Back To Basics - Preparing and preserving on a budget

 

Preparing on a budget

During every conversation I find myself in, this is typically one of the first concerns I hear. This is a legitimate concern currently. More American's are finding their budgets getting smaller every day. Our wages are not keeping up with the cost of even the bare necessities. 

Naturally, if you are independently wealthy, keep your household prepared is simple. For the rest of us, it becomes a large challenge as the pennies we rub together, keep getting thinner. One basic thought I have heard, is purchasing 5 shelf stable items each week. This way of doing some preparation, will average $5-$10 per week. This is a great option for those living with extremely limited income. Just remember that even shelf stable items need to be rotated. I have personally started writing the expiration dates, in a location I can clearly see, so I know when I need to rotate them out. This is not something you will do once, and you're done. This has to be a life style change, in part. The pricing on items today, is significantly higher than they were 5 years ago, when I began really talking about this. However, having items on your shelf, for an emergency situation, is beyond important. Another area that I personally do... fresh produce that I purchase. Many times, I am not able to get it used up before it starts getting nasty. I have learned, through the years, how to handle this. Even though I got away from it for a period, I have gone back to basics myself. Peppers, onions, mushrooms, fresh spinach, lemons, limes, carrots, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. can all be froze! Either the day I purchase these types of items, or shortly after, I wash/cut and package them. They have really handy square snack baggies and most stores like Walmart. They hold the perfect amount to put into whatever I may need them for when cooking. Example:  half a pepper and a quarter to half an onion, into one of these bags goes into my meals when I cook. So, I will put that amount into the bag, seal it up and put it in the freezer. Celery is another one...a stalk of celery, cut up in a bag and into the freezer. Berries, the amount needed for a recipe in a bag, and in the freezer. This helps me to avoid wasting money and produce. Bananas, as they start to get over ripe for eating, can be mashed(for the amount required for a recipe) put in a bag, and froze. I have personally found, that using thawed bananas make my banana bread sweeter that using fresh bananas. None of these ideas, requires any specialized equipment or really much in the way of knowledge...you have it now. 

Think about what you use. My lemons and limes, I freeze some into ice cubes...especially, when I have more than I can use fresh. Frozen pieces of watermelon, are especially good and are great when you put frozen watermelon into a glass of water or even try something like lemonade. Another area I learned the hard way, some dry goods...they do not always fare very well when they sit on a shelf for extended periods. I have begun putting a lot into jars and using a hand pump sealer to keep them fresh for longer periods of time. You can also put many into the freezer. Dry/powder goods(flour, pancake mix, bisquick, etc) will get little bugs, even in sealed packages. You can avoid that using the freezer or sealing into a glass jar. I purchased my hand vacuum sealer through Amazon for about $26. I put stuffing mix, pancake mix, bisquick, rice, dry beans, instant potatoes, etc. all into jars. There are times that those types of products can absorb the scents around them...spices and even dust. They can also get stale much quicker. One note here:  make sure if you take something out of its original packaging, you keep the instructions also! 

Avoiding having food go bad, is a huge priority! American's waste so much, because we have had a lot of years without concern. You can freeze cooked food! Although, I have not had good luck with frozen cooked pasta, I personally freeze a LOT! While I do a lot of pressure canning, not everyone is willing to do this...and realistically...it's not cheap to get started. You can preserve foods without that, you just need to be willing. Cooked meat, is super simple....once it has cooled, you can put it in a Ziploc freezer bag, squeeze the air out, seal it and put in the freezer! It is really that simple. My own experience here, freezing bread and buns, I found if you put a paper towel in the package before you freeze it...it will not get dried out or hard when you thaw it. 

If you have decided to learn and purchase the items to pressure can or water bath can....this opens up a lot of options. Like I said, these options are not cheap if you are working on a limited budget. I will also warn if you purchase these items used...be sure they are in good working order. There is a slew of hazards when you work with pressurized anything, let alone working with one in a small area like a kitchen. I will highly recommend the Ball Blue Book of Canning and Preserving. That book is the life blood for preserving. Learning the foods that can be preserved by just hot water as opposed to having to use pressure is a necessity. High acid foods can be preserved with hot water bath, lower acid foods require pressure. For me, I water bath pasta sauce, pizza sauce, chili sauce, tomato juice, most jellies etc. On the other hand, I pressure green beans, soups, stews, meat, pickled beets, etc. Having the canning book, or a reliable/informed person you can ask advice is invaluable! I freeze everything possible, however, sometimes freezer space is limited; that's when I start canning. I can always add more shelves, or stack boxes of labeled jars in a corner. 

As I mentioned in the prior blogs pertaining to back to basics...You have to make a list of what you personally use. Being prepared, is more than just food. Knowing your own life style and needs is imperative. Food, water, pet needs, medicines, OTC's, paper towels, toilet paper, other special needs, baby supplies, clothing, blankets, tools, vitamins, spices, printed recipes, even so much as physical books on herbal/holistic treatments. I have found a lot of useful books and cookbooks, at yard sales and second hand stores, many for a quarter! 

Part of learning to be more self-reliant is learning to be thrifty. This means many things, and is different from person-to-person. To me, it means utilizing those yard sales, second hand stores, researching online(while I can) and keeping copious amounts of notes and recipes that I have hand written. It means growing my own gardens, or purchasing local grown produced when need to and preserving it. It has meant cutting out wasted time watching the mind numbing noise box, and instead learning something useful. I still have a wise lady I can call if I have questions, or need some old time knowledge; but not everyone has that. Right now, we still have access to millions of sources online. If you have a friend that does a lot of these types of things, most likely...they will be willing to help you too. 

I know some find this type of information repetitive and even crazy...I've actually heard people say that the government will help if it got as bad as I believe it will get. What I believe is this: we already have millions of people in our country struggling to eat or have a roof over their heads. Our government is bankrupt and has proven they will help every country but ours. I've heard the argument that God will take care of us. While I believe that to be true, God also expects us to be warriors and NOT just sit on our butts. I will be the first to tell you to pray with everything you have! Then, get off your knees and get busy helping yourself, your family and your loved ones. Trust in God's word, but being a sleuth IS one of the deadly sins. We don't get to pick and choose what verses or passages of God's word we should listen to. 

Pray, prepare, be peaceful but not complacent!

Coffee Chat Plus

 

2024 has been a year of chaos for so many, myself included. My time spent in meditation, prayer, and in silence; has left so much on my heart. Today, I want to visit about several areas.

I think very deeply. Rarely, if ever, do I have less than a hundred thoughts racing through my brain, at a time. So many times, I share posts hoping to get others to think beyond the surface...although, I'm realizing that many do not. We all tend to get wrapped up in the hectic lives we live and fail to pay attention. So much is neglected and missed living, at break neck speed. So many details missed, so much empathy/compassion is lost, and we get caught in the trap of selfish behaviors. I know I am guilty of this too. We lose our way by losing track of the very details that could allow our society to excel. 

It's always an education, to me, to get to have meaningful conversations with people, and to empathetically try to understand others thoughts expressed to me. There are 3 examples I've experienced just in the past 48 hours. When someone starts a conversation with I read all your Facebook posts....you never know where THAT conversation is going to end up. I share my opinion. It is just that...my opinion. I won't argue something, if I do not know it to be fact. However, I will debate other opinions; if nothing more than to gain clarity or understanding. Anyway, that conversation was with a good friend that I have high respect for...so, I am always interested in their thoughts. That conversation, I won't share details, but it was good. It was interesting to hear other perspectives. That conversation led to another, about the usefulness of local versus national. It was geared around banking, and those practices. It brought in several others that were there, and was also a wonderful learning experience. I honestly learn something new everyday. I love to learn, grow and expand my thinking. I love to dive into topics that require more than off-the-cuff answers. When you find people that are willing to jump into the deep conversations with you, you know you have found a good group of people. Just as many of us were taught in English classes in high school, it's who/what/when/where and why's that change everything. I love deep and thought provoking conversations. 

As deep thoughts go, I try to always listen when something weighs on my heart. Honestly, there is so much anymore. I'm not exactly sure where to start. I believe in messages being given to us through whatever means necessary - dreams, gut instinct, etc. I believe those are messages from a divine source. Especially, if you can not shake the feeling. Now, I do not claim that God talks to me. There are so many now, that do claim this. Whether that is true or not...who knows. So much has become demonized by religion, that was considered normal just 50 or so years ago. We have too much judgement and religion snobbery, in the world today. Everyone that is of a religious faith, claims to know God, and know the Bible, and their God is the only God. Well, this to me is hypocrisy. The world governments have ruled over religion since long before King James. The government placed different spiritual beliefs into umbrella categories. We know the religions that are "acceptable," and many are quick to point out the ones they find "unacceptable." What we serious fail to understand, freedom of religion...is freedom of ALL religion, not just those you find "acceptable," or those that have been lumped together under that umbrella effect. While I personally disagree with several "religions," I can snub those that have different religious/spiritual beliefs. If the God Christians claim to worship is the great creator, did he not create ALL of mankind? Yes, I get that man created the religions...ALL of them. The Bible tells us not worship false prophets, but in that, wouldn't any beyond God himself be a false prophet. Even Bible stories tell us, that Jesus does not want worship...that is saved for his father, God. Do you know, there are literally thousands of different "religions," or branches of those religions? This is why I have a very difficult time with those that claim to be religious. No one alive today knows the actual truth. All we know is what OUR current understanding of religion is. Where does that leave us to judge anyone? By the very religious teachings, every human on Earth, is a child of God. A few more thoughts for consideration:  I recently was reminded of what is being called the "lost books of the Bible," the apocrypha. These are said to be the books of knowledge and wisdom removed from the original Biblical teachings. Again, how can you have a full understanding if you are not given the full text? How about one of the first Bibles transcribed into English, the Geneva Bible of, I believe, 1580? Why, if this is one of the originals, are we just now hearing about this? Why does this Bible offer translated knowledge further back than most current Bibles? Guys, these are just thoughts. This is how my brain works. When you can group a hundred religions into an umbrella group, many religions belittle that umbrella group as evil, yet they believe they sit high enough to judge...this truly is why I have always fought religion.

