Where you spend your money, there your skills are also....

Sir Knight and I were discussing the peculiar way that we spend money, when compared with “normal” people.  Buying a big screen TV or shopping for the latest fashions at the mall would never occur to us.  The last cell phone we bought (our only phone) we had to pay extra for, due to the fact that it wasn’t a “smart phone” (we had to inquire as to what a smart phone was and why we needed one).  Basically, we don’t buy many items that don’t have intrinsic value. 

As I was thinking about how we choose to spend our money, it occurred to me that what we spend our money on paints a vivid picture of who we are.  The more I thought on this, the more I realized that not only does it speak volumes of whom we are but what and who we value.   Sir Knight and I began to develop (rather tongue in cheek) a list of purchases and accompanying skill that enhance that purchase.  It grew from there to include character qualities (does the purchase serve only you or does it serve others) and investment qualities (does the purchase increase in value and become an asset or does it decrease and become a debt). 

Here is a sampling of purchases that we explored…

“Normal” Purchases	Our Purchases
Mega Flat Screen TV ·      Skills required Using a remote control Opening bags of snack foods Maneuvering guide channels ·      Who Benefits You and your family ·      Investment Qualities Worth half of what you paid for it when you leave the store It is outdated within 6 months	Hand Grain Grinder ·      Skills required Knowledge of various grains Knowledge of how to use the grain after it has been ground Ability to maintain mechanical equipment ·      Who Benefits Your family and anyone you bless with homemade bread ·      Investment Qualities We bought our mill in 1998 for $400.00.  The same mill now sells for $1299.00.
Smart Phones ·      Skills required Good thumb and finger dexterity Ability to move fingers in rapid succession Ability to talk, text and surf the web while driving ·      Who Benefits You ·      Investment Qualities The technology will be outdated in less time than it takes the battery to discharge	Wood Cook Stove ·      Skills Required Baking and cooking without a thermometer Cutting firewood Splitting kindling Building a fire Stoking a fire to hold overnight Proper stove and chimney maintenance ·      Who Benefits You, your family and anyone who enters your home ·      Investment Qualities Our stove has heated our home, cooked our food and heated our water for 12 years.  We could sell it today for what we paid for it
Fashion Clothing ·      Skills required Shopping Ability to maneuver mall parking lots Repetitive stress from credit card swiping Bargain hunting Early rising (to get the "early bird" specials) ·      Who Benefits You, the economy ·      Investment Qualities Possible tax write off when donated to Goodwill	Bulk Foods ·      Skills Required Knowledge of cooking from scratch Baking Menu planning Food rotation/organization Hospitality Nutrition ·      Who Benefits You, your family, anyone welcomed into your home Hungry strangers ·      Investment Qualities When properly stored and rotated - priceless
Video Games ·      Skills Required Eye/hand coordination Ability to move fingers in rapid succession Focus.  The ability to ignore everyone and everything around you ·      Who Benefits You Parents who haven't raised their children to enjoy them ·      Investment Qualities There are none	Medical Supplies and Equipment ·      Skills Required Basic to advanced first aid Suturing Bandaging Infection control Staying calm in an emergency Etc. ·      Who Benefits Anyone sick or bleeding in your sphere of influence ·      Investment Qualities What is one life worth?
Body Enhancements ·      Skills Required The ability to endure elective and needless pain Large sums of disposable income (ah, what the heck, just charge it) The ability to dance around the question "did you have some work done?" ·      Who Benefits You, your surgeons' bank account Investment Qualities There are none	Milk Cow   Skills Required Animal husbandry Properly caring for dairy products Cattle nutrition Veterinary skills   Who Benefits You, your family and many others   Investment Qualities We have been able to sell any cow we chose to for more than we bought her for.

Interesting contrast, isn't it?  It is amazing how much what you buy illustrates who you are and what you think is important.  It also is a picture of who you value - yourself or others.  In my humble opinion, preppers are very concerned not just with themselves, but with their fellow man.  

Where you spend your money, there your skills will be also.

TEOTWAWKI and Relationships

The first time I read the book Patriots, I thought, "Oh, this was obviously written by a man!" There was no way that 5 women could live under the same roof and not kill each other, much less work together.  As a society, we are just not geared to co-exist in harmony.  We are unapologetically selfish.

