Tea Anyone?...

When the weather outside is frightful...and inside it's so delightful...I love to cuddle up in my sweats under a soft blanket...kick back on a recliner...and enjoy a cup of herbal tea. It seems that the more inclement the weather is outside...the more I enjoy myself! I make the tea too hot to drink...and then deeply breathe the steam in until it cools enough that I can drink it. It might be a sweet berry flavor...some lemon balm from the garden...or maybe some soothing mint tea that serves to clear my sinuses...which often seem obstructed during the cold months.

If I were to tell a group of LDS people that I like to do this...I would have some say "That sound's nice...I like to do that too!"...and then I'd have some that would say "I think that is breaking the word of wisdom (or law of health)...I would never do that".

The difference in belief stems from an interpretation of a revelation that outlines how to be healthy with regards to what we take into our bodies...it reads...

Doctrine and Covenants 89:9 - "And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly."

Thankfully...the prophets gave some clarification when they stated that "Hot drinks" are referring specifically to "tea and coffee".

While this did bring us one step closer to clarification...there has remained confusion for many as to what was meant by "tea". One is left to ask..."Is "tea" referring to just..."

1. A drink made from from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis)?

or does it also include...

2. Herbal drinks made from anything other than the tea plant...that have been applied the misnomer "tea"?

Lest we think that herbs are somehow generally forbidden...in the same revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants section 89 it reads...

10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome ^aherbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with ^aprudence and ^bthanksgiving.

The key there is "with prudence". For example...the Lord did not entirely forbid the use of tobacco...but just told us how it could be used prudently...

8 And again, tobacco is not for the ^abody, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.

In another scripture He reiterates this point when He says...

D&C 59:17 Yea, and the herb, and the ^agood things which come of the earth, whether for food or for ^braiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;

18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the ^abenefit and the ^buse of man, both to please the eye and to ^cgladden the heart;

19 Yea, for ^afood and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to ^bstrengthen the body and to enliven the soul.

20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to ^aexcess, neither by extortion.

In the Book of Mormon we are told that God prepared many wild "plants and roots" to "remove the cause of diseases"...

Alma 46:40 And there were some who died with fevers, which at some seasons of the year were very frequent in the land—but not so much so with fevers, because of the excellent qualities of the many ^aplants and roots which God had prepared to remove the cause of ^bdiseases, to which men were subject by the nature of the climate—

The Lord has expressly told us the medicinal value of wild plants...and given us the charge to use them "with judgement". The question we must ask is...how should each herb be used?

Here is an article from the Ensign where a professor at a school discusses the medicinal value of various herbs and gives warnings about having reliable information before taking anything. The author has an apparent disdain for herbal remedies which I do not share. Personally...I believe that modern medicine can do wonderful things or make people even more ill. I tend to trust herbal remedies rather than pills filled with chemicals of unknown origins produced by people with unknown motives.

To an LDS person who would still hold the belief that herbal teas are against the law of health I would ask "Do you also believe that soup is against the law of health?"

Hot water...mixed with a variety of herbs and vegetables...will make a soup.

Hot water...mixed with a variety of herbs and even vegetables...will make an "herbal tea".

As I see it...the main difference is that one generally eats the solids in a soup...while in an herbal tea one generally just drinks the broth.

Tea's and Survival

If you are in a survival situation...stranded out in the cold...a nice warm drink may be what helps to keep you warm enough to survive the night...or at least make your situation more tolerable. That same warm herbal tea could also provide sustaining vitamins as well as some morale boosting great flavor.

One of the most famous stories about wild herbal teas saving lives is about the French explorer Jacques Cartier. While exploring Cananda...his men and the natives came down with Scurvy and disease. Natives introduced him to a tea...presumably made from pine needles and/or white cedar leaves. The tea quickly brought them back to health.

Tea's are generally made by boiling water...or just under boiling...and then adding your plant material to the water to allow it to steep. If the water is too hot...and you boil the plant in the water...you may lose much of the nutritive value as it is destroyed by the heat. Here is a video of a lady making pine needle tea.

In order to use herbs with "judgement"...there are plenty of books that will teach herbal remedies...and wilderness medicine. Browse at your local library or on the internet and you will find volumes of information.

One that I recently found that I really...really like is called "Native American Ethnobotany". It is not a plant identification book. It is a dictionary thick book that will tell you about how most every plant available was used by the Native Americans...as food...tools...medicine...etc... What I especially like about it is the fact that you can see how unrelated tribes used the same plants for the same purposes...which lends credibility to their usefulness in that application.

Try some herbal tea sometime if you haven't before. You could start with a cup of chamomile tea...a flower with a mild taste. It has been used for thousands of years...has a very soothing quality to it.

With a bit of research...you could also come to enjoy the tea's that mother nature gives for free...that could also save your life!

The Seychelle...

High on any emergency evacuation bags' list of contents should be water. The challenge that arises is that water is heavy and takes up space. If you wind up on foot...there is a limit on the amount you can physically carry...or will want to risk carrying in your efforts to not become physically exhausted. Another thing to consider...is that once you have expended that water as you sit in a shelter...or consume it on your journey...you will need to look for water again.

When you find that water...it may be from a questionable source. Does it have fecal matter in it? Even if it does look clean...what bacteria or other spook may be in it?

A level of piece of mind can be attained by having a portable water filter of some sort in your pack. This is a big topic. I could get into boiling water. Iodide. Microns. The difference between purifiers and filters etc... You can learn some about that here.

I just wanted to point out something interesting to be found at church distribution. They now offer the Seychelle water filter bottle. This is interesting because...I don't recollect the church ever having any preparedness items for sale...other than food storage. This is not the cadillac of water filters...but it is a "good" filter. While it is currently sold out...it will be available for $16.50...with free shipping!!! The manufacturer is offering it for $29.99...plus you have to pay for shipping. Literally half the price if purchased from Church Distribution.

For that price...this would be a good one to have in a car emergency pack...a work emergency pack...or your regular home emergency evac bags. You could probably afford for everyone in your family to have their own!

