I CALLED BYRON MARTIN of Logee's Greenhouses for his advice on some begonia questions, and then-like plant-mad people are inclined [read more…]
The post brugmansia, iochroma, papyrus and more, with bryon martin of logee's appeared first on A Way To Garden.
Written by Pat Henry on The Prepper Journal.
What could an emergency response plan for your family look like and where would you start prepping?
The post What Is Your Emergency Response Plan? appeared first on The Prepper Journal.
Last week, I had the pleasure of touring Atlanta's Southeastern Designer Showhouse sponsored by Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles magazine. Showcasing premier builders and designers, the home is magnificent and splendorous. Although most of us can't imagine living in a home like this, taking away some ideas and inspiration is always fun to do. So, come with me on a tour. I'll split this into 2 parts because I took so many pics (as usual).
You can find more details on the house on their website, along with ticket prices and tour dates. If you live in the Atlanta area, I'd definitely encourage you to take the tour. Check out the esteemed list of designers. They've amassed a fantastic team of creative design talent from around the South to showcase this stunning home to the fullest. The beneficiary of ticket sales for the showhouse is Safe Kids Georgia, part of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
The post Feature Friday: Southeastern Designer Showhouse 2016 appeared first on Southern Hospitality.
Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.
The tips below will help you begin the process of preparing for the worst day so that you will be better equipped to come through with everyone intact.
The post Preparing for the Worst Day appeared first on The Prepper Journal.
Home is where the heart is, but for too many of us, it's also where the debt is and where paychecks go to die. It's also one area in which small savings steps can really add up and where everyday spending decisions can make a big difference. Here are a few tips that have helped my family get out of debt and stay out for the past 8 years. You can save money on household expenses starting today.
Written by Pat Henry on The Prepper Journal.
Talking to your parents about prepping isn't easy but it can be done and you may get them on-board with prepping too.
The post Talking to Your Parents About Prepping appeared first on The Prepper Journal.
I've shared before that Marietta, GA is my hometown and I'm super proud of our town and how it has grown and evolved over the years of growing up here. It's quaint and charming and so full of life these days and I love hanging out in the town square. So much to do and see in the area, with shops and restaurants abundant there.
Last weekend, my honey and I did a tour of homes called The Georgia Ramble, sponsored by the Georgia Trust. My friends, Rachel and Douglas, from the Trammell House that I've blogged before were on the Spring Ramble this year and I was a docent there on Friday. The Georgia Trust is an organization that advocates preservation and revitalization of historic homes in Georgia. I didn't know much about this event before now, but these are held in Spring and Fall all over Georgia, including Savannah later in the Fall. How fun would that be?
The post Historic Houses in Marietta, GA appeared first on Southern Hospitality.
Dehydrated and freeze-dried foods are among the easiest foods around for both everyday cooking and long-term food storage. One handy item in that category is dried eggs and knowing how to use them is important.
At first glance, a pouch or can of this powdery substance may not be very appealing, but I can recommend it for so many different reasons. Here are just a few:
Chances are, you've already eaten dried eggs and didn't even realize it. Many restaurants, school cafeterias, and the military use dried eggs because of their versatility, ease of storage, and convenience. (Restaurants also often use liquid eggs in a carton, and those will probably contain additives. Plain, dried eggs do not.)
For the purists among us, the only thing you'll find in most containers of dried eggs are…eggs. Some companies may add a small amount of an anti-caking ingredient, but other than that, what you see is what you get.
Dried eggs are sold by all the major food storage companies, including my long-time sponsor, Augason Farms, as well as companies that sell packaged meals convenient for camping, hiking, hunting, and the like. One such company is Mountain House.
You'll find dried whole eggs, dried egg whites, and different versions of scrambled eggs. In my research, dried scrambled eggs were the only dried egg product that contained numerous additives, such as bacon, ham, or dehydrated peppers. Some brands also contained preservatives, flavorings, and artificial coloring.
Dried scrambled eggs will produce something that looks and tastes like scrambled eggs, with a scrambled egg consistency, and they're very handy for quick, tasty meals. Check out the ingredients on different brands, though, to make sure nothing has been added to the eggs that might cause an allergic reaction to someone in the family.
