Comments on Towards Sustainability: Thoughts on preparedness.

The anyway happened to us... mildly ... without po...

2011-01-22T07:12:44.930+11:00

The anyway happened to us... mildly ... without power for 4 days, local roads blocked in all directions, large community relying on what was left in our pantries, the power out and supplies running low, two children under 7, dh, myself and our dog didn't need to go anywhere to get back-up supplies... or panic. thank goodness we've been living more simply in last 12 months, and guided by your blog and others. I was able to take items from my pantry to the evacuation centre to help feed other families.

Gosh what chaos indeed for you all. And to think I...

2009-07-17T01:05:59.122+10:00

Gosh what chaos indeed for you all. And to think I get upset when our poor doggie throws up on the carpet. Next time I'll think of you and not be so harsh on her!! A most thought provoking post - sometimes we live in a very cushioned world don't we and this kind of jolt confronts us with our very own fragility.

Hi Veg, Well, yes that puts a positive spin on the...

2009-07-16T13:30:05.192+10:00

Hi Veg,
Well, yes that puts a positive spin on the cleaning LOL! No, we still have no idea how he did it, I can only assume it a piece of glass or something that I mopped up when I was cleaning and didn't notice? Mystery...

Hi Anastasia,
Yes, that's part of the reason why I stockpile - to save money. I stock up when items are on sale, and buying in bulk saves heaps of money too - hard to come up with the cash initially, but worth it in the long run!

Hi Kez,
It is good isn't it?

Hi Tricia,
Yeah I'm a bit worried about the girls - there was blood everywhere and they totally freaked out, but hopefully they'll be OK. I like the term resilience - very fitting.

Hi Dixiebelle,
Thanks :-) I Googled 'blood stains on carpet' after I posted yesterday and discovered salt and hydrogen peroxide are great so hopefully that will work!

Hi Belinda,
I totally agree, but I feel so sad that we seem to be in the minority with most people just presuming the government will help them out :-(

Hi Joanne,
I would have gone nuts trying to do everything at once - bit by bit is the only way to go! We have been so lucky here too haven't we, no wonder we are so laid back... I think many people think an emergency fund is a good idea - but don't have one of those either! Sigh.

Hi Anon,
Thanks! Con-incidentally, I Googled cleaning blood yesterday and found that peroxide is good, so I went out and bought some this morning - wish me luck!

Hi Abbie,
Yes, the poor girls were pretty freaked out with all the blood, it looked pretty horrible! They seem none the worse for wear today though, thank goodness.

Cheers, Julie

Oh my goodness!! I am so sorry for you, and your p...

2009-07-16T04:15:27.670+10:00

Oh my goodness!! I am so sorry for you, and your pet. Doggies are so dear, no one likes to hear of one hurting. I hope that your kids weren't too freaked out, and that you are able to cope well with the stains, the nerves, and with the bill. And thank you for the reminder to be prepared. It is always a nice thing to be reminded that life can happen. Best to you, Abbie

Peroxide gets dried blood out of fabric and carpet...

2009-07-16T00:06:09.378+10:00

Peroxide gets dried blood out of fabric and carpet. Wet thoroughly,after it foams mop out with a clean rag, then rinse with water and continue until rag shows no color at the rinse stage.

I confess my preparedness is not what it should be...

2009-07-15T23:13:49.588+10:00

I confess my preparedness is not what it should be, but bit by bit I'm working on it.
To many people, including the PTB (powers-that-be), the worst thing that could happen is people worry for nothing. They don't want to panic people, or cause people to take drastic action like say, spending way less.
Particularly in our country, real hardships mostly seem to happen to other people, in other places. As much as we like to criticize it, welfare is good here in comparison to a lot of other countries. Our major cities and towns have never been literally blown apart by warfare. We haven't had famine or major epidemics. Aussie's are laid-back for a reason!
I don't think its over the top at all to have emergency plans and stockpiles. Funny, people will generally accept that its a good idea to have money in savings for emergencies, yet can't get their heads around having enough food in the pantry! Yet in some types emergencies, no amount of money in the bank would help, if stores were closed or supplies ran out or you couldn't reach them.
I hope your dog is better and it wasn't too traumatic for you all, especially the kids. There is something awful about lots of blood...the smell, the stains. And to have it everywhere- you must have felt weak at the knees faced with the task of cleaning it all.

Hi Julie, Sorry to hear about the dog's drama...

2009-07-15T20:53:14.355+10:00

Hi Julie,

Sorry to hear about the dog's dramatic emergency visit.

In regard to being prepared I personally feel it is our responsibility as adult members of a community to at least be able to cope with the small to medium bumps and unexpected change. Social services are there to help us through atm, in some areas, but feeling like that means you don't personally have to be prepared will just ensure those systems become overtaxed earlier.

Your totally right.. the unexpected can be something as simple as two parents getting sick. Knowing you have enough means you wouldn't be tempted to get behind the wheel of the car if you don't feel safe to do so.

Kind Regards
Belinda

Poor puppy, and poor you! Salted water gets blood ...

2009-07-15T20:48:43.941+10:00

Poor puppy, and poor you! Salted water gets blood out, good luck!

Hi Julie...Oh no! What a horrible experience for y...

2009-07-15T19:49:10.616+10:00

Hi Julie...Oh no! What a horrible experience for you all. I hope the dog is feeling better (and you have all recovered from the shock you must have experienced).

I totally agree with you that it is all about preparedness....its about being prepared for the unexpected. It may be that the unexpected never happens - but thats OK. It is something I have been thinkng about alot recently.....but thinking of it as resilience...ability to cope to change. My family (and indeed our country) currently has zero resilience for any sort of change!

Ouch, poor puppy! Glad he'll be ok. I love t...

2009-07-15T16:45:56.205+10:00

Ouch, poor puppy! Glad he'll be ok.

I love that theory of anyway. So true.

Ow poor doggie! We had a cane toad incident that w...

2009-07-15T16:24:08.266+10:00

Ow poor doggie! We had a cane toad incident that was similarly very expensive, but we were pre-kids in those days. I find our grocery bills so astronomical these days that stockpiling just isn't happening - not that we have the room for it anyway! I REALLY want to though.

Did you find out how the gash happened? The only ...

2009-07-15T14:45:47.544+10:00

Did you find out how the gash happened?

The only 'positive' side of this would be that you can cross 'spring cleaning the whole house' off the to-do list!

I agree with preparedness - as to stockpiling, learning new skills, learning how to live simply, building community.... all the things you are working on every day anyway. Keep it up and ignore those that think you are crazy. You'll be the one that has the last laugh, for sure!