If you have the money to purchase something that takes out more of the bad stuff...I'd recommend the first need.

Acorns and Oil Workshop...

Just a reminder...THIS Saturday November 21^st from 9am-12:30pm at 110 Foxridge Drive in Folsom is my Acorns and Oil workshop!! I look forward to seeing you there! (If you are geographically able!)

Here is the info on the event...

Feel free to let me know you are coming at stenix@ymail.com

The Salt of the Earth...

Ezra Taft Benson said it well...

"To a great extent we are physically what we eat. Most of us are acquainted with some of the prohibitions, such as no tea, coffee, tobacco, or alcohol. What need additional emphasis are the positive aspects--the need for vegetables, fruits, and grains, particularly wheat. In most cases, the closer these can be, when eaten, to their natural state-- without overrefinement and processing--the healthier we will be. To a significant degree, we are an overfed and undernourished nation digging an early grave with our teeth, and lacking the energy that could be ours because we overindulge in junk foods."

I have several friends that have lived for a month or so on ONLY "raw" unprocessed foods. When they tell you of their experience...they paint a picture of going through withdrawals for a time...much like a drug addict....and say things like..."I thought I was going to die drinking only my green shakes and other veggies. I would have killed for a Snickers bar or a cheeseburger!!!" After passing through this torturous detoxification process...they tell how they "Never felt healthier" and "...had so much energy". They also often tell of how they had a noticeable increase in clarity of thought!

When asked the naturally following question "Then are you still doing it?" They respond "No". Then when asked "Why would you stop if you felt that great?" they tell of how hard it is to exist in our society eating only raw and unprocessed foods. "I couldn't be normal at any public function. I'd rather be able to sit down and enjoy some fried chicken and cheesecake with my family than feel super healthy". Or they tell of how they gradually drifted back into their old diet a few bites at a time...and now just try to incorporate more unprocessed and raw foods into their regular diet.

While I am not seeking to judge such people harshly (as I would be a major hypocrite!!!) it is an interesting thing that most of us know what is good for us and what is not...and if we consume the good we know it will will make us feel great...and yet still choose to eat that which keeps us in those "mists of darkness" with regards to health. Food "mists of darkness" that can cloud our spiritual perceptions as well. We're like those animals that lap up anti-freeze because "It tastes so sweet". A sweetness that will either make us ill...or ultimately kill us.

Many or perhaps most of the health ills that we are plagued with can be traced back to the poor nutrition from eating unhealthy. Here is a trailer for a video that serves to prove that point... that tells the story of a group of diabetics that were "cured" of their diabetes after a short period by changing their diet.

In order to increase the shelf lives of our food...to make it's appearance without blemish...and to enhance it's fluffiness or other attributes...the US the food industry has largely stripped our foods of what our bodies need. "Evils and designs do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days" and it's evidence can be found on our food labels.

Not only have the nutritional values of our foods been comprised through over-refinement...but they have also been putting all kinds of preservatives and other miscellaneous ingredients into our foods. I'm sure that this is not news to you...but it should cause some alarm that the ingredients we might consume have names that are too long to pronounce... and have unknown origins. It's kind of like my saying to you "Open your mouth and close your eyes...and you will get a big surprise!!!" It could be a yummy strawberry...or maybe some earwax!! Gross! We have so much blind faith as a nation in the people that oversee the quality of the food we consume to choose what can and can't be put into our foods. If food is the best medicine...do you know the side effects of the medicine you are eating? Chances are if you actually knew what those ingredients were...you would think twice about putting them into your bodies.

Here is a book that from A-Z let's you know what the additives are in your foods.

Here is a review of the book from amazon that could gross you out pretty good...

"What am I eating? This book answers that question by describing more than 8,000 ingredients found in foods. The dictionary format lets you look up an ingredient alphabetically and learn what it is, how and why it's used, and the benefits and risks. You can decode an ingredient from a food label--haven't you always wondered just what "guar gum" is?--or just skim for interesting facts. For example, the entry on "civet, absolute" explains that this essential oil used as a flavoring is "derived from the unctuous secretions from the receptacles between the anus and genitalia of both the male and female civet cat." Not very appetizing! You'll find this ingredient in raspberry, butter, caramel, grape, and rum flavorings in beverages, desserts, and chewing gum. This book also explains commonly used (but poorly understood) food-label terms like "lite" and "low fat," what counts as a serving for different food groups, and various ways of processing food. There's a helpful chart of food storage guidelines, and resources (including Web sites) for people with food allergies or sensitivities. Ruth Winter, an award-winning science writer, is also the author of A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients and several other books. --Joan Price"

Here is a book that goes in depth tracing back the source of those additives. I heard an interview with the author that was fascinating.

One food that you may not have considered as being full of nutrients or even "good for you"...is salt. Unrefined salt has a remarkable amount of minerals in it that your body may be yearning for due to deprivation in your current diet.

I was going to write up a big article on salt...but hey...someone already wrote what I would have put together! Read this article to learn about the differences between refined and unrefined salt. Make sure that this important nutritional ingredient is found in your storage!

You may also consider eating "whole foods" and shopping at stores that offer foods closer to their "natural state"!

Frugal Living and Financial Preparedness Workshop...

The Citrus Heights Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hosting a "Frugal Living and Financial Preparedness Workshop". It is FREE and open to the public.

Here are the classes...

10am (Choose One)

- Financial Planning - Learn the importance of creating

a financial plan and how to put one together! Valuable tools

and resources will be discussed to get your financial house in

order. Class taught by Pamela G Budenbender CFP® Certified

Financial Planner in the Relief Society Room.

- Gardening - Save money by growing your own food! Learn

what you can be doing now to prepare your garden for spring

planting. Soil amending, lasagna gardening, and other techniques

will be covered. Class taught by Bob Clegg in the Cultural Hall.

11am (Choose One)

- Frugal Living - Learn how to organize and use coupons

for substantial savings on your food and other needs. Nicole

Morton, author of beingfrugalisfabulous.com will shed new

light on an old subject. Class will be held in the Relief Society

Room.

