Are these cool or what?

So I found these in the store a few days ago and thought they would be perfect for a 72 hour kit. The little colored dot in the middle is toothpaste and there is a toothpick thingy at the other end. They are only about as long as my index finger. They have 4 in each package. I hope I can find more eventually. These would be great to keep in the car in case of a dental visit for the kids with no way to brush before hand. Or just after eating out or whatever. Really cool little invention.

My (little) Garden Update

My little garden has really taken off! Minus my 2.5 dead lettuce plants (one is sort of coming back) it's all growing with a venegance. I had almost called my chives a goner, but they seem to have sprouted up overnight! My carrots seem to be doing great, and my onions are doing well also. I picked up 2 cilantro plants to replace the dead lettuce starts at the Farmer's Market yesterday, so we will see how they do now.

Seriously!?

SALEM, Ore. – A father was accused of using a dog shock collar on his four children. Salem Police Lt. Dave Okada said the 41-year-old man was jailed Tuesday on charges of criminal mistreatment. He said the father acknowledged putting the electronic dog collar on his four children and shocking all of them at least once.
According to Okada, the father didn't do it as a punishment. Rather, he thought it was funny.
The children, all younger than 10, are in the custody of their mother.
The case has been referred to state Department of Human Services

Holy Cow! I joke about doing this sometimes but, seriously, you don't actually DO it! Really funny, dude, really funny. I hope his cell mate has a similar sense of humor.

Topsey turvey tomato update

So my tomatoes have taken a sharp U turn. Literally. The tops are growing up. Makes sense, but I just wasn't expecting it. You know for that infomercial they took full grown plants and put them in that planter. I hope that when the tomatoes start growing, they don't break the top of the plant off. I guess we shall see. I will also need to put more potting soil in now that its all settled. Will update when there are new developments.

Any Good Recipes?

So, by some insane fluke I managed to get a "tasting" (aka interview) for a local coffee shop to make their pastries and breakfast stuffs. I have some things floating around my head (I've seriously been driving Lila and Gracie insane because I won't shut up about recipes) but I really really want to try out as many things as I can!

Anyone have any tried and true or interesting recipes they'd like to share?

Friday Funny

Outplan, Outprepare, Outsurvive

So Tuesday at church we ladies had a Survivor night. It was all about how to be prepared in case of emergency. We all sat down at tables and started talking when all of a sudden the lights go out and we hear the emergency broadcast system screaching. A voice came on saying "This is only a test. If this were a real emergency, you would have to rely on the skills you already posess to survive." (Hokey, I know, but we are mormons, thats just part of our DNA.) So everyone immediatly turned on the flashlights that were sitting on the table.

Our first challenge was to find our "tribe", identified by different colored armbands, in the dark. We then had a first aid quiz. Things sure have changed since I took a first aid course. (Did you know that the only scientifically based cure for hiccups was to breathe into a paper bag?) We then had to list as many things as we could to put into a 72 hour kit. Then all three tribes had to race to put up a tent. Ours of course had no poles. The next challenge was a taste test. A member of our tribe had to try and tell the difference between dried eggs and fresh eggs. Everyone got that right but was surprised how difficult it was. They then had to tell the difference between freeze dried lasagne and store bought. That was no one was really able to tell the difference. Then the one that blew us all away. The taster had to tell the difference between baked goods that were baked with oil and the ones that had beans substituted for the oil. SERIOUSLY!? BEANS!? I kid you not, NO ONE could tell the difference. You use the same ratio between oil and beans (ie 1 c or oil = 1 c of beans). Use black beans for chocolate cake or brownies, pinto beans for chocolate chip cookies and white beans for white or yellow cake mix. Just match the color of the beans as closely as possible to the color of the goodies you are baking. You can also substitute applesauce or bananas for oil. Very cool.

We then found out that we can use a canner that the church has. For $1 per can we can use the supply of cans, lids and oxygen pouches. Then all we have to do is buy the stuff we want to put in the cans. It was soooo easy!

