September's Theme and Your Assignment

H A P P Y S E P T E M B E R !
September is National Preparedness Month.

The theme for September is visible on this blogpost...and I will try to help us all by posting information, reoprts, stories, tips, helps... daily.

Here is your assignment:
Go to the 99 Cents Store or Dollar Store and get at least one bandana (they sell for a dollar at Walmart, too, I think)and one adult rain poncho.

If you have more money and a spouse, get 2 of each. If you can spare the money, get a bandana for each family member and a rain poncho for each(you can find actual rain coats with sleeves for a dollar, too, at the 99 cents store..you just have to dig.)
They have rain ponchos in children's size there, too.

Here are 2 little narratives regarding these 2 items.

BANDANAS KEPT US COOL

In 1995, our family of 7 children and 2 adults, set off in a blue Astrovan in the heat of July for a trip from Victorville, CA to central Wisconsin. We had no functioning air conditioner in this vehicle. But we had fun and did not die of heat exhuastion. Why? Well...we each had our bandana and our water bottles.
We kept our bandanas wet by using the water in the waterbottles...(even though that water was often warm )and rubbed these wet or damp bandanas on our skin: our faces, neck, arms, legs. If you roll a wet bandana up and place it around your neck, you have a nice, cooling collar.

If you don't have bandanas, hand towels work well, too. I suppose an extra piece of clothing would also work...a small T-shirt..hey, even a sock.
You can also pour water or sprinkle water on your clothes...that will kepp you cool. I wear a wet T-shirt in our house when I am home alone and do not want to use the air conditioner. The point is...use the principle of evaporation to keep you cool when it is very hot and you do not have air conditioning.

Back to the bandanas...if you have kids, let them each have their own color. These are good items for 72 hour kits. They can be used to stop bleeding. You can wave them to get rescuers attention...and I am sure there is a list somehwere entitled 101 Uses For A Bandana!


How A 99 Cent Rain Poncho Saved Us!

Here is the scene. It is June 26, 2009. It is raining. We are on Interstate Highway (I-15)heading south. We get a blow out...it is the left fromt wheal. We roll to a stop on a dangerous curve. We are on what is called "The Point of the Mountain" in Utah. Tons of fast traffic because it is close to 8 am and people are going to work.We don't have that much space on the side of the freeway. My husband is getting ready to change the tire. As he bends over to jack up the car and replace the tire, I notice his rear end (of his body) is jutting out into the freeway. Since it is rush hour, and cars are whizzing by at fast speeds and visibilty is poor becuase of the rain and we are on a curve, I am filled with terror.

This is what I do. I put on my bright yellow 99 cent rain coat and take a position on the side of the road about 10-15 yards from where my husband is working to change the tire. I stand there in the rain, with my arms out. So cars can see me (before they find themselves plowing into my husband). They whole time I am standing there, I am of course, praying. The tire gets changed, we drive cautiously to the Costco in Orem, Utah and buy an new tore (since the spare was a small old one) and continue our journey. I was truly grateful for our safety! I think the raincoat helped.