- Gardening - This class will focus on how to maximize fruit

tree production. Planting, pruning, fertilization, and pests

will be discussed. Class taught by Bob Clegg in the Cultural

Hall.

When : Saturday, November 14th, 10am-12pm

Where : The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at...

8056 Oak Avenue, Citrus Heights, CA 95610

(In between Sunrise Blvd and Fair Oaks Blvd on the South side.)

Seating in the classes is limited so please be flexible as there may be many people trying to attend the same class.

California Pine Nuts...

Yesterday...my eldest daughter and I parked at a car wash...and walked a short distance up a trail in a forested area of the city. On our way we saw Toyon berries...Black Sage...Black Alder...and a host of other wild edibles...but that wasn't what we were stopping for...we wanted some pine nuts.

If you didn't know...

Pine nuts are high in nutrition. They are not cheap to purchase at the store...so free is great! While they are well known for their inclusion in Pesto...it is also used in many other recipes (including salads, sauces, fish garnishment, puddings,cookies, cakes).

While all pine nuts are edible...not all pines have nuts worth collecting. In California...if you are wanting to harvest pine nuts...you are looking for the following trees....

• P. torreyana ("Torrey Pine") - Found in a very small area in SW California
• P. coulteri ("Coulter Pine") Mostly Southern CA...a little of Central CA.
• P. sabiniana ("Digger or Gray Pine") Across most of California
• P. lambertiana ("Sugar Pine") - Found in California and S Oregon.
• P. monophylla ("Single-leaf Pinyon Pine") E & Central California, Nevada, W Utah & Baja California Norte.
• P. quadrifolia ("Parry Pinyon Pine") Far S California & Baja California Norte (mixed with above).

Up the road in Tahoe one can find Pinus Lambertiana or "Sugar Pine". As a result of their presence there...many Tahoe sites are named "Sugar Pine" Point..."Sugar Pine" restaurant..."Sugar" Bowl...etc... They hold a couple of records in that they are the worlds largest pines...with the longest pine cones! The pine cones are so remarkable that people sometimes sell undamaged specimens at fairs for top dollar. While these do have edible nuts...they aren't widely harvested...as the tree is just too darned tall to take down the cones! One has to be content with what is leftover when they fall from the tree.

In my immediate region...the one that is everywhere...is Pinus Sabiniana...or "Gray Pine". This same tree is also known as "Digger Pine" (which may be viewed as politically incorrect)..."Ghost Pine"(because of how the gray green needles look ghostly)...or "Foothill Pine" because that is generally where it grows. Like three good friends hanging out...you will often find the Gray Pine with it's buddies "Blue Oak" (Quercus Douglasii) and "California Buckeye" (Aesculus Californica). Thankfully...all three of these friends have use as food for humans (when prepared properly).

A few identification points for the Gray Pine...

1. The needles are in fascicles (bundles) of 3...are droopy...and are 8-10 inches long.

2. The color of the needles is a pale gray/green.

3. They have a "pole" stage when they are young...but when they get older they branch out in forks and grow as tall as 160 feet! From a distance they are quite noticeable with their spindly dark trunks and sparce gray/green needles. See the photo above.

5. The cones are apple to pineapple in size and often have a lot of sap on them.

If you desire to learn which conifers are which in CA...HANDS DOWN the best book to get is "Conifers of California" (apt title!). The paintings are beautiful...the photos are crisp and clear...and the descriptions are thorough.

Other than for pine nuts...the pinus genus has many other uses. Here is a video with some tips on how to use pine trees and how to harvest pine nuts. One thing that I would add to what he said with regards to harvesting...is to not assume that because a cone has opened that all of the nuts have been released never to be found. I have found many opened cones on the ground still filled with nuts! In fact...we probably picked up $100 worth of pine nuts just off of pine cones we found on the ground in opened cones! Sometimes the pine cones would leave a nice...neat little pile of their nuts right where the cone had initially struck the ground. We also found many that had fallen from the tree...took to the wind...and were littered all over the ground. They can easily be found and eaten for free...if one doesn't mind a little bit of sap on one's hands...and taking a bit of effort to crack their little shells to expose the white nutmeat.

Acorns For Food and Home Oil Production Class...

If you live in the Sacramento area...you should consider coming to a class I am doing on November 21^st, 2009 from 9am-12:30pm at 110 Foxridge Drive in Folsom.

Those that attend will learn how to make the acorns that litter your lawn into a delicious and nutritious food to feed your families! A great skill to have in good or hard times. Ancient and modern processing methods will be discussed…as well as in depth information on our local Oak trees. We will make a dish from an acorn recipe for all to eat!

The second portion of the class will be on how to process vegetable oils out of seeds and nuts that you grow yourself…or harvest in the wild. These vegetable oils can then be used in cooking, as a fuel, medicinally, and in a myriad of other applications. Use of the Piteba oil press will be highlighted.

The fee for the class is $30 or free (as promised) for those that purchased a Piteba press with our group order a while back. It's going to be an awesome class!!

PATRIOTS...A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse

Fiction Books

As a youth...demanding english classes lassoed me back from playing on the streets to force my wiggly body and active imagination to calm down...and focus on a world of another's creation. As an experienced homework procrastinator...this often meant that I would sit and read a book the whole night through so that I could turn in a book report the next day.

Over time...I learned to love reading and to actually do it because I wanted to...not just out of the fear of what would happen if I turned nothing in. As a result...I ended up reading many of the classics. The Dickens...the Twains...the Wells...etc...and lots' of "just for fun books"...the "Choose your own adventures"...the Hardy Boys...Bradbury...comic books and so on. The great books of fiction can truly be a transport to another world. It's remarkable how while sitting in a chair...one can find themselves emotionally compelled to cheer out loud as Atticus Finch decries the ugly face of racism in court in "To Kill a Mockingbird" or crying when Old Dan the dog dies in "Where the Red Fern Grows". Those many powerful books shaped the way I view the world.

