Is our word our Bond?

"One of the acid tests of our integrity is whether or not we keep the commitments and promises we have made or whether there are loopholes in our word. We might appropriately ask: Do we live the honor code with exactness, or are there loopholes in our word—cracks in our foundation of integrity? Do we honor our commitments as home teachers and visiting teachers, or are there loopholes in our performance? In other words, is our word our bond?" --TAD R. CALLISTER, "Becoming Men and Women of Integrity", BYU Devotional, December 6, 2011 3 Nephi 27:27 More Holiness Give Me, Hymn #131

Self reliance tip #58 Bartering goods..

 

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What in the world is bartering? Why may it be important? Many of you may not know that the LDS people are not the only ones feeling the push and urgency to get prepared. The biggest difference is we have been taught for generations how important it is. I'm pretty sure that the author of this site is not of our faith...however I feel that they have a valid point considering the possible use of bartering in the future and that is something we would also do well to be ready for. Many items are inexpensive like salt or matches but it could be traded for something you dearly need.

I found this list here:

http://like-a-thief-in-the-night.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html

  "When the day comes that Christians won't be able to buy or sell, or that the nation suffers massive upheaval, many believe that bartering will once again be vital to survival. To that end those that are preparing are collecting items that might be useful as "trade goods". These are based on what items have been sought after in other countries around the world."

• alcohol(medicinal ONLY)
• knives,
• hatchets,
• axes
• aluminum foil
• magnifying glasses
• ammunition, mainly 22 and 12g
• nails and screws
• band-aids(all sizes)
• needle and thread
• batteries and/or solar chargers
• non-electric hand tools
• bleach
• OTC medicines
• books,
• pencils-paper-sharpeners
• books on food prep/storage
• pigs
• books on gardening
• card or boardgames books on medicinal plants
• pocket knives
• bows and arrows
• Bibles
• bug repellent
• peroxide or rubbing alcohol
• candles
• rabbits
• candy
• razors
• canned and dried food
• rubber bands
• canning jars,
• lids,
• spare rubber
• safety pins
• cattle
• salt
• chickens
• scissors
• shields
• cloth diapers
• shoes and laces
• coffee filters as water filters
• silicon spray
• simple water filters
• combs
• soap
• cooking oil
• socks and underwear
• cordage
• spices, esp. pepper
• disposable gloves
• storage buckets w/lids
• drink flavors
• swords
• duct tape
• tarps
• eating and cooking utensils
• toilet paper
• eye glass repair kits
• toothbrushes
• feminine products
• toothpaste
• finger nail clippers
• tweezers
• fish hooks and line
• utility knives
• flint
• veggie seeds(heirloom)
• flipflops
• cooking pots or bowls
• garden tools(hoe, shovel, rake)
• windup radios
• glues(any kind)
• winter or rain coats
• goats
• work gloves
• Gold
• ziplock baggies
• horses
• matches

Notice how they said that these are things that "around the world" have been most wanted items (other than food and water of course).

Self Reliance Tip #57 Not yo Grandma's seeds... :)

 

So what exactly are "heirloom seeds"? Are they something you have folded up from your grandmother and kept in a cedar chest? Well, not exactly... In this video (rather lengthy, but VERY educational) it talks about the dangers of genetically modified (or GMO) food. Not only economically, but for your health.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food

I am not going to touch on the politics right now, but I want to talk about why "hybrid" and GMO seeds are bad news for preparedness. When you mess with the nature of a seed, you knock Mother Nature off balance. Heavenly Father's seeds do not need to be improved. When a seed is made "hybrid" that means the very DNA of the seed has been tampered with. It does more than do strange things to our bodies (they are not metabolized in the body the same way as the "non-hybrid" seed). It also does not produce seeds that can re-grow a new generation of producing plant. They become sterile. It is my opinion that this will be one of the main reasons for famine in the last days.

For instance, if you take a tomato plant that is "hybrid" - developed for drought conditions lets say - and you save the seeds from one or two tomatoes. The next season you may get a plant that kind of grows, but does not yield fruit. This happened to me my first time saving corn seeds. They were the most pathetic plants I had ever seen. The corn husks gave maybe one or two kernels. That's not gonna feed anybody. I have yet to find "non-hybrid" corn seeds at Wal-mart or Home Depot. Even if you find "organic" corn seeds, they still say "hybrid"...I'm not sure how that works... So, the happy alternative is "heirloom seeds". These are like grandma's seeds. They have not been tampered with and will continue to produce generations of food.

They can be purchased in bulk such as this site (I just typed in heirloom seeds bulk): http://www.mypatriotsupply.com/Articles.asp?ID=245&Click=18191&gclid=CNXO9ZLRkbACFQOEhwod40PHow

  A friend told me that you need to have a backup in case the oxygen absorber in the bulk containers killed the seeds which she has experienced.