Dried whole eggs are the most versatile of all the dried egg products because only dried and powdered eggs are in the container. You can use this egg powder in place of fresh eggs in your baking, in casseroles, frittatas, and for use in the breading process. Dried eggs can be added directly to most recipes without having to be reconstituted with water first, but do add a little extra water to the recipe equivalent to the amount required for reconstituting the eggs.
In most cases, equal parts water and dried egg powder will equal one egg, but be sure to double check the label.
Today's topic is one I haven't ventured into before, but I thought it would be an interesting one to bring up and chat about with y'all. I know I'm not the only woman who has ended up in her 50's and dating again. It's not the best place to be, but it is better than being miserable, I'll tell you that.
If you're someone who got it right the first time and married the man of your dreams, had children, and now are enjoying your older years with the love of your life and grandchildren, well....you are blessed indeed! That would have been my dream come true too. You can count your blessings right now that you're not still out there, but you might get a kick out of reading this anyway. Getting it right the first time was not the way life happened for me and I imagine for many of you as well. I didn't get the results of what I expected to get earlier in my life and life doesn't always turn out the way we hope, dream, and plan. I made plenty of bad choices along the way and it didn't go the way I wanted it to go, but the blessings aren't over yet, nor is life over yet.
The post Dating in Your 50's appeared first on Southern Hospitality.
Among our friends, loved ones, and neighbors, it's very likely there are some with special needs, including physical, mental, medical, and age-related challenges. This article will address preppers with physical and medical challenges.
In the case of many physical challenges, such as blindness, a person doesn't need medication, although there could possibly be accompanying health issues that require prescription drugs. On the other hand, many with a medical need won't have additional physical challenges as long as they receive their medication. Examples in this second category include diabetes or a relatively minor heart problem.
If your prepper family includes a loved one with physical limitations, these suggestions will help you prepare for disasters and possible worst case scenarios.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has an app available for their NOAA Extreme Weather Information Sheet that will notifies users of impending weather hazards. Download this app onto your electronic device, and you can customize the settings for whatever physical limitations you or your family may have and for the area in which you live. (They actually have quite a few, and this page has their complete list of mobile websites and apps.) This is also available via email.
Buy a Special-Needs NOAA Weather Radio. These radios vibrate and provide simple text messages for those with hearing problems. In addition, they have accessories that include a pillow vibrator, a strobe light, and a bed shaker. They can also be adapted to provide large print or Braille messages for those with visual problems.
An extra-bright flashlight and high quality whistle will make it easier to get attention and help in an emergency.
One all-too-common physical limitation is poor hearing or even deafness, particularly among the elderly. One simple step to take is to make sure your smoke detectors have flashing lights. If a loved one uses hearing aids, keep a spare pair (possibly an old pair, given the expense of hearing aids) in a Faraday Cage. This will keep them safe from an EMP but, on a more practical note, will also keep them dry and air tight in flooding, storms, and through fire-fighting, if it is done well.
A hearing member of the family may want to record a short video or two with instructions for emergency workers, giving information about the deaf family member. It's unlikely that a responder will know American Sign Language and if your loved one is alone, there will be no other way to communicate important, possibly life saving, information.
Children, the elderly, and others can use this pre-recorded video to explain their needs and limitations to first-responders. If you do this, make sure copies are on any digital device they routinely carry and tape a note on the outside alerting emergency responders to look for the video.
The white cane with a red tip is a well-known symbol of blindness. Keep a spare, even if it isn't used in regular daily life. That visual cue could be priceless for getting help in an emergency.
If your vision impaired loved one has a guide dogs, remember to prepare for them as well. They'll obviously have the same needs as other dogs: food, water, toys. Make sure to make a bug out bag for the guide-dog as well as the humans. If (s)he wears a vest or other special identifier, keep a spare in the bug out bag. It's also critical that you keep up-t0-date copies of every single vaccination and all relevant training and certifications, preferably laminated so they are waterproof, with your emergency items.
