Aprons

I love aprons.  They keep the splatters off your clothing when you cook and remind me of my grandmothers who both wore aprons in the kitchen. 

These patterns from Indygo Junction and Simplicity are styles from the 1920's and '30's.  They provide plenty of coverage.  The half aprons might work for a tall girl whose counter hits her below the waist, but if you are on the short side like me, a full apron will protect your clothing better.

 

Aprons used to be made from scrap fabric, flour sacks, or worn out clothing.  These days, there are many beautiful contemporary or nostalgic prints to choose from. 

 

Aprons have been worn for centuries to protect the wearer from injuries as well as just keeping clothing clean.  Butchers, black smiths, and welders all wear aprons.  In times when people only had a few changes of clothing, aprons prolonged the need for doing laundry. 

 

We can learn a lot from what our grandmothers did during the Great Depression, and an apron would be a good thing to have on when hanging wet clothing on a clothes line, canning vegetables from the garden, or baking bread. 

 

A pretty apron can be whipped up in an afternoon, so why not sew some pretty ones to put you in the mood to cook?

 

Where to Put All Your Survival Gear

In order to survive for months or to buy food while the prices are lowest, you'll need a lot of it on hand.  Some things can be kept in your garage but there are some items you'll want to have inside in a climate controlled temperature. 

 

Food packages from www.beprepared.com

 

 

I recommend keeping a note book and logging in all food items so you can rotate them and use before expiration dates.  You'll probably be storing things underneath beds and in every nook and cranny you can find.  If you have closet space in a guest room, you can store things there.  You might consider making shelves like you had in your college days made from boards and concrete blocks.  When the shelves are empty, the boards could come in handy as firewood or for boarding up windows.  Large garbage cans are good for storing pet food and plastic storage tubs can hold bags of rice, flour, and dried beans.

 

If you have a storm cellar or basement, you are in luck.  The cooler temperatures are great for food items.  Do not sit plastic containers directly on cement floors.  The cement breaks down the plastic.  You can put a sheet of corrugated cardboard on the cement and then place water containers on the cardboard, or use pallets to raise them off the floor a few inches.

 

There is much to learn, but the information is available if you take the time to look.  Read from several survival sources.  Most of the information will be the same, but each site will have a tip or two that is unique to their site and will be helpful when the time comes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being Prepared

In 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit Pass Christian, Mississippi, I was living just three hours north of the Gulf Coast in a suburb of Jackson, Mississippi.  Weather forecasters knew the storm was a bad one and people were warned to get as far away as they could.  Buses were provided to take those who didn't have cars.  Surrounding states prepared for the avalanche of people that would undoubtedly come.  Yet some chose to stay, knowing how bad the storm would be.  They were, of course, devastated, and some died because of the choice they made.  The focus was shifted from the Mississippi coast where the hurricane hit, to nearby New Orleans, which suffered massive losses when the levee collapsed.

The point of saying all this is that we should be prepared when we know the chances are strong that disaster is headed our way.  There are examples of times when it didn't happen, but it just makes sense to take precautions if at all possible.  You'll never be sorry that you were prepared.  Are you ever sorry when the weather man predicts rain and you carry your umbrella to work, but it doesn't rain?  You probably feel like you had it covered, even though you didn't need that umbrella.

In 1999 on New Year's eve, many believed that "Y2K" would lock up computers and there would be pandemonium.  Luckily that didn't happen and the world continued to turn.

When you look at all the lists of food and materials for an economic crisis, they are daunting.  Most of us don't have an additional 50K to drop on camping equipment and food for a year, but we can do something.  The most important things to consider are clean drinking water, basic food, vitamins to fill in the gaps of eating all that canned and dried food, personal hygiene items like tooth paste and toilet paper, and as many tools as you can assemble to make your life easier:  can opener, clothes line, camping stove and fuel, etc.    Make sure you include a few treats for each of your family members.  You don't need to have them every day, but once in a while, a favorite kind of candy or soda or popcorn - something that you really enjoy to keep you from feeling totally deprived - will do wonders for your attitude. 

If you don't have them on hand, look for a deck of cards, some board games or other things like jump ropes and simple toys to keep the kids occupied in case there is no electricity.  It might turn out to be a family bonding time that brings us all closer.