'Tis the season...of miracles and angels

"Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart." -- Washington Irving (1783–1859), American author This week you get two true stories to "prep" you for the season. En-JOY! This Week's Sponsor: The Prepper Shaker: Do You Believe in Miracles? This Christmas miracle took place in December 1997 at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Written by Susan Leonard, wife of Mark R. Lenonard who is a professional Santa Claus, this is a story that I think will cause YOU to believe ... A Real Christmas Miracle From the Funny Farm: Christmas Cheer What did Adam say on the day before Christmas? It's Christmas, Eve! What Christmas carol is a favorite of parents? Silent Night. What do you get if you deep-fry Santa Claus? Crisp Cringle! Prep Talk: Do You Believe in Angels? Have you ever been touched by an angel? I believe I have. Let me briefly share with you an experience of mine in 1997 that brought a little piece (and peace) of heaven to me and set my life on a new course. I was working part-time as a cashier in a health food store, making minimum wage and not very happy with my situation. My pride and quick temper had just cost me a good-paying job and I was merely filling time with this job until something better came along. One spring morning a man walked into the store who looked like your typical bum off the street. His hair was disheveled; his clothes tattered; and he had on a pair of glasses that looked like they'd been through a war. He had a pleasant air about him, though, and I wasn't afraid of him at all. He asked me if he could do a little outside cleanup work in exchange for a few badly needed dollars. The store manager shook her head, so I had to tell him "No." He then started to tell me why he needed the money, and about that time something within me stirred. "How much money do you need?" I asked. "Eight dollars," he answered. "Just a minute," I said. Since he was the only customer in the store, I excused myself for a moment to check the contents of my wallet. Guess how much I found in there? Yup. Exactly eight dollars. I didn't hesitate. I grabbed that eight dollars out of my wallet and handed it over to the man without a second thought. Suddenly all my cares and concerns of the week vanished. I felt a rush of love and compassion for this stranger, and felt his love and gratitude in return. He thanked me, shook my hand and turned to leave. Then the strangest thing happened. The feeling came over me that this man was sent to me from God, and I would know it because the man would give me a sign...he would shake my hand not once, but three times. After shaking my hand the first time, the man turned to leave and then stopped. He turned back, expressed more thanks, then shook my hand again. He turned to leave again, then turned back one more time. He looked me straight in the eye, shook my hand a third time, and said, "God Bless You." After that he left. Words can't begin to describe how I felt at that moment -- it was truly divine! Not long after that I quit my job, moved to a new location, met the man who is now my husband, got married, and everything changed for me forever... all in just one year...1997...the year I was touched by an angel. Think it can't happen to you? Think again! "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (The Bible: Hebrews Chapter 13, verse 2) Best Regards, Sharon Iezzi Your Hoppy-Go-Lucky Editor Parting Shot: Christmas is forever, not for just one day, for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf. The good you do for others is good you do yourself. --Norman W. Brooks, "Let Every Day Be Christmas" The next issue of The Prepper-Upper will be published on January 8, 2010. Keep on...preppin'! * * * * * The Prepper-Upper is published weekly by James Talmage Stevens, Publisher Author of Making the Best of Basics: the all-new and updated 11th edition. Editor: Sharon Iezzi Subscribe to The Prepper-Upper by Email More free info at familypreparednessguide.com * * * * * If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend. Your comments are always welcome! © 2009 All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may NOT copy and distribute any portion of this blog for commercial purposes without written permission. Mail requests to: ready2prepare @ gmail.com

It takes a real prepper to...

