Welcome to a New Year!

Happy New Year, Sisters!

This will just be a short post...or it won't get done...lol!  I have so many New Years goals and projects that it's killing me to leave them to work on blog posts.  I have just a couple of things to share.  The following list, "Build Your Food Storage With Only $5 a Week," has been floating about Provident Living Land for a few years now.  Many things may cost more than the promised $5, but it's a way to get started.  I am picking up my 6 lbs. of salt tomorrow.  I have most of these things already, but I figure, what the hey?  It never hurts to have more than enough. For the January "Eating an Elephant" goal, check the right hand side of the post.  It will be there under "Featured Post."

A New Tip to Try...

Best Garment Whitener!

I found this on Facebook and though I haven't tried it yet, you may want to give it a go.  I cannot guarantee anything.

Combine 48 oz. powder Cascade with 3 lb. Oxi Clean White Revive.  Mix all together and store in a container.

To Wash:

Fill a kitchen sink or plastic storage container with hot, hot water and add 1 cup of Cascade/Oxi mic, 1 capful Persil Pro White Technology Power Pearls and 1 cup white vinegar.  Let garments or any white items soak overnight or several hours.  May want to give them a few stirs.

Next:

Drain and finish them with a rinse cycle in your washer, then dry.  Seriously supposed to make them whiter than anything the person who posted this has tried.  We'll see...lol!

Happy January!!

Eating an Elephant...December Bite!

December Bite...

Tastes like Christmas Cookies!

This is the last installment of "Eating an Elephant" preparedness goals.  Sorry they are so late...December kind of gets away from me.  In January I hope to come up with a new theme for the year.  The monthly goals will still be available in the post archive...but even better...Blogger has added a new feature, "Featured Post" that will appear on the top of the right side. You will be able to find each month's "Bite" there.  Just a click away!  As an example, you will find a post from last Christmas about Santa Claus and what the Prophets have said about him.

December Goals...

"No man is truly free who is in financial bondage.  'Think what you do when you run in debt,' said Benjamin Franklin. 'You give another power over your liberty.'"

--Ezra Taft Benson

Spiritual Goal:

Decide as a family how you can better remember and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

Provident Living Goal:

Review you insurance coverage; life, household, vehicle.  Do you have enough?  Could you replace your vehicle or household goods with the coverage you have?

Storage Goal:

• 40 lbs. dried beans per person.
• Matches.
• Candles.
• Batteries.

72 Hour Kit:

• Garbage bags,
• Candles.
• Matches.
• Can Opener.

December Visiting Teaching Message...

I liked this cute handout from Polka Dot Creations on Pinterest!

I hope we all remembered our Sisters this month!

Merry Christmas, Sisters!

Thankful November Bite...Eating an Elephant!

Thanksgiving Bite!

I am still chuckling over this month's elephant!  On a whim I went to Pinterest and typed in "Thanksgiving elephant" without much hope of finding such a thing.  Well, what do you know...look what popped up!!  I admit I snorted a bit of Diet Coke through my nose...good thing I don't have a trunk...lol!

November...A Month for Gratitude

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, I just want to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of you that read and support this blog.  Blogs are funny things...a cross between an online newsletter, a magazine article and a personal journal.  It can be many things depending on who writes it and who their audience is.  This year I have focused mainly on preparedness.  I hope the monthly "Bites" have been helpful...especially if you and your family are just getting started.  Some of the suggested storage goals may have been a little too much for the monthly budget to handle.  I understand.  The purpose is to make suggestions for the month and we each do as much as we can.  Every little bite helps...right?  So if the goal is 100 lbs. of wheat per person, even if you just get 100 lbs. total (or just 1 bucket) you are that much closer to completing your storage goals.  

November Goals...

President Brigham Young

"The time will come that gold will hold not comparison in value to a bushel of wheat."

--Pres. Brigham Young

Spiritual Goal:

Have personal prayers and scripture study every day.

Provident Living Goal:

Make a goal of reducing your family garbage by recycling more.

Storage Goal:

• 100 pounds of wheat per person.
• 1 #10 can juice mix with vitamin C per person.
• Hand/shower soap.
• Light bulbs.
• At least one month prescription ahead for all doctor prescribed medication.

72 Hour Kit:

• Soap.
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste.
• Infant needs.
• Feminine needs.
• Disinfectant.
• Aluminum foil.

Grateful for the Harvest.

