I agree with you, DeGaulle, about law and order breaking down. I suppose that communities will come together, perhaps organised at parish level, to pool and share their resources. Trouble is that if nobody stocks up there won't be resources to share. People would also need to have some supplies on hand while waiting for community groups to get organised. I'm thinking of having enough put by to share with close relatives who live within walking distance of me and who have young children. I wouldn't trust the government (if we have one) to organise the proverbial pee-up in a brewery. Sure, somebody will assume control and appropriate farm produce for centralised distribution, but I wouldn't want to rely on being anywhere but the end of the line for whatever they distribute, so there's no harm in storing food that can be used or shared if the worst never happens. I would never buy or use a gun, and wouldn't have one in my home. Keeping quiet about what you have in store would probably be the best means of protection. I might have a different attitude if I lived alone in a remote area, but in towns and cities owning a gun could be a temptation for violent people to steal it. Florida Panter: Thanks for the info about Spam. I think I'd rather go vegetarian and stock up on multi-vitamins plus iron. I had an old uncle who smoked into his 70's, didn't give up the drink until his mid 80's, wouldn't eat properly and sweetened his tea with near half a bowl of sugar. When he passed away at 96 it was thanks to a virus he picked up in the hospital when he went in for a simple test. Two things he did every day without fail were to spend at least an hour in prayer and take a multi-vitamin plus iron pill. What worked for him might work for me. Ed Kleese: So Heritage Seeds means I can collect the seeds from the plants and save them for sowing the following year? Surely the storm won't last that long, or will it?
It is very hard to predict and, probably imagine, the chaos and hysteria generated by events that will present in the beginning as resembling those empty supermarket shelves we see currently in poor old Venezuela, but which will inexorably deteriorate into something much more horrific. The prophesy that the living will envy the dead comes to mind. Regarding guns, one must question the morality of shooting a fellow soul whose only intention is finding food for himself or his loved ones.
Yes, that prophesy is chilling. At the same time, the living will need food and community to survive. Not every thief steals to feed himself or loved ones. Reports are that the black market is thriving in Venezuela. Venezuela imports a lot of food despite having conditions suitable to grow enough to feed itself. Food production declined with the oil boom. If the prophesies about a storm, three days of darkness, tribulation, etc. come true, then the whole world is likely to be affected, meaning that there won't be any food exporting countries. Without faith in God, what's to stop people turning to savagery, even cannibalism? It's a tribute to our ancestors that they didn't sink so low in famine times. I'm not so sure, however, that some of today's generation wouldn't. Remember that plane crash in the jungle where the passengers resorted to cannibalism? Although I can't imagine ever using a gun, I can understand why some people would even if it were only to scare off intruders or to hunt for wild animals or birds.
One can only hope, as Walker Percy speculated, that adversity will bring the best out of enough of people to outweigh those upon whom it will have the opposite effect. Is the plane crash 'cannibalism' you refer to that written about by Piers Paul Read in his account 'Alive!'? The survivors are described by Read (himself a traditional Catholic) as being quite heroic. Of course, they only ate, after considerable prior deliberation, the bodies of their colleagues who had been killed and frozen in the cold. In the event of extreme necessity, such resort to actions which would normally be considered beyond the pale might have to be contemplated. The book is certainly excellent and an inspiring account of what people can achieve in even the most adverse conditions and, in this case, without transgressing any Christian moral code.
don't forget WATER....I ordered a Berkey Water Filter for our family....should be able to clean non potable water....It was 280.00 but a worthwhile investment. Plus, it makes your tap water taste delicious....
also, got some purifying water straws from the army navy store and matches that work when wet....I have been hitting the army navy store on occasion for things....if you want to get crazy, they have MRE's and stuff like that (bulk food in 5 gallon containers)....
Although I haven't read the book, it sounds like the same plane crash that was widely reported in the press. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recall hearing or reading about pioneers resorting to cannibalism in the northern part of the US or Canada in the 18th or 19th century. Like the plane crash survivors, I don't think they actually killed any of their companions, although my memory isn't clear enough to be certain. What happens if the period of starvation is prolonged and one of your companions or neighbours doesn't die fast enough? Maybe it's just my weird imagination, but wouldn't cannibalism eventually lead to insanity? Anyway, enough of such gruesome speculation. I'm ashamed that it even occurred to me and I apologise for bringing it into the topic.
Nothing to apologise for. These are things it is best to be prepared for. I would recommend Read's book. It gives a good insight into these matters. I have seen one of the survivors of the crash on television, perhaps on the Late Late Show a lot of years ago, speaking of his experiences. He was, by then, a respected medical doctor and seemed as sane an individual as you could imagine, with no inclination to sensationalise his experiences.