By law, guide dogs should be allowed even in refugee/evacuation centers that don't otherwise allow animals, but you might also be required to show proof of vaccinations. Don't give them an excuse to not allow your guide dog. Have the paperwork ready to go. Better yet, contact your local animal shelter or emergency management office to see what you should do in advance and which shelters are most likely to accept service animals with a minimum of fuss.
NOTE: You may consider your pet to be your Emotional Support Animal or some other type of support animal, but check out these legalities when it comes to the expectation that your animal will be allowed just anywhere.
Another help for blind family members is to memorize the exact location of bug out bags, emergency and medical items, and where each item is kept within your kits. You may need to find them in a hurry. You might even add braille labels and an inventory list, so nothing gets left behind.
If you rely on your hands to feel the environment, stock up on nitrile gloves, or vinyl, if you have a nitrile allergy like I do. All kind of muck, germs, dirt, and general ick covers everything in the aftermath of a disaster. No one wants that on their hands, and vision loss makes it far too easy to put your hands into some seriously nasty ick. A pair of work gloves could be invaluable, especially if there are a lot of severely damaged buildings with masses of broken glass, splintered wood,and sharp metal around.
With all the newer gadgets we have, especially with the ease of getting vibrating or written messages, many people who would have used TTY or Braille TTY (Tele-TYpewriter) in the past either never started or have stopped and gotten rid of their machines. Don't! Keep or get a TTY machine for emergency use, and check regularly to ensure it stays in good working order, including keeping a charge. This device enables a regular landline phone to send and receive text messages, which can be a literal lifesaver if cell and Internet service are out.
Many 911 services are set up to use these services and it will be difficult to impossible for you to get through without them. Even if cell service is available, the lines may be overloaded in the aftermath of a widespread emergency. If you have a working TTY machine, you can still get information by calling official government information lines as well as by calling friends and family outside the immediate area.
Even if everything is up and running, cell phones break and get misplaced all the time. TTY is a solid back-up to your cell phone, and one that is less likely to be misplaced or borrowed!
Prepping families with medical needs must take those into consideration when packing emergency kits, making evacuation plans, and preparing for long-term disasters.
First, make sure to inventory your loved one's medical needs. There are items you will need to buy in advance and others you will need to grab at the last minute, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't know what they are and where to find them well in advance.
Make two lists, one for items they will need to have immediately and one for items that are necessary but will not be needed right away. The less-immediate-need items can be packed away, out of reach.
It is inevitable that some items cannot be packed until the last minute. These should be listed together with clear instructions about where to find them, any special storage requirements (including refrigeration), and how much you need to pack per day.
NOTE: Read this for more information about planning a last minute emergency kit. It includes a printable list!
Check and rotate your supplies every two to three months. Check the expiration dates and use items that are expiring first, saving the ones with the most distant expiration for your emergency kit. It's not a bad idea to simply swap prescriptions every time you receive a new one, even if that is every month. That way you know you always have usable medication in your emergency bag.
If your loved one requires oxygen, keep extra tanks on hand but also keep a list of places where you can buy more, not just near where you live but also along evacuation routes and near your destination. If you have to evacuate, call ahead and arrange to have extra tanks waiting for you instead of trying to fit a week or more of oxygen tanks into your car along with everything else.
The same principle holds true for any other equipment needs. There's a good chance that you won't be able to bring everything with you in an evacuation. It makes more sense to either pre-stage some items along your most likely evacuation route or arrange for a place to get replacements at the other end.
If you or your loved one relies on electrically powered medical equipment, make sure you either have enough batteries or a generator to keep everything up and running.
TIP: If you are evacuating or in a refugee center, make sure any assistive devices you or your loved one require are clearly labeled as “assistive devices” to reduce the risk of being separated from them.
Another consideration is security, both for valuable, smaller medical equipment and prescription drugs. Invest in a small, portable safe that can be tucked under a car seat or cabled to an immovable object in the event that you end up in a shelter or other location that doesn't offer much in the way of security.
