There is a special kind of preparedness problem that doesn’t require a hurricane, an earthquake, a power outage, or civil unrest. It requires a closet. More specifically, it requires a closet containing three flashlights, twelve extension cords, a perfectly good first-aid kit, four unopened packages of batteries, an emergency radio, Read more…
October is a charming little liar. It shows up with cool evenings, colorful leaves, soup weather, and the general impression that everything is under control. The air conditioner finally gets a break. The furnace hasn’t yet been asked to perform under pressure. The pipes are minding their own business. The Read more…
There is currently an 8.43-pound bone-in chuck roast sitting in my kitchen. I call him Brontosaurus. Brontosaurus came into my life because Kroger committed one of my favorite acts of kindness: a BOGO sale on chuck roast. Buy one. Get one free. There are few combinations of words in the Read more…
There’s a funny thing that happens when summer starts packing up its things. The tomatoes slow down, the zucchini finally stops trying to take over the neighborhood, and a lot of gardeners mentally put the whole operation to bed until spring. But the garden isn’t necessarily closed. In fact, depending Read more…
If you have been preparing for any length of time, you have heard it. “If things ever get really bad, I’m coming to your house!” Usually it is said with a laugh. Sometimes with a little wink. Occasionally with enough confidence that you begin to suspect the person has already Read more…
Have you ever noticed that some people seem to spend more time preparing for the end of the world than they do preparing for Tuesday? I have. In fact, somewhere along the way, parts of the preparedness community started acting as though the grand prize goes to whoever can predict Read more…
In nearly twenty years of teaching preparedness, I’ve never begun an article quite like this one. But then again, I’ve never written an article quite like this one. I’ve written well over a thousand articles on preparedness. I’ve taught classes, spoken to audiences across the country, and spent nearly two decades Read more…
Water storage should be simple. Find a safe container. Fill it with safe water. Store it properly. Use it when needed. And yet, somewhere between the kitchen faucet and the basement shelf, emergency water acquired more rules than a homeowners association. Never put it on concrete. Replace it every six Read more…
There is a sentence that has quietly sabotaged more preparedness plans than procrastination, misplaced batteries, and instruction manuals printed in six-point type combined. “I’ll figure it out.” It sounds confident. Capable, even. It suggests that when the moment arrives, we will square our shoulders, assess the situation, and summon some Read more…
Every spring, gardeners begin dreaming about the harvest. We imagine juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, sweet peppers, baskets of green beans, and enough zucchini to make the neighbors turn off the porch light and pretend they aren’t home. We picture jars lined up on pantry shelves, fresh produce on the table, Read more…