Life comes at you fast, and you need to think on your feet. When the manure hits the propeller, it takes a real prepper to pop out of that pile of poo smelling like a rose! This Week's Sponsor: The Prepper Shaker: Have You Learned This History Lesson? We are responsible for our individual and our country’s good or bad plight. If you feel out of control, now is the time to take control of the things you can. It pays to study history. Here's why...Read full article here. From the Funny Farm: Rooster Tales My rooster is a communist. I'm sure of it. How do I know? He's a Rhode Island RED. But that isn't all... he sings like Caruso to his hens in the morning and takes them by stealth in the afternoon. Does that make him a candidate for the Golden Grab-Me Award??? Prep Talk: True Confession Time Back when I was a teenager I decided it was time to mount a one-person activism campaign against my parents' smoking. My dad smoked cigars; my mom smoked cigarettes, and my young lungs were suffering. I stopped by a local party and magic tricks store and found what I figured would be the perfect weapon: cigarette loads! These were tiny (about 1/4 inch long) easy-to-conceal wood pieces designed to explode in the lit end of a cigarette. When planted and detonated properly, they would make a loud noise, put the cigarette out quickly, and scare the "tar" out of the smoker. So began Operation Stokem-Smokem. First target: My mom. Wait till cigarette package almost empty. Check. Place loads in remaining cigarettes. Check. Wait patiently for target subject to light up, exercising incredible self-discipline so that I keep a straight face. Check. Watch target subject reach for cigarette, click her lighter, prepare to draw that first delicious drag. Check. Look surprised when end of cigarette blows off completely. Check. Fortunately, my mom was a pretty good sport about it. After listening to me explain how I felt about her smoking and that this was my way of getting her attention, she politely suggested that there had better NOT be any more loaded cigarettes around, 'cause if there were, I knew what I could expect. "Sure mom," (laughing out the sides of my mouth while trying to look serious)"...uh, here, let me get you a new pack of cigarettes..." Next target: My dad. Since the diameter of a good cigar is several times the diameter of a cigarette, my fast-thinking mathematical brain quickly calculated that it would take 4 strategically placed loads to have the same effect and ensure that the cigar would explode symetrically back into its own foot--er--cigar print. The much-anticipated moment arrives. It's the 9th inning, the cigar is loaded and my shoelaces are tied...for a quick getaway. BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!! All four loads explode simultaneusly with perfect precision. The operation is a success!! (Have you ever seen those old cartoons where the bad guy lights his stogey and it blows up almost to his face, leaving him with a very funny, and very angry, look on his face? Yep. That was my dad.) Fortunately, my mom quickly understood what had happened and ran interference for me so I could make a clean getaway, but I KNEW there would be #$%* to pay later. Oh, he looked sooo funny!!! A short time later (after my dad had calmed down) we had an intense parent-child discussion in which we reached an agreement that all exploding tobacco products would be removed immediately from the house and in exchange I would continue to live there, but with some restrictions on my freedom for a few days. Also, both parents informed me that they had indeed gotten my anti-smoking message and that they would continue to smoke as usual. So there you have it, folks: the true confession of a (former) real-life domestic terrorist! Isn't aging a wonderful thing? Mellows you right out. Right out. Right out. (Now where did I put my keys?) Best Regards, Sharon Iezzi Your Hoppy-Go-Lucky Editor Parting Shot: The buns may burn; the salad may droop; but when all else fails, you can always make soup! Keep on...preppin'! * * * * * The Prepper-Upper is published weekly by James Talmage Stevens, Publisher Author of Making the Best of Basics: the all-new and updated 11th edition. Editor: Sharon Iezzi Subscribe to The Prepper-Upper by Email * * * * * If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend. Your comments are always welcome! © 2009 All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may NOT copy and distribute any portion of this blog for commercial purposes without written permission. Mail requests to: ready2prepare @ gmail.com

When life hands you pig guts...