In an evacuation scenario, if you go to a shelter or refugee center, or even stay with family and friends, notify them immediately if there is a diabetic in the family. This will help them provide you with the support and supplies you need, even if it's just moving to the front of the line for a snack or meal.
Your emergency supplies should contain quick sugar foods in case the blood sugar level drops. Mylar pouches of fruit juice, small packets of real honey (check the label), jelly beans, hard candies, and gum drops can all be stored in small packets. In fact, candies can easily be vacuum sealed using a Food Saver, which will keep them fresh. Just be sure to also have on hand a pair of scissors or a pocket knife to open the packets.
Keep these high sugar foods in outside pouches of an emergency kit or in some other location that is both easy to find and easy to remember. You may not be able to find what you need quickly when you are not at home, even if you are simply staying at a friend's house. If the diabetic is alone, it's even more vital that they can quickly access these foods.
Pack oral medication, insulin, delivery supplies, lancets, extra batteries for your meter and/or pump, and an extra glucagona emergency kit. If you have a family member, young or old, who needs help with their diabetes, make sure they know to whom they should go for help and provide them with written or recorded instructions (as discussed above) in case they need to get help from someone inexperienced with diabetes.
Finding a way to keep a supply of insulin refrigerated in an emergency is a huge challenge. One option is a small refrigerator designed for use in a big rig. They run on a 12 volt car or truck battery, something that is easily stored and easy to replace.
The State of New Jersey has a really good checklist and information for disaster preparedness for diabetics. Take a few minutes to review the information there, including the hints and tips. According to their information, insulin can be kept at room temperature for up to 28 days and insulin pens can be used at room temperature. DO NOT use insulin that clumps or sticks to the sides of the container.
Ask your doctor for a written prescription for insulin that you can keep in an emergency kit in case you end up far from home and in need of a refill.
READ MORE: Here at The Survival Mom, we have other articles with helpful information for diabetics:
No matter what physical and medical challenges your family is struggling with, the preparedness basics remain the same: Be prepared for an absolute, bare bones minimum of three days without any outside help, but know that in a true emergency, it will probably be at least two weeks until you receive any meaningful outside help, and longer than that before things return to (modified) normal.
The good news? You can be ready for these events, challenges and all!
Written by Pat Henry on The Prepper Journal.
One of the main problems preppers seem to be drawn to solve is the very realistic potential of having to drop everything and bug out of your home in a moment's notice. Today I want to focus on one potential answer to the bugging out problem, the bug out bike.
The post Bug Out Bike: Good Idea or Death Trap? appeared first on The Prepper Journal.
It's a myth that in order to have fun, you must spend money - no matter what your kids tell you! Over the years, we've spent a fortune at Disneyland, complete with several years of annual passes, and guess what? Some of our very, very best memories aren't from Disneyland but from our primitive, family camping trips. My kids talk about kayaking in northern Idaho and the time we almost starved to death at Crater Lake (long story), but now that I think of it, they rarely mention Disneyland.
Hmmm…think of all the money we could have saved.
But entertainment isn't just about Disneyland vs. camping trips, it's also the everyday things we do, such as watch TV, go to movies, and celebrate holidays. Here are some of my own tips for managing these things on a tight budget.
Daddy is at it again and can't wait to get his garden all planted and growing. He's already gotten most of it planted and is about to plant the garden in NC as well. It just wouldn't be summer without my daddy's garden and it truly keeps him going. I know when he stops, that means he literally will not last long on this earth, because his garden is without a doubt his passion. He will turn 89 in July.
So, we love to see his enthusiasm about gardening and growing his veggies. That is the core of who he is and that will never change. Plus, we all get the benefits of a home grown garden!
The post Dad's Garden 2016 Preview appeared first on Southern Hospitality.
DO YOU RECALL the first plants that caught your eye–the ones that proved your gateway drugs into plantaholic behavior? Andrew [read more…]
The post designing with magnolias, with andrew bunting appeared first on A Way To Garden.