Now, I know someone that I consider a friend, and his thoughts have made me question a lot. While this is a whole other topic, it does relate to the previous paragraph. One of those umbrella religions, is the original Native American beliefs. Before they were shipped to "schools" to be "socialized, and civilized." This happened with several different tribe children when the federal government of the newly declared "new world" took over. The atrocities that all tribes across the country experienced is a scar on this country. Sadly, this genocide paled in comparison to other peoples of others countries, but it was an atrocity none-the-less. You see, war by any definition ends with a winner, and a loser. When tribes were relocated(usually by force), were forced from their land(Trail of Tears), or the government took over their land...it disrupted a balance between the original settlers and the Native people.  When you had Native people willing to sell out their own, for benefit from the new settlers; you had even more upset and desecration to so many tribes. However, I have to note here, before the settlers...this was going on between the tribes themselves. So, while the English settlers are getting a justified "bad name" for their poor behavior...this activity was being done by tribes themselves too. While I have done some research into my friend's tribe, and have seen so much that makes me angry about how they have been treated...I do have a few thoughts of my own. I honestly hope that my thoughts will encourage others to think a little deeper too. I have spent a lot of years, off and on, digging into my own family heritage. I believe this is truly a necessity to understand who we are. What I began to understand just a few generations ago, is that our Government in America, began only recognizing a handful of tribes that were on this land, and they once again, lumped several together under an umbrella. (Are we seeing a pattern here?)My own family has been lumped under Cherokee, and from what I can find, Sioux. So, I have Native blood. This to me, means I can carry on that blood line, just as any Native person wants to. Yes, I have been removed to small genetics because of the ancestry, but that doesn't mean it's any less important. It's important to know where we come, who we come from. My own bloodlines, have what my Grandmother referred to as a Heinz 57 mix. The large majority of Americans are no different...especially today. While I know my friend is a lot closer in genetics, and I'd love to spend time learning more from him, I also want to understand and learn about my own. Sure, the Native people have been treated awful. I will not deny that. I get horribly angry about their treatment. However, I still ask: " why not do and be better, and spite the very government that did this to you?" Instead of people focusing on so much negativity? I get generational trauma. But someone has to break that. Why not you, me, whomever? This friend, is such an exceptional person. I have heard his story, at least in part, and he broke the mold and works hard to continue to do better. I have seen some from other tribes, that are doing the same thing...and they are working on the reservations and in their communities to teach the younger generations how to break the molds. This is direction I believe we all need to change. You see, as I dove into research years ago(about 20+) I learned that prior to the push of "civilizing the Natives," the Native people's beliefs were so much different. Their beliefs weren't on worship, as we know it. It was similar to prayer, and that a Creator controlled - Mother Nature, the sun, the moon, etc. However, the original belief system was placed under the umbrella of Paganism, and is now deemed evil by modern religions. Even many Native people today, focus on modern religion instead of their tribal original beliefs. 

Since I know I hit on 2 very hot and controversial topics already, I am going to hit on another. War. First off, Any sane person with more than 2 brain cells is NOT going to support the killing of innocent people. I do not care how cautious or careful Armies are, innocent people are going to lose their lives. I do not support war as a means to an end. Before anyone supports it, they need to consider this: are you prepared to fight and die for your country? Are you prepared to send your son, daughter, brother, sister, or parent to war and quite possible die in that war? What is the true purpose of the war? This past weekend, Israel was attack once again. This time by Iran, directly. The last time, in October, by Hamas...with Iran's support. We still have major conflict with Ukraine and Russia, AND Taiwan with China. America is sending billions of OUR tax dollars to many of these countries....AND OUR COUNTRY IS NOT ONLY BANKRUPT BUT BEING INVADED EVERYDAY!! So many of our Soldiers, right here on American soil, are in a fight for their lives/to just eat...yet we are providing a continuous flow of unregulated money to how many other countries? We have elected government officials pushing for MORE U.S. involvement into conflicts around the world, including advocating for war. We have very weak leadership providing support ON BOTH SIDES of these conflicts. How can we, with the current state of our own country, even consider putting our noses into another country's conflict? Our current leadership, has not supported our Allies, and has financially enabled our enemies. Yet, so many continue to support the elected body of both parties. I personally see, the majority of people around the world, just want to live in peace. The majority of people have seen enough death and destruction, not to mention the majority of false narratives promoted to invade more countries. I fear for America, and the majority of our people. Too many people are hyper-focused on constant drama, war, and globalism...and have neglected the majority of good people that are sick of the system. Going to back to high school lessons....what is the TRUTH about the who/what/when/where/why of all these conflicts? Not the media/Biden administration definition alone...but BOTH sides of this story. What has been done in 160 days to free the hostages still held since October? What has been done to secure America's borders? What has been done to reduce our federal government spending and debt? What have our elected officials actually done FOR and to PROTECT America? When is the last time we actually got unbiased, both sides of a story, reporting on ANYTHING? 

Ya'll, I truly try to, at the very least, comprehend both sides to every story...whether that be personally, nationally or globally. I don't always. I am only a flawed human. What I do work hard at, is not only working hard on myself to constantly do and be better...but to teach the young people I have brought into this world, to do the same. I attempt to constantly learn and grow in actual knowledge and wisdom...NOT drama. I work very hard to be self-reliant, as self-sufficient as possible, prepared, and learn new skills while improving old ones. I refuse to believe I am just a product of the last generation, but instead believe that I can break generational trauma. I have full belief belief in God, but not religion. I believe my ancestors would want me to learn from all they encountered and to grow beyond it. While I still believe that returning to my roots, is exactly how I am meant to do that. I believe that each of us is responsible for shaping our world into a better, brighter and more prosperous world than we have. I believe WE are responsible for teaching not only the scars of our ancestors, the trauma's they went through, but also teaching our young people how to not only co-exist but co-thrive. I don't believe in entitlement. You want better, you have to be willing do better. 

I work hard to understand so much. I know there are some that like to challenge me. That's ok. The difference for me, is that I truly do want to understand. I don't want someone telling me what to think...I know how to think for myself. I want FACTS; not emotions/feelings.  Give me receipts, give me PROOF! When I began digging into my family tree...I learned quickly, not everything is as it appears. You can not truly know your family history without receipts to back it up. When my Grandmother and I would discuss our history, she had the same thought process I now hold. I'm finding more and more of her in my thoughts everyday. I just wish she was still here to walk through all of this with. She had a lot more to work with than I do. She, too, was a writer/journalist. I recently found several letters she had written to me, and read through them again. Some were upsetting, but some were such a bold reminder of the strength, intelligence and determination; that runs through my blood. I come from a strong line of women that fit this list. Weak is NOT in our genetics! 

Today, since I probably have upset many, I'm going to end with this:  Each of us, are responsible for our own path. What we do, inevitably determines what future generations will do have to work with. It is our job, to make sure we are doing our best to leave a better outcome. I'm not saying make it easier, I'm saying we have have to make it better. We have to better educate, better prepare our young people, give them facts not half truths. We have to be better people. We are currently responsible, every person alive today, for improving generational traumas. We have to work hard. It is up to us, to live and teach those around us, that we have to "do unto others as we would have done unto us." It's time to heal. It's time to remove the divisions, and remember we are ALL children of God.

Delicate Balance

 

Finding balance amongst the insanity in a world that thrives on drama; it's a delicate balancing act, that many of us have yet to master.

We are branded from an early age to work hard, get a good job, stay in a job until you can retire, then retire and then what?! At that point, you are working with a limited income, quite possibly health issues, a body that fights against you, and younger generations that like to believe they know it all...about it all. So, then you are "phased out," and left barely treading water after everything you accomplished, learned and created. A recent conversation "enlightened" me and made me realize how wrong my own thinking has been.

While one area I continually preach about is slowing down, and enjoying life...this is just a small part of the overall equation. You see, in my own experiences the last several years...slowing down, or stopping all together, was a really stupid move! It ended up creating more issues, than those it solved. By stopping the activities I enjoy, by not working through health issues with protocols I knew to work; I created more issues for myself that are now taking much more effort to overcome. Some days, they seem insurmountable. That recent conversation, and a lot of previous conversations with others...have come to roost on my heart. While I still believe some areas, a large part, is now seeing a different side. One thing I have noticed, that some people are better able to communicate and comprehend than others. Fortunately, my conversation was with someone that was exceptional in his communication skills. His point of view made sense to me. He was able to verbalize things that held voids for me previously, or that I just couldn't understand from my age group. 