Somewhere along the way...after realizing how much I need to learn about the gospel and how short my time on earth is to learn it...and the Spirit of God relentlessly pressing me to learn the principles of preparedness...my reading of fiction books came to a screeching halt. Nowadays...I really only read the scriptures, doctrinal books, or preparedness related books. In my mind it's kind of like how President Hunter gave up playing music even though he really enjoyed it...to pursue things that he felt were more important for the time being (238).

While it is not my intention to knock anyone who does read fiction...as there is a place for such works among "the best books"...and there is a place for entertainment...I will say that for myself...with my schedule...and with my growing stack of non-fiction books I feel compelled to know...the most fiction I am currently willing to tackle is basically just a children's book before bedtime.

Patriots

Over the last several months I have had a few people recommend the "Patriots" book to me. I admittedly had apprehensions...not wanting to "waste my time" on fiction. Still...I knew it was written by James Wesley, Rawles an editor at Survivalblog...a website that I had gone to many times searching out information...and found to be a reliable source. When a friend brought it to my home to lend it to me...I figured I'd check it out a bit...unsure if I would get far.

A few pages read...turned into chapters...turned into the whole book! Here is my two cents. The story leads you through a highly probable scenario involving the devaluation of the dollar...hyperinflation...and subsequent socioeconomic collapse. It was printed so recently that it uses current events...making it seem almost like you are stepping forward in time to see what may soon unfold.

You know when you are watching a movie and the star picks up a can of Coke and drinks it as he's driving his brand new BMW and talking on his Sprint mobile phone. You know...blatant product placement. That is what this book is...only not in an annoying intruding way...but in a helpful thorough sort of way. You are being entertained by the fascinating and often grim story of people trying to stay alive and make sound moral choices through very tough experiences...all the while you are learning why they chose the survival gear they did. You are learning in depth why they decided to install certain doors on their home. You are learning about gun rights and court cases...how to do emergency medical...and even where you can buy the stuff!!! The list of topics covered in the context of the story goes on and on. If you missed it along the way...you can even go to the index in this most recent printing to find where in the book you read about "tooth extraction"..."Wiggys sleeping bags" or whatever else caught your eye. There is also a section to explain all of the acronyms they use! I wish I'd have known that prior to reading the book!!

I will say that sometimes the information on certain topics got a little too technical for me. There is a LOT of information about guns in this book. Sometimes it felt like pages of describing gun setups. Gun connoisseurs love it...but the layman might get a bit bogged down. Many times I kind of skimmed over those parts when I got lost. There is also like a whole chapter on communications that experienced HAM operators or military communications personnel will get...but not a lot of others. When I get my arsenal growing a bit more...and want to get more on the communications...this book will be a great resource.

This book "Keeps it real". People die...and it describes it. People are evil...and it describes them. It is not all bunnies and rainbows...but neither are the days to come likely to be either. It is a sobering walk that makes you ask repeatedly..."What would I do in that situation?!!" Also...helpful is the fact that many or most of the characters are Christians seeking to do the "right thing" and share scriptures to affirm their positions. In writing to what I would think would largely be a Christian audience...I think that the author tried to leave a lot of the "unnecessary" bad stuff out. I don't remember any real bad language (I remember female dog). He does a good job of painting the picture without getting too coarse. Admittedly a few parts were coarse for me...but probably not any worse than you might hear on the evening news....or heck...even in the Old Testament!

Perhaps one of the greatest values of this book is to help you see the holes you have in your personal preparedness plan and to help you have resolve now with regards to how you will act if confronted with various situations.

I will be reading the book again...and will buy it to have as a reference. Next time I will have a pen and paper out to write down the things I want to investigate to buy or skills to work on! If I were a librarian and had to find a place to put this book...it would be found under "Useful Fiction". A non-guilty way for us non-fiction readers to have some fun with some fiction.

Here are two different places that sell the book and reviews...

Abysmal and Amazon

Perhaps their reviews may help you to make your decision on whether or not to pick this book up. Don't forget...it's free at the library!

Free Escargot!!

Just the thought of having a snails chewy little meat sliding down ones tongue sounds like the makings of one of those reality shows where people are dared to do unreasonably gross things for the viewers morbid pleasure.

It is an interesting exercise in self understanding to kind of step back out of ones point of reference and ask "Why do I feel that way?" "Why is it gross?" "This food is enjoyed in other cultures...why not mine?" Food prejudices that are developed in a culture may or may not be based on good reasoning. Silly superstitions...prejudices based upon a food being what "poor" people eat...or some such reason could be keeping you from enjoying what could be your favorite food!

American's generally have a taste aversion to eating snails and yet the common garden snail that is to found in our yards is closer on the family tree to the clams...mussels...oysters...and squid that many eat at their fine restaurants...than they would want to hear about. I wonder if anyone would notice if that clam dip at the party was in fact a snail dip?

That common garden snail that we are fighting to keep from eating our garden greens is in fact the same snail that is hunted for eating in France!! It is called the European Brown or "Helix Aspersa"

While I don't expect that you are going to be thrilled about the prospect...and give up hamburgers in favor of snailburgers. I think it is worthwhile to know that in hard times...or true survival situation...there is meat available that...

You don't have to shoot!

You don't have to fish for...

It won't outrun you...

It won't bite or scratch you...

It won't make awful sounds...

You don't have to clean out bloody guts...

and it has some great nutritional value! It actually stacks up pretty darned well with some of the meats you probably now enjoy.

Here is an article about a man in San Franciso who eats snails that will teach you a bit about preparation and give some other useful information. While some people do eat raw snails...know that you could run the risk of getting sick if the snail recently ate snail bait...or if it is carrying parasites. The simple preparation described in that article will ensure that they are safe.

If the thought of eating snail grosses you out...or you say "My family would never eat it". My reply is..."Then you don't know how hungry you could get...and how desperate!" Your family might find it more palatable...first of all...if you don't tell them what it is!!...but second of all if you have it in the context of a dish like some food storage pasta! Snail Rigatoni...YUM!!

A Hard Copy...

