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TAPS

I am one of the original Girl Scouts, besides having been vividly imprinted by my parents' Cold War preparation mentality....and constantly hearing disaster related stories at work......I have minimal supplies in my car, more in my home.....after Katrina I even began giving my daughter special clothing for her family, the kind you can layer and wash and air dry in hours, pack in a small ball, etc., and have been "encouraging" her with the emergency preparedness lists, etc.  I have all the candles, batteries....carry a knife and toolbox in my car.  I always have 3 weeks' extra meds ready in a bag. (No, I don't have a secret room or fall out shelter)

I used to have all my important records easily portable, that's kind of messed up right now....but I do still have my "paper brain" a daytimer with everything written in it so I'm not computer or file dependent to operate/reconstruct my life but can just grab that little book.....I have an amount of cash and jewelry I love in gold and silver....I have a home on a lake with fresh spring water, a fire burning stove with wood, fish and game available.....and, yes, there's a gun out there somewhere....I really don't know where right now but in case of a disaster situation I would definitely get it out....and I do know how to use it.

That old saying, failure to prepare is preparing to fail, is very true of surviving natural disasters as safely as possible.  My preparations were never really with the thought of terrorist attacks....I only threw in that stuff for "effect" although it is unfortunately a fact of our lives now....but, most natural disasters have assistance after the first few days...a week at worst.....so it's getting away from the immediate danger and getting through that waiting time that is of importance.  Sorry to be so long-winded but TAPS, GET YOUR REAR IN GEAR, WOMAN!!!!!  At least get the water, travel kit filled with the essentials you can find if the house caves in, etc.....please......

posted by Krisles on July 11, 2008 at 7:39 PM | link to this | reply

Such a great comment, Elyse~
I am making a committment to at least have water and candles available for emergencies.  It is silly to not do something.

posted by TAPS. on July 9, 2008 at 9:50 PM | link to this | reply

Re: We have a multitude of plastic 2-liter bottles about the house

Ciel, Water is the thing life is made of.  You are right.  To not have a little set aside for emergencies is absolutely ridiculous when it is such an easy thing to do.

posted by TAPS. on July 9, 2008 at 9:48 PM | link to this | reply

Very good Taps, to remind us of preparedness.  As a youngster, we went through many disasters, floods, hurricanes, tidal waves...fire - explosions (we lived in Texas City where refineries are surrounding the city) - and as I got older, moved away, went through more floods, hurricanes, tornadoes.. again...yes, I was taught to be prepared.  So, I am probably over prepared.  At times I have to toss certain items away, because of the 'over' amount stocked.  However, there are times when you just 'cant' be prepared.  It's like you have to learn 'survival' skills with the primal instinct you have within.  I am generally laid back however, I have this 'gut' instinct when something occurs...either resolve...settle the problem or set back and see what happens.  I am a chicken heart when it comes to suffering...I don't like to see others suffer either.  I think you raise some good points here...be prepared if even just a little. (bottled water is good to have for certain; batteries - candles...and a blankie---above all, gas in the car) I appreciate your blog.  Elyse

posted by elysianfields on July 9, 2008 at 9:18 PM | link to this | reply

We have a multitude of plastic 2-liter bottles about the house

from soda and juice.  Recycling them to the appropriate bin in the kitchen, the trash outside, and eventually to the dump is a hassle.  So I rinse or wash em out, fill them with our nice tasty clean well-water, and set them out of the way for emergency use.

When the pump on the well went out, and the water was off for some hours, it was handy to have that water stored up for tea and washing up, for thirsty pets, and whatever--and a sense of security.

That pump goes out whenever the power goes out, too.  In the PacNW, there will be earthquakes, floods, windstorms...  I can save all that self-recrimination when something does happen that I could have so easily have prepared for!

posted by Ciel on July 9, 2008 at 7:22 PM | link to this | reply

TAPS

Disasters 'happen'. Sometimes they're called 'acts of God', meaning they occur independently of human any agency. Guns are not 'disasters', they do not go around shooting things or people on their own. It requires a human agent to fire a gun. I am not concerned about the gun, but who's at the trigger. I have absolutely no problem with sweet little Justice owning a gun. I do have a problem with the drug dealer down the street owning one...

posted by Nautikos on July 9, 2008 at 5:03 PM | link to this | reply

taps

are we ever prepared for what might happen?  As far as guns go my son has taken a liking to them but I am not fond of that idea

posted by lustorlove on July 9, 2008 at 12:18 PM | link to this | reply

we do have a couple of guns but they're kept put away and the bullets are

kept in a separate place so the guns wouldn't be ready anyhow. As for other disasters, the only thing we do have is a couple of flash lights. I guess its true that you really don't think something is going to happen.

posted by RabbitFromtheWoods on July 9, 2008 at 11:35 AM | link to this | reply

Taps

I think we fail to prepare (I live on a fault line and should have some sort of earthquake survival kit in place) not because we are eternal optimists or because we think “it will never happen to me” but because if we do prepare it raises our consciousness to the possibility of a disaster striking our lives.  And do we really want that kind of thought reeling around our head?   And, no, I don't own a gun nor would I ever.   

posted by Troosha on July 9, 2008 at 9:15 AM | link to this | reply

No gun here

But we do have water and wind-up flashlight/radio in a downstairs walk-in inner closet.  I imagine it will stay intact during a hurricane, but if Iran decides to go nuclear on us, that little room is useless! Mal

posted by gapcohen on July 9, 2008 at 6:57 AM | link to this | reply

I love your quote at the end Taps .... and I am right there with you ...

or, not, you know what I mean, lol..  "Am I prepared for disaster?    Definitely not.  Should I be?   That would be a very good idea.  Will I?  Probably not.  Why not?  I guess I'm in denial that anything would ever happen to me and mine..."

posted by Departed1 on July 9, 2008 at 5:40 AM | link to this | reply

It hasn't been all that long ago - our grandmothers' time I think

that we all laid by for the winter. The whole purpose of planting, harvesting and preserving, of gathering and storing firewood, was to make sure there was food on hand when snow flies. Being prepared for ordinary, expected situations was what sensible people did. These days I'd bet most people don't have spare batteries for a weather radio, a good working flashlight, or a gallon of bottled water stored for each family member and pet. It's a theme with me, probably because I grew up in a backwoods place where we lived like 1890 in the middle of the 20th century - and then there were all those earthquakes.

posted by Pat_B on July 9, 2008 at 4:26 AM | link to this | reply

I'm not armed

and I'm not prepared for crisis too well (ok, we have lots of water at home - but it's because we are letting it stand for aquarium); what I do is I try to teach my son what to do when something goes wrong (e.g. he gets lost or something). And, thank God, I have a cool head when it comes to accidents. Which, in fact, is the most important thing.

 

posted by hagi on July 9, 2008 at 1:01 AM | link to this | reply

Well TAPS, that's quite intriguing, and you do raise a good gun, oh, point, I mean

posted by Bhaskar.ing on July 8, 2008 at 10:40 PM | link to this | reply

LOL, thank you, teddypoet.

posted by TAPS. on July 8, 2008 at 10:28 PM | link to this | reply

I rather hope it doesn't blow you away...

posted by teddypoet_ on July 8, 2008 at 10:11 PM | link to this | reply