You see, my husband and I are pushing 50. That means we are drawing down on the side of raising kids, and to the point of pushing closer to that "retirement" age. I have said for years, everything should be in moderation...I just never expected those thoughts, to blow up in my face, as that is an accurate thought for every aspect of life. We have all lived relatively easy lives for the past 50 years. We did not live through the world wars, the great depression, Vietnam, Korea, or even the land grab of the 70's...although many of us were children in the 70's. While we may have grown up on the poor side, we weren't the children carting water from a stream or well, we have had indoor plumbing, electricity, and cars. Very few lived through not having shoes for their feet, or having no food to eat. Realistically, we have been very spoiled. We can go turn on thermostat to have heat or air, flip a switch for lights, have a machine to wash dishes, go to a store to purchase food and clothing, even if things weren't top of the line...we have had it easy. Even though we have believed that things are tough, I don't know if there are many alive today that could have survived 1929-1946. Those were the years of the Great Depression. It wasn't just a year or two. The depression didn't end until the end of world war2. You had households with 3-4 different families under one roof. There was not an option of anything different. No one was allowed to be lazy, or unproductive. Everyone worked, the women did the majority of the cooking, cleaning and raising of children. That's not sexist, it's fact. That is a topic for later. The men were out working the back breaking jobs, earning mere pennies just to get by. Children typically only had shoes for the winter months. The women would make the few clothes that everyone had. Not like today, when so many of us have more clothing than we could ever wear, not to mention so much stuff. People only had what was useful. Cooking was entirely different. The women had to keep the fires stoked all day, to be able to cook the evening meal. They cooked on cast iron. If you have ever used cast, you know that is not always the easiest way to cook. Anything that was left from meals, was added to the next, so there would not be any waste. The term "waste not, want not," is very ideal for this era. This also plays into my continued conversations about keeping your households prepared. I know so many give me grief about this, but I hold true to my beliefs. Allowing yourself to be readily self-reliant just makes sense to me. Think back to just 4 years ago with the toilet paper debacle. I heard so many people in panic over that. While I still think that was stupid, living an intended and prepared life, meant that I had what I needed. Yes, it was concerning to see the back up supplies start to dwindle, and the possibility of not being able to get it replaced was a concern...but it was not panic. The country going into a forced shut down, was concerning but not a panic for me. Realistically, it didn't change that much for me. For about 26 years, I have lived a life of self-reliance. That's the way my husband's family had always lived, and I was told very early on that that was how it was going to be. While I did battle this for awhile, I am beyond grateful to have learned as much as I did, from some incredible women! Now, as my adult children have moved out, I can only pray they take their own teachings to live an intended life too. However, I will not be changing my way of life. I will continue to stay prepared, continue to garden, preserve foods, learn holistic/herbal protocols,  and improve my own skills.

I guess, my thoughts here, are just proving how much we have become very wasteful. We are overruled by things and stuff. We have lost perspective on what really matters. Think about it: how many of these storage unit places are there? How many people have maxed out credit cards/have insurmountable debt, just to keep up with what "society" believes you should have? How many of us have house fulls of stuff, that collects dust? I am guilty along with so many others! I have gotten rid of more than 10 trash bags of clothes in just the last couple of years, and my closet is still full. The past couple of years, I have been eliminating a lot of stuff. Things that don't hold any value to me, things that don't serve a purpose, and am working on restructuring several areas of my own life. Personally, I am tired of cleaning around stuff, moving stuff around to ease the clutter, and holding on to stuff that no longer holds a purpose. It seems pointless to me to purchase stuff I don't need, to impress people I probably don't like, and have to deal with more clutter. 

It seems in finding a delicate balance in life, it falls into the exact realm of holistic medicine - mind, body and spirit. Finding other people that have your values, morals, beliefs; I call them your tribe. Is highly important. People are very judgemental. They will belittle every step forward you try to take, if it's not in line with their own view. They will judge you, no matter what you do. They will confront you, argue with you or do anything within their power to negate everything you are trying to achieve. That is just the current nature of society. When you don't just fall into the masses, you are any number of derogatory terms.  Embrace that! That means you are finding your way. Even if that means taking the road less traveled and making your own path. Not a single soul on this earth is perfect, no matter how many like to believe otherwise. We are each charged with our own paths in this life, and it's our jobs to figure out what that path is, and how to navigate it. We can have a tribe with us, but they can not do it for us. One more thought before I close this blog... You are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Are those people good, productive, wise and useful? If not, you are not giving yourself the opportunity to find your intended path. You will never grow beyond those you spend the most time with. So, choose your tribe wisely. You don't need people drilling holes in your boat, while you are trying to bucket out the water.

Coffee Chat - Changing Tides

 

It's been a time of big changes for me. I honestly am not even sure where to begin, but I know writing is my best outlet. We have entered April now, and that means Spring is officially underway for me. There have been so many different energy shifts that I have experienced in the last 8 months or so. The latest shift has brought a physical gap in my own being. Ok, let's dive off into this because I have a lot to talk about.

As I push closer to 50, I'm finding some serious changes in attitude. Some have been good but many are getting less tolerant. Rather than just accepting so much, I had to start putting hard lined boundaries. This has been difficult when I have spent so much of my life trying to please others. By not having these boundaries, I kept finding myself being hurt by other's behaviors; then instead of dealing with the hurt, I got angry. So, not only was I dealing with the hurt but also struggling to maintain control of my temper, and would end up making myself sick. I was constantly tired, stressed, and faced several rounds of a dark place that I had no idea how to fight out of. Not only was I dealing with my own change of life phase, but having my children growing up, having parents with  health issues, trying to keep some form of relationship balance with my husband, still teaching my youngest, working our farm, and having the mental shift in my role as a parent. It's been a severely challenging time for me and to be honest...I have not handled it all very well. For every step I keep trying to take forward, I feel like a wave crashes into me, and I fall 50 behind - and this has been a recurring feeling for months! 

24 years ago, I stepped into motherhood. I can honestly say, the greatest blessing in my life,, has been my kids! While I completely despise hearing "it must be nice to be a stay-at-home-mom," I truly have LOVED being able to be a full-time mom. I have loved getting to see all their firsts, to know my kids personalities, learning styles, and even their flaws. Even though it is challenging in both the mental and financial sense being at home, there is truly no greater job on this Earth. 15 years ago, we began the journey of home school. This was something that was not "the normal" at the time...and most did not hold very positive perspective of it. When you are not given much choice, you do what you have to do. Through all the struggles early on - for both the kids and I, it became just part of our life. It afforded us so much flexibility in learning styles, lesson options, and learning experiences. I got to spend all day, everyday with my kids. That was truly the biggest blessing. Then, the inevitable begins to happen. You only hold those precious babies for so long, all the while, you are teaching them to become productive members of society, and spread their wings to go beyond what you have done. That is the crux of motherhood. You spend 18 years teaching them, to then have to feel your heart break as they go out and do exactly what you have taught them. It's when those babies are no longer babies, those toddlers grow into snarky pre-teens, those moody/brooding teens, and then BOOM - they are young adults. It all happens in the blink of an eye. I know every parent goes through this and has forever...but right now, this is my time. My oldest got married 8 months ago, and last week bought his first house and moved out. You see, I have never been one of those parents that looked forward to having my kids turn 18 and move out. That kind of mind set still doesn't make sense to me. Once you are a parent, you are always a parent. Forcing our young people into making a life long commitment at 18 is shear stupidity. There's people in their 50's and up and they still can't make commitments. However, that was the mindset for several decades. So, having to come to grips with having a piece of my heart with each of my boys in their own homes...and my daughter who is not far behind...has been a challenge. 

As I mentioned in the beginning, I have spent about 4 years really battling with my health and injuries. Part of the injuries are my own fault, because I do things without asking for help. However, as I began the shift into the late phase of perimenopause, the crazy aches/pains/sporadic injuries began to pop up out of nowhere. It wasn't enough to fight with night sweats, hot flashes, cold flashes, and moods that left my head spinning(let alone anyone else that was near by)...oh no, then my body decided to go full on beast. Sinus infections/allergies would flare up, then if not gotten under control quickly...turned into bronchitis or pneumonia within days. Not being able to sleep turned into months of no rest, and resulted in constant anger, stress and my immune system bottoming out. Then I'd be sick again. That was pretty much how 2022 and 2023 were for me...a constant roller coaster of illness, no sleep, stress, more illness, and a lot of weight loss. Again, all of that ended up depleting my immune system making me more susceptible to even more illness, stress related health problems and many times on the brink of depression. Trying to explain all this to anyone was difficult because everyone has their own issues, and no one wants to just listen. I never was really looking for answers, just needing someone to listen. When I tried a few times to reach out, I was reminded how much worse off others were...so I shut back down again. I had to learn to pull myself out of that dark hole. It's been a struggle. I just spent a week very sick again. Sadly, this round knocked my husband and I both off our feet. It is not good when we are both down for the count. Yesterday was the first day in over a week, that I could actually stay awake all day, and eat more than a few tablespoons of food in a day. I'm still exhausted, still not 100% but I'm getting there. Stress is something that I don't manage well, without being able to spend copious amounts of time outdoors. 

It becomes extremely exhausting to be constantly battling something, especially when you are expected to just be ok. The physical exhaustion is completely enveloping and the mental exhaustion is just about as bad. Throw in some major life changes, events, outside stress and having no one to just talk through everything with...and you feel like you're drowning. I have always taken great strides to be independent, able to pull myself up and out of everything, and adapt to whatever was thrown at me. I am seriously struggling to adapt to anything lately, let alone have the ability to just pull myself through even mundane projects. So, I have a pretty large "project" on my hands. Since depending on people has already proven a no-go idea, I have to revert back to my independence. This is a bit of a challenge currently, with still battling another round of illness...but I know I need to. My large project, is me. I have watched, listened to and educated myself on so much; but none of that is worth a plugged nickle of I don't put in the work to do better. 