In this computer age...it is so easy to just walk over to our computers to find the information we want on the internet and in our nicely organized digital files. This ease has led many to completely abandon having paper copies. They say..."Why have a paper copy that may just be misplaced...or that I have to file...when I can easily just have everything stored on the computer!?"

Anyone who has had a computer die...with no back up can answer that one! All of your precious documents can be lost in an instant. Months of geneology work...family records...irreplaceable photos...recipes...etc...can vanish in an instant.

Such experiences have driven the sales of ways to back up your files onto CD's...DVD's...flash drives...and to additional hard drives. I am all for having these records backed using these methods. It can save you a lot of heartache and time. In this vein...I have read where various preparedness authors recommend that you put onto a disc all of those documents that prove who you are...and other important documents onto a disc...and then putting it into your bug-out-bag in a durable water-proof container. The thought is that you can carry all "filing cabinet" of documents on your back...without the accompanying weight! Sounds like a good idea to me. Still..I think that there are certain things that you should really have backed up onto a good ole' fashioned piece of paper!

You see...all of that information has to be retrieved from a working computer. Circumstances one day could be there there may be no working computers available. An EMP blast could fry all of the computers in your region. OR...there could be a long term disruption in the electrical grid. This could happen for a variety of reasons that could make it unsafe for workers to fix it...or not possible without substantial infrastructure being rebuilt. For example...a plague where no one wants to go to work for fear of exposure...a war on our own land...or a famine coupled with riots and anarchy to name a few.

If for one reason or another you are stuck in your home for weeks on end with no working computer...you may wish that you had printed out all of those food storage recipes that are only to be found on your computer!

Really...we should have paper copies of the things that we can't...or don't want to try to remember as a reference...or that are meaningful to us for one reason or another.

Investing in a self reliance/survival library is also a worthwhile endeavor. Books on homesteading...gardening...nuclear war survival...medical books...wild food identification...religion...constitutional government (hey...you might have to put it back together again!) and so on... All the books that you would need to be an island to yourself. Even a few fiction books that take you away to a happy place might be a good idea for your sanity. I have picked up many wonderful books from Amazon for a fraction of their cover price and try to continue to add books as my budget allows.

While buying digital copies of books to read on your Kindle...or other electronic contraption may be convenient...and hip nowadays...it may not be available to you during an emergency. So I would not recommend it for anything other than reading your copy of "Twilight" or whatever it is you read for fun.

So...make your hard copies...or buy them as books...and put them where you will know you can get them when you need them!

"Popcorn is really neat......fun to make and fun to eat!!" (Barney)

Like one of Pavlov's dogs...when I catch just the sight or smell of it...my mouth waters...and I crave a bowl. In the American culture...I am not alone. At virtually any function where crowds of people are...there will be someone selling popcorn to the masses. One can hardly watch a movie in this country...without a heaping helping of popcorn to snack on. One might think that it's use started with us...but it's roots go back thousands of years.

While we may think of popcorn as just a snack that we might have for fun...it has qualities that also make it a great staple to be had for tough times...

Let's consider some of the virtues of popcorn...

1. It fills that desire for the "munchies"...when only something salty and crunchy will do.

2. It is not complicated to make. Even the cooking inept can make an edible product.

3. It requires only popcorn and a heat source. An oil can increase the flavor...but popcorn will pop without it.

4. Even the most finicky will eat it.

5. It can store for several years in a kernel form. The moisture and oil contained in the kernel is what makes it pop...and is probably the reason why you need to rotate it more often than you would other dry corns you might store. Popcorn at 14.5% moisture can be safely stored over winter and into early spring. For longer term storage, it should be dried to 13.5-12.5%.

6. It can be good for you! Nutritionally, it is one of the best all-around snack foods, providing 67% as much protein, 110% as much iron and as much calcium as an equal amount of beef. An average 1.5-ounce serving of popcorn supplies the same energy as two eggs; and a cup of unbuttered popcorn contains less calories than half a medium grapefruit. In addition, hull is excellent roughage, comparing favorably with bran flakes or whole wheat toast.

7. You can grow it yourself.

8. It is a comfort food of the highest degree and can increase morale.

9. It takes little room to store...and expands greatly for consumption. It can make your belly feel full.

10. It is versatile...as it can be seasoned a variety of ways to make the flavor sweet, salty...etc...

11. It is inexpensive.

12. It can be made primitively and doesn't require fancy equipment. You can make it on your stovetop with pans you already have or purchase a stovetop popper. I have this stovetop popper and use it several times a week. It is available in an aluminum or steel version. I honestly don't know which one I have. I picked it up at target after christmas for a fraction of the price as it was in their Christmas clearance.

13. It is mild for most stomachs. One can eat a lot of it and not get sick.

14. It can be used in the place of other dried corns in cooking. Cornbread for example.

Picking a Popcorn

There are actually 6 (or more) different types of corn...so make sure that it is a popcorn and not one meant for flour or something like that.

If you have ever tried various popcorns...you may have noticed that some taste better than others. I'm not talking about what toppings you put on them...but the actually taste of the unadultered popcorn. They also have varying puffiness and texture. If a kernel has too much moisture...it will be chewy and won't store well. If it is too dry...less kernels will pop.

After trying quite a few...the best I have found is an organic variety that is available through Azure Standard that when bought in bulk is within a few nickels of the price of the yellow popcorn from Winco's bulk bin. I purchase a few big bags and put them into 5 gallon buckets with lids that I get from a donut shop and some into smaller more easily managed containers as well. When those containers get low I refill them from what is in the buckets.

I encourage you to avoid "prepopped" popcorns that you might buy at the store as they have all kinds of chemicals on them to make them fresh. I also would recommend that you not eat the microwave varieties as they have something in them called "diacetyl" that is known to be bad for you. You know... since I'm on a roll here...I'll say...you might consider not putting most anything unhealthy on your popcorn! Especially anything manufactured to taste like something real! Cooking popcorn in some tasty oil (I like coconut) with some salt is beyond toothsome. I also sometimes jazz it up and make "pickle popcorn" by sprinkling nutritional yeast, salt, and organic dill weed on it. The kids LOVE it!!

