Weather Report: Relative Musings, Stability and Sources

RELATIVE STABILITY. For the moment, things nationally and internationally appear relatively stable. Oil prices are down and along with them gasoline and diesel. Food prices, while high, appear to be holding fairly steady. The economy maintains a rough equilibrium. Geo-political conditions appear to be much the same for the last week or so. All-in-all, not a bad week given the last few months.

MUSINGS. There are a number of valuable traits to have/acquire and to develop if you want to adequately prepare for what’s promising to be an uncertain future:

• Positive Attitude: Faith, positive visualization, and a high level of determination and will.
• Awareness: Keep your eyes on the horizon. Develop good, reliable sources for information that effects you and your family. Re-evaluate these sources regularly with a critical eye and most certainly include your government in these periodic evaluations. No one’s right all the time but your sources need to be right on the big/important things most of the time.
• Preparing: Acquire, store, and develop the essentials needed to meet future challenges, both natural and man made. Be familiar with the effective use of these essentials.
• Skills: Their acquisition, maintenance, and development are a critical part of preparation. Here you must include also the teaching of these skills along with cross-training, especially in the critical skill sets ( such as first-aid, gardening, equipment maintenance, etc.)
• Conservation: Waste-not want-not.
• Frugality: Spend within your resources on the things you need. The things you want come last.
• Innovate/Adapt/Improvise: Change your environment and the things in it to meet your current and future needs.
• Independence: Do for yourself. Grow and expand the number of things you can do for yourself along with skill levels within these things.

SOURCES: Here are a few of the sources you might find valuable in your efforts to acquire and expand your knowledge and skills.

1. The Internet (you’re already here !).
2. Your local public library.
3. Your local used-book store.
4. Your local farmers market.
5. Yard sales (especially in this economy).
6. Community Colleges & State Universities (especially non-credit technical courses).
7. FEMA
8. The Red Cross

FOUR BASIC BOOKS: Here are four basic books we have, read (and re-read) and recommend as a beginning in establishing and maintaining your essentials and skills.

1. “The American Red Cross First -Aid & Safety Handbook” by Kathleen Handal, M.D.
2. The Encyclopedia of Country Living” by Carla Emory
3. “Making The Best of Basics” by James Talmage Stevens
4. “How to Grow More Vegetables (than you ever thought possible on less land than you can imagine)” by John Jeavons

Note: #4 is best available thru the Bountiful Gardens Catalog @ (707) 459-6410. This catalog is difficult of over-value with its information and seed sources.

Note: #’s 1-4 may be available @ your local used-book store. You might want to check there first.

Meanwhile, until next Tuesday, keep your eyes on the horizon.