December 2007 Archives
December 25, 2007 4:14 PM
SEASON'S GREETINGS
1,000 dazzling lights
to make your days sparkle with new realities and an ever expanding love of
all things.
Blessings and grand creations.
May all your dreams come true.
Big love,
Louise
December 24, 2007 12:23 PM
Helping Out Those Affected by Flooding
I Didn't Disappear
One minute she was posting on her blog, and the next minute, she was gone! It seems that way doesn't it? Well, I didn't disappear, but I did get swept up in the recovery activities of the most recent flooding disaster which occurred in the early part of December, right here in
As close as a 30 minute drive away from Yelm, the unstoppable power of fast moving waters from rivers swollen with days of rain and melted snow devastated homes and businesses, changing the landscape to an unrecognizable sea of mud, debris, submerged homes, businesses and livestock. How the @?^! do you 'prepare' for that?
Click here to see some of the photos.
I was called in as a disaster reservist to assist in the recovery efforts once the president officially declared it a disaster, which allows federal funds to come into the state. I help out with the individuals and households program. That's another story, but it means I've been working 12 hour days, seven days per week. It's like a time warp of sorts, as I don't know which day it is or how long we've been at this. I get home around 8:30 or so, spend a few minutes being a mom, and then go to bed for another intense, long day.
So with a day break for Christmas, I will awaken to the beautiful morning, before light arrives, and continue in this vain until we get over the initial impact of assistance efforts.
Just wanted you to know what the break in postings was all about. Blessings to all.
Louise
December 6, 2007 9:53 PM
Welcome to our Question and Answer postings, a dynamic forum for people to have their questions answered by a group of "wise ones". Our experts bring a rich and diverse background of skills and knowledge gained from years of experience living and breathing what they talk about. Click here to meet them.
It is my desire that the Weekly Wisdom Forum will reach out to a sea of people of all ages, from different backgrounds and levels of understanding and experience, and be a support and even a comfort to those who are looking for guidance in preparing body and mind for the days that are here. We'll be posting one or 2 Q & A's per week. Send your questions to louise@mastersconnection.com.
QUESTION: KNIVES
I want to get a good knife or handy tool for my emergency backpack. There are so many interesting knives out there. Do you think the Swiss Army type knife is the best? Is there a better knife to use? I'm thinking about what I'm going to need the knife for, other than cutting cheese or string or bandages. Because I've never been in a situation that would require an emergency backpack I don't know what some uses of the knife would be. Do you have any suggestions?
Steven Knopp responds:
I could write a library on knives. Good knives are an essential preparedness tool and are indispensable for fire-making, cooking, many aspects of emergency shelter construction, improvised clothing, camp preparations, making traps, snares, and improvised weapons; for butchering, and preparing game and gathering food and medicine, emergency first aid, and self defense, many uses in escape and evasion tactics, emergency car repair, and the list goes on an on.
I ALWAYS carry a real Victorinox Swiss Army multi function knife with me at ALL times [really] as well as in preparedness packs. They are wonderful. I recommend the Swiss Army SwissChamp or the next smaller model. The Leatherman or Gerber Multi-tools are also nice.
But I INSIST on combining it with a small 6 or 7 inch FIXED BLADE laminated or high carbon steel survival knife. (A fixed blade knife does not fold or slide, and is typically stronger due to the tang, the extension of the blade into the handle, and lack of movable parts) Frost Mora Cutlery is a good inexpensive one. (I always made these knives available in my survival, and wilderness classes.)
Stay away from the large stainless steel ''RAMBO'' type knives, unless you're Rambo. They are too large for most people and most ''bushcraft'' uses, and too small to be a good machete. If you want a machete get a real machete. They come in many sizes and have many uses.
(Click on any underlined word above for links to these particular items)
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Abigail Haddock Responds:
There are 100's of varieties of Swiss Army knives with multiple combinations of tools and blades. My favorite Swiss Army knife is simple with a couple of blades, screwdriver, scissors, and bottle opener. It is red so I can locate it easily, hangs off a ring so I could attach it to something for safe keeping, and usually resides in my purse (except when I fly of course). I have a
Knives are tools and are designed to do a job. Identify what your personal needs will be and get the best tool for the job. Before you buy knives, learn their anatomy. Knives are made up of four parts: the blade, the handle, the bolster, and the tang. Buy from an expert who knows knife-ology. Don't be seduced into the biggest scariest knife that will do 32 different actions. You are not Rambo and you do not need a Ginzu. When choosing a knife ask what it was designed for, hold it, check the fit, then practice using it, cleaning it and taking care of it. A good knife will be a friend for life.
December 1, 2007 10:14 AM
Guest Blogger
Niki and Howard went from City to Homesteader, built their own home and are becoming wise in preparedness from their direct experiences. I've asked them to contribute from time to time on what they have learned and are learning, and as they say "what we would do differently, or better, and creating a better set of circumstances in our preparedness".
Thank you Louise, for your blog! It is a wonderful effort!
We are living up on a mountain, in the inland northwest, near the Canadian border, in an "earth sheltered, off the grid -abode." Whew! In fact, synchronicity being what it is, when we were moving here, we stopped to read a public billboard, something from the bible; then posted next to it was something familiar, inviting even- and after checking at home, I discovered it was from Ramtha's White book! Another talisman on our path...While building, we met two other Masters on the same mountain, and heard of two more in this tiny town!
We built our home and continue making known the unknown. We are earth covered and have a thick rebar & cement roof, but the front is open to some degree, with earth-berming completed with cement planters. The learning curve expands exponentially. It is an ongoing effort, as the building and storage has changed where and how we do things. New information also changes some of the previous efforts, such as water storage.
From City to Homesteader! Had we been in a community, we would have spread out the preparedness, with others focusing on things we hadn't yet discovered a talent for, or going together on larger tools. As it is, we are now getting neighbors who have some preparedness skills, but are preparing for their idea of Armageddon. Our lesson here is patience and non-judgment of other people being God too.
While we may not be as experienced as many, we do have a lot of determination and want to share our experiences with others who may benefit on topics such as, water storage, canning, firewood, gardening.........
Love and bright Blessings!
Onward!
Niki & Howard