Did 'ya hear about the poor butcher who backed into a meat grinder and got a little behind in his work? The daily grind can be so unkind. When life hands you pig guts, make sausage! This Week's Sponsor: The Prepper Shaker: What's YOUR Vision for the Future? This is indeed a world of uncertainty. You don’t know what lies ahead of you––not an hour, nor a day, nor especially what’s coming at you just over the horizon. It's time to catch the vision... Read full article here. From the Funny Farm: Technology for Preppers Upload: Food storage in attic. Download: Food storage in basement. Website: Where the spiders in your survival gear hang out. Web Bots: Dead things the spiders eat. Debug: What you do to the spiders. Laptop: Place where the kitty sleeps. Keyboard: Where you hang the truck keys. Mouse: What gets into your 50lb bags of grain. Mouse Pad: Where the mouse lives, silly! Prep Talk: School for Life 'Ya know what? It really DOES matter where you go to get an education. Take the easy way out now and you'll pay for it the rest of your life. As a junior in high school in the 1960's I had the choice of attending my local high school in suburban Detroit or attending another school in downtown Detroit that offered a much higher quality of education. To get to the downtown school I would be travelling 45 minutes each way by city bus through some of the toughest neighborhoods in urban America. To make matters worse, this was a huge school: 8 stories high, occupying a full city block, with an enrollment of almost 5,000 students of every race, culture, religion, and ethnic group imaginable. Yikes! If I had stayed at my neighborhood high school I would probably have graduated at or near the top of my class. But I chose the other school and graduated 68th in a class of 787. Education for me meant much more than just getting good grades. My two years at Detroit's "Cass Tech" (as the school was affectionately called) taught me to face challenges head-on instead of running from them. I also learned that people from vastly different backgrounds and cultures really can (if they want to) find a way to get along and work together toward common goals. I may not have learned these valuable life lessons in time to do something constructive with them if I had taken the easy way out with my education. Will you or one of your children soon be making a big decision about education? Please think about the consequences 40 years from now and choose wisely. Live to learn ... so you can learn to live. Best Regards, Sharon Iezzi Your Hoppy-Go-Lucky Editor Parting Shot: What's the difference between Recession and Depression? Recession - when your neighbor loses his job. Depression - when you lose your job. Remember: When life hands you pig guts, make sausage! * * * * * The Prepper-Upper is published weekly by James Talmage Stevens, Publisher Author of Making the Best of Basics: the all-new and updated 11th edition. Editor: Sharon Iezzi Subscribe to The Prepper-Upper by Email * * * * * If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend. Your comments are always welcome! © 2009 All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may NOT copy and distribute any portion of this blog for commercial purposes without written permission. Mail requests to: ready2prepare @ gmail.com

Well how do you do!

We're off to a flying start today! Grab your goggles, fasten your seat belt, and prepare to be propped...up!!! This Week's Sponsor: The Prepper Shaker: Top 10 Reasons Why The Future of America Depends on Survivalists & Preppers There has been a lot of derogatory talk lately about "preppers" and "survivalists" ... Read full article here. From the Funny Farm: The Plane Truth A Prepper, a Preacher and a Politician are flying in a bush plane over Alaska. There are 3 parachutes on board. Suddenly the plane has engine trouble and the pilot says, "Sorry guys, we're going down and I've got a wife and kids who need me. He graps one of the parachutes, opens the door, and jumps. The Politician grabs the next one and says, "I'm one of the elite--the smartest people in the world. You are just riff-raff and deserve to die." And out he goes. The Preacher then says to the Prepper, "You go ahead, son. I've lived a good life and I'm ready to meet my Maker." "Not yet," says the Prepper. "That guy who just left, one of the 'smartest people in the world,' took my go bag!" Prep Talk: Dry It. You'll Like It! Drying foods in-home is the simplest, least expensive and most fascinating method of food preservation. Dried food products normally keep longer, cost less to prepare, and take less storage space. Since food drying uses lower temperatures than canning, almost all of the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes are retained intact. As a bonus, dried foods are full of fiber, have no refined sugars added, and have concentrated amounts of naturally occurring nutrients, sugars and flavors. Drying may be done in the sun, in an oven, or in an electric home dehydrator. Families without hungry children or nosy pets may be able to use heating ducts or furnace rooms as heat sources, or the tops of counters and open spaces. In earlier times, the sun was the prime heat source for drying. I remember in my youth picking, preparing, paring, slicing, dicing and laying out the fruits and vegetables on wood frames with cheesecloth. This was the family's evening entertainment as we listened to The Green Hornet, The Shadow, and The Gene Autrey Show. I also recall that it was doubly entertaining for my grandmother--she got a kick out of seeing us work! It was indeed worth the work when she cooked up some great vittles from the pantry in the cold of winter! Dehydrated foods reconstitute in minutes by simply soaking in water or adding to a soup, casserole, or other recipe. The Quick Guides in Making the Best of Basics provide details for drying and rehydrating each type of fruit and vegetable. You'll find more about dehydrating and using dehydrated foods, as well as many listings of equipment dealers and suppliers online at: http://PreparednessMarketPlace.com http://PreparednessYellowPages.com For more information, monthly updates, detailed preparedness coaching, downloads, and exclusives, go to: http://www.BePrepared101.com Parting Shot: A golfer drove his tee shot onto an anthill. After many swings he demolished the anthill, but still had not hit the ball. At this point one of the two ants still alive turned to the other ant and said, "If we're going to survive, we'd better get on the ball!" * * * * * The Prepper-Upper is published weekly by James Talmage Stevens, Publisher Author of Making the Best of Basics: the all-new and updated 11th edition. Editor: Sharon Iezzi Subscribe to The Prepper-Upper by Email * * * * * If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend. Your comments are always welcome! © 2009 All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may NOT copy and distribute any portion of this blog for commercial purposes without written permission. Mail requests to: ready2prepare @ gmail.com