I got away from the very foundations that I KNEW worked, that I KNEW helped and that I KNEW were worth standing my ground for. I let the opinions of others override my own knowledge and take up space in my own being by questioning what I knew. I became the type of spineless person, I don't like very well. So, while I am still fighting to overcome sickness today, I am working on rebuilding my mind, body AND spirit. This meek, making excuses, letting people take up space rent free in my life, person - has got to go. I can't remember ever feeling this weak. 

I spoke a few months back of returning to basics. That is exactly what I am doing. I am just like every other woman, around this age. Women have dealt with their body changing forever, their children growing up and spreading their wings, experiencing hurt by those closest to them, and having to start over - either due to divorce or because they are no longer in the child raising stage. The one thing that makes a huge difference is how you tackle this stage. You either become weak or you build yourself up. I've been on the weak side and I don't like it. So, I'm building myself. I am returning to basics of health that I know works. Returning to outlets that ease stresses. Refocusing on what I know. It's hard to believe I have let myself get so far down. 

So, 2024 is a crazy year already on the national stage and it's about to become that way for me too, on a personal level. So, let's see where the year leads. We are in the rebirth and renew time of year...seems like a good place to begin again. I hope you will all allow me to continue to share my journey here and on social media. There is no room for weak, spineless individuals in this world; those are the ones always on this pity train. I am too strong for that to continue. 

Here's to positive and productive strides forward.

Imagine

 

Imagine =

intransitive verb

1. To form a mental picture or image of.
   "imagined a better life abroad."
2. To think or suppose; conjecture.
   "I imagine you're right."
3. To have a notion of or about without adequate foundation; fancy or believe.
   "She imagines herself to be a true artist."
    
   Source: American Heritage Dictionary
    
    
    On a very basic level, forming a thought, mental picture, or notion; seems to be a common sense perspective. So, how is it that what we are seeing, experiencing and getting a mental picture of; is supposedly wrong? I have a LOT of topics to cover today, as I took the weekend off the internet(mostly) to celebrate my daughter and find my center balance once again.
   
   
   
   
   We are being blasted many times a day now, with one dumpster fire or another. Job losses, rapidly rising federal deficits, deceptive business practices, criminal behaviors, media censorship and deception, political nonsense, and every possible means of division known to human kind. This trickery has filtered down through society into the weakest minds, and those who wish to place blame everywhere except where the blame belongs. Some of the latest attacks are on people, like me, who have chosen to return to the roots of my family culture and quite honestly...the roots of MOST cultures. The homesteaders and farmers. Basically, anyone who believes you should do your own research, raise your own food, prepare your homes and be fiscally responsible. That is a bad thing for the elite class of folks that want everyone dependent on the government, ignorant, and being just smart enough to do the work but dumb enough to push their bull shit. Sadly, there are still plenty drinking that koolaid and even more sad...they will caught up in the same mess as everyone else...possibly worse. 
   
   
   
   
   I'm going to begin with the homestead life style. This is truly a life style, not something you just pick up or set down when the urge hits. For many of us, it is a 24/7 life, that is typically worked full time by one and part time by another. For example: I am full time on our farm/homestead, and my husband is part time after he works his full time, off-the-farm job. That is kind of a deceptive description, because he has to be full time at his job, but still put in full time hours on our farm too. It takes both of us to make this work. There are no vacations, no breaks - animals require food and water daily, there is constant planning/organizing/prepping, there is mountains of paperwork, quite a bit of juggling, a constant gamble when dealing with Mother Nature, and the risks are beyond massive. While we do buy a portion of our foods at a store, we still raise or grow the majority, here on our farm. That, is an undertaking with its own mountain of strategic planning. We don't have hired hands. Everything that happens on our farm, is on us. If it sinks or excels is based on OUR efforts, mostly. This life style, is considered an antique form of life...because too many are too lazy to do it. It's become more important to have fancy lawns, gated communities, or concrete jungles. Honestly, anyone could grow some of their food, if they made the effort. Anyone could preserve some of their food, again...if they made the effort. This point is becoming very evident in the young people today...they believe they can just go to a store and there will automatically be food. Sadly, even writing that, it's not just young people. Too many are content with the Roman Empire thought of, "give them bread and circus." It's become too evident that vacations, entertainment events, gambling, the latest technology, and even the media itself; is giving some the bread and circus. With that said, are you actively preparing your home for any time of emergency situation?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Just the past week, the reports of job losses ticked up. John Deere, Family Dollar/Dollar Tree, and Tyson; have stated they will be laying off workers and closing facilities. So, let's dive into the basics of these alone.  John Deere Co. in September 2023 laid off 225 people from its Havester Works facility in East Moline, Il. NOW - it's laying off 150 maintenance and production workers from the Ankeny, IA facility. So, over 7 months 375 people have or will be losing decent paying jobs. Tyson Foods in 2023 closed nearly all of its chicken processing plants. NOW - it is laying off 1276 people and closing the Perry, IA facility. This story goes beyond ignorant. The Tyson Corporation has publicly announced hiring 52,000 "or more" of the illegals through their Ohio division. The Family Dollar/Dollar Tree company - Dollar Tree Company purchased the Family Dollar Stores. Nearly 1000 stores will be closing, and those employees losing their jobs. Nearly 600 Family Dollar stores will be closed the first half of this year, 370 additional Family Dollar and 30 Dollar Tree stores will be on the chopping block in the coming year, as store leases expire. But, our economy is strong and getting stronger. How about our local communities, and small businesses? Folks, we are losing small businesses every single day. Many smaller communities can't afford to lose them. Just the layoffs in this paragraph alone will have massive impacts on many communities!
   
   
   
   
   Let's discuss the crime. Criminal behavior, should be treated as such. There are millions of laws on the books already, but criminals NEVER follow the law. Why would they, when they are being rewarded for being complete wastes of oxygen? When we are being invaded, and they are given free healthcare, food, lodging and free travel; criminals are being bailed out by politicians, you can destroy entire cities and businesses and be given a "get out of jail free card," or you can legally go into a store and steal - what deterrent is there? When American Veterans and citizens are living on the streets, American citizens are being forced to make a choice of paying bills, buying food or their medications. American tax payers are footing the bill for every "hand out" given by the politicians...we have a BIG problem. All the monies being sent to other countries, is tax payer money. The government does not make anything, it only taxes, takes and spends. Why is the government sending money anywhere or giving it out to those illegally entering our country, when we have Vets and citizens in dire straights?! America is in trouble. These criminals in DC have promoted division, and criminal behavior. Do you want to truly be educated? Go do some research about each of the elected officials in DC, and their criminal records. Not to mention their fringe benefits, that they voted for themselves, but refuse to allow for citizens. You want to hold hatred for a group of people...stop first and pray for your heart to be cleansed. Then get educated about what is really happening and what has actually happened. Many of those in DC that are supported by the less educated, are using them like slaves to keep our country in an uproar. Yes, I said that. You are being USED. There are several that need to relearn History, the real history. Many lands have been conquered over thousands of years. Every single time, there were sell-outs that sold out their own people to allow the lands to be taken. Educate yourselves on the history of the political parties you support. 
   
   
   
   
   I have zero desire to argue with fools. I will gladly stand alone on what I have researched and know. Every single person could do the exact same research I have done. The difference? Most won't! They are too happy to live in their bubbles, continue to spread division, or remain willfully ignorant. Yes, I am being very blunt. I am sick of the ignorance. I am sick of people that try to argue over feelings instead of facts. The sad truths of it all, while so many are arguing over the petty differences that make our country so unique...those sick and evil people at the top are abusing every single citizen in our country. 
   
   
   
   
   So, while you argue about color, race, gender, nationality; millions of women, children and even men go missing every single year. Millions of women and children are being sex trafficked in a multi-billion dollar industry(in the U.S. alone). Thousands of people of dying daily from illegal drugs being brought across our border. Thousands of Veterans and Soldiers are dying by suicide because they can't get the medical care they need. Thousands of people are losing their jobs, their homes, their families, and starving because the government being supported has broken its oath to protect American's first. OUR government has failed us. They have forgotten THEY work for US...NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND! Our Constitutional Republic was designed that the Constitution was a contract, the elected representatives were to represent the people that elected; not whatever corporation or foreign government or lobbyist paid them the most. Here's a fun question to end this rant: Which United States Presidents virtually worked for free? Meaning, they either did not take the Presidential salary or they gave it back to an American entity. 
   
   
   
   

Let's Talk

 

Let's Talk!

Well, my brain seems to be on a fast moving train, as usual, but on a down hill slope. My thoughts are truly all over the place, at rapid succession. Many times, conversations in my home, lead to further thoughts and analyzing other thoughts. One thing that tends to annoy my husband about me, is that I do actually care for others, and try to help everyone possible. While I get that I have been hurt by this many times over, it's just my nature. So, I guess you have to take the good with the bad. 

Lately, it has become very clear that so much has changed not just in our country, but also in our small communities. Ego has been an issue for a long time, but it seems to be ramping up at rapid rates. Those of us in the GenX range are shaking our heads at both the younger generations and the older ones. Some of us are turning to the "grandparents" generation for wisdom, guidance, and direction. Many of us have started to see both the positives and faults from their generation forward. Since my generation was the last generation to grow up without technology and cell phones, we are over all the drama they have created. We once thought the internet would help expand knowledge, and now know...that is not the case. Our world is driven by those supposedly "educated" yet we can see, they probably all failed but were pushed through school, because they aren't. We see more and more that education has resulted in more division amongst those that are given just enough to get through but not enough to gain actual wisdom. So, I want to touch on some of these areas, obviously from my own view point. 

Just a word of advice, I change my mind once in a while, but never based on opinion...only on FACTS. I have gotten a rash of tongue lashings for my opinions. I DO my own research, and it's not based on media. If you disagree, that's ok...that is your opinion. Go write a blog or social media post, or better yet...go make videos proving your point. 

