Seeds of Preparedness

Many individuals I speak with about emergency preparedness are concerned of the cost of getting prepared and the amount of space they have to store everything. Today’s blog is just one way you can be successful at improving your state of preparedness without being paralyzed by cost or space.

In the fall, garden seeds are typically marked down dramatically. Are these safe to buy and store without immediately planting them in the ground? Well, usually, the answer is yes. I’ll clarify in a moment. Obviously, paying 70% off the original price of seeds is a bargain most can’t walk away from, and the space necessary to store seeds isn’t cumbersome even in a New York City apartment.

So how do you know when the seeds you buy off-season are going to do you any good in years to come, you ask? Ask the store supervisors how the seeds were stored. If they were displayed all summer out in the hot sun, then you’ll need to move on to another bargain. However, if they were stored in the store, or in the store greenhouse area the majority of the time, then you can be safe to purchase and store them for at least another 5 to 10 years. Even better is if you can store them individually packaged but in a larger container to prolong freshness. The key is for you to store them in a cool, dark and dry place. It was a way of life for our ancestors – they stored and traveled with seeds regularly. “Hey honey, be sure to grab the kids and the seeds. The mammoth is leaving soon.” Don’t let the modernization of a greenhouse throw you off your instincts.

Seeds are full of great nutrition as sprouts. An added bonus with this practice is if your seeds do sprout, then you know they are good and nutritious. In fact, in some cases, the sprouted seeds are MORE nutritious sprouted than as full grown plants, though perhaps not as enjoyable to eat. So, if you’re in doubt, prior to planting seeds in the typical manner, take a few and sprout them in doors. Sprouting typically involves water, some cheesecloth, and a small mason jar. Think about it – in an emergency, you’re not exactly going to have time to plant your seeds and then wait for the harvest if you’re starving and other food supplies are cut off. Some seeds take only 24 to 48 hours to sprout. As long as you have water (see my last blog) you’ll be able to survive that long without food while you’re waiting for the sprouts to develop.

And while I’m on the topic of sprouts, even though it’s a bit off topic of saving space, dried legumes and wheat grains are EXCELLENT sprouting resources. They are also quite easy to sprout and their nutritional value is dramatically compounded in this state. Additionally, wheat grains and dried legumes store for extremely long periods of time in a cool, dry, dark space, and the sprouting is virtually effortless. (In fact, my husband and I accidentally sprouted some lentils in our basement when we didn’t completely clean up a spill. Some the seeds had fallen down a drain pipe next to the water heater and sprouted soon after with nothing but moisture — no light.)

So I say take advantage of the seed sales you get at the end of the summer and in early fall. They are typically every bit as good and will store quite well. Whether you want edible vegetables and flowers, or showy foliage, go ahead and save a bundle of money! The space you save on “food storage” is great as well.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

“For Mature Adults Only”

I recently received a marketing book which had a blurb on the cover that warned me that the subject matter was not exactly something that one would share at church. While it certainly was not pornographic at all, several of the marketing highlights had to do with sales tactics used by a former “Madame” in New York City. While I appreciate a warning that something may be offensive to some persons, I take stronger offense to the term “Mature adult content” instead. Who in the world ever decided that one’s ability to tolerate raunch, foul language, and inappropriate conversations was an act of maturity??

I looked up the definition of “mature” with my good friend, Webster, and there is nothing noted in the official definition that would denote the word “mature” as meaning “less sensitive to offensive vocabulary,” “tolerant of a broad range of views,” “apathetic to societal indecencies,” etc. In fact, the word mature relates to “coming to a condition of full development” or “having attained a final or desired state.”

I’m sorry, but when I hear someone ridiculously use the “F” bomb I don’t automatically think, “Oh, this person has attained their desired state.” Instead I feel sorry for the person who clearly has no broader repertoire of vocabulary to choose from and wonder what school district they attended, etc.

When I overhear a vulgar conversation about things which I feel should be kept private or even sacred, I don’t envy the “mature” conversation that is taking place without me and I don’t find myself thinking “Wow, these adults have ‘come to a full development’.” Instead, I cringe at the obvious lack of tact and social graces these individuals are displaying at their present state of lowness and silently pray that they wake up some day to a more worthwhile part of themselves.

I don’t see vulgar, offensive, raunchy, or questionable actions or words as a sign of maturity or intelligence--in fact quite the opposite. I see it as an indicator of one’s lack of ability to think for themselves instead of joining the dumbed-down, apathetic masses. I see a lack of intelligence. I see a lack of beauty. I see an erosion of society and the worth of our human race. Ironically, one of the definitions of “mature” as noted by Webster is “belonging to the middle portion of erosion.” Now that, I believe, is a more fitting definition that I hope to remember the next time I’m “Warned” of “mature content.”

