Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to interview (and also spend some time prior to the interview chatting with) Lisa Bedford – aka: The Survival Mom. And I would like to say, I sure wish we lived closer to each other! We could have a great time hanging out and swapping home-schooling stories and prepping tips and just enjoying the journey!
She has an outlook I wish more preppers had – one of hope and enjoyment not fear and frustration. This is such a key thing for the Mom of the home to make sure she has well rooted within her – or she’ll turn everyone ‘off’ to being prepared!
I hope you’ll listen and enjoy!
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Tonight, the hostess, Donna Miller of Millers Grain House, is joined by Lisa Bedford (aka: The Survival Mom)! Lisa spends some time with us sharing what’s on her heart to encourage Mom’s to prepare in peace during these chaotic times. I (Donna) really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know her better.
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I have nothing but the utmost of respect for the FEMA agents who are sincerely attempting to do their very best in the face of disaster. Let me be quick to clarify that my statements have NO reflection upon individuals who have attempted to work within the systems that are currently in place. The character shown by the individuals who continue to put themselves in harms way to serve others who are in dire straights have proven again and again that they are worthy of our respect.
My point of this is not to bash the systems, as flawed or effective as they be, but to put a proper perspective upon our reliance upon them. Deep breath folks. This may offend. But FEMA as with most ‘systems’ is destined to fall short and disappoint the masses. Especially when the masses solely depend upon a system as their only ‘hope’.
The loss of power and water has placed many along the North Eastern Coastal States into a state of panic. Folks are dumpster-diving for food and necessities. There are reports of extreme anger at the systems such as FEMA because they appear to not be responding fast enough. A system will never respond as fast as local support. That anger should be focused into self-sustaining efforts and planning ahead prior to the storm rather than a reactionary response afterwards.
My heart goes out to the families and folks who were seriously caught off-guard, much as we were with the snow that made our home exit impossible for three days. But if crime and looting could be planned in advance of the storm, so could some personal preventative measures. At least some. This is not the 1800′s . We have advanced warning. But the systems still have to work through a system.
The best I can suggest for those who are disappointed in the speed, quality, care and ‘fairness’ of FEMA in the face of an emergency is that they realize these folks are working within a system. Relying upon a system will always disappoint someone due to the sheer masses of people that the system is trying to assist. They have criteria. If you don’t match their criteria at that time, they have to move on to those who do.
The first hurricane waring in the U.S. was issued in 1873 by the US Army Signal Corps. So for hundreds of years prior- people coped. FEMA was not founded until 1979.
Perhaps a lesson can be learned from those in the 1800′s. Sadly many did loose their lives because there was no early warning system, but the ones who made it through disasters, did so because they relied upon their smaller community and themselves to pull through.
On a positive note, and to back up my hypothesis of a more localized effort of
support are the folks who were among the first to receive power in NJ after Sandy had it’s way with the coast. They ran a power-strip cord outside and welcomed others to charge their cell phones.
We can support best as communities and individual families vs. relying upon systems alone. Becoming more self and community sustaining can be far less disappointing than being system-reliant.
http://www.YourPreparationStation.com
If you get the opportunity to read this article and are in the path of the storm named Sandy (I suggest you do so quickly) then be sure to take a look at the hash-tags in the twitter feeds planning to gather and do looting. #Sandy. There is no mistaking that this is a recent use of the internet to organized crimes against businesses, individuals and personal possession that has been earned by others.
It is a sad state of affairs that this is actually going on. Yet it is a sign of the state of not only the economy but the social morals of society.
While we prepare for inclement weather or the down turn of the economy, there is another area we are even less in control of on our journey toward preparedness: Society.
I don’t say this to scare people, because I don’t believe we are to live in nor react out of fear. I do say this to impress upon you and all those who may be thinking you can ‘go this road alone’ to gather more like minded folks together with you and plan and prepare with as many forces available to your community as possible.
Although we are not the Joneses, we’re the Millers, the old adage mentioned in the subject line came to mind as I was lamenting having not updated you lately about the recent radio shows and our preparedness journey. So, after this brief side-note about that saying, I do promise to truly update you where I have unintentionally slacked.
Important Side note:
The idiom or phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses” has the meaning of trying to strive to match one’s neighbors in spending and social standing. In and of itself we know this may not be the wisest of approaches during these economic times, yet the phrase struck me as oddly appropriate when I began to think of the Preparedness Movement at large.
There has been a pressure, a panic, a paranoia of sorts that has held those of us who wish to be more basic and simplify into self-sustainable living to still somewhat keep up with the prepping Joneses. This is not only a paradox, but an unhealthy approach to becoming prepared.
Don’t let anyone put undo pressure upon you to prepare ‘like them’ – even us!! As we update you, we don’t want to say: “Hey, we’ve got it all together come copy us!” Yikes…by no means. It is just our desire to encourage you – that if we can make these steps, learn these skills and show our trials and triumphs along the way – well, you may just feel like you have a comrad in arms as you move along your Preparedness Path as well.
So, no keeping up with the Joneses, or Millers or anything….
Just Prepare YOUR way, learn ALONG they way and also, know THE WAY and you’ll be fine. (o:
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Now Quick Updates:
We are back to getting more videos up on our YouTube Channel about our Preparedness Journey. We hope you’ll come join us: Our Preparedness Video Journal – http://www.youtube.com/PreparationStation
The last three radio shows have been very good, but I don’t think I updated you on them (so so sorry).