Over the last 100 years or so, we have moved away from interconnected community into isolated family units.  Gone are the days when survival depended upon neighbor helping neighbor, and mutual respect was earned by the sweat of the brow - denying self in order to help another.  We have replaced Sunday dinners with Facebook updates and old fashioned letters with impersonal computer communications.  We simply don't need each other anymore.  That doesn't bode well for end of the world survival.

Relationship, in the modern age, has become a disposable commodity.  We don't need to get together for tea when we get all of the relationship we need from our online friends.  If the neighbors don't come help get in the harvest, we will just buy what we need.  If we lose our job, the government will step in and take care of our needs.  In reality, friends and neighbors are a bother.  They might hold us accountable for how we live our lives.  They may question our decisions.  They are certain to require an investment of our time and emotions.  If we form a relationship with someone, it will make it all the harder to toss them out like so much rubbish when they are no longer useful or have the audacity to disagree with us.  Real relationship is inconvenient.  But, in TEOTWAWKI, we will not survive without strong community, without relationship.

I am guilty of the death of relationships.  I have judged harshly, not been merciful and have been self-serving.  I have watched friendships die from lack of maintenance.  I have made a stand when I should have lent a hand.  I have been a poor friend.  But God, being a God of mercy, is showing me a better way.  As I prepare for the end of the world as we know it, I realize I must prepare for relationships if my family and I are going to survive.

In order to survive a serious grid-down situation, we are going to have to work together.  We are going to have to rely on each other's strengths and maximize the talents of our group.  If we don't start working on our own character now, we will be lacking the basic tools to allow us to function relationally when TSHTF.

One of the most important character traits to poses when you are building relationship is the trait of mercy.  As much as it goes against our grain, we have to see our friends and neighbors positive attributes and be blind to their shortcomings.  In reality, that is what all of us want - we long for people to see the good in us and never the bad.  We have to stifle that self-important part of ourselves that wants to gloat over others' shortcomings and instead encourage and exhort, putting ourselves in the position of servant rather than master.

We need to cultivate a humble spirit, given to building others up.  When things get bad, the last thing we need to deal with is each others petty power plays.  A humble attitude will go a long way toward building community.

Putting other peoples needs before our own will, in reality, serve us far more than demanding our own way.  It is hard enough in our regular, daily life to be more concerned with others than ourselves, but in a grid-down situation, it will be nearly impossible.  If we don't practice selflessness now, we won't stand a chance when things get really bad.  Being selfless is one of the truly great characteristics of a human being.  Putting all others before his own wants and desires is what Jesus did when he sacrificed himself on the cross.  And see where His selflessness got us?!  Everywhere.  Can you imagine what we could do if we actively pursued selflessness in our daily life?  We could move mountains! Selflessness will be the hallmark of the survivors at the end of the world.

Relationships can be challenging.  They can be inconvenient and messy.  But they also hold the key to survival when the world is turned upside down.  We were created for relationship with each other, not with computer friends or a few choice people who tell us what we want to hear, but with our neighbors, our families, our churches.

Yes, we all have warts.  We all are ugly and sinful.  But we need each other.  We need to develop mercy, grace and selflessness.  In order to reap the benefits of relationship, we must cultivate the tools of relationship.  Our only hope of survival is each other.  We have to learn to care for each other now, or we will not have the ability to survive the coming collapse.

After reading Patriots again, I decided that yes, it was written by a man, but a man who understood relationships and the necessity of banding together to overcome great odds.  He understood what it takes not just to survive, but to flourish.  He understood TEOTWAWKI and relationships.

Part of the solution

I have a confession.  We just recently ordered our supply of K103 Potassium Iodide.  We were part of the pathetic masses that caused a run with all of the K103 suppliers, resulting in a temporary shortage of K103 at a critical moment in the history of nuclear catastrophes.  We were part of the problem.

Preparedness, in general, presupposes being prepared.  We are the ones who always have extra coleman fuel "just in case".  We have stores of food, medical supplies, clothing, com gear, baby diapers and, of course, feminine hygiene products.  We stock tow straps, motor oil, nuts and bolts and welding rod.  Basically, we've got the beans, bullets and band-aids covered.  But not the K103.  We'd thought about it on numerous occasions, but we prided ourselves on not being "that" paranoid.  Really, would we want to live through a nuclear attack?  A nuclear accident never even occurred to us!  And then when it happened, we became part of the problem.