I'm going to jump into Ego, first. This is a first hand experience with this Biblical sin, not to mention surest form of ignorance. There is not a person on Earth that should have an ego. What's the phrase, "be careful of the fingers you step on, on your way up the ladder, they may be attached to the ass you have to kiss on your way down." No matter how much each of us would like to believe we are an island, and don't need anyone else...we are wrong. I could go a few directions with this. Once you start believing you are better than anyone else, you know more than anyone else, you are more educated because of the degrees/certificates hanging on your walls...you are sunk. In a different light, let's look at this from a relationship perspective. I am married. While I am fully capable of taking care of myself, I depend on my husband. While I can do everything that needs done, I shouldn't have to. In a relationship, it should be a partnership. It may mean you pull 80% of the weight when they are only capable of 20% on any given day. It may mean you are better in some areas than your partner, but they are better in others. While I believe all relationships should be 100% by both people all the time, I am also smart enough to know, that rarely happens. Both people are going to make stupid mistakes, both people are going to have moments that are ugly. Having the intelligence to understand that it takes both people working together, losing the ego, learning to converse/comprehend each other, and not just throwing in the towel when things get rough; Sadly, the ego plays a huge part in the majority of relationship failures. The same goes for business. When an ego is the lead in a business, it will fail. 

Let's jump into the business side of ego. One thing that has become very prevalent in recent years, is the lack of loyalty from employees AND employers. Years ago, when I was a young adult, we were taught that you found a good job, worked hard and your retired from that job. Many of those "good jobs" have evaporated, I know. The thing is, even today, small businesses are being run like corporations that only have a loyalty to themselves and their share holders. You have management costing businesses a lot of money, you have company owners that are not loyal to the ones that are making them their money, and you have employees that no longer care...they are just there for a paycheck. This is a recipe for disaster. I know the illness created a huge issue, but the reality is, a lot of this began before that. Let's start with management. This is the direct link between employee and owner. When you have management that does not do their job or no longer cares; you have a big problem. A manager is to direct the employees, as the owner wishes. That, in the most basic terms is, that manager should be doing everything possible to help the owner with his bottom line income, keeping customers and building business, directing employees with work/empowering them with tools needed, and relaying to the owner of issues and feedback of employees. This is a very brief description. When any or all of these break down, again, you have a big problem. Whether the business is losing customers, losing income, losing employees, or worst, folding up...there was a serious break down, and in nearly every situation, there is an ego involved. Whether it's the owner, manager, or employee...and in many cases, it's all of the above. Which typically is what I call a snowball effect, that began at the top, and rolled down hill. 

Many of you know my beliefs are not main stream. I do not believe in religion, although I have full faith in God. I don't believe I have to be a Christian, Muslim, or whatever, to believe in God and have him hear my prayers. However, I recently had a dream that weighed on me, and I felt I needed to explore. You may not know, typically, if I have a dream that I remember...there is something to it. They either come true, or the meaning is revealed to me when I seek out whatever it is that weighs on my heart. I refer to this as discernment and insight. What it actually is, I don't really question. I just know that throughout my life, this has happened. Anyway, there was one simple line from the dream that stuck with me, several days after having the dream, "you need to go to church with So and so." I am going to leave names out. After about a week of trying to figure out the why's, what's that mean, etc. I connected with the person that was mentioned, and I actually went to church. I had been trying to get more time to spend with this person anyway. So, I went. I truly enjoyed Sunday School and the service, spent time with an amazing woman, and felt a weight lifting from my heart. I felt contented for those 3 hours. You see, I pray nearly everyday. I take time to meditate, and ask for guidance and direction. So, while I thought one thing about that dream, I believe now, that it was quite possibly a multifaceted dream. That was my direction for most of what I had prayed for - guidance(Sunday School), time with the person, and direction for so much. 

As a child of GenX, I look at the kids today(anyone under 30) as pretty weak. Not necessarily by their own doing, but because society has wrapped them in bubble wrap. They rarely spends days dirty, in the dirt or working like dogs. They rarely spend any time outdoors. Their vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation is worse than our 3rd graders were in the 90's. They have a serious lack of communication skills, unless it's on computer/technology of some sort. They can't handle scrapes, scratches, or pain of any kind. They all think they are something special, and we all are unique but not everyone deserves a participation trophy. Parents lose their shit over their kids drinking out of a garden hose. While we had bullies in our generation...we FOUGHT BACK! We were taught you never threw the first punch, but you sure as hell better fight back. Several younger generations were taught they had rights...LOL!! You know what rights we had? You didn't talk back or you were likely to be missing teeth. You didn't roll your eyes, you didn't curse, you NEVER talked back to an adult, and honestly...kids were not only not to be heard, most of the time you weren't to be seen either. The adults had conversations, and the kids were kept in the dark - SO THEY COULD BE KIDS! You were not supposed to thrust adult issues on kids. 

I am going to touch briefly on division. While many of the divisions currently in our country, were put to rest(for the most part) 60+ years ago; many of them are being reignited by a citizenship that has neglected to do their own research. I will accept that there are ignorant and biased people in our society, but the overwhelming majority is not. We do have some scars on our nation, just as EVERY single nation does. The one thing many fail to recognize, is that it was America that has attempted to right many wrongs. No one alive today, was a slave, or owned slave - at least not in the traditional sense. We are ALL currently debt slaves to the federal government. By the very wording of our Constitution, we are FREE to move about our nation - you are not required to stay where you are. You are Constitutionally guaranteed Equality, NOT Equity. We are all given the opportunity to better ourselves, but it OUR choice to do so. We are guaranteed our God given rights, that is stated - not any other deity. While I believe we should have the right to pray in schools, by allowing Christian prayer, that opens the door to prayer from other religions we may not agree with. America should ALWAYS be the number 1 priority of any and ALL elected officials. Sending our tax dollars to other countries - no matter the reason, when our own country is struggling, is wrong! Allowing our tax dollars to support those who are invading our nation is wrong and illegal. Breaking laws, makes you a criminal, PERIOD! Anyone supporting and encouraging that, should be arrested for accomplice as well. When we have soldiers - that have been sent to fight for our country, whether abroad or at home, on the streets and not receiving the healthcare they need and we have American citizens living on the streets, we have families that can not afford to buy groceries and pay their bills; ANY money sent out of the country should be illegal. When our elected officials in Congress AND Senate write new bills and laws, and each of them contains hundreds of pet projects not directly related to the bill - this should be illegal. Instead it's called ear marks. Every single vote in either chamber should be on single subject items, period! Those people in D.C. have the biggest egos of them all. I encourage you all to go reread our Constitution, our Bill Of Rights, go read the executive orders and every single bill going through our Congress. Do your own research. Stop listening to the noise box, in 2008 they were given the green light to start using propaganda against every American. It's the updated Smith-Mundt Act. Educate yourself on how long railroads, highways, all basic infrastructure was already in place LONG before the 1913 Federal Reserve Act. Educate yourself on who signed the treaties for the Native American relocation act, the expansions of lands, and political party that pushed it all. Every single division point being pushed by the current mainstream, is completely fabricated. For many of you, the very people you are supporting are the true enemy, you just don't realize it.

As I move forward with my day, I want to finish this blog with a few more thoughts. As I spoke of early, relationships are not easy. They can help you find your weaknesses AND your strengths. While conversations are absolutely necessary, equally important is comprehension. You have to learn your partners conversational abilities, both of you, and learn to comprehend what they are saying. Many times, you will find both partners are in the same spectrum of thought...just communicating it differently. The same can be said for every other thought in this blog.

Coffee Chat, rant and always more

 

I always tell myself that I need to make things short and sweet. It rarely happens that way. Spending nearly 99% of my time on the farm, means I have very few conversations with actual people. Sure, I "talk" to a lot of people online, through text and a few phone calls. Actual in person conversations, are a rarity. Most of the time, this is probably for the better. I don't have much of a filter from brain to mouth, and I typically don't give 2 cents what people think of me. That doesn't play well with so many that have an image to maintain. I don't have the "right" name to be included in my county, which is also ok, for the most part. 

My son and I were talking a few days ago, about being part of a community. Living as rural as we do, it's difficult to be claimed in communities. Although our address is not even part of the county we pay taxes to, it was prior an address for an entirely different state. Many of us living in this rural setting, are considered the laplanders. This is an area that has bounced between 2 different states...and is quite frankly, forgotten about....except when they want tax money. We are literally 3 miles from 3 counties, in 2 states. Our closest towns, are 15 minutes away in a different state...or 25 minutes in our state. While I love living rural, and would not change most things...it is frustrating. I could go on and on about this. Most of us, in my area, are connected, we try to check in on each other. We help each other when it's needed, and we watch out for each other. While there have been some new folks to start venturing into this area, they have not made the same attempts. It begs the opinion that they believe themselves to be an island. Meaning, they think they can manage with their "city/town" thinking out here where the fire/ambulance district can't find us, it takes nearly an hour to get police to, and all the crazies that try to outrun the law...end up here, including illegals that have already been run out of the conservation area a half mile from my house. 