Clorox, unscented is a good cheap water purifier only 8-10 drops per gallon does the trick ... check on-line for the exact "formula". Spam is tinned meat that is well known in the USA. For some reason the Hawaiians love the stuff. My old Marine Uncle hated the stuff 'cause of all he had to eat in WWII/Korea GOD SAVE ALL HERE!! PS: Spam is probably more healthy than when I was a kid with less fat-n-salt but as a survival food the old stuff was probably better?
Dolours, I think you are in Ireland. Spam is like poor mans ham. It used to be part of the fun in Monty Pythons flying Circus, because most poor families used it in the UK in the post war years. It is also like luncheon meat which you may have seen in the shops in Ireland since Tesco's arrived. LOL. They sell it on the deli counters and it is dead cheap. The Spam comes in tins. The children used to prefer luncheon meat to ham because you don't need to chew it much. LOL edible with or without teeth.
My husband and I are big into gardening, canning, and dehydrating. Dehydrating and vacuum sealing foods extends the shelf life by years and years . . .and it's so easy to do. I only use heirloom seeds so I can save the seeds and they will produce non genetically modified fruits. For a beginner, my grandpa used to get a bag of potting soil, slit it down the center and plop some tomato plants into it. They grew like crazy and he always had lots of tomatoes. They are the easiest thing to can. I will be teaching a class this summer to newbies and we will make raspberry jam. The berries grow wild, so very little expense. My ancestors were famine Irish, so I think my genes retain the memory. , that is why I try to be prepared. No, I do not like spam. :-(. You can get very creative when it comes to cooking . . .we like camping so it doesn't have to be fancy. I have been having a feeling lately that something big is coming very soon, so want to be as prepared as I can and depend on God for the rest.
I read somewhere that in Venezuela the people find it hard to get toilet paper. That keeps forever, and would be like gold dust in an emergency economy. I remember reading razor blades and toothpaste was like gold dust in the Croatian war. Freeze dried coffee is easily got in the shops and keeps a very long time. Tinned Corned Beef has great long dates, I think best before 2020 is in the shops now. It is surprising how much can be got in the shops with good long life dates like three or four years. I checked out those long life suppliers on line and was shocked at how expensive everything was. Things would become very expensive if there was a shortage, so it is wise to get some extra while the prices are normal. I get some spare extras for the needy too. There are boxes in the big shops here in the UK where you can put donations of groceries or other day to day items for those in crisis now.
This is why one needs to have their home and property boundaries blessed by a priest, as well as sprinkling of blessed salt. I have only heard one very audible voice and it woke me in a dead sleep, which said "pinch a little salt on the ground, use it sparingly"! I sat up in bed and told my wife what I just heard. I knew immediately what it meant. I had blessed salt, but had not done this. It was God's way, perhaps through a messenger, for me to get it done, which I did. Stock up on enough goods/supplies for at least 6 months (more if you can) and then do as St Pio said and pray, trust and don't worry. For instance, most people would have a hard time finding more than a book of matches in their home, but how long will that last for cooking and heating?
I sometimes crave fried spam on white bread with yellow mustard...comfort food from my childhood! I guess I should stock up but I will have to find a place to hide it as my mom will think I am nuts!
Our Lady of Fatima warned that if Her requests were not heeded, Russia would "spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer,various nations will be annihilated." Russia to test unstoppable 'Satan 2' stealth nuke capable of wiping out an ENTIRE NATIONhttp://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/russia-test-unstoppable-satan-2-7935675
Perhaps what's going on in Venezuela is another sign that we truly are entering the chaos that will soon envelope the world. I understand according to Servant of God Maria Esperanza that it will start in Venezuela. http://www.spiritdaily.com/A514reuters.htm
Dolours, to expand on what Ed said, legacy or heritage seeds will breed true: If you have some Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomatoes, the seeds from those tomatoes will produce the same purple tomatoes next year. If you plant Ambrosia Hybrid Sweet Corn, you'll get some wonderful ears this year. Next year's corn will not look so good. Because it was a hybrid of different strains, some of the characteristics of the different strains will start expressing themselves. After 4 or 5 generations, the genetic expressions will settle down, and you'll start getting ears of corn that are consistent. It's unlikely, though, that they will ever look or taste as good as the original Ambrosia Hybrid. You might wind up with a corn that is better ground into meal than boiled as corn-on-the-cob.