The reality of the matter is that ALL preppers that I know have the intention of helping not just themselves, but innumerable members of their family, their friends and those less prepared (I was going to say less fortunate, but I truly believe we have all had the chance to see the signs of the times and prepare!).  They fully intend to be part of the solution when TEOTWAWKI strikes, not yet another drain on already taxed resources.  The minute turmoil strikes, these forward thinking families will immediately jump into action.  Because of their prepared mindset, they will be the ones offering aid and comfort to a world gone mad.  But only if they truly have thought of every eventuality and have taken appropriate measures to prepare for the very likely scenarios destined for their backyard.

The situation in Japan has been sobering on many counts.  It has made me think along lines I had not previously explored.  It has reminded me, yet again, how very vulnerable we all are.  It has redoubled my resolve to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Truth be told, we should have had a supply of K103 in store.  With the advent of the nuclear crisis in Japan, we should have been able to ship our supply to Japan and then resupplied when the panic died down.  Not only should our family have been protected, we should have had the ability to provide for other families as well.  Shame on us.

As preppers, the signs of the times are as numerous as roadsigns on a major highway.  But like roadsigns, we often just pass them unnoticed.  Now is the time to slow down, read the signs and act accordingly.  If you live near a fault line, prepare for an earthquake - it is coming.  If you live near a nuclear power plant, prepare for an nuclear accident.  If you live near an ocean, prepare for a tsunami.  If you live in the city, prepare for civil unrest, rioting and looting.  If you live in tornado country, prepare for a tornado.  If you have a job and a steady income, prepare to lose it.  Think now to live later.  Be part of the solution - don't be part of the problem.

Radiation Poisoning

I read an article today stating that radiation (Iodine-131) has been found in milk produced in Spokane, Washington.  Washington State!  That is my backyard.  "They" say that it is quite safe - nothing at all to worry about, it's not at all out of the ordinary.  But it is out of the ordinary and the real problem is that I don't trust "them".  The truth of the matter is that I don't trust the very people responsible for the well-being of the public to actually take care of the public.  Under the guise of not wanting to start a panic, the public is often placated with half-truths.  Somehow, in the hallowed halls of our public servants and our state sponsored media, truth is exchanged for fiction, prettily packaged as the "common good".  Who's common good?  Certainly not ours.  These are the same people responsible for purposefully releasing radiation from Hanford Nuclear Reservation (also in our backyard) for over 40 years!  Who do we believe?  Your guess is as good as mine.

In light of the fact that a nuclear accident half-way around the world is affecting the continental United States, among many other locales across the globe, and the fact that Hanford Nuclear Reservation is on an active fault line (this has been disputed - there are multiple conflicting reports), I thought it would be prudent to research Radiation Poisoning and add it to "The Prepared Family Guide to Uncommon Diseases".  Here is a sneak peak.....

Radiation Poisoning

Description

What is it?

Radiation poisoning, also referred to as radiation sickness, occurs when someone is exposed to large enough levels of radiation to create damage to the body.  Radiation poisoning rarely occurs outside of nuclear industrial operations.  It could affect the general public during nuclear-weapons testing or in an attack using nuclear weapons.

                                                               eHow Health

Radiation poisoning radiation sickness or radiation toxicity is a constellation of health effect which occur within several months of exposure to high amounts of ionizing radiation.  The term generally refers to acute problems rather than ones that develop after a prolonged period.

                                                               Wikipedia

Signs/Symptoms

What does it look like?

The speed of onset of symptoms is related to radiation exposure, with greater doses resulting in a shorter delay in symptoms onset.  Mild radiation poisoning (radiation doses as low as 35 rad) presents in this manner:

·      Nausea

·      Vomiting

·      Headaches

·      Fatigue

·      Fever

·      Short periods of skin reddening

Cutaneous radiation syndrome (CRS) is the skin symptoms of radiation exposure.  Within a few hours after irradiation:

·      Itching

·      Reddening

·      Blistering

·      Ulceration  (open sore)

Gastrointestinal symptoms (typical with exposure doses of 600-1000 rad), usually seen within 1 to 2 hours:

·      Nausea

·      Vomiting

·      Loss of appetite

·      Abdominal pain

Neurovascular symptoms (typical with exposure doses greater than 1000 rad):

·      Dizziness

·      Headache

·      Decreased level of consciousness

·      Absence of vomiting

Treatment

How do I care for my patient?

