It's a new Month with new focus items.

Yes, I can read a calendar.  I know it is the actual date of Halloween, but we celebrated last evening to give us the opportunity to keep the Sabbath Day Holy today.  Soooooo, I am moving on.

As I look back over the past year, if you have been keeping up with purchasing needed items to stock your long-term reserves, you should be sitting in a pretty sweet place today.  In the past few months, several people have shared with me that they  now found themselves in a position where they need to use their long term storage items.  Some were ready, some were not.  The point is that we never know when we might need our Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness items.  It is a matter of belief and obedience.  If we are prepared...we really will not fear. 

As we are getting ready to share a season of gratitude with loved ones, take a moment to look at your reserves and thank Heavenly Father for helping you to obtain them.  In addition, ask him to help you with any areas that you still need to prepared.  He will help you, no doubt.

Here are the target items for the month of November:

Week #1:

Vitamins

Week #2:

Water, Juices, and Drink mixes

Week #3:

Shortening (Canned and Powdered)

Week #4: 

Oils (Canola, Olive, Vegetable, etc)

It's October....and we have new focus items!

Can you believe it is October already?  I guess I got so caught up with our wonderful General Conference recently that I forgot to post October!  So, here is the plan for this month.  I hope you are feeling the peace and comfort that comes from being prepared.

Week #1

Canned Meats

Week #2

Cheese (Frozen, canned, dehydrated)

Week #3

Feminine Supplies

Week #4

Spices

"Fall" into September's Focus Items......

I do not know where summer went!  We had to wait so long for it to come (remember the snowfall on May 24th?), that I cannot believe that we are heading into the Autumn Season.  No matter, time marches on and so should we if we don't want to be left behind!

"How on the face of the earth could a man enjoy his religion when he had been told by the Lord how to prepare for a day of famine, when, instead of doing so, he had fooled away that which would have sustained him and his family."

 (George A. Smith, JD 12:142)

It appears that President Smith did not mince words here.  However, as we have been plugging a long this year, we have made a significant improvement in our long-term storage and preparedness supplies.  I personally find peace when I don't have to worry about caring for my family as the challenges of life come crashing in. 

 
Here are the target items for the month:
 

Week #1

Wheat

 

Week #2

Pasta

 

Week #3

 Canned and Frozen Fruit

 

Week #4

Canned and Frozen Vegetables

 

Let's get busy!

New focus items for August!

I can't believe it is August already!  Where has the bulk of summer gone?  No matter what, time goes marching on and we have the opportunity to keep up with it!

The counsel to prepare every needful thing has been in place since the early days of the Church. Consider these prophetic words:

“Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand enough food and clothing, and, where possible, fuel also, for at least a year ahead”

- J. Reuben Clark

So, what is on tap for this month?  I tried to keep it simple as we are in the midst of "Back-to-school"

Week 1

Garbage Bags and  Ziploc bags

Week 2

Cocoa

Week 3

Deodorant

Week 4

Sewing Kit

These items are easily acquired while you are picking up needed supplies for children and grandchildren who will be returning to school here in a few short weeks.  If you think back on all the items we have focused upon this year, you are well on your way to having much of your long-term supplies.  Isn't that a great comfort?  If you have missed a few, look back and see what you may need to catch up on.

See the words of the Lord contained in the Doctrine and Covenants:

"Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come,
for the Lord is nigh."

D and C 1:12

Let us all commit, (or recommit if need be) to getting our homes in order and having the needed items on hand that we require,  If you don't think we are already in tough times, what are you waiting for?

It's July....with new focus items to stock up on!

Happy Fourth of July everyone!  I hope you have plans to spend your day with family and friends.  It is a day to remember our roots and blessing of being a citizen of our great nation, as well as a time to build memories with our loved ones.

After your celebration today, it is time to get back on track with our quest to build up our long term  storage supplies.  Here is a peek into July...

“Brethren, I wish to urge again the importance of self-reliance on the part of every individual Church member and family.”

(President Gordon B Hinkley)

Notice that President Hinkley did not say...'depend on your neighbors' or that the 'church will see everyone through'.  He said it is the responsibility of every church member....which means you!

 
Here are the target supplies for July:

 
Week 1: Salt & Peanut Butter


Week 2:  Sugar


Week 3:  Propane, Charcoal, Wood Logs, etc fuels


Week 4:  Matches & Candles

Search the circulars, get your plan and stock up on these needed storage items. 

