Blessings Darlings!
I was just clued into a neat blog by woman who works with the Morrighu. It's a WONDERFUL read. Skitter your butts over there.
http://shield-maiden.blogspot.com/2012/09/why-we-fight.html
Frondly, Fern
Showing posts with label survivalist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label survivalist. Show all posts
Monday, September 10, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Doomsday Preppers
Blessings Darlings!
There has been some discussion online about what Nat Geo's intention was in airing the show - was it to encourage prepping? To make preppers look odd? Something else? So I figured I'd activate my sleeper cell over at Nat Geo and get the inside story.
The story is about .... eyeballs. Ratings. Viewers. Apparently, what people watching TV want to watch is shows about people mostly like them .... but with an interesting difference. So middle class people who look at the problems around the world and DO something to prepare to weather them made it to TV.
Actually, Nat Geo doesn't even produce Doomsday Preppers themselves, it comes from a third party company, so Nat Geo doesn't do the editing or selecting families or anything. Nat Geo has more than one show dedicated to groups that, while the members are still part of society, they do or believe something somewhat .... fringe. I don't know if all of the series about 'fringe' folks are from 3rd party companies or not.
Word is that the third party company couldn't find folks outside of the US who prep. Which tells ME that preppers outside of the US have better OPSEC than US preppers have. Nat Geo seems to feel that means that folks outside of the US don't feel they'd survive doomsday.
Frondly, Fern
There has been some discussion online about what Nat Geo's intention was in airing the show - was it to encourage prepping? To make preppers look odd? Something else? So I figured I'd activate my sleeper cell over at Nat Geo and get the inside story.
The story is about .... eyeballs. Ratings. Viewers. Apparently, what people watching TV want to watch is shows about people mostly like them .... but with an interesting difference. So middle class people who look at the problems around the world and DO something to prepare to weather them made it to TV.
Actually, Nat Geo doesn't even produce Doomsday Preppers themselves, it comes from a third party company, so Nat Geo doesn't do the editing or selecting families or anything. Nat Geo has more than one show dedicated to groups that, while the members are still part of society, they do or believe something somewhat .... fringe. I don't know if all of the series about 'fringe' folks are from 3rd party companies or not.
Word is that the third party company couldn't find folks outside of the US who prep. Which tells ME that preppers outside of the US have better OPSEC than US preppers have. Nat Geo seems to feel that means that folks outside of the US don't feel they'd survive doomsday.
Frondly, Fern
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Pushy Jewish Broad
Blessings Darlings!
I was raised Jewish, and I was raised in Skokie, Illinois. That's sort of the epicenter of Chicagoland Middle Class Conservative Jewry. By any ethnic consideration, I am a Jewitch, or Druish, depending on if you are coming from Wiccan or Druid perspective. The 'woman of a certain size' version.
Which means that in business and social situations I tend to speak right up with my concerns/issues. I do not suffer in silence - I make sure that everyone else suffers with me. Add that to my Survivalist leanings, where a basic tenet is that s/he who hesitates is shot, and ... let's just say that when pushed I push back. Solidly.
Do you think I need a warning label? Or just a camera crew to record the fun that occurs when folks don't realize this about me?
Frondly, Fern
I was raised Jewish, and I was raised in Skokie, Illinois. That's sort of the epicenter of Chicagoland Middle Class Conservative Jewry. By any ethnic consideration, I am a Jewitch, or Druish, depending on if you are coming from Wiccan or Druid perspective. The 'woman of a certain size' version.
Which means that in business and social situations I tend to speak right up with my concerns/issues. I do not suffer in silence - I make sure that everyone else suffers with me. Add that to my Survivalist leanings, where a basic tenet is that s/he who hesitates is shot, and ... let's just say that when pushed I push back. Solidly.
Do you think I need a warning label? Or just a camera crew to record the fun that occurs when folks don't realize this about me?
Frondly, Fern
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Instant Rice
Blessings, Darlings!
I've discovered that I'm making instant rice today. That wasn't really my plan, just a happy coincidence.
Original plan: Pie crust
My plan was to create a nightshade and gluten free recipe1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes for baked pie crust. From there, I decided to go for a crispy crust and to go for a creamy filling. First thought - get a box of crispy rice breakfast cereal, mix it with beaten egg white, form the crust and bake it.
But the name brand product, and the generic spin offs, aren't actually gluten free. I could go to supermarket and see if the gluten-free shelves
have something appropriate, but I already have one day of car use scheduled this week.
Modification of Plan:
So, I figured I'd make Chinese Crispy Rice, such as is used in Crispy Rice (or Singing Rice) soup
. To do this, you make rice (kind of overcooking it - a full 30 minutes on the stove), then spread it no more than 1/4 inch thick on a baking pan. Leave it in a 300 degree oven until dry.
Once dry, you deep fry it. It puffs! If you put it in hot soup, right after it's been fried and is still hot, it 'sings' and crackles.
My plan was to fry it, crumble it, THEN glue it together with egg white and bake it. And I'm still doing that, but came to another realization....