So, this is a great segway into mass exodus that seems to be happening nationwide. All the people transplanting from areas of high crime, high taxes, loss of freedoms, and unConstitutional laws; that flee to places like here... A word of advice; if you are running away from all of that, do not bring that thinking here and expect us to be just like where you left. Seems pretty logical, right? Apparently not. We have noticed it in our county over the past 20 years. The majority of people in our county, are now transplants from somewhere else. In our direct area, we have people from cities - doctors, lawyers, etc. paying outrageous prices for land, driving up land prices for the local people, driving up property values with their excessive "city-fied," hunting properties. They think they are moving into "big buck country," but that hasn't been the case in many years now. That is actually now Iowa and further south in the county. These folks have no hunting signs all over their property, yet they expect to be able to drive/hunt where ever they want to on other's property. The locals, that live here and farm here, are in constant battles with these new comers as they try to throw around their money to walk all over whomever they wish. Opening morning of deer season, sounds like a war is breaking out. When you have some of these people shooting COWS, they claim they didn't know was a cow...this is what we are dealing with. There is a major difference between a cow and a deer. We raise sheep...and KNOW to keep them close to the house, because if they can't tell a deer from a cow...how the hell will they tell the difference between a sheep and a cow. 

As I'm sure everyone is aware, we have entered the ever present election season. It sure seems that these pathetic politicians are in constant election mode anymore. Rarely do we see any real efforts from either party...besides the constant back and forth blame game. I am not a person who hates anyone. That is such a harsh term. However, I hate everything this current political class(both parties) stand for. After watching the demonic, pathetic, and polarizing State of the Union; I am beyond angry. I took several days, to absorb the speech, and to research the content, and research previous speeches. So, rather than being yet another talking head, with the exact same media talking points of both parties, I wanted to THINK FOR MYSELF!! So, quite literally, 5 minutes of research was able to completely discount 90% of Biden's talking points. Recognizing that of all the disruptions during that speech, it was a Gold Star Dad that was arrested - this is the dad of a fallen soldier, from the horrific and botched Afghanistan withdrawl. How pathetic!!! That really pissed me off. When the large part of the entire speech was directed around "protecting democracy" everywhere else, gaslighting the American people because we KNOW the economy is not "strong and getting stronger," and our tax money is defending every other border EXCEPT our own...this is not how an American President should behave. When you more evidence proving that you, your family, and honestly even your party; are and have broken a multitude of laws. A prosecutor claims your are too feeble to stand trial for breaking multiple laws. The media, that should be doing actual investigative journalism, instead of propaganda, the entire lot is committing treason. There are plenty of Republicans that need to be added in to the mix as well. While it was a struggle for me to listen to the entire thing, I think all American's should listen. American's need to get over themselves, and STOP promoting all the divisions. The largest part of American people, are inherently good. It's these governmental bureaucrats that are the problem. It's the government, that have created 99% of ALL problems in this country. The everyday American's want to live their lives, raise their families the best they can, and live comfortably. That is the bottom line. While I do not agree with many of the scars on our country, lands have been fought for and conquered for thousands of years. Genocides are STILL happening, around the world and right here on the home front(abortion and trans crap, leading the way). I am all for "you do you," BUT parental rights come first until that child is an adult. Quite frankly, I don't care if you want to be a purple gay person, if your character is good...I will treat you good. If you are a complete waste of oxygen, that is how you will be treated. You see, our Creator, whether that is God, Universe, Evolution, Aliens, WHATEVER; created each of us, if you believe in the Bible...it states we are created in his image and likeness, which means we are created to perfection. It also means, WE ALL BLEED RED, and we are ALL children of God. So, what does that mean if we are promoting the death of unborn children, promoting war to kill other children of God(different nationalities), sending our own people(soldiers) to war - where they are murdered? There are bad people out there, sadly many of them are supported/elected to represent our country, and they are no better than the thug that out murdering someone for the sport of it. There will be bad people in society, that is a given. However, there are billions of good, amazing and intelligent people worldwide. Typically, we are given only the projections of the bad, so we believe there is this scale tipping of bad. Look at your own communities. Even if you disagree with them, are the overwhelming majority in your communities bad people or do they just have a differing opinion? 

Our nations State Of The Union, SHOULD be an honest conversation about OUR NATION. Not a diatribe of anger, sending our tax dollars everywhere but America, and causing more divisions. It should be a conversation about how we can fix problems, unite our people, help our people, and promote America's sovereignty. NOT taking away more of our Constitutional Rights, not amping up hatred, not leaving American's behind both domestically and in foreign lands. When a President publicly regurgitates 60 minutes of lies(provable lies), division, continues to drive an already bankrupt nation further down, refuses to help our own Soldiers and Veterans, our own homeless, our own borders, the food insecurity that nearly 80% of American's are facing, and the entire Government is REFUSING to release the very evidence that can show ALL American's what exactly happened on January 6th, there is a massive break down. These clowns have forgotten they work for US, not the other way around. If J6 was truly an insurrection, how is it possible that there were no firearms...except the one that shot an unarmed female Veteran? A riot, that might be a more tangible argument for that day...but if we look at our Constitution, even that is not plausible. So, it's time to release ALL the footage, unredacted, in prime time news for the world to see. Although, most every other country already knows the truth, and is struggling to understand why American's are allowing our country to go in the direction it has. 

I have a handful of people online, I pay attention to their opinions. Some I agree with, some I don't...however, it is my civic duty to be an informed and educated voter and American citizen. Maybe this thought comes from growing up the daughter of a veteran, maybe it's because I will fight for this country I love, to this day. Either way, I have spent 5 years educating myself on many areas that I didn't know, I didn't know. Yes, you read that correctly.... I had to learn what I didn't know, because I didn't know that I didn't know. Everything from economics, to the stock market, to different government reports, gold, silver, crypto, researching history that was taught only from the winners point of view...not a neutral one, to religions, extremism, politics, and even education itself. It's terrifying how much influence is in every corner of our lives, that is NOT Constitutional. It's even more terrifying how many people do not know the branches of government or what they do, what our Constitution/Bill of Rights even says, or that they have been lied to for hundreds of years. I loved history throughout high school, so I actually studied it diligently. I still love history, and the past 5 years...I love research, to a degree. I have had to overcome some serious cognitive dissonance. So, I do understand some that get overwhelmed when I try to converse with them. However, I do get angry when people even refuse to research for themselves and instead want to argue about things they have a serious lack of knowledge on. I don't care if you have a degree from some prestigious college, all that means to me, is that you were able to be told what to think...instead of how to think. 

Here's a great example, from the first time I heard the term conspiracy theory. I was a Sophomore in high school. I had a teacher that had us doing a debate, after I chose to do another report on JFK. The debate was meant to degrade me, but he made it very well known, that anyone that disagreed with the report was a "conspiracy theorist." He then opened the debate up, with a show of hands who knew anything about JFK. Needless to say, I don't remember this teachers name(though I do remember what I called him), it was at that point I insisted on doing another report on the subject. When the day came, I gave that report, I was told I fell into the conspiracy theory guideline. I pointed out flaws in the report. I pointed out missed opportunities to protect the President. That teacher ended up giving me a low grade on my report because I didn't buy into the report, and in his words..."asked too many questions that I had no right to ask." I truly hated that class, and was not fond of the teacher since after that he would go out of his way to make me feel less than dirt. But hey, I was just a dumb kid, right?! Guys, that was the early 90's and the thought police were already in our schools. You were not supposed to think for yourselves...you were supposed to just spew back what the educators told you, never question them or you would bear the brunt of their weight at every possible turn. On the other hand, I had an outstanding History teacher, that encouraged us to ask questions and think for ourselves. He would give us the lectures, and then tell us, "this is what I have to teach you, now...it's up to you to decide how much more you want to learn." He encouraged the questions, he brought in soldiers that had just returned from Desert Storm, to talk to us about war, the civilizations they say, and the atrocities they saw. He reminded us that if war is inevitable, the devastation from it far outweighs the benefits. That war should always be the absolute last resort, and diplomacy should always be the start. During my high school years, Desert Storm was the war of my time. Talking to the soldiers, was reminder of how many young men and women were killed. These were sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, and spouses. Not just nameless, faceless people. 

We, as a society, have become so desensitized to war and killing. So many of our young people are enveloped by video games promoting such things, our movies all portray these things as just, and so many people have become complacent to wearing blinders to protect them from things they don't want to see. We have become lazy. We see the number of people living on the streets and assume(you know what this means right?)they are lazy, druggies, or whatever. Do you know their story? Do you know how many of those homeless people once fought for our country, and were NOT helped by the very government that sent them to war? Do you know how much loss those homeless people have endured before ending up on the streets? Now, what if that were you, or one of your family? What if you suffered some life changing event that left you destitute, and begging on the street? What if it was one of your parents, siblings? Why are there so many groups trying to help our veterans? Why isn't the government that has sent them into all these battles, helping them? Why do veterans have to basically beg, borrow and steal to get medical help? We all are quick to give thanks to veterans on the special days, but what are you doing to SHOW them that they are appreciated everyday of the year? 

Sadly, there are many that will turn a blind eye to things they don't want to hear. Or...I will get lots of nasty messages about how I don't know what I am talking about. That's ok. I may not be an expert...but I promise you, I do not talk about things I don't understand. I may see things different than some, and usually do, because I ask questions. I don't blindly follow. I don't believe we are powerless to make necessary changes to save our country from corruption. I still have faith in God, and the American people. 

I will continue to preach getting and staying prepared. I'm not talking about the extremism that some like to spew. I'm talking making sure you can overcome any emergency - from a natural disaster to a manmade one. I'm talking about learning self defense in times of another summer of destruction, attempted car jackings, or someone breaking into your home. I'm talking medications, food, pet supplies in the event of further supply chain break downs or economic woes. I'm talking about the constant cyber attacks that have shut down healthcare systems, banks and fuel lines. I'm talking about learning skills that can help you in the event of an attack here in our country, that the FBI is already warning about. I'm talking about networking with others in your community, so that if an emergency should occur, you have additional support or can help someone else. I'm talking about education, beyond the school systems. 