So here they are:
OCT 6, 2012 – “Why do civilizations collapse, and what happens in the aftermath.”
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2012/10/07/your-preparation-station-1
OCT 13, 2012 – “Making the Permanent Move to an RV. ”
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2012/10/14/your-preparation-station-2
OCT 20, 2012 – “The BEST Manual Grain Mill. ” (And to prove it, we give you a $10 Savings Code just for listening!)
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2012/10/21/your-preparation-station
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Okay, hopefully the next update will be a little more bite-sized than this one. But I do hope you join us, subscribe to the YouTube Channel and allow us to encourage you (and yes please you can and DO encourage us!) along the way.
Best Blessings!
What term suits your family’s preparedness plan better? Bugging Out (high tailing it out of Dodge to a safe haven) or Bugging In (hunkering down with what you have on hand and making the best of it while fortified where you are).
What about bugging out and bugging in? What would that look like?
For us it means heading to the place we would have once used to escape to and turning it into our more permanent option. Some things we will be doing may seem far fetched, but to us it will mean when things take a drastic turn, we will barely have a speed bump.
Here are some things we will be doing as we bug out to bug in:
- Simplifying now, voluntarily.
- Selling off 90% of our ‘belongings’.
- Finding more livestock.
- Building alternative power options.
- Readying the soil for a year round garden.
- Practicing intentionally frugal choices.
- Learning skills and trades vs. hiring others (when we can).
- Drastically cutting our dependance on gasoline.
- Many more…
We hope you’ll join our journey as we post most of it up on our YouTube Channel.
We’d love to have you join us in the journey!
Yesterday we had a class that was facilitated by Millers Grain House with a Guest instructor: Carolyn Counts. This class also reached into the Preparedness arena. Many of the classes from MGH are designed to serve both the healthy food enthusiast and the preparedness minded. It is our way of bringing the message of Preparation to those who may not have thought of it before. But I won’t go on that philosophical journey just now, I want to show you some pictures of the Outdoor Dutch Oven Cooking Class we had!
Some of the important skills to learn are alternate ways to cook food. Since Carolyn had been a participant in other classes that I (Donna Miller – writer of this blog post) had taught, we had the opportunity to learn more of the gifts/skills she possesses. Carolyn spent two weeks in snow covered Montana cooking for a Ranch Camp in the middle of the wilderness! The goods had to be brought in to the cook-tent by horseback. Talk about your ‘off-grid’ situation! Modern conveniences were no where around!
She shared with us just how to use the Cast Iron Dutch Oven and hot coals to cook a FANTASTIC meal for 24 in a little less than an hour and half! Take a look at some of these pictures to see what fun we had:
Carolyn lit the charcoal and just before it was completely white she began to build the base on this sturdy metal trivet.
Here is the beginning stack and the small grill she started the coals in. No big fires, not a huge wood pile. Simple and easy to keep – just hot coals.
We learned that each coal is approximately 25 degrees F. So this helps you know how hot each pot is getting. Thus you can plan the length of time each dish should cook.
Things that take longer go on the bottom. Avoid peaking!
Then each dish was put in the appropriate sized Cast Iron Dutch Oven and stacked with just the right number of coals on the bottom then top. The tower built held:
- Potatoes & Onions on the Bottom
- Ginger Carrots
- Enough Meatloaf for a Crowd
- (Bread was added later)
- Apple Cobbler
In a little less than an hour and a half we had a meal for 24 people! Another participant mentioned using this at Thanksgiving. Great idea!
Cast iron can be found used at many flea markets and estate sales. Carolyn shared with us instructions for cleaning up and seasoning your old cast iron finds.
Time to eat! No electricity needed!
Much Thanks to our guest instructor for sharing with us. We had a great time, learned great skills in alternative cooking methods, spent time with good folks, made more friends AND enjoyed a fantastic meal!
There are so many more photos to share of thisclass and a video of portions of the instructions. Go to Millers Grain House Facebook Page and “LIKE” it to see more.
Best Blessings and enJOY the Journey!
Donna Miller
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The painful phrase “I told you so” is one I hate to use. Unless it is being said to someone who has already heeded some other advice we gave out early this year (January to be precise) which was “Stock up on food NOW because after the first half of the year, we suspect staples will reach a record high.”
Well, if you heeded that advice, then you’re not bothered by the “told you so” statement and it is not offensive. In fact, if you acted upon your ability to stock up you probably told people it would be this way as well.
The unfortunate part is many people have not done so.
The current agricultural climate, due to the worst drought since 1956, has pushed many commodities such as corn, wheat, soybeans and the like to record high prices. And there is no cap in sight as yet.
Don’t take our word for it. Seriously do your own research to see how this will affect the food prices in the later half of the year.
Rather than focus on all that is wrong, if you act fast – we would like to offer some solutions:
- BULK FOODS – HURRY before prices rise again – Deadline is July 21, 2012
The prices are currently still low. The agricultural hike has not yet hit as of THIS order, but will the next.
Use the code: THXMGH to get 5% off AND Free Shipping.
Use the code: JULY CLEARANCE and get an additional 15% off your entire order
- GROW FOOD NOW
Even if it’s in a pail or pot on the front porch or balcony of an apartment, start learning these skills to grow SOMETHING.
Remember, we are here to help, to train and encourage, to uplift and share what we’ve learned and found. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.
