Earth Hour

In the midst of celebrating Earth Hour over here. My daughter's playing piano by candlelight (and LED headlamp)... I'm able to continue getting things done on the 'puter (laptop - YAY!) and the house is alight with candles. I have a *lot* of candles and candleholders. We live rurally, so we're well prepared for power outages. ;) I've just turned the main breaker to the house off, so there's no auxiliary power running. Nothing. We use so little power as it is, it's hard to use less other than turning that breaker right off... it's the things like the fridge, or the few lights we'd normally have on... taking a break from those things. And yes, I do believe that if each of us, in our own way, make an effort to make the Earth a better place to live, that it *will* make a difference. :)

This week we've spent a lot of time preparing for emergencies. Our emergency preparedness kit is *mostly* together. We had nearly everything we needed already, just not all in one place, and not inventoried. It is now. There are only a few little things left - I want to get a small photo album of family members' photos together (I have some, but not all)... it would be a source of comfort for the kids after an emergency, and also practical if you needed to have a photo of a relative if they were missing. Also, a little cash. A set of clothes and shoes for each family member. Important household papers, such as copies of birth certificates, house insurance and life insurance and mortgage and home ownership papers, that kind of thing. And food. Obviously we already have clothes, cash, food, and the necessary papers, but it's a matter of putting it in the *kit*... which is what this week has been about. Just gathering things together.

So far, we have the tent(s), sleeping bags, tarps, cookstove & fuel, cutlery and plates and cups, etc., first aid kit, Swiss Army knife, a bag of entertainment (a novel and a kids' magazine, a pack of uno cards & a regular deck of cards, a couple small notepads, pencil, pen, pencil crayons, sharpener, eraser, that kind of thing), toiletries (tp, toothbrushes & toothpaste, floss, soap, a razor for dh, a small mirror, pads - although I prefer the Diva Cup), dishsoap, towels, kitchen wash cloth & drying towel, a set of camping pots & a camping kettle, a water filtration system, and emergency stuff like windup radio, flashlight, extra batteries, light stick, emergency blankets (those small silver ones), and much more.

We are prepared!! LOL