"Y Prepare?"  Stake Preparedness Blog

If you are not already following the Stake Preparedness Blog, you can easily receive updates in your email by visiting www.yprepare.com and filling in your email in the subscribe box.  It's right there at the top of the article.  The following links are for the last four posts...in case you missed them.

Highland Central Stake FRS/GRMS Frequencies and Radio Instruction Video

http://www.yprepare.com/highland-central-stake-frsgrms-frequencies-and-radio-instruction-video.html

Practical Hazmat Protection--Accident Mitigation

http://www.yprepare.com/practical-hazmat-protection-accident-mitigation.html

Emergency Cleaning Bucket

http://www.yprepare.com/emergency-cleaning-bucket.html

Shelf Life of Commercially Canned Foods

http://www.yprepare.com/shelf-life-of-commercially-canned-foods.html

Grateful for the Peaceful Beauty of an Autumn Day.

I have so much to be grateful for this year...

Bless you, Dear Sisters!

October Bite...Fall Fun!

Trunk or Treat!!

October is here at last!

Would you be surprised to hear that October is my favorite month of the year?  Naw...me neither!  October is not just Halloween; it's sunny days with a chilly bite in the air.  The month brings with it football games, raking leaves and General Conference Weekend.  I love taking drives up into the mountains, even though the turning leaves are past their prime and have moved down into the valley.

October makes me crave chili and sloppy joes...and doughnuts...the menu from childhood Halloween carnivals at Harrington and Alpine Elementary Schools.  I will always associate these foods with October. 

A week or so ago, I went to the Dutch Oven Cooking Workshop.  It was held on a rainy night at the church picnic pavilion.  It felt a bit like roughing it.  The pavilion was wrapped in tarps to keep the wind and rain at bay.  Bundled in coats and jackets, folks were busily helping put the meals and desserts together in the big iron pots.  It was kind of fun and we learned a lot. Larry Walker is an amusing and informative teacher. The situation reminded me of pioneers on the trail working together to set up camp and prepare a communal meal.  I wondered what it would be like to crawl into a cold tent or wagon box afterward and try to get warm enough to fall asleep.  I liked the spirit of cooperation and fellowship.  If hard times come, I know that my neighbors will work together to help each other get through it.

October Goals...

"When people are able but unwilling to take care of themselves, we are responsible to employ the dictum of the Lord that the idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer."

--Elder Boyd K. Packer

Spiritual Goal:

Watch one more session of General Conference than you normally would.

Provident Living Goal:

Make a goal to read 30 minutes/day to your children or grandchildren.  If you have no children to read to, make a goal to read at least 30 minutes/day just for pleasure.

Storage Goal:

• 50 cans of soup, stew, or chili per person.
• 10 pounds of cheese per person.
• Shaving supplies.
• Dish soap.

72 Hour Kit:

• 4 granola bars per person.
• 2 sticks beef jerky per person.
• 1 package chewing gum per person.
• Hard candies or lollipops...at least 12 per person.  
• Check batteries for lights and radio...replace if needed.
• Conference weekend is good time to update your kit and rotate food items.

Fall Fun...Hobo Party!

The Official Hobo Uniform...

Driving in the canyon with the windows open one sunny afternoon in the fall, I caught the scent of wood smoke and leaves that had been crushed underfoot.  I was transported in memory to my teenage years and an MIA activity one autumn in the canyon.  It was a hobo party at Granite Flats.  We dressed in our raggedy jeans and old flannel shirts.  The leaders had set up camp with a crackling bonfire.  Dutch oven pots of chili bubbled enticingly.  We ate out of tin cans and old pie tins...nothing ever tasted so good!  I don't remember what games we played or anything else... other than the cute boy I sat next to on the way home.  What I do remember was how content I was to be in the mountains and how the wood smoke brought tears to my eyes...happy tears.  I'm sure I am looking back through rosy lenses, but an October day can do that to me.

Hobo Bindles.

A bindle is the stereotypical pack carried by a hobo.

A hobo with a bindle was often called a "Bindlestiff."

I love Wikipedia...lol!

Wouldn't it be fun to have a Hobo Party in the canyon with your children or grandchildren this fall?

Just pack up the dutch oven and dress in your finest raggedy clothing.  Eat chili or hobo stew out of pie tins and make s'mores.  Each child could have their own bindle.  Wrap up individual packets of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers in a banana and let the child use the stick for roasting his marshmallows.  What better way to spend a sunny October weekend?