You can go to http://www.burpee.com/heirloom-seeds-and-plants/ and get the little packets without the bulk container or oxygen absorber. There are records of my Great-Great Grandfather Joseph Smith Hancock where some of his grandchildren witnessed him soaking his seeds on a table and then kneeling down and praying over them. What an awesome example. If only I could wrap that up and put it in my cedar chest.

..... And another thing...

One of the struggles I have had with loose #10 cans (since I don't have shelving to speak of) is they are always falling...especially when they are in kid's bedrooms. Well, I solved this problem this week very inexpensively and very easily. Sister Alice told me that Home Depot had boxes that would fit these cans so I went on a hunt. When I got there I went to the "storage" isle and they had moving boxes. I had measured the boxes at home that fit (6) #10 cans so I knew the dimensions I was looking for. Well, I found that the medium sized moving box fit WAY more than 6. I was able to get 16 in there! Within two days I was able to get most of my loose #10 cans out of the way. The boxes are about $1.50 each. I also took the time to label what was in them to make it easier for future use. Sweeeetness!!! Have a grrrreat day!!

Self reliance tip #56 Hydration

 

Once upon a time.... I sent this video out. It is kind of long, but chocked full of great information. Sister Lana Richardson was called on a mission. Part of her mission was to teach preparedness. I never really dissected all the "goods" of the video, but I feel it is time to do some of that. Again, here is the video link: http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6255&Itemid=200049

I really encourage you to watch this one. The whole thing has so much information in it that could be so helpful in a time of distress. It might require you to update Quicktime. If you don't want to install the newest version, here is the beginning of her talk on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qXsLohabNo

The youtube video talks about sanitation, but it cuts off before you get to the hydration kit. That's what I'd like to touch on now. When you think of electrolytes, you might think of a Gatorade commercial: "Gatorade is thirst-aid for that deep down body thirst." Well, what are electrolytes? Why are they important? What exactly is in these sports drinks?

Question 1: An Electrolyte is something that conducts electricity...what? Why are we talking about that? Your nerves (linked to every organ, tissue etc in your body) run on electricity! These babies for us are crazy words like potassium, magnesium, and sodium.

Question 2: Electrolytes are extremely important to true hydration. Have you ever had those days where you drink and drink and drink and drink water and you're still thirsty? They are also important to muscle and tissue repair, blood ph, blood pressure and more! Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153188.php

Question 3: Ingredients in Gatorade: water, sugar, table salt, carbohydrates, electrolytes (110 mg sodium, 30 mg potassium, 93 mg chloride), high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, glucose, and fructose. Ingredients in Powerade: water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, salt, electrolyte sources, natural flavors, gum cacia, glycerol ester or rosin calcium disodium edta (to protect color) vitamin b3, brominated vegetale oil, red 40, vitamin b6, vitamin b12. Sister Richardson's Hydration Kit: sugar, sea salt, baking soda, "No Salt" (found in the baking isle). Put all of these dry ingredients in their respective containers (I put mine in jars for easier access) in a little box and have them ready.

Put the instructions with it that says: 4 C water 1/4 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 1/4 t no salt 2 1/2 t sugar Mix together and take 1 T until you feel better. As you can see, this is not full of artificial colors, or high fructose corn syrup, and other stuff that isn't necessary in true hydration.

Sister Richardson said that when she fell sick, she made a batch from her hydration kit and thought it would taste awful. But, it didn't. After one of the presentations she gave, a man came up to her and said that he wished he had been able to attend her meeting before he had gone in the hospital. After all the tests were run, and $12,000 later he found out that he was only dehydrated. Obviously, that's not the only reason people go to the hospital, but it is something to keep in mind...especially in the desert. A word on salt: All sea salt is not created equal. Some does not have iodine which is a necessary nutrient. However, iodine that is added to salt is not the best for you either. The "real" salts are not white. I buy Himalayan Pink Salt (@ Lee's) which has iodine naturally along with other minerals. There are other "real" salts that are slightly grey, brown, pink etc.

  ... And another thing...

Several weeks ago I sent a link to http://myfoodstoragecookbook.com  I tried this recipe: http://myfoodstoragecookbook.com/2012/03/10/wonder-oven-lasagna/ It was really good. The only thing I'd do different is to add more noodles because the extra water can make it soupy. I love this site because you can make your own cook book and then print it out! Check them out and find food storage recipes that your family loves! Experimenting is fun...so bet the farm and don't look back :).

Self Reliance Tip #55 Self Defense and Pancakes!

 

So... how was your "Father's And Son's Outing" weekend? I had an interesting adventure. Let me set the stage: Kayla and I went to dinner. We watched a Barbie movie (that never happens when you are surrounded by boys :) ). When it was time for bed I was so ready. I went to my room and a few minutes later, I heard a bunch of "car noises" that weren't normal right outside my house. I went outside and someone had parked their car at my house hidden behind our truck. I didn't know if anyone was inside or not, but I called the sheriff anyway because something wasn't right. I went back inside the house to make preparations to protect myself and my daughter in case something was in store in "that" department. After all, my husband was not home and it was up to me. Deputies came and inspected the car. They kept an eye out so I could go to bed. In the end, the car was gone in the morning. Nothing really "happened". But... - Why my house? - What was truly going on? - None of the information I had made ANY sense... But it has really made me think...and remember.

