Being Prepared

So today I will share somethings that we have learned during this cold spell we have had - where we have been below freezing temperatures since about Tuesday morning sometime and it does not look like we will be above freezing till about noon or later on Saturday.

I am so thankful that I have a blog that I follow that has shared many ideas on stocking your pantry. Brenda over at Coffee Tea Books and Me has so many great ones that I will not go into a lot of details, but I wanted to share a few things.

We had a decent amount of warning about the bad weather coming to our area. But because of the fact that just a week or two ago - there was talk of bad weather- that we did not get, I am sure that a lot of people thought that maybe this weather system would not be as serious as they said. I know I have lived in Texas for many years and we get at least one ice day a year and sometimes a couple more but as long as I can remember - I can not remember the weather being below freezing and icy for this long of a time period. Schools have been shut down since Tuesday and I do not expect them to be opened back up till Monday. It is frozen out there and the temperatures have not even come close to 32 degrees since Monday.

So what have I learned - no matter who you are or where you live - it is a very WISE idea to have a stocked pantry. Try to make sure you have foods to make at least a weeks worth of meals before bad weather starts. Once the weather hits - your chances of running somewhere for some take out - are very slim. And while you are at it - make sure that you have enough good for your pets. I have been so thankful that I have picked up a decent amount of the cheap HEB canned veggies - that were 3/1.00. Twice a day - I am taking a can of peas and a can of corn plus some hamburger buns and also some spaghetti cooked up out for my chickens. I also have a big bag of some white rice that I had bought or a crafting project I did a year or so ago. SO I have the rice left over -with some bugs in it.That is not a problem when you are making it up for your chickens though. It will give the chickens some food and not go to waste.

I am so very thankful that I had enough food on hand to carry us over till the weather clears up. The one area that I really did not do good is that when I was getting rid of my clothes that were too big - I ended up with 3 long sleeved tops. During the winter many times I am ok with a 3/4 sleeved shirt. But how cold it has been I am wearing long sleeved for sure. Last night I found a warm pj top - made of fleece. That is what I will be wearing today. It is too big - but who care - it is warm and clean.

So just remember when you are shopping and find good deals - you may want to buy a few extras to have on hand - just in case. It is so much better to be safe than sorry. :o)