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

True Meaning of The 12 Days of Christmas

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

1. The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.


2. Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.


3. Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.


4. The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.


5. The five golden rings recalled the Torah *or* Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.


6. The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.


7. Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.


8. The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.


9. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.


10. The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.


11. The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.


12. The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles'' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Power Brokering

The more I hear of businesses demanding a bail out, the more fearful I am of a socialist government taking over our nation. A bail out mentality is the benchmark of a socialistic, or even a communistic government. We give up our freedoms every time we accept “assistance” from the government, banks, or even a rich Uncle. What ever happened to the attitude of “Independence” in our great country? Perhaps that got thrown out as everyone started celebrating the “4th of July” instead of intended “Independence Day.” The value of our independence is worth more than all $700 billion- even for one person! I’m sure the hundreds of thousands who have spilt their blood so that we could truly be independent would be horrified at the thought of how weakly we value such freedom today. Much of that blood was spilt in order to abolish slavery, and yet we willingly enslave ourselves when we stand by and watch a sizeable portion of our lives, our futures, and that of our progenitors be sold out for $715 billion in total. (And that’s just what we know about.) I see a bail out as one trying to cheat consequences. And yet we all know that doing merely compounds the consequences as they were originally determined.

Bail outs have long- term consequences that you ultimately do not want. And you certainly do not want them for your children or grandchildren. And yet your government leaders are shackling us with these burdens without representing your interests and with every attempt to keep you in the dark as to their true consequences. These decisions are being made in a myopic and duplicitous manner by those with power with the intention that those who are working 2 and 3 jobs just to make ends meet will be too busy, too drained to give put up any resistance. You can say that it won’t come from our tax dollars…at least not in such a manner that it’s so obvious. Do you really think that our government printing up an extra $715 billion in our economy will have no affect on the value of our currency?

The value of our currency determines the value of your work. As the value of the dollar goes down, the need for you to work more hours increases just to obtain the necessities in life. In truth, we would gasp in outrage and plot an all out revolution if we clearly saw just how many of our hours we’re forced to work just to pay the debts which our out of control government has thrust upon us. And of course, the government has brokered the maximum amount of power when it comes to collecting their share. After all, who among us does not have a moment of fear when we hear the words IRS tax audit?

It’s apparent that we no longer broker money and monetized assets folks. We now broker power, and I’m not talking about electricity either. The attitude of the majority of our leaders is “money is nothing if it doesn’t come with power.” Why else would someone spend millions to win a position that only pays $165,000 a year? It’s the power that it buys, not their commitment to serving the people they represent.

Whatever happened to the police officers that children looked up to as heroes? Today we only see them use their power to violate the very laws they are supposed to enforce with the belief that they do so beyond reproach.

What ever happened to the professional basketball and football players that we used to look up to as superstars? Instead we see arrests for atrocious crimes knowing full well that the arrests only represent a small fraction of what’s actually being committed due to successful power brokering.

Thank goodness there’s still the Lance Armstrong, the Michael Phelps, and a few others like them to show us that there is still power and strength in goodness.

In closing I just wanted to share this little write-up by an anonymous author as they attempt toe explain the orchestrations of the bail outs to us.

Bail Out explained (Author Unknown)

Young Henry in Montana bought a horse from a farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the horse the next day. The next day he drove up and said, "Sorry son but I have some bad news, the horse died." Henry replied, "Well, then just give me my money back." The farmer said, "Can't do that as I went and spent the money already" Henry said, "Ok, then, just bring me the dead horse."

The farmer asked, "What are you going to do with him?" Henry said, "I'm going to raffle him off." The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead horse!" Henry said, "Sure I can, just watch me and I just won't tell anybody he's dead."

A month later, the farmer met up with Henry and asked, "What happened with that dead horse?" Henry said, "I raffled him off, sold 500 tickets at two dollars each, and made a $998 profit. The farmer said, "Didn't anyone complain?"

Henry said, "Just the guy who won so I gave him his two dollars back." Henry grew up and works now for the government and he was the one who figured out how to "bail us out".

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Feds Deliver Tough Love to Credit Card Consumers

You’ve no doubt heard that the Feds will rule this week on new sweeping changes to the credit card industry. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/12/credit_cards_fed.html


Part of their proposal is that credit card companies will not be permitted to raise the interest rate on existing balances. While many seem to be thrilled with this prospect and feel that justice will be served, some are oblivious to the backlash that will inevitably occur, namely the elimination of several credit card companies due to their inability of maintaining profitability without the use of such monstrous tactics, and the elimination of credit cards being issued to anyone with less-than-perfect credit profiles.

