Being Prepared

We have had a lot of snow in the mid-Atlantic this winter, as you may have noticed in the news if you don't live here. A couple of nights ago I was awoken by the arrival of the wind. Living in a forest we are able to hear strong wind blowing through the tops of the trees minutes before it hits. The wind was so strong that I listened to it for about five minutes before it hit our house. The street lights flickered a couple of times, it was 4:00 in the morning, and then the lights went off.

It was cold outside, about 9 degrees according to my thermometer, and so I went down stairs and turn on the fireplace and then made sure that our three boys were well covered in their beds. We stumbled out of bed into a reasonably warm house in the morning, thanks to our propane fireplace and I dug out our old Coleman camp stove to cook breakfast (and lunch and dinner . . . ).

All this got me thinking. We were nice and warm, as long as there was propane in the tank . . . but what would have happened if the tank ran dry? I need a backup of good old fashioned fire wood. The Colemen stove worked great . . . but I only have two gallons of fuel . . . that runs out and then what?

We don't need a disaster on the scale of Katrina to feel uncomfortable. What are you doing to be prepared for the bumps in life that come along from time-to-time?

-- Do you have food and fuel stored away?
-- What about a three-day emergency kit?
-- Could you plant a garden to feed your family? (I have an emergency supply of heritage seeds)
-- If you can't get to the ATM do you have cash (small bills and coins and maybe a little silver) on hand?

Have a plan . . . a get prepared.