When I was in college our Relief Society had a self defense class. Some of the things that the instructor talked about would make a sailor blush because of the sensitivity of the topic. One thing he said that will always stick with me is, "You have to make up your mind now that you will be the one to survive. Do what it takes and don't worry about what you have to do. The bottom line is - I WILL SURVIVE." I feel a song coming on. If that was in college and I was the only one I was responsible for, it makes it that much more important when little families are added to the equation. In this world of increasing wickedness where people are on more legal and illegal drugs that alter normal thoughts and actions, we need to have already made up our minds that we will be the ones to survive before faced with an adrenalin pumping situation.

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.... and Another Thing..... A few weeks ago I sent out a link for a shelf stable recipe book. I thought I'd try the "pancake mix" recipe. To find that, look under "breakfasts" at this link: http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/fsme/docs/SHELF-STABLE-RECIPE-BOOK.pdf

I 1 1/2 'd the recipe (that means, not quite doubled it :) ) and put it in a glass gallon jar. When I want to make pancakes, it is really easy. Things I didn't like about this recipe: - no oil is mentioned - no egg is mentioned (not a fluffy pancake) Things I did like: - I can add oil and egg later. - I can add what ever I want to play with the recipe. The possibilities are endless! - If I want to make a small batch, I only use one cup of pancake mix. To feed the fam, I use three cups of mix. The reason I don't make pancakes that often is because of all the tedious little measurements that turn it into an hour long project in stead of a 15 minute project. Have fun with it!

Self reliance Tip # 54 72 hour car kits

 

I was almost always nervous in school when it was time to take tests... Would I remember everything I needed to know? Did I study hard enough? Did I care enough to study or did I feel like I could just wing it? ...I sure hope we can use a book for this test... Would I pass? Well, just an fyi, I think it would be good for us to do our own version of the "7 day challenge" that the cute gals at Food Storage Made Easy have done for the last few years.

Check out the re-cap of last year's challenge. http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2011/09/22/7-day-challenge-recap/
I will be talking more about this another time. Make sure you study, so when it is time for the test, you won't need to try and "wing it" and hope you pass.

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Lately I've been looking into how I might be able to make a car/ truck 72 hour emergency kit that would handle the Arizona heat. The main concerns are the food and medicine. If non-perishable food or medicine can last a year at room temperature, how long would it last in a hot car? A few months? It may prove to be a life saver. It would be worth asking your Doctor what his/ her thoughts are. Here are some suggestions on gathering things to put in a vehicle kit: (some of these are obvious, but I think they are still worth mentioning) - Park your car in the shade whenever possible. - Get sun reflectors for both the front and back windows - that will reflect more heat and in turn keep the car cooler. - Rotation is always important. However, if you have stale water in your vehicle, you'll be so glad you have it if you need it! - If a package of freeze dried food (say, Mountain House or Wise Company Foods freeze dried meals) will last 15 years at room temperature, do you think you could get a good year out of one that sat in a car with higher temperatures for 4 months? It would be worth having in an emergency. These are only a few ideas. If you have any more, drop me a line!

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... And another thing... .... From Heavenly Father's medicine cabinet... The last several months I've been highlighting local desert plants with awesome properties. I'm going to stray from that this time. This tip may not be for every family. I just wanted to share my experience because I think it is significant. When I was a kid and I had a boogery nose or a phlegmy cough, my mom would say, "Lets take you off of milk for a little while." I don't know if I recognized then if it helped clear things up faster or not. Well, our family decided (much to my son's discontent) that we would drink rice milk this winter and see if there was a difference. Usually during the winter (for me it seems) we have one thing after another. There is usually a trip to the good ol' Doc in there. It seems as one child is getting better, another one starts the same symptoms and it is a vicious cycle. The difference for our family has been significant. We had two kiddos with a cough for about a week (which normally lasts a month), and one instance of a throw-up. That was it. For some who might question, "Where are you getting your calcium?" Well, cows get the calcium from green food. We get it from the same place. :) Rice milk does cost more, but it was so worth the healthy winter we had. There are rice milk recipes out there, but I am still working on one that actually tastes good. I'll let you know when I get it perfected.

Fried COMPUTER??

I know everyone is waiting to see pictures of our last Relief Society activity.... Unfortunately as wonderful as technology can be, it still has its flaws. As I was doing my calling, uploading pictures and typing whitty comentaries below them, my laptop suddenly shut off. Thinking it had just run out of battery I plugged it in. Nothing. So I waited for my husband to come home. The computer had fried. But thankfully the hard drive is still good, so it has been sent off to my computer whiz cousin who is saving my pictures for me.... So keep your hair pins in and and banana bread warm because it will be coming soon!!