Preparedness for when

Hillbilly1

I like this:-

http://abcnews.go.com/International/fullpage/mayan-calendar-2012-december-21-2012-infographic-17993709

I'm now off to google this mega-prepper bloke!

I think there is something in the stars.. I am usually super focussed and have a 5 year plan. This year and esepcially now am aimless and haveno idea what Iam or want to do, except prep of course!

http://survive2012.com/

mardatha

http://rt.com/news/russia-freeze-cold-temperature-379/

Got this from a weather forum

GreyQueen

unixgirluk wrote: »

Did anyone see Wartime Farm Christmas last night? OH seemed really surprised when I said about shortages where we lived during the miners strike. I watched with fond memories at Ruth and co making dolls house furniture and using the Chinese lanterns to make decorations as I'd seen my Gran and Mum do the same when I was young. The miners strike didn't just affect the miners but lots of other jobs too. We lived out in the country and had a coal seam near us so I was dispatched (with the dog for company) with a bucket and a hammer to fetch coal for the fire. I really think some of the skills they discussed last night are going to become common place again.

Oh gosh, that takes me back to being a student in Scotland in the eighties, fundraisers etc for the miners. Very dark times for the people affected and a salutory experience for those of us who were observing from outside the affected communities.

Mar, I've read about gathering seacoal in the past and have some vague recollection that it burns "dirty" - is that a myth? Obs not going to perform like best anthracite but I did wonder.

One think Mum has always remarked upon is how wasteful modern society has become with burnable wood. When we were nippers, we and Mum would do things like forage the offcuts from a garden shed building firm near our home (with their consent) and gather up burnables. Grandma used to love to go "sticking"; walking the lanes with a beat-up old pram gathering sticks for kindling.

With the rising costs of energy and more people looking to install woodburners, more of us will be keeping our eyes peeled for useful firewood and perhaps a lovely guest-gift to someone with a woodburner would be a hunk of wood instead of a bottle of wine.

Mum likes to play around with her woodturning lathe and, as any woodturner can tell you, you end up producing some mistakes which can best be classified as ornamental firewood. We have an acquaintance with a woodburner to use the errors.

Starting to feel a lot like my memories of the seventies, heightened by my current marathon watching session of the first series of Survivors from the 1970s. Oh, those fashions....!

Right, onward and outwards, GQ xx

oldtractor

unixgirluk wrote: »

Did anyone see Wartime Farm Christmas last night? OH seemed really surprised when I said about shortages where we lived during the miners strike. I watched with fond memories at Ruth and co making dolls house furniture and using the Chinese lanterns to make decorations as I'd seen my Gran and Mum do the same when I was young. The miners strike didn't just affect the miners but lots of other jobs too. We lived out in the country and had a coal seam near us so I was dispatched (with the dog for company) with a bucket and a hammer to fetch coal for the fire. I really think some of the skills they discussed last night are going to become common place again.

Yes I watched it. Loved the programme and all the love that went introv making toys and lanterns and thing. Great.

mardatha

I can't remember GQ, we had an ordinary open fire then and I didnt notice anything wrong with it. It was so hot it melted the grate and fire bars a few times!

wondercollie

maryb wrote: »

Here's one to be going on with:

Americans are weird, tobacco chewing, bible pushing, hillbillies

I've been to rural W. Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, and Ohio. The people in the small towns there hit 3/4 of these stereotypes. Duelling Banjos country.:eek:

missrlr

Swizterland County by the Mississippi ........ Frankly scary

ginnyknit

I have baffled myself today, I bought a large tin of mushroom soup today for 49p, thought the soup would work in a casserole or 2 and remembered I wanted a large tin for something and cannot for the life of me remember what it was - Oh now I can, it was to make a sawdust candle - Doh! Im mainly worried about heating here as we are all electric and not allowed calor fires ( LL rules) We have plenty of blankets but need a few more hot water bottles. TBH Im sick of being cold so have been trying to keep on the move but my arthritis flare up after a fall on Saturday has put paid to that.

Happily stocked up with food to a level that satisfies me. Meds all upto date for Oh and equipement delivered to cover a month - they wont let us have more but if I keep doing a deep clean I can stretch that to 2 months.

Plans set for work I need to do after Christmas to improve the office as heat leaks out from the kitchen into the cold office and is lost.

2tonsils my heart goes out to the population of Greece and apparently Spain is heading the same way -programme the other night about it and they mentioned the pharmacies are the same as yours.

I think personally from all I have heard/read/worked out we seriously need to hone our skills and prep like mad as things are going to be very hard. From my quick trips to Mr M and Mr S today food is going to be a luxury soon, the prices are ridiculous. I saw some excellent bargains in tinned stuff in B&M so with a lot of planning we could save money, hopefully if people spread out their money and use the big SM's less they will be forced to cut prices. Im damn sure the farmers and producers arent getting better profits - its all going in the Sm's pockets. Maybe they know their time at the top is limited and are stashing their cash for their fall?

bluebag

ginnyknit, I think you are not far off the mark when you say things may get worse.

Virtually the whole world is in recession, I don't think that's ever happened before?

This is quite a special and unique place, people who have never met can share practical ideas, offer support and help each other through whatever uncertainties the future may bring.

It makes me very thankful that there are other like minded people to travel the journey with.

I feel we are living in 'interesting' times that children will ask us about in future, part of a history project or something.

Popperwell

Bluebag and Ginny,
I feel like you and yes though anecdotal but all the people I do talk with feel the same and are not as vocal or nasty about those on benefits and are struggling and do not see it the way the media and politicians would have us believe. The truth is so many have similar tales and can relate.

It is going to get worse. It has already started brown envelopes and forms dropping on mats. Officially, many will be affected during certain months of the coming year during January, April and October 2013. We all know about rent. food and council tax changes, the bedroom tax.

We know about the utility bill prices(the increase the companies brought in)then the green policies the Government keep pushing and now we have more as we have to pay for the upgrade of the system and how it is delievered to us.

Today, the councils have been told their budgets are cut so front line services are under further threat.

I don't think that I have ever been so pessamistic about the future. I try to be positive when I wake but by bedtime I'm anything but. My only real peace is when I am asleep.