Retreat Light Discipline

Letter Re: The Importance of Rural Retreat Light Discipline

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Jim:
I'm writing to comment on something in your nonfiction book "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It": On page 206 you state: “Without proper blackout precautions, your house will be a
'come loot me' beacon that can be seen for miles at night.”I can’t stress light discipline enough. Here’s an example: About fifteen years ago my parents went to dinner at The Cougar Inn on Lake Wenatchee [in eastern Washington]. It was a dark night and on the way back from dinner they looked across the lake and saw a faint green flashing light it the vicinity of their un-lit cabin. Arriving at the cabin they found the light source for the flashing: The light that could be seen from slightly over one mile was the reflected light inside their cabin of the video cassette recorder (VCR) flashing "12:00, 12:00, 12:00."
That was one mile away. The VCR was sitting in a corner in a built–in cabinet, and not pointed directly at the window.
Don’t ever tell yourself, “Oh, it’s okay, it’s not that bad.” What’s not that bad? The act of being raped, robbed, and murdered, or the light leaks? Even the smallest light leak can be an invitation to disaster [in a grid-down situation, where all of the houses are blacked out.] - Rick B.

Essential Oils

 If you really believe a collapse is going to happen then preparing for you and your family's medical issues is a priority. Only in the last 50 years or so have our "medications" come from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. Nature has always provided us with remedies and unless we destroy the earth, it always will.

  Essential oils should be part of your first aid supplies. They are made with large quantities of plant material and processed with great care and hard work. Do not be fooled into thinking you can grow enough plant material to even produce 1ml of essential oil. It isn't worth your time or effort. If a collapse occurs your resources will be focused on food, not an acre of lavender. Buy the essential oils now. Start learning about their properties, uses and methods of absorption. Then actually use them, just like you rotate and eat your food storage, rotate and use your essential oils.

  I am studying essential oils and I have made a list of some great oils to purchase. Essential oils (EO) are highly concentrated and are used in very small amounts. They are not limited to helping one issue or problem like modern medicines. I will give you a couple of uses for each essential oil, but this is not a comprehensive view of each one. Almost all essential oils are for external application or inhalation ONLY.

1. Lavender- An analgesic ( pain reliever), antiseptic (antimicrobial substance applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection) and immune stimulant. Good for skin care and to promote healing: burns, bruises, scrapes, acne, rashes and bug bites.  Has a calming effect, and is used for: insomnia, stress and to relieve depression. Also is used as a decongestant through steam inhalation ( 1 drop per cup of boiling water). Lavender is also available as a tea for internal use.

2. Tea Tree- A powerful anti fungal ( fungicide, kills fungal infections), antiviral (kills viruses), antibacterial ( kills bacteria), antiseptic and analgesic. Use with a carrier oil (CO) for dilution, like almond,coconut or olive, in a 1:9 ratio of EO:CO. Good for acne, athlete's foot, skin wounds and irritations, cuts, warts, cold sores, and insect bites. Anti parasitic and insecticide, good for lice and scabies, also in the garden as a pest and disease spray.  It is an expectorant ( loosens lung congestion), decongestant ( relieves sinus congestion) and immune stimulant, use as inhalant with or without steam. No internal use. May be mixed with lavender (awesome!), lemon, thyme, rosemary and ginger.

3. German Chamomile- An anti-inflammatory ( decreases swelling, redness, irritation) and analgesic. When mixed with a CO use for  insect bites, burns, diaper rash, eczema, psoriasis and many other skin conditions. Relaxing effect, use EO as inhalant to help with insomnia, nervousness, anxiety and cramps, also available as a tea for internal use. EO hot or cold compress good for headaches and menstrual pains, apply externally to affected area.

4. Blue Tansy (Tanacetum anuum)-
 EO is an antihistamine ( relieves allergies), analgesic, and anti-inflammatory. May used in place of benadryl cream for skin inflammation and itching. Use to treat allergies, rashes, burns, swelling. Calming effects help decrease stress and relax tense muscles. EO has bronchial and vascular dilating properties which help asthma and decrease blood pressure. External use either "neat" (undiluted), or may be blended with carrier oil,  for massage or application to skin conditions.

5. Helichrysum (italicum)- An analgesic, antibacterial, one of the strongest anti-inflammatory EOs. May also be used in place of benadryl cream. Known as "deep healing" and for tissue "regeneration". Increases circulation of blood and lymph systems. Good for bruises, chronic pain relief including fibromyalgia, arthritis, tendonitis and carpel tunnel syndrome and rashy, irritated skin conditions. May be helpful for heart palpitations, irregular heart beat and panic attacks. External massage neat or blended with lavender, clary sage, german chamomile,or geranium.

6. Peppermint- An antiseptic, antibacterial, decongestant, anti emetic. Also helps with digestive disorders such as IBS(irritable bowel syndrome), lactose intolerance, heartburn, and abdominal cramping. Apply EO daily every morning to the bottom of feet for prevention and treatment of chronic conditions. Good headache treatment, massage 1 drop EO to temples. For sudden abdominal conditions, achy muscles or painful joints: massage weak and diluted EO externally into affected area. For heartburn relief apply 1 drop EO to tongue.

7. Eucalyptus- An antiseptic, antiviral, decongestant, and excellent insect repellent. "Cooling" on skin. Aids with all breathing issues and boosts immune system, use for flu, colds, sore throats, coughs, sinusitis, bronchitis, and hay fever. Best used as a preventative of viruses when exposure is expected. May be used as massage,steam inhalation, and bath additive. Apply EO directly to the chest for respiratory problems. Also helps acne. External use only.

8.Clove Oil- Considered the most diverse universal medicinal remedy! It is antifungal, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, analgesic and sedative. Wow. Clove oil combats, prevents and treats infections naturally instead of using antibiotics. Natural pain killer and sedative, used for toothaches. Toothpaste is made by combining clove oil and baking soda. Mix clove oil with geranium for open wounds, cuts, abrasions and burns.

 The above information is for entertainment purposes only. Please research any and all natural remedies before use.

  I will cover 9 more essential oils in part 2 including: rosemary, geranium, thyme, lemon, wintergreen, hyssop, frankincense, clary sage and thieves blend.

Thanks,
Nurse Amy

From Doom and Bloom ...drbonesandamyshow.blogspot.com

How to Measure Distance

Make and Use Ranger Beads to Measure Your Walking Distance

Originally developed by military forces, ranger pace-counting beads are a great way to measure distances travelled by foot. A set of ranger beads is merely a lanyard with two sets of beads; the bottom section has nine and the top section has five. The beads are moved at various distances to count your total distance walked.
Measure how many steps it takes for you to walk 100m. Now when you walk, for every 100m you walk move one of the 9 lower beads up. On the tenth time instead move one of the 5 upper beads up and pull all 9 of the lower beads back down to reset; this indicates that you have walked 1km. You can measure up to 5km with this configuration of beads. Brian's Backpacking Blog has multiple methods of measuring strides and also gives alternate uses for using ranger beads in daily life, such as counting the number of glasses of water you drink each day.
Making a ranger band is dead simple. Just take a little paracord or other cordage and small beads you can find in any craft store, WalMart, or even online at Amazon and tie it as per the photo above. If you need detailed instructions, you can find them at Instructables.
Of course, many people would prefer to use a pedometer and not have to count their paces, but ranger beads are cheaper, easy to make, and don't need batteries. Just because we usually use a GPS to find our way does not mean we should not know how to use a map and compass. If you're a frequent hiker it's worth taking the time to make and use ranger beads once so you'll have the skill if you ever need it.

 from Lifehacker.com