I was chatting to an English neighbour the other day and the subject of prepping came up. He laughed and said ‘Not that again. Why do we need to prep? Tell me exactly what you think is going to happen.’

Well, of course I couldn’t tell him because I don’t know. What I do know, however, is that our world is in a major transition and just about anything could happen. I have learned over the years to be completely open-minded, so not be surprised by anything. It’s a much safer way to be. I had also learned, way back in the early sixties, when I was eighteen and got myself pregnant and my hitherto loving parents couldn’t cope with the disgrace, that their love was conditional. It affected my life for the next 35 years. The two major lessons were:

•  the only person you can truly trust and totally rely on is yourself – INDEPENDENCE is all important

•  being loved is dependent on ‘good behaviour’, in other words it isn’t unconditional

Lesson one I still maintain, Lesson two changed when I met Leaf. He proved that his love is total, no matter what and, even now, in his brain-damaged state when little he says makes any sense at all, he is still able to tell me, really seriously, that he loves me. Even though he is not with me and I am not looking after him, on some level, he understands and forgives me, if that’s the right word. 

Back to prepping – how easy it is to digress!

Several times over the last ten or fifteen years, Leaf and I have taken stock. We’ve made sure we have enough basic food supplies for at least a month and that we have all the other necessaries. So, rather than type it all out again, I’m taking a shortcut and copying a post I wrote 6 years ago on Pot Pourri, my blog for Anglo Info.

Be Prepared

Posted on  by Sue Whatmough APRIL 26 2015

I’ve been known to say on more than one occasion that we’re in a privileged environment living in the countryside of South West France, and other parts of this beautiful country too, of course.  In fact, so much so, we’re in danger of becoming complacent and allowing ourselves to shut off from the goings-on in the wider world.  After all, some of it is so depressing, who can blame us?  However, there are times when we need to keep up with the news for our own good.

We used to laugh at the American Preppers, building underground bunkers, buying special ‘pods’ and stocking up for imminent catastrophe, be it in the shape of a meteorite or other natural disaster.  Now it seems there is a very good reason to be prepared.

Leaf and I are used to being ignored, even frozen out when we bring up subjects such as Monsanto, fracking, the Keystone XL pipeline, the TTIP and the like.  But, as followers of numerous alternative, as well as some mainstream, news sources, we look at the world picture and can’t help ‘joining up the dots.’

Like us, several friends are tuned into the forecasts of global collapse which, many are saying, could happen this year. Readers can search online ‘ world economic collapse 2015’ to see what I’m talking about.  And, although the various sites are mainly focussed on the US and the demise of the dollar, many are predicting dire consequences for the euro and other currencies.  After all, we’re all connected via the World Bank. 

Whilst not wishing to sound unnecessarily alarmist, I feel it is important for us to be aware of the latest forecasts so that we can be prepared should they prove correct.  And by being prepared I’m talking about making sure we will be able to feed ourselves in the event of food supplies drying up temporarily or, heaven forbid, longer term.

I’m sure there will be readers who are fully aware of the possibilities and are already well-stocked, but for those who aren’t, here are some suggestions:

•  get clued up on survival techniques – the info on this site is available for free and particularly comprehensive.  Or, we can buy the book if we prefer to have the info to hand (if the power goes off, a book will be the best bet of course)

• the foods that last best are dried, so we should have plenty of rice and grains, legumes and seeds for sprouting along with the obvious long-lasters such as tinned and jarred foods

• look into dehydrating foods at home – fruit, veg, meats etc.  There are dehydrators on the market which are effective and reasonably priced.  The advantage here is that we can store the dried foods in jars and re-hydrate when we want to use them, which leads me on to ….

• … a means of purifying water.  There are various ways to do this, with or without expense – machines, tablets, ‘Boy Scout’ methods and so on

• a manual wheat grinder or grain mill can also be used for coffee, spices and nuts amongst other dried goods – great for making flour out of less obvious foods such as lentils, chestnuts and chick peas

• seeds – with Monsanto and co buying up as many of the world’s seed companies as they can get their hands on, heirloom seeds are the best bet.  Much cheaper, non GM of course, and we won’t have to face court cases for saving seeds to plant the following year

• for lighting, we would need a good stock of candles, cheap lighters, thick string and oil.  I often make new candles out of old ones by melting down the stubs, pouring into a jar and dangling a piece of string into the liquid to make a wick.  Oil lamps were used extensively in days gone by

• invest in a book on herbal medicines and, as I’ve said before, foraging for free food

• a comprehensive First Aid kit and manual is essential

• a good tool kit, which we’re likely to have anyway

• strong knives, plain blades and serrated, are essential

• bicarb, that miracle powder with multiple uses

And, very important – tinned food, croquettes or other essential feed for our beloved animals!

The dire predictions may, of course, never materialise but nonetheless, it’s no bad idea to be prepared.  There’s always the chance of freak weather these days.

Readers suggestions are naturally very welcome.

HEAVENS! I could have been talking about NOW!

Many readers, especially those with a bit of ‘dosh’, are likely to have become rather twitchy about the state of the financial world. And quite right too. As far as I can gather, it’s in chaos! 

As someone who has gone from being a high-earner to deep in debt and is still standing and coping day-to-day without worry, I realise I’m in a privileged position. Luckily, I’m not what a friend calls ‘a breadhead’! I want for nothing, I have food, a comfortable house, a lovely garden, a car, a wonderful dog, a library of books and DVDs and social aid to supplement the cost of Leaf’s care. What else could I wish for? Oh, and my trusty MacBook! And when Leaf was home with me, the situation was the same, we had all we needed and that was enough. If I won a few bob in a prize draw tomorrow, I would give it to a friend in need. Unless it was lots and lots, then I would employ a full-time carer and have Leaf home. 

The state of the world financial systems are not really relevant to our personal situation but I know enough to suggest that those who might feel rather intimidated by money matters, can’t afford a financial adviser and have savings, investments and pension schemes to protect, take a careful look at what’s going on. And I don’t mean on the mainstream media, they have a vested interest in keeping us in the dark. If you don’t know why, then I would suggest you check out the the WEF’s Great Re-Set to discover why. Then I think it’s a good idea to look for an overview of the current financial world along with recommendations. Among them will be crypto, bitcoin, gold/silver/precious metals and more. By going onto Duck, Duck Go search engine, we can research the pros and cons of each one. Good luck! 

As for the prepping, of course I hope that it will not become necessary but there are two suggestions that I mustn’t forget to include: should we be plunged into a blackout or the Internet and communications go down, some members of our community could find themselves very cut off. By checking out those who could suffer more than us, we can prepare to lend a hand to help older, handicapped and single people in our immediate area. It’s always warming when someone takes the time to check out if we’re okay, no matter how independent we are. Secondly, it’s a good idea to agree with close friends on a time and a place to meet up, just in case. Hopefully, we will have kept our car topped up with petrol!

On a more cheerful note, it’s amazing how much more secure we will feel if we’re well prepared.  
The Boy Scouts got it right!