It's June, and the Target Items are.........

I hope your Memorial Day went very, very well.  I hope you ate lots of wonderful food as well. 

It's a new month.....and more opportunities to stock up on our Long Term Food Storage and Preparedness staples are here!  I passed out many of these bookmarks on Sunday, and will bring more this Sunday for those who were away for the holiday weekend.

"Noah heeded God's command to build an ark.... that they might be saved from the flood waters. Yet there was no evidence of rain and flood. His actions were considered irrational. The sun was shining and life moved forward as usual. But time ran out. The floods came, the disobedient were drowned. When God speaks and we obey, we will always be right."

Thomas S Monson

Let us be "right" by filling our 'ark' with needed supplies.  Here are the suggested item by week for the month of June:

• Week #1:  White Flour
• Week #2:  Soup/Stews/Chili
• Week #3:  Jam
• Week #4:  Hand Soap

Let's get busy!

Don't Be Caught Out in the Cold......

These are really my tulips...and are so confused by now, they do not know what to do to protect themselves.  We have had the most irratic weather this past week.  Snow.....sun.....rain...hail.....repeat.  It's a wonder that these tulips are still standing.  This is a lesson for all of us.  We do not want to be "caught out in the cold" when it comes to our family's preparedness. 

I am featuring my little tulips on the May bookmark along with wonderful quotes from Elder Packer and President Monson.  I will share Elder Boyd K Packer's quote below.....it really struck me when I read it:

“If 9/11 was a wake-up call, then the earthquake and tsunami in Southeast Asia, was a kick out of bed. We need to pay attention to the signs of the times

Sisters, let's make the commitment to continue the quest to have our long-term staples on hand.  We do need to pay attention to the signs of the times....and they are being played before our eyes almost daily.  Here are the focus items for May:

• Rice
• Sprouting Seeds
• Butter
• First Aid Kit

Make a plan to not be "caught out in the cold".  Please heed to council given to us in Doctrine and Covenants 38:30 which states "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear".

Bookmarks for April...

"We encourage you to follow this counsel with the assurance that a people prepared through obedience to the commandments of God need not fear"

(First Presidency, 1988)

I hope you all enjoyed General Conference, I certainly did.  I seem to have a bit of a "let down" when it is over. But, there were plenty of things for me to address personally over the next 6 months.

It's time to get back on track.  Last week we had a "bye" as we prepared for General Conference.  So, here we go.  This month has 3 weeks that are relatively inexpensive.  There is a reason for that.  The second week has a target item that can be rather costly, but is so necessary for your Long Term Storage.

Here is an overview for April:

1. Baking Soda and Baking Powder
2. Dehydrated of Freeze Dried Meats
3. Oats
4. Yeast and Vinegar

Please take inventory of what you have on hand, and get ready to go out and face the new week....really!

Bookmarks for March.....

My thanks go out to those of you who are adding to your Long-term Food Storage...and keeping up with your 3 month supply as well. Several of you have stated that you are diligently working on each item each week, and I have even had requests for group orders on some items we have yet to focus on. Great work!

“Wives are instrumental in this work, but they need husbands who lead out in family preparedness. Children need parents who instill in them this righteous tradition. They will then do likewise with their children, and their stores will not fail.”      (Keith B. McMullin)

I love this quote....because it not only addresses the here and now, but the future generations of our families. 

These are pictures from Hurricane Hugo. These were typical scenes that we were presented with when our family opened our door the following morning. The previous night sounded like a freight-train had been trudging through our home for over 12 hours. Great pines exploded and broke under the pressure of the Hurricane-force winds.  They cut homes in our neighborhood in half or crushed them. We had lived through it (without damage to our home), but then a new challenge presented itself.

We were without power for nearly a week. Just prior to the Hurricane hitting Columbia SC where we lived at the time, I went to the local grocery store. I wasn't buying food as I thought we were okay in that department. I went to buy tape to put in a star-shape across our windows and to stock up on batteries. The tape was needed to hold the glass together in as few pieces as possible just in case they broke under the pressure of the fierce winds. The batteries were for our radio.