'Ya Gotta Start Somewhere!

You've taken the leap. Congratulations! Thanks for hopping by... This Week's Sponsor: TheReadyStore Getting Prepared: What's in YOUR Pantry? Several decades ago just about every home had a walk-in pantry adjacent to the kitchen. Back then the economy was primarily rural. People grew, preserved and stored most of their own food. It took at least a full day just to travel to the nearest store to purchase provisions. In those days a well-stocked pantry usually meant the difference between living well and living poorly, or even starving to death. The need for a well-stocked pantry hasn't changed; but nowadays, people in the more technologically advanced areas of the world generally depend on and expect the vast global network of supermarkets, superstores and convenience stores to provide that well-stocked pantry for them. And most of the time this public "walk-in pantry" system works just fine. However ... Read full article here. From the Funny Farm: Q & A Q. What do prepared cannibals eat most often? A. Prepper steak. Q. What do you call a well-prepared 3 day old fox? A. A 72 hour kit. Prep Talk: Cache for Cluckers We live in a town where having chickens in the city limits is prohibited--or was--until my husband and I successfully demonstrated to members of our town council that our 6 hens and one rooster could be discreetly kept in a backyard coop and fenced yard with responsible care. Each morning I remove the night's droppings from the coop floor, and each evening I clean up the chicken yard using my very own chicken "pooper scooper." I find that keeping chickens in town requires about as much work as keeping small dogs, but with one BIG difference: My pets make me breakfast! In return for about an hour's work each day I get lots of fresh eggs, free entertainment and fertilizer for the garden. Such a deal! As for the rooster: I've trained him to do his crowing inside the coop, which muffles the sound considerably. He almost never crows during the day because he's learned that crowing outside gets him put inside...fast. If you're thinking about creating your own "cache for cluckers," now's the time! We did it in our own backyard on an 80x120 foot city lot located just a block and a half from city hall, and so can you. * * * * * The Prepper-Upper is published weekly by James Talmage Stevens, author of Making the Best of Basics: the all-new and updated 11th edition. Editor: Sharon Iezzi Subscribe to The Prepper-Upper by Email * * * * * If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend. Your comments are always welcome! © 2009 All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may NOT copy and distribute any portion of this blog for commercial purposes without written permission. Mail requests to: ready2prepare @ gmail.com

Welcome to the Prepper-Upper!

Are you a prepper? You might be if you:

• Grow a kitchen garden.
  
• Have a well-stocked root cellar and/or walk-in pantry.
  
• Buy food and household supplies by the case when they're on sale.
  
• Keep chickens in your backyard (legally or otherwise).
  
• Wear a Swiss Army Knife or Multi-Tool on your belt even at church.
  
• Carry a first-aid kit in your purse.
  
• Find it difficult to move about in your garage because it's packed with camping gear and survival supplies.
  
• Know what a "Go Bag" is and have at least one handy.
  
• Own the latest edition of James Talmage Stevens'
  Making the Best of Basics.
  

The Prepper-Upper is published weekly by
James Talmage Stevens and Sharon Iezzi.

Subscribe to The Prepper-Upper by Email