There is no cure for radiation poisoning, however, prompt treatment can lessen the effects.

Particle Removal

One of the first and most basic treatment for radiation poisoning is the thorough removal of any particles on the skin and clothing.  To do this, all clothing should be removed and disposed of.  This should get rid of about 90 percent of the radiation contamination.  Washing with soap and warm water helps removed any other particles that may still be clinging to the skin.  It is important to do this immediately after exposure, as active particles on skin and clothing can continue to poison.

Potassium Iodide (K1)

Potassium iodide is a common treatment option for radiation poisoning.  Potassium iodine collects in the thyroid.  It takes up space that radioactive iodine would occupy.  Without room to stay in the thyroid, the radioactive iodine is sent out of the thyroid and excreted with urine.  Take Potassium Iodide orally either before or after exposure, although it works best if taken before exposure. 

Dosage:

·      Adult – (1) 130 mg. tablet once a day for 10 days

·      Children – (1) 62 mg. tablet once a day for 10 days

Prussian Blue

Prussian blue may also be used to treat radiation poisoning.  Prussian blue binds with radioactive particles in the body.  Prussian blue binds with two other types of radioactive elements called thallium and cesium.  When taken directly after exposure, Prussian blue is able to remove many of the radioactive particles before the cells can absorb them.  Once attached to the radioactive particles, the Prussian blue exits the body in the feces (poop), taking along the particles.

Prussian blue is safe for most adults, including pregnant women, and children (2 ─12 years). Dosing for infants (ages 0 ─2 years) has not been determined yet. Women who are breast feeding their babies should stop breast feeding if they think they are contaminated with radioactive materials.

                                               CDC Radiation Emergencies

Dosage:

·      Adult – (1) 500 mg. tablet 3 times daily for a minimum of 30 days

·      Children –

Prussian blue has been included in the SNS (Strategic National Stockpile).

                                             CDC Radiation Emergencies

Containment

How did I get it?

How do I keep it from spreading?

The best prevention for radiation sickness is to minimize exposure.  Radiation poisoning cannot be transmitted via airborne droplets.  It can only be spread via direct contact or radioactive fallout.  Remove any contaminated clothing or equipment that has come in contact with radiation and put them in a double bag labeled RADIOACTIVE.  Bury in three feet of earth.

A wife of noble character

I have been thinking a lot about my role as a wife, mother and woman.  I have made it complicated.  So often, I fuss and complain about how hard I have to work, how little sleep I get and how I live a life serving others.  Of course, I know that as a wife, mother and woman, it is my great joy to serve others, but the reality of service is something else altogether.  Being a modern woman, growing up with a world vision dominated by feminism, I have struggled to find my place as a woman pleasing to God.  I have rejected feminism, knowing it to be a lie artfully crafted by the great deceiver, but I have wrestled with who God intended me to be when He first thought of me.

Although I embraced biblical femininity, the reality was, I didn't know what that meant.  Biblical femininity had been lost to my generation and the generations of my mother and grandmother.  As I forged a new path, I often stumbled over my many years of feminist indoctrination. I didn't know how to think biblically and admittedly, I am still learning.

As I continue down the road toward biblical femininity, I am learning to rely on the bible as the only benchmark for genuine femininity.  God, who made me, knows who He made me to be.  He knows the desires of my heart and He knows for what He created me.

Last week, I was fussing at my friend, Lady Day.  I was airing my laundry list of things to do - the fact that I arose before anyone else in my family and that I was always the last one to go to bed.  I was complaining that I worked all day cleaning, schooling, sewing and cooking and never had the opportunity to put my feet up.  I rattled on about the fact that Sir Knight got up after the house was warm and tea was waiting, that he trundled off to work, ate lunch with his buddies, fixed a few things and came home to a clean house another pot of tea and a hot dinner - and then he put his feet up and was done for the evening!  All the while, I was just getting started - I still had to clean the house for the evening, bath the children, read bedtime stories and make sure the laundry was hung.  It wasn't fair, I moaned!  And then I got to thinking....

Proverbs 31 has always been, in my mind, the epitome of what I am to strive for as a woman.  She was gracious, hospitable, hard-working, generous and prepared.  In fact Proverbs says, "Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.  She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.  She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.  She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.  She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.  She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.  She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.  She sees that her trading is profitable and her lamp does not go out at night".  Did you see that?  These were exactly the things that I was complaining about, and yet they are the hallmarks of a wife of noble character!  And then, get this, "Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land".  Do you see what her husband was doing?  Was he working along side of her?  No, he was seated at the city gates!  Because of her noble character and hard work, he was respected by the leaders of the land.