The scene at the store can most classically be described as the fury that you see when Wilma and Betty (of the Flintstones) go shopping at a big sale. Southern manners were being tested and tried, shelves were bare, and people also were becoming frightened.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, because we learned a very expensive lesson. I had all of our meats, vegetables, and fruits essentially in our freezer. When the power went out.....we essentially lost it all. I had to laugh when we would get calls asking if we had a generator....and if we did....could they borrow it! Think about the logic and boldness of that question! We didn't have a generator at the time....but we sure do now.

We didn't lose our water. Many people in our neighborhood and the surrounding area came to our home to fill up their containers with water as they had none. We gave nearly all of our water storage away as well.

What was the lesson? Don't put all your eggs in one basket! I learned from that experience, and subsequent ones that you need to store your food by more than one method. Methods of preservation include freezing, canning, and dehydrating. All have pros and cons. This month, 2 of the focus items are dehydrated items. We will discuss them more during the weeks where they are the focus item.

Here is a preview of the items we will be gathering during March:

Week 1

Powdered Milk

Week 2

Dehydrated Vegetables

Week 3

Dehydrated Fruit

Week 4

Corn Syrup

So.....wallets ready.......on your mark......get set.....GO!

February Bookmarks......

“There is no person who knows the real purpose for which this welfare program is being instituted but hardly before sufficient preparation has been made the real purpose will be revealed and when that time comes it will challenge every resource of the church to meet it”   (Harold B Lee)

In our continued quest to address our Long Term Storage this year, the following items are being focused upon during Feburary.  I have been pleasantly surprised at the response to this simple bookmark program.  It appears that because of its simplicity, many of our neighbors have stated that they can "do it". 

One sister shared her experience while stocking up on toilet paper.  She was concerned about not having enough room to store that much toilet paper in her home.  Then she had a thought.  She realized that she had room in her recreational vehicle for it and stored it in there.  She stated that they would have to move it when they use the RV, but in the meantime, it allows her to keep her supply in a handy place. 

 

I have and will continue to distribute the bookmarks for February in our ward.  Here is an over-view of this month's target items for everyone:

 
ITEMS TO PURCHASE:


Week 1

Dish Soap

Week 2

Laundry Soap

Week 3

Dried Beans

Week 4

Toothpaste

Bookmarks.....to help you on a weekly basis

Recently, our Relief Society Presidency distributed our new manuals for 2010. They even included a schedule of the lessons! We have been asked to not only read our lessons in a timely manner, but also to read our scriptures. I don't know about you....but I always need a bookmark to "keep my place" in the book.

So, I will provide one for you....each month. There is a reason for the monthly bookmark, it is to help you add to your Long Term Food Storage staples.

Each month, your bookmark will have suggested items to keep you focused when you shop on a weekly basis. Also, I will include quotes to help motivate you to be prepared.

Here is a preview of the January bookmark:

Each week when you do your shopping, include the food storage item for the week. By the end of the year, you will have increased your long term food supply.


“If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear” D & C 38: 30

Week 1: Jello, Week 2: Honey, Week 3: Toilet Paper, Week 4: Shampoo

How much do you need? The following gives specific amounts for some things based upon the recommendations of our Church Leaders, the rest you calculate based upon menu's you compile and the rate you family uses the toiletries etc.

• Grains: wheat, flour, rice, corn, oatmeal, pasta, etc 300 lbs


• Dairy: Powdered milk, canned milk, cheese,etc 75 lbs


• Sugars: sugar, honey, jam, jello, corn syrup, etc 60 lbs


• Salt: 5 lbs


• Fats: Shortening, Vegetable Oil etc 20 lbs


• Legumes: Dried Soybeans, pinto beans, navy bean, red beans, split peas or lentils, canned beans, peanut butter canned nuts: 60 lbs.


• Water (2 week supply): 14 gallons


• Meats: canned, frozen, dehydrated


• Vegetables and fruits: canned, frozen, dehydrated


• Multiple Vitamins (especially A & C)


• Medical: First Aid Kits and Feminine supplies


• Misc: Baking powder & soda, Yeast, Spices


• Laundry and cleaning: Toilet paper, hand soap, shampoo, toothpaste, laundry soap, dish soap


• Fuel & Light: Wood-paper logs, matches, candles, flashlights, batteries


• Expanded Storage: Juices, Tomato sauce, stews, soups, chili vinegar, trash bags, paper towels.

Most everything on the list is included in the week by week purchase. If you follow the suggested purchases, you have a good shot of having several months, if not a years supply of food and toiletries when January 2011 rolls around.

"Bookmark it!"