It should also be mentioned that there are other seeds and grains that also "pop". Wheat...that you probably already have stored can be made to "pop". Amaranth is another grain that can be made to pop as well. While these may be good in their own right...I doubt they'll take the place of popcorn anytime soon!

So one day...if all of your cheetos and potato chips have been consumed...and no trucks will be delivering any more any time soon...you may be glad you had the foresight to store some popcorn!

Clean out your hot water heater...

A friend of mine runs a preparedness supply shop...and also is the leader of the CERT team in Folsom. He has a website where he posts various preparedness articles. This one on cleaning out a hot water heater for emergency preparedness is a really sensible idea in my estimation. It is worth putting on your preparedness to-do list!

What is a Survivalist?...and a Class Invitation...

9/11 helped Americans to see that it is in fact possible for us to be attacked on our own soil. It got people to thinking about what they would have done if it were a more widespread attack. What if there was war...in your neighborhood! What if you were stuck in your house for a long period of time? What if the infrastructure of your town or even the nation was interrupted? What would you do?

Hurricane Katrina got people thinking about the need to be prepared to evacuate one's home...to have an emergency evacuation bag ready. It showed how societies can break down quickly...and bring out the best and worse in people. That you had best have your own supplies stored and not rely on anyone else to take care of you. That government may try to take your weapons of self defense when you may need them the most!!

The economic downturn has got people thinking about a possible repeat of the great depression...or worse. What would happen if the economy collapses? What if life got REALLY primitive... How would you eat? How would you survive?

These events and others have served to create more interest in survival skills over the last decade. A library of books have been written on the subject to fill the desire for information. Shows such as "Man vs. Wild"..."Survivorman"..."Lost"...and "Castaway" have seen phenomenal success. Great teachers such as Ron Hood and Ray Mears (two of my favorites) have careers selling videos and training on how to survive various wilderness and urban situations. Websites and forums have sprung up that teach all kinds of "bushcraft" skills and let people trade ideas of what does and doesn't work.

Still...despite the good examples of many of these who teach survival skills...when a lot of people hear the word "survivalist" they think of some sort of "off-balance" person...like that high strung Sarah Connor lady from the Terminator movie...all tough...speaking crazed of end-times scenarios with a big gun in hand. Or perhaps they may think of someone like the cartoon of the guy above...sitting on his cache of food with a big gun. Perhaps in an effort to sensationalize their stories...the media has played up the image of survivalists being what might be called "militant extremists". While there may be survivalists who are militant...and extreme by many people's standards...to push survivalism into a box like that is to ignore the rainbow of types of survivalists out there.

And I've got to say...I've got absolutely no problem with the guy in the cartoon. Here is a man who through his foresight...has used money that he earned...to purchase food...which is HIS property. He has also taken advantage of his constitutionally protected liberty...to have a gun ready to protect his property and life...from any who dare take either! Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were more like him!! While some may condemn him for having a lack of charity...which he may or may not have...I support him either way! I want support him in his constitutional rights...and in his God given right to choose to have charity or not.

The definition of a "Survivalist" is really much more broad than one might think.

From the American Heritage Dictionary...

sur·viv·al·ist (sər-vī'və-lĭst) n. One who has personal or group survival as a primary goal in the face of difficulty, opposition, and especially the threat of natural catastrophe, nuclear war, or societal collapse.

By that definition...one could just as easily think of this young pioneer woman! The pioneers certainly had personal and group survival as a primary goal!

Or perhaps this boy scout!! Who is trained on how to survive in the wilderness!

There are many more that could be labeled as survivalists. People that practice food storage... or emergency medicine...that put together an emergency evacuation bag...etc. If that is being an "extremist"...then more people ought to be extreme.

As we look back across the expanse of recorded history...of people living primitively...working hard to survive...we should find that in the grand scheme of things...that by contrast...we are a strange people living in a strange time. A time when survival skills are hardly common knowledge. Where they aren't handed down from generation to generation anymore...and we need to seek out that training by those who have kept the knowledge alive.

It seems to me that we should all be seeking to acquire that knowledge...to be survivalists...as it is highly probable that we may be thrust into a situation where we will need it to survive. While we sit on the comfy armchair of life...it may seem unreasonable that we could be found without the necessities of life...and yet any number of events could find us out in the cold. We have the commandments of God to be prepared to be able to survive the events prior to Christs coming...we have the promise that disasters will increase in frequency and severity...and the signs of the times...that scream of a need to learn the skills of self sufficiency.

While much can be learned from books and videos. There is no comparison with having hands on training from a knowledgeable mentor. While I have learned things here and there from various people...I have failed to find someone who is the whole package...who is local. Someone who can take me from A-Z in survival...until now.

A Class Invitation

Recently I was introduced to Doug Huffman and his survival school in the Placerville area. Doug is a survival expert who trains organizations like Special Forces, Navy Seals, Homeland Security, Search & Rescue, FBI Special Agents, and Sheriff Departments on how to survive all kinds of precarious scenarios. The demands of those organizations have progressively pushed many of his programs that he does with the public to the background. He has a few classes for the public coming up...neither of which I can make. I spoke with him and he told me that if I put together a group of a minimum of 7 people (myself included) that he would do a class for us. So I am putting together a class that will be on October 17th. We will have no more than 10-12 people in our group.

The class is an 8 hour intense training on skills to survive (from 8am-4pm). We will do one of two curriculums...one is on wilderness survival...and the other is on wild plants. See this to look at the class descriptions. I don't have all the details...but it should be a 4 mile hike on a path through the woods with lots of stops. It requires at least a moderate level of fitness. Tell me which class you would be interested in...and the majority will decide which one we do. These classes are generally $125 a person...but because of the poor economy Doug is trying to help people out by lowering the price to $95. That is a great value. This isn't some abstract...forgettable seminar or book...he is taking us out for 7 HOURS to teach us hands on skills and to have us practice to gain proficiency! It will be awesome!

