on their journey.

Joey + Rory are those people. Their songwriting abilities and their vocal blend come together to form an amazing duo. But aside from their music, they are also very down-to-earth folks. They have a farm in Tennessee on which they grow a lot of their own food and raise their daughter, Indiana. The most precious little face you will ever see. Indiana's smile warms my heart.

Not long after Indiana was born, Joey was diagnosed with cancer. I won't go into the long story here. What I can tell you is that after a variety of treatments we all thought were working, we were told there was nothing more they could do. So, last fall the Feak's made the decision to go back to where Joey's life began. Not to die - but to live as much as the Lord grants her surrounded by the people who love her - and whom she loves - the most.

Her husband, Rory, has kept us all updated through his blog, This Life I Live, with the little milestones they are blessed to have on this horrible journey. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, just not one we all hope and pray for.

So why  am I telling you this?

Like so many of us, Joey loves to garden. Spring is her favorite season and she can not wait to see plants growing, knowing she will be able to provide for her family.

Even from her bed at home, you can see in this week's blog post - SOWING SEEDS -   she is not letting this phase of her life keeping her from doing what she loves. 

In my weekly comments on Rory's blog, I told him I would share pictures of my Sweet Potatoes from last year. I know they will give Joey a smile and that will make me smile.

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Haunted Legends of Arkansas - Layne Livingston Anderson

HAUNTED LEGENDS OF ARKANSAS - Thirteen Historic Sites in the (Super) Natural State
is the perfect book to kick off October. Okay, so I'm three-quarters of the way into the month posting this, but I read the book a couple of months ago then found myself referring back to some of the stories while on a trip to Arkansas.

On the first read, I felt the writing a bit slow-paced for my attention. But, as I read through the second time, I realized I had been expecting a bone-chilling hand around the wrist kind of grab. This book was not written as a 'ghost stories around the camp fire' kind of book. I was not expecting the historic background build-up to the ghost story itself, therefore I felt taken out of the scare factor I thought I would get.

HAUNTED LEGENDS is geared toward students in grades 8-12. In my opinion, this is going to be of interest to anyone interested in the history behind haunted places. The average person just wanting a good ghost story will have a challenge breaking ground to get to the corpse lying beneath.

As I read further into the stories, like any other pieces of history, I was interested more in some than in others. One of the things I found most interesting were that while seven of the sites were scattered like autumn leaves across the state, six are centered in Pulaski County.

Of the thirteen haunted legend locations, I have visited only one... so far. The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs has its share of entities - both non-threatening and others downright evil. I suspect the same can be said of the other twelve locations Ms Anderson focused on for this book. I am especially intrigued by the Keller Chapel & Cemetery in Jonesboro and the Old Confederate Cemetery in Helena - West Helena.

What interests me about those places in particular? You will need to pick up a copy of this book and find out for yourself. I am giving HAUNTED LEGENDS OF ARKANSAS;

You can purchase a copy through PlumStreetPublishers or Amazon

PREPPING FOR THE WEEKEND - Power Grid

From here on out, Friday posts will be reserved for Prepping stuff. Before I go any farther, let me clarify....

For the most part I am not a SHTF kind of prepper. I was raised to be prepared for basically any emergencies. I've known since the 3rd grade about canning food, how to hold in the cold of the freezer or refrigerator for up to 4 days in the event of a power outage and that keeping bottles of water on hand is always a good idea. The way I see things.. between Mother Nature and people who don't think before they act, anything is possible. I want to be prepared.

So this article on Power-Grid Attack caught my attention and I think is worth a read. 

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/banking/power-grid-attack-might-hurt-finances.aspx

Since this link is about finances, here's a youtube video I found interesting. While in a SHTF scenario, I'm not sure money in any form is going to be worth a lot... commodities on the other hand will have definite value, I like the fact that the nickel is worth exactly what it is. If nothing else, a roll of nickels in your fist is going to help pack a protective punch.

My prepping posts will become more organized and instructive in the coming weeks. I hope you'll become a subscriber and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Blessings!

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Lost Treasures of Arkansas's Waterways - W. C. Jameson

LOST TREASURES OF ARKANSAS'S WATERWAYS is another installment in the lost treasure books by W. C. Jameson. You can see a list of his books HERE.  Over the years I have read many of them. Every time I have settled in for the evening with one, I've found myself transported to another time and place - a place where life was yours for the taking if you knew where to look. I've traveled from coast to coast throughout history via Mr. Jameson's books. Each journey left a nagging desire to find the treasures that have eluded others grasp. This latest link in the series brought me closer to home and the desire to find that raw silver of Moccasin Creek Valley or the gold suspected to be buried along the White River. 

As a treasure hunter himself, W. C. Jameson's mission is all about the quest. He meshes history and legend together. He has spent countless hours reading through microfilm, documentation and published sources to insure the information he provides is correct. But I think his greatest hunt in the research process is when he can sit and talk with people who have heard the stories from previous generations of their own families... people who were there. 

LOST TREASURES OF ARKANSAS'S WATERWAYS is more than a compilation of stories. Like all of his books previous, this one is a collection of stories about history and adventure and dreams. 

I'm giving LOST TREASURES OF  ARKANSAS'S WATERWAYS:

You can order your copy direct from Plum Street Publishers. 

For more about W. C. Jameson and his books, Please visit his WEBSITE 

GARDENING - Looking Good!

I am really liking the Container Corn from Burpee. Although I did have a bit of a scare last week. Heavy winds and rain attempted to demolish my bales. Corn was laying over and I thought for sure I'd lost them. I gave everything a day to dry up a bit then I went out and stuffed them a bit farther down in the bale. As you can see, they are doing well. Here's a close up of Tassle and Silk:

Silk peeking out on that center stalk about 2/3rds of the way down.

Tomatoes are doing well:

If you look almost center of the picture, near the bottom you see an Amish Paste getting ripe. Now if they would just all do that at once so I can put up Spaghetti Sauce!

Plum Tomatoes finally setting fruit. They are also loaded with blooms. And when these fizzle out, I have a volunteer. This little guy came about when my MIL and I were tying up the vines, a couple broke off. I tossed them into the leaf compost in the center of the bales.

Potatoes are going crazy. Even the Sweet Potato vines are spreading out.

Onions are starting to die back. They seem a bit small. Wondering if shoving them down in the bale a bit farther will help.

In spite of the heat and the tiny plants, I have green beans! LOL These will definitely be a fall replant in a couple of weeks:

Finally seeing Banana Peppers. I could use these to produce a bit heavier though as I only have 2 jars left in the stock-up.

2 yellow banana peppers peeking out at the bottom left.

My best producer this year has to be my cucumber plants. Both the Pickling and the Burpless are going gangbusters:

I am picking an average of 4 a day from each plant.

Last weekend I put up 11 pints of bread and butter pickles. I prefer them on a burger. In fact, The Rodeo Bar inside the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas TX serves B & B pickles on their burgers. Yum!

Since I'm the only one who eats pickles here, I'll probably gift a jar or three around the holidays.

How is your garden growing? Leave a comment and let us know how yours is blessing you.