Prepper Realization
So the first tray full of rice is drying in the oven. I'm waiting for it to finish. But, since I look at everything thru' Prepper eyes, it dawns on me....
If I take the dry cooked rice, I have instant rice. Just add water. Duh. It could be mixed with dry veggies and a bouillion cube. Add water, and it's a really nice side dish, not even the 15 minutes of white rice cooking involved, let alone the 45 minutes of brown rice cooking.
Double Duh.
Therefore....
Instead of just doing one tray of this, I'll be doing several. I'll still hold enough 'fresh cooked' rice around for tonight's stir fry dinner, but there won't be leftover rice in my fridge tomorrow. It will all be dried and in well-sealed jars.
Frondly, Fern
I've discovered that I'm making instant rice today. That wasn't really my plan, just a happy coincidence.
Original plan: Pie crust
My plan was to create a nightshade and gluten free recipe1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes for baked pie crust. From there, I decided to go for a crispy crust and to go for a creamy filling. First thought - get a box of crispy rice breakfast cereal, mix it with beaten egg white, form the crust and bake it.
But the name brand product, and the generic spin offs, aren't actually gluten free. I could go to supermarket and see if the gluten-free shelves
have something appropriate, but I already have one day of car use scheduled this week.Modification of Plan:
So, I figured I'd make Chinese Crispy Rice, such as is used in Crispy Rice (or Singing Rice) soup
. To do this, you make rice (kind of overcooking it - a full 30 minutes on the stove), then spread it no more than 1/4 inch thick on a baking pan. Leave it in a 300 degree oven until dry.Once dry, you deep fry it. It puffs! If you put it in hot soup, right after it's been fried and is still hot, it 'sings' and crackles.
My plan was to fry it, crumble it, THEN glue it together with egg white and bake it. And I'm still doing that, but came to another realization....
Prepper Realization
So the first tray full of rice is drying in the oven. I'm waiting for it to finish. But, since I look at everything thru' Prepper eyes, it dawns on me....
If I take the dry cooked rice, I have instant rice. Just add water. Duh. It could be mixed with dry veggies and a bouillion cube. Add water, and it's a really nice side dish, not even the 15 minutes of white rice cooking involved, let alone the 45 minutes of brown rice cooking.
Double Duh.
Therefore....
Instead of just doing one tray of this, I'll be doing several. I'll still hold enough 'fresh cooked' rice around for tonight's stir fry dinner, but there won't be leftover rice in my fridge tomorrow. It will all be dried and in well-sealed jars.
Frondly, Fern
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Hunker Down
Blessings, Darlings!
We got 9.5 inches of snow yesterday. The Washington DC area we used to live in got a bit less (more rain there). Judging by the TV, the only news in the world is the snow we got here. Never mind the revolution that seems to be going on in Egypt, the issues in Tunisia and Yemen, etc.
Anyway.... the news is full of stories about folks who were stranded in their cars for 4 to 12 hours trying to get home. My son watched, then admitted he was thinking about what HE would do. We again discussed the time I was working at Credit Counseling when snow hit and roads turned extremely icy. I watched skidding and accidents from my window, watched the streets clog, etc. When it was finally time to leave ... I didn't. I stayed put. I stayed in the office, had a cup of tea, read the book or magazine I always had with me. I was warm, dry, comfortable, not doing white-knuckled ice driving.
By 8 pm, the roads had finally been salted, the built-up traffic had evaporated from the direction I was going to go, and I headed out. I drove slowly, an it took me a few extra minutes to make the drive. But it was a pretty calm drive, aside from not being able to see lane lines in one area.
Being able to shelter in place - no matter where you are - is a necessity. As my experience, and the experience of the poor folks who were stuck on highways yesterday, shows. Going out into weather or other SHTF (Shit Hits The Fan) situations is usually NOT a good idea. Wait it out THEN go out.
To do this you need some level of supplies with you. In this case, they were in my desk at my office: tea bag, book, snacks, cell phone, water, etc. I also had a candle and matches so I'd have been okay had power gone out. I knew the gas tank in my car was full, my tires were good, and I had more emergency supplies (more food, more water, tools, blanket, etc) in the car. Had I been stranded in the car overnight, I'd have been okay, even if I had to use the 'can with a lid' potty - tho' in that last case I'd have whined a heck of a lot!
We got 9.5 inches of snow yesterday. The Washington DC area we used to live in got a bit less (more rain there). Judging by the TV, the only news in the world is the snow we got here. Never mind the revolution that seems to be going on in Egypt, the issues in Tunisia and Yemen, etc.
Anyway.... the news is full of stories about folks who were stranded in their cars for 4 to 12 hours trying to get home. My son watched, then admitted he was thinking about what HE would do. We again discussed the time I was working at Credit Counseling when snow hit and roads turned extremely icy. I watched skidding and accidents from my window, watched the streets clog, etc. When it was finally time to leave ... I didn't. I stayed put. I stayed in the office, had a cup of tea, read the book or magazine I always had with me. I was warm, dry, comfortable, not doing white-knuckled ice driving.