As I reread this Proverb, I realized that I had bought into the feminist rubbish that says that my husband should do everything that I do, that I should expect him to take up the slack here at home and still retain character of man that God created in him.  I believed the lie that he should do his job and help with my job as well.  I was too busy noticing what he wasn't doing to take the time to notice what I was supposed to be doing.

Before you starting yelling that Sir Knight needs to be doing his "fair share", please realize that he does the jobs that God set before him.  My realization is not for men - God speaks to men in His own way.  My realization is, that, as a woman, I need to be doing what God has put in front of me to do.  I need to be a wife of noble character, regardless of what my husband does or does not do.  I need to bring my husband good and not harm all of the days of my life.  I need to be a wife who's husband is respected at the city gate and can take his seat among the elders of the land.

I need to be a wife of noble character.

My love affair with tea

I have a love affair with tea.  It's not the tea so much, although I do enjoy a good cuppa, it is the tradition, the unhurried pace, the romance and the relationships that are built over a china tea cup and a biscuit.  Tea is a defining part of our day.  Sir Knight and I begin every morning slowing sipping brimming cups of sweetened English Breakfast tea.  We quietly wake up, talk about the day to come and welcome yet another morning.  In the late afternoon, when Sir Knight leaves his work day behind, we once again indulge in the daily ritual of afternoon tea.  Instead of a quiet morning cup, our afternoon tea is a riotous affair.  Rather than just Sir knight and I gently anticipating the day to come, our afternoon tea table is full of clinking tea cups, laughter and stories of the day gone by.  Afternoon tea begins with Sir Knight, Maid Elizabeth, Master Hand Grenade and I, but soon includes Miss Calamity, Princess Dragon Snack and Master Calvin.

For our family, the allure of tea is the relationship it encourages.  It is impossible to have tea on the fly.  It requires ritual and a slow pace.  Over the years, it has become the hallmark of our day together.  Sir Knight and I depend upon our morning tea start our day well.  We talk  of the day to come and pray together.  Without our tea time, our day hasn't really begun.  All of our children anxiously anticipate our afternoon tea.  It is a time to tell "Faver" all of the exciting (or rather mundane) things that have happened that day.  It is a time to gather in the warm embrace of familial ties.  It is tea time.

Not only is tea for family, it is for all who cross our threshold.  One of the first things we do when company unexpectedly shows up at our front door, is put the kettle on.  Tea immediately puts people at ease and creates a hospitable atmosphere.  Laughter and tears both flow well with tea.  Joys and heartaches respond equally to a brimming cup.

Of course, tea is one thing, but one must have "tea treats" as well.  Scones, of course, are an undeniable favorite, but we have many other favorites.  This past week, we made a batch of our very favorite shortbread cookies, and a good thing it was.  Just as the cookies were cool enough to bake, we had many guests arrive at our home, so of course, we promptly put the kettle on and popped the shortbread into the oven!

Simply Perfect Shortbread (From my friend Lady Day)

1 pound butter (4 cubes), softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. almond flavoring

Soften butter and mix all the ingredients with a mixer.  Form dough into a roll and wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap.  Chill the roll in the refrigerator (an hour or overnight).  Slice the dough into cookies and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom.  Do not over bake!

* For chocolate shortbread, dip into melted chocolate when cool.

Forming the shortbread dough
into a long log

Slicing chilled dough into cookies

Fresh cookies laid out with a
table full of teacups

Of course, Sunday afternoon is reserved for lounging, relaxing and generally being lazy, but what Sunday afternoon would be complete without tea?  This Sunday we chose a good old fashioned steamed pudding to accompany our tea.  It is simple, wonderful and can be slowing simmered on a slow wood cookstove.

Chocolate Steamed Pudding (From the King Arthur Flour cookbook)

2 oz. (squares) unsweetened baking chocolate
1 tsp. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Melt the chocolate with the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and add the vanilla.

In a mixing bowl, teat the egg until light and lemon colored.   Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.

Combine the flour with the salt and baking powder.  Add this, alternately with the milk, to  the egg mixture.  Then add the chocolate mixture and stir just enough to blend.