 

Today, I am going to encourage you to continue preparing. Strengthen your mind, body and spirit. Pray! Our country is facing a multi-front battle, and we do not have any leadership currently, to manage these battles. Our nation is hurting, financially, mentally, and spiritually. We need to have real conversations, agree to disagree where necessary and get back on track. We can not do this while buying into all the division being thrown around by both parties. 

Back to Basics: Make a List

 

Make a List!

 

Actually, you will probably want multiple lists. It is my opinion, that getting starting in living a prepared life style, requires knowing how YOU live. While I can tell you a laundry list of things to stock, what I do/use will, quite possibly, be different than what you do. So, you need to have a running list of the items you use; everything from food to medicines, pet needs, paper products, home inventory, and any specialty products. Let me explain.

 

Years ago, I began keeping track of everything we use. For example: I know we use an average of 130 pounds of flour each year, 150 pounds of sugar, about 100 pounds of rice, 20 pounds of powdered sugar. I know we go through about 10 rolls of paper towels, 6 rolls of toilet paper, 3 bottles of soap, 2 bottles of shampoo, 2 tubes of toothpaste - in a month. So, I average that out for a year's supply, and round up to make sure I have enough. Most of our vegetables, fruits, and meats are raised on our farm; but the ones not raised, I have those averaged out too. Over the last few years, I have been including a few shelf stable foods, that we rotate through - ravioli, tuna fish, corn bread mixes, cake/brownie mixes, store bought canned vegetables, and other store bought canned foods that could be used in a pinch(soups). I have been growing my collection of recipes, experimenting with new recipes and making changes to them, learning new food preservation skills too. I have slowly added new kitchen gadgets to my arsenal of tools to make preserving more time effective and productive. I have learned to preserve items in jars, using a vacuum sealer...this has been hugely helpful to keep not only fresh, but also to keep other smells from leaching into them. I have learned to truly grow from seed to harvest. This has been an interesting lesson. I have grown vegetables from plants, but last year was the first year I did a lot from seeds I actually started. This year, I have started all my plants from seeds I saved from last year's plants or items purchased from the store.  

I made a list of our budget needs. My list is broke down; debts, monthly expenses(utilities, insurances, fuel and grocery - food and non-food), repairs/maintenance(home, vehicles and farm), savings, emergency, and the "want" list. Then I listed incomes: Off-the-farm job, farm, and other. Obviously, the goal is for the income to exceed the expenses. The bigger the ratio between the income and the outgoing, the better...however, that is usually something we need to work towards. Ideally, you want a minimum of 25% of each income in your home to be saved/emergency/wants. If you have more than one income, you want to only have to depend on 75% of a single income. Obviously, many people are not yet to that position. Start by paying down your debts. My financial classes stated to start with the smallest debts firsts. This way it allows you to see and feel the accomplishments of paying off debts. You can then use that extra from paying those debts to pay extra on other debts, or sock it away in your savings or emergency funds. Again, in an ideal situation, you would 6-12 months of emergency money - that would cover all of your expenses. I can tell you that we are not there yet, so set it as a long term goal, but do not get frustrated if you aren't there instantly. Learn to be frugal. This is a challenge in a world of instant gratification. We have gotten very spoiled in this area. Instead of jumping into things, contemplate actual needs from wants. 

The needs vs. wants, is really not all that different for anyone. You need a roof over your head, you need food to eat and water to drink. You do not need a $10 cup of coffee, a $15 meal from McDonald's, or another streaming service. You need gas for your vehicle to go to your job, you don't need to eat out everyday. You need clothes but not so many that you never use them. I'd be willing to bet we all have at least 2 trash bags full of stuff in our homes, that we could sell or give away, and never miss! Speaking of selling...go through the items in your home and your closet. There are a million online swap & shop sites, you could easily sell unneeded items. Just remember, items are only worth what others are willing to give for them. Just because you may have bought something at $100, does not mean others would pay even $25...the actual value is in the eye of the buyer. More and more people are struggling with tighter budgets, so it is becoming increasingly more difficult to get premium prices out of used stuff. 

After speaking to my insurance company, making a semi-annual home inventory list is recommended. Their recommendation was to make the inventory list, with an estimated cost of replacement, twice a year. Obviously, they recommend having a fireproof/waterproof safe, on an outside wall, in your home. This is one area we are lacking...the safe, kind of. We have one for firearms, but we need a second smaller one for important documents. That will be taken care of this spring. Anyway, everything within your home, needs to be on that list - clothing, food, firearms/ammunition, dishes, etc. You also need to adjust your insurance policies as needed to reflect the content replacement costs. Yes, I know insurance is already stupid high, but it is the law. It's also recommended to regularly check on your auto policies. Sometimes, there is actually adjustments that can lower your costs. The entire goal of all of this, is to have a good understanding of what you have, what you need or don't, and where you can save some of your hard earned money. 

On the same line as your home inventory, is a running pantry/freezer inventory. This is beneficial in so many ways! It helps you to keep track of what you have, how much of it you have, and if you need to restock something. It can help you to not waste money buying something you already have, but have forgotten about. Additionally, it can help you gain your emergency backup pantry. Having a pantry with emergency supplies is a need, in my book, but that stock has got to be rotated. There are dates on items bought at the store....however, the "best by date" is NOT an expiration date. So many people get this wrong. That is the date stores have to sell by, and you typically have another year before they just aren't as good. This is a serious money suck for many. Just as so much is wasted because people don't know how much you can freeze for later use. I will dive into that in depth in another blog. A few quick notes on this....peppers, onions, celery, garlic, bread, heavy cream, half and half, etc. can ALL be frozen for later use! Just as many pieces of store bought produce can be regrown. 

Keeping up with your health is another list. Sure, you can mark on your calendar about doctor appointments, etc...but I am talking here about your daily health. I am talking about a list that shows your daily food, your daily mental/physical health, your emotions, your stresses. Many times, we don't realize how our daily routines are damaging our overall health. The allopathic medicine of today, only treats symptoms, it does not create cures. True healthcare covers mind, body and spirit. When one of those is out of alignment, it throws off your entire body. Disease is created by unbalance in one area of your body. You want to take control of your own body, and that means understanding the areas of symptoms that are at dis-ease. 

Finally, for me, I am a goal oriented person. I have to set goals, make daily to-do lists, and plan; or I feel completed discombobulated! I do not manage the "fly by the seat of your pants," thought well. I have to have direction...even if it is only generic. Having multiple plans of action are necessary for me. Clearing out clutter in my home, clears out clutter in my brain too. Making time to work through thoughts about one issue or another, is necessary for me to comprehend the issue in its entirety. That usually means, I will either clam up completely about something...or I will fly off with an off-the-cuff response, until I have time to piece together my thoughts. You have to learn about yourself, how you manage in your own life, how you need to proceed in whatever direction you are going, and most importantly; you need a safe but balancing outlet for stress and overwhelm. 

In the next Back to Basics blog, I want to cover some simple food preservation options that do not require much for special tools...things you can do even if you live in town. See you in the next blog.

Coffee Chat

 

Yes, the day of the Irish is just around the corner. That also means, the semi-annual clock change and the official start of Spring is too! March is a busy month. 

I am feeling a bit crappy and dealing with some big body aches this morning, so I thought I'd write since moving too much hurts! Let's do some chatting. 

2024 has definitely started with a bang. I try to be diplomatic in most circumstances, but I truly do not understand how there are still people not capable of seeing the absolute break down in not just society but in our economy too. Are there people that can't see the grocery prices have, at least doubled in the past 4 years - or gas, home insurance, utilities, um...nearly everything? Are there truly people that believe it's ok to break laws - not just in destruction of property but also with both our Northern AND our Southern border? Are there people that truly believe the person supposedly running our country, is actually competent to do so? Are people truly so overscheduled that they can not see all the destruction within our country, that every one of us has become a slave to those "in power", and that saying to put American's first is a bad thing? We are truly in one hell of a spiritual battle, and I hope those that read/follow this blog, and me...are in the correct lane on this one. 

So, before I jump into the previous conversation, let's get some personal stuff out of the way. Back about a month ago, or so, my stove decided to give me more fits. I use the hell out of all my appliance, big and small. The items that most claim are "indestructible," give them to me for 6 months...if they can withstand what I do...they are good! For example: I burned up a vacuum cleaner every couple of months until I switched to a Shark...those last about 4 years for me. I burned up a Kitchen Aid mixer, that I was told couldn't be done. I now have 2 Ninja food processors - one is about 8 years old, the other about 3. They last good. My stove, we bought used. It was about 2 years old when we bought it in 2018. It's been a good one. However, because of the canning, cooking and baking I do...it has to function exactly or it is unusable for me. The oven heating elements quit heating evenly about a year ago, but I learned to just rotate the stuff in the oven...I couldn't justify buying a new stove at the time. Last month, the element indicator light came on and wouldn't go off, and the burners weren't heating my canner in the means they should. So, that was my catalyst it was time to get something before canning season begins again. Well, something as simple as replacing a stove, should not have been the drama it became. Trying to find appliances, in stock, is a nightmare! We have bought appliances from big box stores and frankly they suck! So, as with everything I talk about...we try to always walk the walk. We started calling all the local appliance stores. Finding an electric stove, with coil burners....you'd have thought we were searching for a lost arc. We found out that that type of stove is about to become extinct. Manufacturers are phasing them out over the next 5 years. Now, every single electric stove has something called a sensi-burner. It is basically a button in the center of the burner that shuts power down to the burner if it senses the burner is too hot or that there is no longer a pan on it. Supposedly, it's meant to be a safety feature for idiots. That does not work when you actually cook or can on a stove top. Additionally, if you want to bypass that, you not only have to purchase the new stove but also purchase additional burners that do not have that button. So, an $800 stove, and nearly another $200 for the usable burners. Complete B.S.! We found some on Amazon, and got them cheaper, but it's complete crap! You should not can on glass top stoves, the glass top will shatter. I do not have gas coming into my home, so a gas stove isn't an option...not to mention the government is trying to phase them out too. Talk about a complete shit show! We found one, and ordered it 2 weeks ago. My husband is on his way to pick it up right now. Thankfully, even though I have had a major attitude this morning, he was gracious enough not to push me to ride along, for that I am grateful. I try to keep this attitude in check, but it doesn't always work. 