To reserve your place please contact me at wfgsnix@yahoo.com

More on Forced Vaccinations...

I have recently read where mainstream media has sought to discredit those that say that vaccinations for swine flu could be "mandatory". They have dismissed those that say that our government could try to force us to be vaccinated as the rant of lunatics.

While these critics may or may not have good intentions...they are dead wrong. A bill that just went through the Massachusetts senate shows what could be in the future for any of the states if we choose to sit on our hands while evil works late into the night.

The following is cut and pasted from an article found here. They break down which rights are being violated...and how they plan to squeeze the residents of MA into compliance. I think it is impossible to dismiss this article as sensationalism...AS IT QUOTES THE ACTUAL BILL! If you doubt it...read it in the context of the bill. Whether you or not you believe the swine flu vaccination is a good or bad thing...the following should sicken anyone who truly believes in constitutional government...and should be cause for alarm.

"The United States of America is devolving into medical fascism and Massachusetts is leading the way with the passage of a new bill, the "Pandemic Response Bill" 2028, reportedly just passed by the MA state Senate and now awaiting approval in the House. This bill suspends virtually all Constitutional rights of Massachusetts citizens and forces anyone "suspected" of being infected to submit to interrogations, "decontaminations" and vaccines.

It's also sets fines up to $1,000 per day for anyone who refuses to submit to quarantines, vaccinations, decontamination efforts or to follow any other verbal order by virtually any state-licensed law enforcement or medical personnel. You can read the text yourself here:http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/sen...

Here's some of the language contained in the bill:

(Violation of 4th Amendment: Illegal search and seizure)

During either type of declared emergency, a local public health authority... may exercise authority... to require the owner or occupier of premises to permit entry into and investigation of the premises; to close, direct, and compel the evacuation of, or to decontaminate or cause to be
decontaminated any building or facility; to destroy any material; to restrict or prohibit assemblages of persons;

(Violation of 14th Amendment; illegal arrest without a warrant)

...an officer authorized to serve criminal process may arrest without a warrant any person whom the officer has probable cause to believe has violated an order given to effectuate the purposes of this subsection and shall use reasonable diligence to enforce such order. [Gunpoint]

(Government price controls)

The attorney general, in consultation with the office of consumer affairs and business regulation, and upon the declaration by the governor that a supply emergency exists, shall take appropriate action to ensure that no person shall sell a product or service that is at a price that unreasonably exceeds the price charged before the emergency.

"Involuntary Transportation" (also known as kidnapping)

Law enforcement authorities, upon order of the commissioner or his agent or at the request of a local public health authority pursuant to such order, shall assist emergency medical technicians or other appropriate medical personnel in the involuntary transportation of such person to the tuberculosis treatment center.

$1,000 / day in fines

Any person who knowingly violates an order, as to which noncompliance
poses a serious danger to public health as determined by the commissioner or the local public health authority, shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 30 days or a fine of not more than one thousand dollars per day that the violation continues, or both.

Forced vaccinations

Furthermore, when the commissioner or a local public health authority within its jurisdiction determines that either or both of the following measures are necessary to prevent a serious danger to the public health the commissioner or local public health authority may exercise the following authority: (1) to vaccinate or provide precautionary prophylaxis to individuals as protection against communicable disease...

Forced quarantine for those who refuse (illegal imprisonment without charge)

An individual who is unable or unwilling to submit to vaccination or treatment shall not be required to submit to such procedures but may be isolated or quarantined pursuant to section 96 of chapter 111 if his or her refusal poses a serious danger to public health or results in uncertainty whether he or she has been exposed to or is infected with a disease or condition that poses a serious danger to public health, as determined by the commissioner, or a local public health authority operating within its jurisdiction."

Be Wary of Vaccinations...

Man's Wisdom and Health

While we can count upon God's wisdom to be unchanging...man's wisdom changes with the seasons. One area where man's wisdom is consistently under revision is in the field of health.

An apparently esteemed scientist in an ultra-white pressed lab coat...representing some big organization will stand up and recite the findings of a new report...fresh off the presses...saying that something is the most healthy thing in the world. Say eggs for example. He reports..."They are a good source of protein and an important part of a healthy diet".

I would contend that the average joe public will not read the report he carries under his arm. They probably won't look into seeing who funded the research. They don't look to see if the scientists are actually reputable...or really have any way of knowing if they are reputable. Still...like the 10 commandments written in stone...so seems this infallible "scientific" report. Because it appears to be widely accepted...it must be true.

The medical schools preach the contents of the report...teaching the doctors to be of the many merits of eggs...and then they start their practices passing on their education to their patients. If they don't believe the report...and choose to go against the reports findings...they may face ostracism by their peers or perhaps lose credibility with their patients for not toeing the line with what is the prevalent belief of the day.

It's not an easy battle to be Columbus trying to convince people the world is round!

A few years later...a man who has been eating 20 eggs a day dies of a heart attack. The coroner concludes that he died from all of the cholesterol from the massive amounts of eggs he was consuming. His family does some research and finds that the egg report was funded by the national egg council...and that the scientists falsified reports for increased funding. The family sues and it makes the mainstream news. A new scientist stands with a new scientific report and authoritatively states... "New findings are showing that the cholesterol is high in eggs and so they should be avoided." Egg sales plummet and noses are turned up at the unhealthy eggs.

Then just wait a year or so...and they will be healthy again when the "new" report comes out. Public opinion can change overnight...almost entirely on the message being shouted from the loudspeakers of the media.

While I picked on eggs...I could have just as easily used any number of things to illustrate the point. Wheat...butter...sugar...fake sugar...beef...wine...etc...etc.... Even cigarettes were once marketed as being good for you because they had vitamins in them!!! (I used to have an ad from the 50's that I clipped from a "Time" magazine...with a man getting healthy by smoking!) I could have also chosen any number of medications that have come out over the years that were purported to be the wonder drugs of their day...that ultimately caused all kinds of birth defects...paralyzed...and/or caused all kinds of damage to people. Even possibly killing those who trusted...and partook.