Made from real hobos?

Happy October, Sisters

Workshop...Dutch Oven Cooking!

Dutch Oven Cooking!

What better way to enjoy autumn...or be better prepared?

Workshop and Demonstration

• Wednesday evening  September 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Highland Central Stake Center Picnic Pavilion (if weather permits...if not, will be held indoors.)
• Taught by Larry and Jeanie Walker...authors of several books on Dutch Oven Cooking and long time Highland residents.
• Helpful instruction, live cooking demonstration, recipes and yummy samples.
• Adults 12 and over please.

Every month members of the Stake Preparedness Committee get together to plan and discuss ways to help our ward members be more prepared in all aspects of their lives.  This workshop is open to all members of the stake and whoever else might be interested.  The Walkers have been doing this for many years and are expert Dutch oven specialists.  They were at the Preparedness Expo this past weekend.

One of the books they have published.

Preparedness Blog and Calendar

The Highland Central Stake has an official preparedness blog  Y Prepare?  Mike Parry is the administrator.  He and his contributors have prepared links to resources to help us with our preparedness goals.  It's very important that each of us visit this blog and sign up on the right-hand side for email updates.  That way any time the blog is updated, you will know and be able to access the new information.

Across the top of the blog are links to subjects like food storage, 72 hour kits, gardening, health, etc.  One of the links is Events Calendar.  The calendar will list classes, workshops and other upcoming events pertaining to preparedness.  If you haven't been to the blog, please take a minute to look at it.  I know you will be glad to be able to access the resources they have put together for us.

Miscellaneous...

• Case Lot Sales are going on right now.  Macy's ends this Saturday.  Smith's ends tomorrow.  I love these sales.  They're perfect for filling up my rotating can organizer in the pantry.  The lower price per can makes it easy to store the suggested 90 days of "food my family will eat."

• Today I began to update and rotate the food in my 72 hour kit back packs.  I am at a bit of a dilemma.  My 72 hour "bug out" kit is getting unwieldy.  It may take several trips to load the stuff into the car.  So I decided to change the contents of the back packs so that we can just grab them if there is little to no time to dally.  If time allows, then we can go back for the duffle of tools and emergency stuff, the sleeping bags and the backpack of freeze dried entrees.

• It's very important to rotate the food every 6 months...at General Conference time is a good rule of thumb.  I hadn't done it for over a year and the saltines and little cartons of Goldfish crackers were positively rancid.  I store a package of saltines inside a Pringle's can.  I don't know if I'll ever get the weird smell out of the can...lol!

This was just a quick post to let you know about the Dutch Oven class.  I hope you can make it!

What Prophets Have Said About Santa Claus.

Believe or Not to Believe?

Beautiful Artwork by Greg Olson

When my children were small I hesitated to include Santa Claus in my holiday decorations because I didn't want the season to be focused on the gifts that Santa would bring.  But I had had so much love for Santa when I was a child...he had been so much a part of the magic of the season.  I knew that the birth of Jesus was the reason we celebrated...Primary lessons and Nativity programs added to the joy and anticipation.  The singing of hymns and caroling with my teachers and class mates helped make the season bright.  But I just couldn't bear to have Christmas without Santa. He had always been kind to me.

Today I found a blog post on LDS Living titled "What Prophets Have Said About Santa Claus."  What I read warmed my heart... they were saying I could BELIEVE!  Their words put it all in perspective.  Here are just a few of the quotes:

David O. McKay
"It is a glorious thing to have old St. Nicholas in our hearts and in our homes today, whether he enters the latter through the open door or creeps down the chimney on Christmas Eve.  To bring happiness to others without seeking personal honor or praise by publishing it is a most commendable virtue..."

Boyd K. Packer
"I want to emphasize that I have no quarrel with that well-fed gentleman with the red suit and the white whiskers.  He was very generous to me when I was a boy, and we are looking forward with great anticipation to his visit at our home.  All of those things with reference to Christmas are appropriate and good, and all of them are for children...except, I suppose, the mistletoe."

John A. Widtsoe
There are men who object to Santa Claus because he does not exist! Such men need spectacles to see that Santa Claus is a symbol; a symbol of the love and joy of Christmas and the Christmas spirit.  In the land of my birth there was no Santa Claus, but a little goat was shoved into the room, carrying with it a basket of Christmas toys and gifts.  The goat itself counted for nothing; but the Christmas spirit, which it symbolized, counted for a tremendous lot."