Over 65,000 consumers have sent in feedback to the Feds on this topic along with stories of the aggressive tactics that credit card companies have taken to maintain profits, and to collect on delinquent debt. Many submitted lengthy stories as well, stories which showed that even a perfect payment history did not protect someone from “unfair” treatment at the hands of the credit card companies. There are an abundance of consumers in all aspects of society who feel they have been mistreated by the credit card companies. So it’s no wonder that this is the most involved consumers have been on any issue with the Feds.

While I agree with the premise of most of the proposals on this matter, there are obviously going to be some privileges that will be revoked with such regulations. One of which being the elimination of small credit card balance issuers who typically issue credit to high credit risk consumers. Many economists are attempting to sway the Feds due to this “downside” but personally, I think it’s GREAT.

This is the first time in a long time that I would find myself able to say this, but I think that both the proactive steps as well as the reactive scenarios are excellent for our economy. While the pill will be hard to swallow on both sides, we have become a society dangerously dependent on credit cards. At what point did we as consumers think that we needed so much more than we could actually pay for? In my opinion, those who are in tough financial times, thus possessing low credit scores, do not truly need the temptation of a credit card—at any rate or any available balance. Whether one is wealthy, middle-class, or poor, one does not truly need a credit card. As a society we have given away too much of our freedom and helped build these credit card companies to the flesh-eating monsters that they are. WE have created this monster. We only have ourselves to blame. I firmly believe that a dose of “tough love” will aid in eliminating some credit card companies and their high credit risk junkies, and that is a very good start.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

REAL Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas is supposed to be a heightened time of giving. Yet for many of us it ends up being a stressful time for spending money, going into debt, family quarrels, and all of the other less than intended results.

Let’s face it. When you get an e-mail from a business or a “holiday card” it’s usually an attempt to solicit more business from you. It may come in the form of “an unbelievable, time-sensitive discount” or an “end of the year blowout” etc. Makes you think that the only person who’s talking about a gift, is the business owner who’s trying to contrive one for themselves.

When we give gifts to friends and family, often the human part of us is plagued by giving in order to positively affect the way someone will think about us, or appreciate us. Even the best of hearts try not to give in order to get thanks, but it happens whether we intend for it or not.

It’s rare that we’re able to give in an unadulterated fashion, getting no thanks and no recognition. So I thought I’d share a couple of ideas with you to really have some fun giving and doing it in the right way.

1) Infiltrate a Salvation Army Store (or other such store). Load up on a stack of cash, whether it’s ones, fives, etc, and go where the needy go. Just start handing one out to each person, even the employees (Keep in mind if the person works there, they are likely struggling too). If you can do it in a traditional Christmas suit for better anonymity, the better. The key is to give, and to give anonymously. You’ll have a better feeling about the whole thing if you do not tell a SOUL that you did it.

2) Drive-Thru Dizzy: When you go through a drive thru for your next meal, tell the cashier that you’re also paying for the person behind you. It’s hilarious to think of that person pulling in behind you only to hear the cashier tell them that the stranger in front of them paid for their meal that day. This also works great at a manual toll booth.

3) Drop and Dash: You probably know what that is. You get a gift; leave it on the doorstep; knock; and RUN. Not the most original thought in the world, I agree, but I just LOVE doing this…especially this time of year (It’s even better if you have a night set of binoculars so you can see the expression on your face when they open their doors…of course you’ll be panting hard and perhaps fogging up the lenses). If it’s a gift card to a grocery store, or a grocery/superstore all in one, it’s an even better gift because it may actually help people to meet their perceived needs of affording gifts for their children/family. So be sure to do it BEFORE Christmas.

4) Investing in a Santa suit is great for being able to do a lot of acts of giving anonymously. And it seems to incorporate a special Christmas magic in yourself too. Santa seems to be magical to everyone, even those who are too old to still believe. As Santa (or Mrs. Clause, or a Christmas Elf, or a Christmas Fairy) you can make people’s lives brighter merely by going into a store and greeting everyone. Tiny candy canes are great to have on hand as well.

All of these ideas are about really giving of yourself while making it virtually impossible to do so with any alternative motives in mind and heart. These actions will ultimately give you one of the best Christmas’s ever!

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Water Blogged

Recently I’ve been inundated with requests from readers to know how I’ve personally prepared for the future. These requests have come about as a result of my blog post of Gerald Celente’s economic forecasts (see link here). In fact, I’ve even create an entirely new blog called Preparedness Pro, devoted exclusively to emergency preparedness in the categories of food (including cooking), water, first aid, self-defense, finances, and emotional preparedness. Be sure to add this one to your blogroll (http://preparednesspro.blogspot.com/) and check back often!

