Tag Archives: emergencies

Preparing For Emergencies

It’s so important, especially when you are single, to be prepared for emergencies. The scariest thing I can think of as a single mother is a loss of income due to illness, injury or layoff. I try to plan ahead as much as possible, just in case, and one way I do that is by having food storage. This is something I would recommend for all families. Knowing that you can still feed your kids will alleviate some of the stress and let you focus on other things. Getting a good food storage together takes time, don’t try to do … Continue reading →

Do You Have a Pet Emergency Evacuation Plan?

The spooky incident with my neighbor’s fire yesterday got me to thinking about emergency evacuation plans. Namely, how I don’t have one. Which was something I’d never really considered before. Have you? Sure, I had thought about how to help Murph and the cats if I wasn’t there by posting an I.C.E sticker. But I’d never really considered what I’d do if I was there during the emergency. For some, like my neighbor Cindy, the question isn’t a hypothetical one. She’s got real-life experience in two types of scenarios. One where the danger was imminent and another where it’s urgent … Continue reading →

Cats and Fire Don’t Mix

Between the car accident and my mom’s stroke, I’m ready for things to get back to some level of normalcy. It won’t be today. I had just gotten into the shower when I heard the doorbell ring. Since I was naked and wet, as well as running behind schedule, I figured whoever was ringing would come back. Or call and say they’d tried to stop by. But a few minutes later I heard sirens. A few seconds after that I knew they had turned into our neighborhood, and it didn’t take me even a nanosecond more to realize they’d turned … Continue reading →

I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows

About 99% of all talks given in the Mormon Church contain the following story: A man went to a fair where several young men had gathered to look for work. He interviewed the boys and asked them what their skills were. One young man said, “I can buck hay really well.” Another said, “I’m good with animals.” One boy said, “I can sleep when the wind blows.” The man didn’t know what to make of that answer, but it intrigued him. After talking to all the applicants, he decided to take the boy with the peculiar answer home with him. … Continue reading →

Planning for Pets When Emergencies Call You Away: A Checklist

Yesterday I wrote about what we’d do with our pets if an emergency called us away. Do you know what you’d do? Do you have a plan in place? If not, I created a list of things to think about and prepare for ahead of time. 1) If you take your pets with you, will you have a place to stay that welcomes them too? If you won’t be staying with relatives (or can’t), make a list of pet-friendly hotels in the area. (Before you need them, but confirm the pet-friendly status still exists when you book your room.) Use … Continue reading →

Code Red: Planning for Pets When Emergencies Call You Away

This has been in the back of my mind for a while now because Wayne’s grandparents are in their mid-80s and my parents are in their mid-70s. They all live in Denver, and while Wayne’s grandparents are relatively healthy, my parents have both been struggling with increasingly declining health. So I’ve been trying to put some plans in place in case we get the worst call any person can ever get. Just yesterday I asked Wayne what we would do in such an emergency. “You shouldn’t think like that. You attract what you think about, you know.” “I know, but … Continue reading →

The Pets of 9/11

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 impacted every facet of life imaginable. From people on the planes and those in the buildings that were hit to the rescue workers and all the friends and family members that were ultimately and irreversibly affected. Not to mention the nation as a whole. As did most Americans, I sat glued to my television most of that first day and more than usual in the days that followed. I was rooting with everyone else that anyone trapped in the rubble at Ground Zero would be found alive, and of course there was a … Continue reading →

Single Parents and Emergencies Two

As I said before, single parents aren’t immune to emergencies. Apparently, every spring, someone sets fire to the field across the street from our new house. We didn’t know that when we bought our house, and though it wouldn’t have changed our minds, at least we would have been forewarned. A couple of weeks ago, my brother needed a ride to work, but I told him he needed to wait while I threw in a load of laundry. When we stepped out the back door, we both immediately smelled smoke, if I wouldn’t have thrown in that load, we wouldn’t … Continue reading →

Working Through Stress Together

Stuff happens, and usually when we least expect it or when we are already under pressure and just don’t think we can take any more. The unfortunate thing about becoming overwhelmed is that it is very easy to take it out on the people who are closest to us. It’s not unusual for this to occur, but it’s something we have to work to avoid. Even if you feel better temporarily after blowing off steam, it will be short lived. You’ll feel worse long term for having taken things out on your spouse. It helps to devise a system for … Continue reading →

Emergency Preparedness: Water

Lately we’ve had more than our share of inclement weather. We started with flooding, then a snowstorm, an incredible typhoon-worthy windstorm, another snowstorm, and now back to heavy rains. All this in a month. And I thought we were prepared. There’s nothing like a little dose of Mother-Nature-on-PMS to show you where the holes in your plan are! We’d never seriously considered being without water. Power, sure, but not water. We draw from a community well recently acquired by the county. But two pumps failed and several leaks sprung (hmmm…where does that monthly maintenance fee get spent?), leaving us dry. … Continue reading →