Quote of the Day

This afternoon the Boy recieved a lengthy time out for smacking my arm when he got frustrated. At the end of the time out, I sat with him so we could go over what he had learned.

**note: the answer I'm looking for is "tell them why I'm mad"**

Maggy: If you are upset and mad with someone what can you do about it?

The Boy: You don't hit?

Maggy: No, you don't hit, that's right. What else?

The Boy: .... You say you're sorry?

Maggy: Yes, that would be nice. What else could you do?

The Boy: ....... You ask them to go ride bikes?

Maybe we should all think like 3 year olds more often...

About dang time!

So good news all you crime watchers. Drew Peterson has been indicted on murder charges in the homicidal death of his 3rd wife.

Now when Stacy first disappeared I was willing to believe she had just ran off. I would never leave my kids but other women do it every day. When I learned she was his 4th wife I figured there was a reason these women divorced him.

The it came out that his 3rd wife died in a weird way. When her body was exhumed and a new autopsy was performed it was ruled a homicide. Then my imagination picked it up more. Murdered 3rd wife, missing 4th. Something is hokey here.

Then he has this girlfriend who is younger and moves in. Weird but good for him, just hope she is the "one" and not in danger. THEN it comes out that his "engagement" is basically a lie. OMG

How much more can the man do before he gets arrested? Thank Heavens some cops finally saw reason and arrested him!

In Case of Natural Disaster: Volcano Style

Lucky me, I have chosen to make my home in volcano country. And I don't mean "I live within the possible disaster zone", I mean I can see one from my house, and I could see another if there wasn't a small range of hills in the way. Volcanoes aren't a possible danger around here, they are a constant danger. Granted, thanks to Mt. St. Helen's erupting in 1980, area preparation for an eruption is fairly well planned out. However, there is still much about volcano eruptions that is a big unknown.

Ryan the 3L and I were discussing the republican retort to Obama's unofficial Budget Speech made by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, in which he criticized democratic funding for "volcanic monitoring" as a frivolous expense, saying "Instead of monitoring volcanoes, what Congress should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington". First off, that's pretty rich coming from the Governor of a state who received $1.5 billion in the year after Katrina and Rita alone. Secondly, as Ryan the 3L pointed out our area is called the Ring of Fire. Volcanic Eruption isn't an if, it's a when.

Preparing for something like an eruption is different then say, a snow storm or a hurricane. Not only are you worried about the eruption itself, but you have to worry about all it's little buddies; Mudflows (nasty stuff), flash floods, landslides, rockfalls, earthquakes (that's a whole 'nother post), tsunamis, ash fall and acid rain.

Obviously you need the usual survival suspects; Water, food, Flashlights and batteries, essential medicines, blankets, candles, emergency radio, etc, etc. With volcano's one of the biggest concerns (and people killers) is the fallout of ash and noxious gases. To combat this particular issue; you should add dust masks (or preferably some sort of air purifying respirator), and eye goggles for each member of your family.

Be sure to store large sheets of plastic (these can be bought cheaply at any paint or hardware store) and rolls of masking tape. Use this to cover all windows and doors, and place wet towels or cloth along the bottoms to prevent ash and gases from entering the home. Turn off all heating and cooling systems, and if you have a fireplace flue, make sure to close it and make as airtight as possible. Also, if possible clear any roofs of ash cover, as ash is rock and therefore very heavy, and the last thing you want is the roof falling in on your head.

If there is sort of emergency and you are forced to drive, the ash can quickly clog even the best of car air filters. And old DNR trick my dad used was to wrap the filter in women's pantie hose. The hose allowed in the air, but not the ash. You still have to clean off the hose frequently, but at least you can travel if you need to. You should listen to any news reports for air quality, danger area and water quality reports.

If there's an eruption there is no way of knowing how long things will be nasty. I figure that in case of a super eruption, we will need at least a month of basic supplies, possibly longer. This is including food, water, medicine and power. Well, that ended up sounding a bit like a science report, but I hope it made you think. Every area is in danger of some sort of natural disaster, are you prepared?