This attitude plays into more personal space. This whole peri-menopausal stage of life it ridiculous! If you are one of the fortunate ones that is breezing through it...I'm happy for you! I, however, am not! It's taking every ounce of strength to keep my attitude, anger, and over all pissy-ness, in check! I am completely exhausted with aches and pains, that make zero sense. The sensitivities in smells, skin, and even tastes; is really stupid! Certain clothes, I've worn forever...I can't wear, because the material makes my skin crawl! It makes zero sense. Smells send me either into coughing fits or asthma type breathing. Things I have always loved to eat...I can't stand the smell of, and can't eat anymore. It's worse than any morning sickness I ever felt. The need for order, lack of clutter, and things that seem like common knowledge to me...are completely lost on everyone else in my home. So, I do what I can, but then I just sit down stewing about how no one can see the trash can overflowing, the trash bags piled up to take to the dumpster, the dishes sitting in the sink, the floors that need swept, the empty toilet paper roll, the laundry that needs put away, and none of this even touches WHY no one else finds it important to have a home clean and to be proud of it. UGH! I know I am in the late stage of this and I'm ready to get done! I have already hit the point of not giving a damned about a lot of things. I'm not old, but I just can't do everything I've always done, at the speed I used to do it. Between the mental, emotional and physical symptoms, there are days I am completely exhausted by 7 pm. Sleep is yet another challenge. I may sleep for 3-4 hours really good...then I am awake or tossing and turning. Hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, muscle aches, and fighting to stay focused is more lovely areas. I swear, it's a damned good thing God made women with the strengths we have! 

In January, we began our lambing season. This is an every year thing. It's ALWAYS began in January. This year, we have the biggest herd we've had to date. We have an estimated 68 sheep bred to lamb from January through March. At absolute minimum, that would be 68 babies, but usually only first time lambers have single babies. We've had a LOT of twins and triplets this year. We are very diligent about keeping check on the sheep several times a day. This allows us to save a lot of babies and moms. That means we only lose minimal amounts of lambs, when many producers lose a lot. Nearly every sheep is put in a pen in the barn to bond with its lamb(s) for a minimum of 24 hours. This allows us to make sure both momma and babies are healthy. It also helps in the event that a momma has issues delivering the lambs. My husband has already had to pull a handful of lambs this year. Since he has an off-the-farm job, it's my job during the day to check on the sheep and lambs. I am not as knowledgeable of them, as my husband...he spends a lot of time with them, and is able to visually see changes. I can look for new babies, take notice of observable changes, and check on the newest babies in the barn, or fill water tanks. It's a lot of work, but this is part of our farm income. That means when you neglect it, that can cost you in the end. There are no short cuts on a farm, unless you are independently wealthy and don't depend on your farm income. I don't personally know producers that fit in that category. Every animal on our farm, serves a purpose. Typically, we don't have "just pets," although we do have some. The chickens and ducks provide us eggs, and if necessary, could be used for meat. The outside dogs, protect the chickens and ducks from predators. The sheep and lambs, are income producing...even though they are treated like pets most of the time, and could provide a meal if necessary. Our pasture/hay is feed for our livestock, and if we have a bumper crop....could be sold for additional income. The gardens are our food source for a majority of our vegetables and fruits. So, all of this leads into the beginning conversations.

I know so many that get tired of hearing "doom and gloom." I do too. The hardest part for me, is to actually see coming to fruition everything I have been talking about for nearly 4 years. I know, I've heard so many excuses for not preparing, not paying attention to economic policy, or even paying attention to the global economies. The biggest excuse is "not enough time." Well, I refuse to buy that. When nearly every person I talk to is complaining about the cost of everything, the empty shelves, and taxes...that means you SHOULD investigate WHY! Another common excuse..."I can't do anything about it, so why bother." It's a damned good thing our ancestors weren't that lazy and complacent!! We'd still be visibly under the British monarchy. We can all make changes by being involved in our local communities. Getting involved in our states. I know it's overwhelming, and there is a LOT of corruption from the top down. I get that! But, when you sit on the sidelines and do nothing but complain, you are part of the problem...not part of the solution. You are either willing to tolerate the corruption, or you are willing to put in the effort to fix it. Have you seen the meme on social media, the one where the elites have a board game sitting on the backs of people...the game ends when someone STANDS UP! Additionally, we have a CIVIC responsibility to get out and vote! I know it's difficult to believe that it matters, but it does. We the people, have show up. We have to make it known that we aren't going to take it anymore. Show up, and show out! When we show up, place our votes, and hold those we are supposed to be electing to represent us, that WE ARE THEIR BOSSES...our voices will be heard, but only those voices that do show up. If you don't vote, you don't have a reason to complain. 

Economics. Do you know where your retirements and pensions are invested? If you are living on one or both, what is going to happen if they disappear? Did you know a large portion of retirements and pensions are invested in: commercial real estate, government bonds, and the stock market? If you are not keeping up, the commercial real estate worldwide, is crashing. Government bonds are junk and our country is bankrupt, and the stock market...have you not learned about the 1929 crash? Do you have anything tangible to live on? The last time I researched it, the dollar was 93% leveraged...meaning our dollar is actually work 7 cents. Have you heard about bank bail in's? That was a law passed, allowing banks to actually legally take deposits, that we have made into that bank, to use themselves. That means any money you have sitting in your bank, is technically NOT yours. You are allowed to use it, unless that bank runs into issues, when at that time...they take every dollar in deposits to bail themselves out. That also means, that you...the depositor, is left with NOTHING. By law, they have to "pay you back," if and when they can, but if they are insolvent...you are just screwed. A common statement I have been living by, "if you don't hold it, you don't own it," is one I recommend taking. We all know you have to have money in the bank to pay bills, but I don't recommend keeping any more than necessary in a bank. Get yourself a fireproof/waterproof safe to put in your house. Look into buying some silver and gold. Gold is high, about $2100 an ounce. Silver is about $50 an ounce. There is also copper and palladium. Learn some useful skills. Something that is beneficial should you need to barter. Things like: gardening, preserving foods, herbs/traditional healing or sewing. Have items on hand, that you could trade, like: dried foods, tools, fuels, etc. I know there are some rolling their eyes right now. You believe this kind of thought could never happen. I hate to be the barer of bad news, but it's already happening in many areas of the U.S. Our food banks are already stretched thin because of the food insecurities. Many of the illegals coming into our country are taking food out of the mouths of our citizens and our veterans. The homelessness has more than doubled in the past 4 years. Too many people are not only losing their jobs, but are not able to work just a single job to make ends meet anymore. If you honestly believe that we will not see a complete breakdown, ignore what I am saying. I will say this, if you are ignoring everything and planning to just mooch off someone else when everything crashes...I would reconsider that. Myself, I am not taking food out of the mouths of my family to support others that have done nothing to prepare themselves. Period. I have tried to help people to get prepared and gotten nothing but grief. So, I am moving on. 

Sadly, I believe there are a lot of people that will be blindsided by the economic mess we are going to see in the coming months. It been evident, if you'd been paying attention since 2020, but many have not. The pandemic killed our commerce, and our freedoms. All the people you see celebrating veterans, yet they walked around like zombies with diapers on their faces...that was a slap in the face to those that fought and died for our freedom. These global elites that proved how many true slaves there are, and how easy it was to take full control away from the people. The lethal cocktails they tried to force on American's was yet another test, that so many failed. Our veterans deserve citizens that are willing to have their backs against a tyrannical government right here on the home front. That is no different than the very rights we are denied - freedom of speech, right to bear arms, freedom of assembly - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...NOT equity or even equality. There are far too many people that do not even KNOW there rights or how much has been taken away from them. It's truly sad!

When 3300 sheriff's across the United States have been warned of creditable threats within our own country, with millions of illegals pouring into our country....I fail to see how people are not seeing the urgency to be prepared. When the FBI is warning Congress that cyber attacks are ramping up, corporations having to pay ransom to get control back of our healthcare systems, our banks, our utility companies, and everything in between...what exactly do you think is going to happen? These are not "some conspiracy theorist with an outrageous claim," type of threat. These are the people charged with protecting us and telling us, that WE ARE ON OUR OWN!!! The government, the military, and even the police are not going to be able to help all of us!! It''s imperative that you utilize our freedoms. Get yourself some self-defense and LEARN how to use it!!! Keep it close everywhere you go! Prepare your homes, property in the event of a utility outage, or any further disruptions to our supply chain. Learn to take care of yourself in every manner possible. If you find all this too overwhelming, the coming months are going to run over you. 

As I close this out today, I pray that some miracle abounds to stop all the escalations in the world. I pray that somehow, some way, the divisions and distractions in our country stops and people are able to see what is and has been happening. I pray for each of you!