About 5 years ago on Feature Friday, I introduced you all to Kristy and Starfish Cottage, a beautiful cottage home in Florida. Well, Kristy is still in Florida, but has moved to another cottage, so we thought another tour was in order. She's still got her classic white coastal cottage look and I think you'll enjoy this one. It's a relaxed and casual vibe, perfect for cooling off in the Florida heat. She doesn't do much color, but it's still very restful and peaceful.
The post Feature Friday: Starfish Cottage Revisited appeared first on Southern Hospitality.
Summer brings with it all the summer fruits – like peaches! Peaches have great antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, they're full of fiber, and they can even help prevent ailments from digestive issues to certain kinds of cancer!
Here are 30 different ways you can use peaches with links to recipes:
2. Peach salsa
3. Peach butter
12. Peach preserves
13. Peach muffins
15. Canned peaches
17. Peach pound cake
18. Peach smoothie
19. Pickled peaches
20. Peach caprese
22. Peach meatloaf
23. Peach stir fry
28. Peach and brie quesadillas
30. Peach and prosciutto pizza
Last year, my patio had just been finished in April and I planted my huge white planters with beautiful flowers, so this year I was ready to get started on that once again. Planting flowers is something that I love to do for the summer months and it's fun to get them started in April and they have a chance to really explode with growth and blooms.
The post Container Planters for Spring/Summer appeared first on Southern Hospitality.
Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.
Although some are quick to write off an air rifle as a weapon of choice, there are many advantages to carrying an air rifle versus a crossbow or center-fire rifle.
The post Weapon of Choice: The Benefits of Purchasing an Air Rifle appeared first on The Prepper Journal.
Written by Chris Taylor on The Prepper Journal.
Whatever you choose to focus on, it is worth considering exactly how you can keep yourself safe. While the situation will change, body armor is an easily accessible product that has a number of surprising benefits.
The post What You Should Look For in Body Armor appeared first on The Prepper Journal.
Before we get to Fashion over 50 today, I have some VERY exciting news! On Monday, at 9:30 in the a.m. we had a new arrival in our family. Baby Iris was born!! It was the fastest delivery I've ever heard of and they barely made it to the hospital in time. Less than 30 minutes after arrival, she was here! Needless to say, my sister didn't make it down there in time, so they drove down and got there that evening. None of the family in town made it, it was so fast! We are glad that Lauren didn't have to labor long at all to bring this little precious into the world! She was due at the end of this month, but we had a feeling she wouldn't go that long.
The post Fashion over 50: White Jeans for Spring appeared first on Southern Hospitality.
There is a great deal of confusion about Faraday cages. Not only about how to build them, but also what they actually protect against. In this article, Dr. Arthur Bradley, author of Disaster Preparedness for EMP Attacks and Solar Storms, answers a few basic questions and perhaps debunks a few myths.
A Faraday cage (a.k.a. Faraday shield) is a sealed enclosure that has an electrically conductive outer layer. It can be in the shape of a box, cylinder, sphere, or any other closed shape. The enclosure itself can be conductive, or it can be made of a non-conductive material (such as cardboard or wood) and then wrapped in a conductive material (such as aluminum foil).
A Faraday cage works by three mechanisms: (1) the conductive layer reflects incoming fields, (2) the conductor absorbs incoming energy, and (3) the cage acts to create opposing fields. All of these work to safeguard the contents from excessive field levels. A Faraday cage is particularly useful for protecting against an electromagnetic pulse that may be the result of a high-altitude nuclear detonation in the atmosphere (a.k.a. EMP attacks).
Despite rumors to the contrary, a Faraday cage is not necessary to protect against solar coronal mass ejections because the frequency content of such disturbances is at much lower frequencies-they don't couple energy efficiently into small-scale electronics, except through conducted paths (e.g., wires coming into the system). A better precaution against solar events is to unplug electronics and use quality surge suppressors.
Field cancelation occurs when the free carriers in the conductive material rapidly realign to oppose the incident electric field. If the cage is made from something non-conductive, the free carriers are not mobile enough to realign and cancel the incident field.
The conductive layer can be very thin because of something known as the skin effect. That term describes the tendency of current to flow primarily on the skin of a conductor. As long as the conducting layer is greater than the skin depth, it will provide excellent shielding because the absorption loss will be large.