By 8 pm, the roads had finally been salted, the built-up traffic had evaporated from the direction I was going to go, and I headed out. I drove slowly, an it took me a few extra minutes to make the drive. But it was a pretty calm drive, aside from not being able to see lane lines in one area.
Being able to shelter in place - no matter where you are - is a necessity. As my experience, and the experience of the poor folks who were stuck on highways yesterday, shows. Going out into weather or other SHTF (Shit Hits The Fan) situations is usually NOT a good idea. Wait it out THEN go out.
To do this you need some level of supplies with you. In this case, they were in my desk at my office: tea bag, book, snacks, cell phone, water, etc. I also had a candle and matches so I'd have been okay had power gone out. I knew the gas tank in my car was full, my tires were good, and I had more emergency supplies (more food, more water, tools, blanket, etc) in the car. Had I been stranded in the car overnight, I'd have been okay, even if I had to use the 'can with a lid' potty - tho' in that last case I'd have whined a heck of a lot!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Healing Cauldron
Blessings, Darlings!
EARLY LAST WEEK:
Early last week, during the waning moon, I cleaned out my healing cauldron, readying it for another year of use.
YESTERDAY:
Midday yesterday, e-mail went out from the Wiccan Trad I'm in that a member's family needed prayers/energy/magic. So I finally found a location for the cauldron and a candle (yes, refer back to the chaos caused by moving), and did a quick working.
I went back to the computer. The news started rolling in about the mass shooting in Arizona. Back to the cauldron, more working.
None of my other altars are up in the house, and clearly I was running late in setting up the Healing Cauldron ... and I still need to find the candle supply. Having a dedicated Healing Cauldron, however, is always a good idea.
THE HEALING CAULDRON
For most of the folks I know, 'the healing cauldron' is a useful phrase, an abbreviation for a working. For me, it refers to a literal cauldron, on an always-erected specific altar, one which usually (like, except during moves) gets daily attention.
The altar I use is simple. It features a 4-inch cast iron cauldron, a candle, a candlestick if I'm not using a glass-enclosed candle, and some Bridget's Brats, blessed in years of working with Mugwort Grove, ADF. Given the affinity of us AMOKs for hot tubs, I had really wanted to use a doll house hot tub, but resisted that temptation - mostly because I already had a couple of small cauldrons.
Having this ALWAYS set up, any time a request for healing comes my way, I don't have to be distracted by setting things up. And every morning I light a candle and send energy and prayers for those already in it.
BTW, I usually use Hanukkah candles for this. They burn about 20 minutes, so I rarely have to handle issues of untended candles left burning!
At times, usually the full moon, I make offerings as well, to keep the energy flowing well. Grain, honey, butter, wine, oil usually. Sometimes canned goods that will later go to the food pantry for the good of all.
In a way, it's part of my 'prepper' lifestyle. Illness, injury, death, etc WILL happen to those around you. Being able to spiritually and magically handle those things is part of the drill.
Frondly, Fern
EARLY LAST WEEK:
Early last week, during the waning moon, I cleaned out my healing cauldron, readying it for another year of use.
YESTERDAY:
Midday yesterday, e-mail went out from the Wiccan Trad I'm in that a member's family needed prayers/energy/magic. So I finally found a location for the cauldron and a candle (yes, refer back to the chaos caused by moving), and did a quick working.
I went back to the computer. The news started rolling in about the mass shooting in Arizona. Back to the cauldron, more working.
None of my other altars are up in the house, and clearly I was running late in setting up the Healing Cauldron ... and I still need to find the candle supply. Having a dedicated Healing Cauldron, however, is always a good idea.
THE HEALING CAULDRON
For most of the folks I know, 'the healing cauldron' is a useful phrase, an abbreviation for a working. For me, it refers to a literal cauldron, on an always-erected specific altar, one which usually (like, except during moves) gets daily attention.
The altar I use is simple. It features a 4-inch cast iron cauldron, a candle, a candlestick if I'm not using a glass-enclosed candle, and some Bridget's Brats, blessed in years of working with Mugwort Grove, ADF. Given the affinity of us AMOKs for hot tubs, I had really wanted to use a doll house hot tub, but resisted that temptation - mostly because I already had a couple of small cauldrons.
Having this ALWAYS set up, any time a request for healing comes my way, I don't have to be distracted by setting things up. And every morning I light a candle and send energy and prayers for those already in it.
BTW, I usually use Hanukkah candles for this. They burn about 20 minutes, so I rarely have to handle issues of untended candles left burning!
At times, usually the full moon, I make offerings as well, to keep the energy flowing well. Grain, honey, butter, wine, oil usually. Sometimes canned goods that will later go to the food pantry for the good of all.
In a way, it's part of my 'prepper' lifestyle. Illness, injury, death, etc WILL happen to those around you. Being able to spiritually and magically handle those things is part of the drill.
Frondly, Fern
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