What makes me a pro? I’ve been practicing personal preparedness doggedly for over 9 years. Our house has 3 full rooms of necessary emergency supplies. Usually, instead of going to the store, I just go downstairs to our food storage room, grab what I need, and replenish about every 6 months or so. It will be up to you to decide whether or not what I share with you has merit.

First Things First—WATER!

If you have not started preparing for an emergency, do not start with food. Start with WATER! If you’ve already started a sufficient emergency supply food storage, you are probably like the majority of individuals and have put off storing water. “Where am I going to store those ugly barrels?” you ask? Believe me, that’s the last thing you’re going to care about when you need water.

How much water should I store?
You can go without food a heck of a lot longer than you can water. I know this may sound a bit overwhelming, but you really need to store enough water to provide you and your family with 1 gallon per day—minimum—for at least 3 months. Allow me to restate this. 1 gallon per person is MINIMUM. That’s a lot. But you don’t need to go back too far in history to realize that such a need could exist. Think of the hurricanes our nation has had in recent history. Is your area ripe for an earthquake? What if some moron crashes their chemical truck into your water supply?

Keep in mind that that one gallon of water is not just for drinking. It’s for hygiene, (and don’t even think that you’ll avoid bathing all together…this will foster serious illnesses, among other things) cooking, toilet use, laundry, and cleaning.

How do I store my water?
Store your water in NEW barrels. Please don’t store water you intend to use for drinking and cooking in barrels that have been used for something else. You will suffer, indeed. (It’s fine to use those kinds of barrels for water you will use exclusively for cleaning, etc.)

Please, please, please do not store your water in empty milk or soda pop bottles. They deteriorate. (Although is you have to choose one of them, pick the soda pop bottles instead. They last a bit longer)

Should I store purified water?
Don’t treat your water before storing it. Chance are very good that it’s already been sufficiently treated by your municipality. Besides, I would recommend treating your water prior to using it for drinking or cooking anyway. To do this you want to use 8 drops of pure chlorine per gallon of water.

You can fill your water barrels through the garden hose. As long as you let the water run through the hose a bit and there aren’t any bugs sitting in it, you’re fine. Surely you drank out of a hose when you were little and you’re no worse for wear, right? If you’re a purist, you can purchase a marine hose that is lined with an anti-bacterial coating. Those are readily available at your local hardware store.

Keep in mind that the water in your water heater, water bed, and toilet tanks is usable as well.

Iodine tablets, colloidal silver, and quality camping water filters are also a good preparedness step in the event you’re required to use water from sources you’re not familiar with.

One of the things that I stock up on as well are the little Xooma water sachets. These small, tea bag like sachets contain minerals and such that can bring your water to a good non-alkaline levels and infuse minerals in them. I personally believe that doing so helps for better hydration to the body. So I keep stocked up on these for an emergency as well. You can check them out at http://www.xoomaworldwide.com/WaterDiva/

How often do I replace the water?
We empty and refill our water barrels every two years. You don’t need to do it that often, but we’re a bit fanatical about things. You’re fine to go out 5 years prior to refilling them as long as it’s good water to begin with. You will want to aerate your water though prior to drinking it. Doing this is as simple as pouring it a few times from one container to another, such as a couple of pitchers.

Where am I supposed to store all this water?
If you’re in a small apartment, you will be pleasantly surprised how easily you can disguise a water barrel as an end table with a small round piece of plywood and a classy decorative tablecloth. We are fortunate enough to have enough space in our basement and have several of them lined up and then have plywood stacked on top of them to begin shelving for our food storage.

Note to wives: If your overzealous husband convinces you to store “an extra” eight 50-gallon barrels under one of the guest beds, you may want to think twice. It’s a family joke now when folks come to stay with us and sleep in the “water bed.”

Don’t buy into the myth that you can’t store your water barrels on cement. Clarification is that you should not store your water on cement that gets heated by the sun. So if you’re storing it outside, the sun will heat the cement, which will then heat your water. This makes water taste nasty. If you’re storing them outside, place the barrels on top of 2 x 4s.

You can store your water barrels outside in freezing weather, but you run the risk of them freezing and cracking. At the very least, you should not fill them up to maximum capacity to allow for the freezing expansion.

Conserving Water
Consider ways to conserve water in an emergency as well. Storing paper goods such as paper plates and cups will eliminate cleaning, and learning to cook with a pressure cooker which uses a minimum amount of water for cooking is also a good idea. (more on pressure cooking in a future blog.)

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.