The skin depth is a function of the frequency of the wave and the conductor material. As an example, consider that for a frequency of 200 MHz, the skin depth of aluminum is only about 21 microns. EMP pulses can have frequency content that ranges up to 1,000 MHz. Therefore, wrapping a box in a couple of layers of heavy duty aluminum foil (typically about 24 microns thick) provides the necessary conductor thickness to protect against high-frequency radiated fields.
Not much. The conductivity of nearly any metal is good enough to allow the carriers to easily realign to cancel external fields. For example, if silver (the best conductor) is used in place of aluminum, the skin depth at 200 MHz is reduced to about 4.5 microns. Of course, the high cost of silver would prevent using it for such a purpose.
Yes, as long as the holes are small with respect to the wavelength of the incident electromagnetic wave. For example, a 1 GHz wave has a wavelength of 0.3 meters in free space. As long as the holes are significantly smaller than that dimension (i.e., a few millimeters), they won't let in much of the incident wave. This is why fine conductive mesh can be used when constructing a Faraday cage. In practice, the cage's lid or door usually causes the most leakage. Taping the seam with conductive tape helps to reduce this leakage.
Yes, there are many conductive enclosures that can be used, including ammo cans, metal garbage cans, anti-static bags, and even old microwave ovens. Each has its own level of effectiveness as covered in my book, Disaster Preparedness for EMP Attacks and Solar Storms. The key criterion is that the gaps and seams remain very small.
There is a great deal of confusion regarding grounding of a Faraday cage. Grounding of the cage (i.e., connecting it to some Earth-referenced source of charge) has little effect on the field levels seen inside the box. Grounding primarily helps to keep the cage from becoming charged and perhaps re-radiating. The bottom line is that an ungrounded cage protects the contents from harmful electromagnetic fields as well as a grounded one.
Anti-static bags are readily available to protect electronic components against electrostatic discharge. They can be purchased in many different sizes, including some large enough to hold radio equipment. While they do offer shielding from EMP, not all products are created equal.
Testing confirmed that products certified to MIL-PRF-8170 and/or MIL-PRF-131 offer the greatest protection from an EMP. The results from testing three different types of bags are provided in Disaster Preparedness for EMP Attacks and Solar Storms. When selecting an ESD bag, consider not only the shielding effectiveness but also the physical ruggedness of the bag. A tear or large hole can compromise the bag by allowing EMP energy to enter.
Storing a larger set of electronics might require an entire room. Engineers who work in electromagnetics often use “shield rooms” to conduct experiments because they do an excellent job of filtering out interfering signals, providing in excess of 100 dB of shielding. A poor-man's shield room can be made by lining a small closet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering all four walls, the floor, the ceiling, and the inside of the door. Overlap and tape the seams using either conductive or regular cellophane tape.
There can be no conductive penetrations into the room, or it will seriously degrade the shielding. Cover all electrical outlets, light switches, etc. with aluminum foil. Do not plug anything into the electrical outlets. Also, lay a piece of plywood or cardboard on the floor so that it can be walked on without damaging the aluminum foil. Rooms built in this way have been shown to offer more than 50 dB of shielding up to several hundred MHz.
Written by Arthur T. Bradley. For more information about Dr. Bradley's books, see DisasterPreparer.com. To sign up for his free Practical Prepper Newsletter, Email: newsletter@disasterpreparer.com.
My mom makes a lot of cakes and this fresh coconut cake is one of her faves and always gets rave reviews when she serves it. We had this for Easter and when I posted a picture on Facebook, everyone wanted the recipe. It's made with a butter yellow cake mix, so is easy to put together, but very pretty in presentation.
The post Fresh Coconut Cake appeared first on Southern Hospitality.
Written by Huples on The Prepper Journal.
For most people likely the idea of having to eat an exclusively vegan diet is their idea of the apocalypse! No more bacon and beef burgers. Leaving aside the other valid reasons to embrace a vegan diet before SHTF this article is a
The post Pros and Cons of a Vegan Diet Post Apocalypse appeared first on The Prepper Journal.