Motives

So why...if we know historically that it is difficult for man to reach any believable conclusions...do we still give their findings such merit? We would do well to look to God for what He has revealed with reference to proper health...and not ride the tides of popular opinion.

Some not only just believe...they champion the cause of man's health wisdom trying to influence everyone around them to get on board! They really believe that they are going to be helping people by getting them to eat certain foods or partake in certain remedies...which may or may not actually be the case.

Others are driven by a desire to make money...as they will become wealthy as the demand for their product increases. They may or may not care if it ultimately hurts or helps people...as long as they make a buck.

Others...as servants of Satan are evil in every sense of that word...and truly just want to hurt people. Like their master...they take pleasure in the pain and misery of others. Either deceived into believing that they are in reality serving God...or knowingly serving Satan they plan ways to hurt people. They may have even bought into the satanic belief that if they can kill people they are "helping" the world by eliminating some of what they consider an excess of population. While this may seem hard to believe to the person who lives in the light...God has revealed that there truly are "evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of ^bconspiring men in the last days". People that are putting needles into the apples of trick or treaters...only in a much larger...more damaging way.

The Government and Health

The government...that works for you and I...has given the American people advice over the years as to what will keep them healthy. They have even used your "voluntary" tax money to fund various organizations that aim to teach you how to be healthy. While they may disseminate some wonderful information...that may be absolutely true...the government has not always given the best advice. This may be because they are disseminating propaganda meant to keep the masses from becoming crippled with anxiety for things that they can't control. For example with the "duck and cover" campaign...that taught children to go under their desks in the event of a nuclear detonation...for safety. Anyone with any knowledge about nuclear bombs will tell you that such action is completely ineffectual.

After the 9/11 attack\demolition in the US...the Environmental Protection Agency administrator announced that "The air is safe to breathe". Tell that to the people now who are suffering with respiratory problems or other sicknesses resultant from their days trying to save lives and clean up. Their stories riddle the media.

One area where the government has committed a lot of time and our money to...is to get people vaccinated with a potpourri of vaccines. Vaccines aimed at preventing everything from polio to hepatitis...to the common flu.

They have used this money to purchase media ads to try to influence our citizens and those here illegally to make sure that they are vaccinated. They have also actively passed legislation aimed at making it harder and harder to go without getting vaccinated. Children entering school are required to provide all of the vaccination information...or should still be provided a document to sign saying that they don't vaccinate for moral reasons....that is...for now. People leaving the country may have to provide various vaccination records based upon where they are going...or not allowed to leave the country. Certain public sector and military jobs...by law...are required to have certain vaccinations...or you will not be able to be hired...or get kicked out.

Be Wary of Vaccinations

There are two sides to the coin when it comes to vaccines. There are people out there that want to vaccinate every moving creature...to "protect it from disease". The other crowd (which I tend to side with) believes that many or most vaccines are actually detrimental to your health and should be avoided.

I will not go so far as to say that ALL vaccines are not without their merits...as I don't believe that the church...with a prophet at the head...would have let a program go on for so long that vaccinates children with the measles vaccination if it was not for the ultimate benefit of the recipients. But to say that because the church has supported some vaccines is no indicator that ALL vaccines are in some way approved of God. I would say that Satan...the great counterfeiter has sullied the vaccination selection with his brand of poison.

Do You Trust Your Doctor?

I sure don't. Many doctors are completely unwilling to even entertain a conversation with their patients that vaccines could be bad for them. I have firsthand heard several stories of people who are treated with derision by their doctors for even questioning their word that their vaccines are "safe". The attitude is "How dare you question me!...and those that do the medical studies!!"

You will more than likely have to look to other sources to make your decisions. Finding out which vaccines you are willing to subject your body to and your families will take some effort. You will seriously have to study each one individually to decide.

Here is a list of a multitude of sites aimed at helping you to see the benefits and dangers of each vaccine...as well as the vaccine contents. The list is mostly from the anti-vaccine crowd.

You will read peoples stories of being perfectly healthy prior to being vaccinated...followed by lingering...often life changing sickness. Scientists and doctors that believe that conditions like autism and food allergies are directly linked to vaccinations...and their compelling backing to their claims. Words that should not be taken lightly.

Potential Forced Vaccinations on the Horizon

Are you OK with you or someone you love being a guinea pig for a vaccine?!! The Internet is a-buzz with chatter about the possibility of world governments FORCING their residents to get the swine flu vaccine this fall due to the statements of the World Health Organization.

With this possibility in mind...a backlash of concerned people are trying to take a stand against it...by disseminating information that should dissuade one from blindly taking the shot.

Here is a doctor who has linked the vaccine to causing cancer or worse side effects.

Here is part one of a video that surfaced of a "60 Minutes" show that exposed the complications that have arisen out of the swine flu vaccine campaign that took place back in 1976. Part two. THESE TWO VIDEOS ARE A MUST SEE.

There is evidence that the company who will profit billions from the sale of the vaccine...may actually be the company that spread it in the first place...either accidentally or intentionally.

Make a Decision

So...the time is NOW to firmly plant your feet on the ground...and decide what you are going to do. Are you going to submit injecting your body with what this blog refers to as...

experimental, untested, toxic and extremely dangerous to the human immune system. They contain squalene-based adjuvants that cause a host of annoying to life-threatening autoimmune diseases. They must be avoided, even if mandated. It’s also known that vaccines don’t protect against diseases they’re designed to prevent and often cause them.

Do you REALLY know what the side effects will be?

What are you going to do NOW to make sure that your voice is heard that you do not support mandatory vaccinations! (If you don't)

What are you going to do if the propaganda campaign to make it seem totally reasonable to take the vaccine is totally convincing...and everyone you know is taking it?

What if the people who don't take it are demonized as perpetuating the risk for everyone else?

What if the government tries to put you into a "quarantine" internment camp if you won't go along with it? Will you do it then?

What if the church leaders give no clear direction on what course to take?

Most importantly...remember the Lords has already given us the path for surviving the plagues of the last days.