This is too funny. I thought I posted this a week or two ago but apparently not…

We are now fully into winter here in the Midwest. It’s cold as all get out, there’s a foot of snow on the ground, and even colder weather is coming, Needless to say, outdoor activities are quite limited short of hunting but even those are dwindling as certain seasons are closing.

I like to use the cold winter months a variety of ways.

The first thing I like to do is a deep-dive inventory analysis. What do I have, what did I move, what did I use, what items are running low, what items were not used at all. These are the questions and many like it, that I try and answer during an inventory analysis. Don’t get me wrong, I keep up to date all year long with items like consumables but sometimes that post-it note reminder goes through the wash before the data is inserted into the spreadsheet(s).

Another activity I usually pursue is indoor range time, sporting clays, and duck/goose/pheasant hunting. Unfortunately, with all of the mishegoss associated with the election, the availability of ammo is quite precarious so I’m loathe to expend ammo frivolously right now. I have had some good luck going to a couple gun shows in the region in terms of finding popular calibers at reasonable prices but the masses are starting to catch on. If you don’t get there when the doors open the first day you might find yourself holding a fist-full of cash instead of heavy-ass grocery bag laden with ammo!

Truth be told, I started buying all of my ammo at gun shows long before the 2020 election cycle. The reason for this is simple. Brick and mortar stores started swiping/scanning my ID for every ammo purchase. It used to be that they just visually verified your age. Not any more. The first time a cashier asked for my ID and started to swipe it through their card reader I stopped them, questioned what they were doing, took my ID back, left all of the ammo on the counter, and walked out. It is none of the government’s business how much ammo I bought and of what caliber. Ever.

Well folks, I did it! My second non-fiction book in as many months is finally out the door! Preparing to Prepare: A General Guide to Self-Sufficiency and Preparedness is now available on Amazon!

The Preparing to Prepare non-fiction work began taking shape in written form around the same time as the non-fiction Home Remedies piece. The information contained within this work, though, has been rumbling around in my head for ages. What makes this work unique, I think, is that it allows readers to determine just what they want to prepare for (from weather to societal collapse) and estimate how long that disruption to their lives might last (< 1 week, > 1 week but < 1 month, or > 1 month). It is not an anthology for all things preparedness related. It is, however, a good read and a good place to start for anyone looking to outlast a disruption to their normal daily lives.

I think now I might take a little break and do some projects I’ve been wanting to try and/or fix some things around the house.

Plus, it’s winter, so it’s time to do some reflection on what worked, what didn’t, how can some things be improved, planning the garden, pricing out project costs, and of course there’s inventory to perform! Sometimes winter can be busier than the good weather months, depending on how you approach it.

Here’s the back cover text for those that are interested:

When people hear the words ‘self-sufficiency’ and ‘preparedness’ together in the same sentence, they typically conjure up images of tinfoil hats and reclusive preppers. However, just about everyone is, in a general sense, preparing for something. The difference is that we don’t ascribe those terms to say:

Grandma Betsy who grew and canned produce from her Victory Garden.
Suzy Homemaker who purchased some extra cases of water for her family for the heat of summer.
Bob Bizowner who purchased plywood to board up his business to protect it from anarchists, rioters, and looters.
Neighbor Jenny who purchased two months’ worth of everything before state lockdowns were initiated.

When we see examples like these, we say they were smart to be prepared or had good timing, in a positive way, not derogatorily.

Preparing to Prepare: A General Guide to Self-Sufficiency & Preparedness takes a duration-based approach to the potential disruptions that might befall an individual, family, community, or region. These disruptions to daily life could be minor (week or less), moderate (week to a month), or major (more than a month) and originate from the weather, society, health problems, employment loss, or something else. Preparing to Prepare walks the reader through personal assessments by asking the reader to answer very specific, thought-provoking questions geared toward understanding their environment and the potential pitfalls that life may throw at them. With those answers in hand, only then can the reader truly begin preparing for their chosen duration.