Place this batter in a greased steamed pudding mold and secure cover (or a bowl or a one-pound coffee can covered with aluminum foil secured with a string or rubber band).  Steam over simmering water in a covered kettle for 1 1/2 hours.

* If you run out of baking chocolate, or don't have any, you can substitute 3 Tablespoons cocoa and 1 Tablespoon of butter for each square of chocolate.

Serve with Hard Sauce:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (stick) butter, softened
2 Tbl. brandy (or vanilla extract)

Combine all ingredients in small bowl; stir to blend well.  (Can be made 4 days ahead).  Cover and refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

Combining the dry ingredients

Melting the chocolate

Pouring the egg mixture into the dry ingredients

Mixing all the ingredients together

Anywhere goodies are being made
Master Calvin is sure to be!

Pouring the batter into the pudding mold

Putting the pudding into a kettle on the
wood cookstove

The pudding is done!  We let it cool for
10 minutes before turning it onto a plate

The pudding slid right out of the mold

Our Sunday tea awaits us

Tea, be it a stout English Breakfast or a decaffeinated Rooibos, is a wonderful tool for knitting friends together and strengthening families.  Where there is tea, there is hope.

Our life in pictures

Life at Providence Farms.....

Snoozing in Mom and Dad's bed

I can't tell you how much
sword play goes on in our house!

Maid Elizabeth and her instructing
midwife along with another young
lady that is going to the Philippines

Master Calvin & Sir Knight sword fighting -

notice Sir Knight doesn't have a sword,

just a hook - a hay hook that is

Master Calvin hit the deck running
in his "snow walkers" (snow shoes)

A Marine, ready for battle

He is all geared up - flak vest and all!

Miss Calamity and "Pine"

Master Hand Grenade, taking it easy

Ferrying little sister

Brother and sister

Quintessentially Feminine

I was perusing my latest copy of Above Rubies and was stopped in my tracks by an article entitled "Quintessentially Feminine".  From the time I was a child, I have aspired toward femininity.  I don't mean dress, necessarily, but rather the character of femininity.  In my mind, the word "feminine" embodies all that is gentle, all that is nurturing, all that is wholesome.  It seems to me that the world has high-jacked femininity and replaced it with "prissy" or "girly", neither of which suit me in the slightest.  Prissy and girly seem to describe the outward appearance while feminine describes the inward character.

Gentleness is a character quality I long to cultivate.  As so beautifully illustrated in 1 Peter, I would love to be a woman known for "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight".  Not only is a quiet and gentle spirit of great value to God, it is of great value to a husband.  What husband would choose an abrasive, nagging wife over a wife whose lips "dripped with honey" (Song of Songs)?  Shakespeare said, "Her voice was ever soft, gentle and low, an excellent thing in a woman".  That is what I want to be - an excellent woman.

As I cultivate Quintessential Femininity, I will learn to speak encouragements to my husband and my children.  I will learn to manage my home so that it is a restful place, a place of sweet fellowship and refuge.  I will become a wife whose lips drip honey, both sweet and nourishing.  I will learn to be quintessentially feminine.

Don't forget the Cow Cream!

O.K., so it is not really called Cow Cream, but that is what we call "Udderly Smooth" lotion in our house.  We use it for everything, all the time!

When we get busy stocking up on food or comm gear or any other number of preparedness necessities, we often forget the little things that make a HUGE difference.  Two of the things we use with unending regularity are "Cow Cream" and "Bag Balm".  (Hey, I think I am seeing a pattern here!)  The lotion, we use for dry hands and feet and anywhere else that could use a little relief.  We would be lost without it.  Bag Balm is our antibiotic salve of choice.  We use it to sooth baby bottoms, slather on areas beset with heat rash and treat any cut or scrape.  It is a wonder drug!  Oh, and we do use it on the cow's udder as well.

Remembering to have these little necessities on hand will provide great comfort in difficult times.

Being led by women....

I read with great interest, the fact that President Obama chose to bomb Libya at the behest of his female advisors, rather than his own conviction.  He is not the first Barak in history to hide behind the skirts of a woman going into war.  In fact, the only female Judge Israel ever knew was forced into war because the military leader of the day, Barak, son of Abinoam, would not lead his army at God's direction.  Barak said to Deborah, "If you go with me I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go."  (Judges 4:8).

Do you suppose that it will be a woman that will drive a tent peg in the temple of our enemy?

Just thinking....