Ezra Taft Benson
As a boy I loved going to the canyon to cut our Christmas tree and I always tried to get one that reached to the ceiling.  Though we received only a few gifts, our stockings were filled with fruit, nuts, and candy, and Santa always left something.  Like all children, we suffered terrible anticipation at Christmastime...until, that is, we happened onto the Santa Claus costume in the bottom of an old trunk.  Suddenly the secret was out. So that was why Father was always out doing chores when Santa came on Christmas morning."

Christmas Spirit Can Be Renewed...

I have struggled with my holiday spirit this year.  What used to be a holiday hustle and bustle...like in the song "Silver Bells"... has turned into a mad scene of chaos that starts right after dinner on Thanksgiving...no breather,  and seemingly no chance to connect with family and enjoy each other's company.  I just feel tired rather than joyful.  I want to return to Christmas Past.  I want to visit Mary Pulley's house in American Fork for her Christmas Nativity and get a treat from Santa.  I want to drive all over town and "ooh and ahh" over the simple lights on simple houses which to me looked the colored sprinkles on Christmas cookies.  No admission charges!

How I remember Christmas in American Fork.

I miss Santa with his reindeer pulling the little sleigh.

Santa's Christmas Train...such a delight!

 I wish I could go back again with my Harrington School classmates to the fire station and receive a bag of candy, nuts and oranges from the firemen.  So much happiness to be found back then.  It's time I looked for the joy of the 2014 season. The words of beloved Church leaders give me hope for Christmas Present...I can BELIEVE!  Let me leave you with one last quote from Jeffrey R. Holland:

A little family...

Jeffrey R. Holland

"The memory of that night would bring Santa Claus and Frosty and Rudolph...and all would be welcome.  But first and forever there was just a little family, without toys or trees or tinsel.  With a baby...that's how Christmas began."

Dear Sisters, I wish you a blessed and joyful Christmas



Eating an Elephant...Goals for August and September!

Back-to-School Bites...Monthly Goals!

I apologize for being so late publishing the monthly Provident Living goals for August.  I've had some painful dental issues and visiting grandchildren the past few weeks.  So I have decided to give you the goals for both August and September.  This is such a busy time of year, getting the children off to school and taking care of our gardens...getting the fruits of our labor canned and stored for the winter.  I love this time of year!

August Goals!

Back-to-School!

"For the moment we live in a day of peace and prosperity, but it shall not ever be thus.  Great trials lie ahead...and we must prepare ourselves temporally and spiritually..."

--Bruce R. McConkie

Spiritual Goal:  

Have Family Home Evenings with family every Monday.  Make sure at least one Monday each month is set aside for doing something really fun for the whole family.

Provident Living Goal:  

Learn to preserve food in a way you haven't tried before.

Storage Goal:

• 100 quarts fruit and vegetables per person.
• 24 pints of jam or jelly per person.
• Feminine needs.
• School supplies.
• Pet supplies.

72 Hour Kit:

• I can tuna per person.
• 1 can pork and beans per person.
• 1/2 pound dried milk per person.
• 2 packets hot chocolate per person (or 1 large can per family).
• 2 instant soup packets per person (rotated every year).
• Disposable plates, cups, bowls, and flatware.
• Pet supplies...include dishes, leash, and extra water.

September Goals!

There is nothing so satisfying as a filled pantry.

"There is no person who knows the real purpose for which this welfare program is being instituted, but hardly before sufficient preparation has been made the real purpose will be revealed, and when that time comes, it will challenge every resource of the church to meet it."

--Harold B. Lee

Spiritual Goal:

Have family scripture study together every day.

Provident Living Goal:

Review your will if you have one.  make any needed changes.  If you do not have a will, make arrangements to get one.  EVERY adult should have a will.  Plan and carry out a FHE on the importance of preparedness.

Storage Goal:

• 10- #10 cans (35 lbs. total) powdered milk per person.
• 25 pounds canned or dried potatoes per person.
• 50 quarts fruit or tomato juice per person.

72 Hour Kit:

• I pound dried fruit or trail mix per person...or fruit leather.
• 1 package (4 per box) saltine crackers per person.
• 1 (4 per box) package graham cracker per person.
• 2 liters tomato or orange juice per person.
• Rotate these items every 6 months.

We are thankful for the harvest!

Remember to visit the Stake Preparedness Blog...Y Prepare?

Have a lovely fall, Sisters!