# Are you folks getting any hunches for 2011?



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

On the average, perhaps 3/4 of my hunches have been accurate.

I remember a couple of years ago I had a hunch to buy flour and did, and it turned out to be a really exhausting year, and I kept running out of bread. For whatever reason the kids just went on a sandwich kick and I kept running out! 

I had the CONSTANT choice of running to the store late at night or putting the ingredients into the bread machine and pushing "on". So, I baked a lot of bread that year, LOL!

THIS year I have the hunch to buy rice. I have NO idea why, I just feel that I should buy rice, and several packages of it! So now I am sitting here and trying to figure out why.

Ah, well, it is sold at every store and I can buy some every week.

Now, I know that everybody here worries about the economy, but, is anyone else getting really specific hunches as to what they ought to be doing?


----------



## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Hunches? No. I don't get those.

I get brilliant flashes where the Lord guides me. During my last private prayer retreat I asked over and over what I was supposed to be doing right now. The answer I got back was "more of the same, but with more urgency. Time grows short."

The Christian men I know are doing the same. Many who have not traditionally lived a self-sufficient or prepping lifestyle are suddenly coming forth with a desire to learn and do so. 

God is moving to preserve a remnant of His people. We should heed that.


----------



## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

lots of stories on the news about floods in rice growing areas, I think this may mean a shortage which means higher prices. no mater what investing in food right now is a good idea as its is rising in price all the time. dollar spent now beats 2 dollars later for the same thing, makes a good return on investment.


----------



## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

Ernie said:


> The answer I got back was "more of the same, but with more urgency. Time grows short."


YES! I get that too. AND TEACH people to do for themselves. This has been heavy on my heart for a long time and more so now than every before. I know if I let Him, He will guide my feet in the right direction....even though I have fear of looking like "one of those crazy end of days freaks" (which I guess I probably am, but I could do without the "crazy" part).


----------



## Ohiogal (Mar 15, 2007)

> "more of the same, but with more urgency. Time grows short."


Same here.
I'm in the process of liquidating some investments and nothing is sacred in that department. It is just a "feeling" I have, a burden on my heart, to continue getting ready, which means get finally totally out of debt and lay out plans for food production this year. 
I have a big hunch that full grown chickens and turkeys will be a big commodity as the year goes into the Spring. Why I don't know other than a lot of people who have procrastinated and not done for themselves will suddenly be looking to buy what they can't find anywhere else.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

I'd go buy Rice and lots of it! I have been thinking about Sugar, all day. I am going to act on that gnawing feeling tomorrow.. and buy Sugar.
I have been scattered out.....more than usual this month. But, I have made a vow to kick it into high gear in Feb. Next week is committed to things I can't control....but, I will send time trying to open my eyes and ears more.


----------



## forfreedom (Dec 3, 2008)

I had a hunch of trying my hand at growing barley. And well, sugar beets too.....


----------



## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Trisha in WA said:


> YES! I get that too. AND TEACH people to do for themselves. This has been heavy on my heart for a long time and more so now than every before. I know if I let Him, He will guide my feet in the right direction....even though I have fear of looking like "one of those crazy end of days freaks" (which I guess I probably am, but I could do without the "crazy" part).


I don't believe it's the "end of days" as in Revelations, Rapture, etc. But I do believe a serious judgement is going to come upon us. 

Don't worry about looking crazy. I don't.  

My great-grandchildren will one day be looking back and either saying, "Great-Grandpa was a loon" or they'll be saying "Great-Grandpa was a visionary." I know not which. I only know that if I am wrong and deluded and I prepare anyway, that I at least will HAVE those great-grandchildren to say it.


----------



## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

Ernie, I don't know if it is "end of days" as in Revelations, or if it is just the beginning of the end, but I do know things are changing FAST and we better be ready.
It is the end of the easy days. This I am SURE of.


----------



## Betho (Dec 27, 2006)

Ernie said:


> I don't believe it's the "end of days" as in Revelations, Rapture, etc. But I do believe a serious judgement is going to come upon us.
> 
> Don't worry about looking crazy. I don't.
> 
> My great-grandchildren will one day be looking back and either saying, "Great-Grandpa was a loon" or they'll be saying "Great-Grandpa was a visionary." I know not which. I only know that if I am wrong and deluded and I prepare anyway, that I at least will HAVE those great-grandchildren to say it.


Interesting. I agree with you completely in that, I don't think it's the Biblical apocalypse but I can't help but think something's coming down the pipe.

A year ago I was working full-time trying to survive my day-to-day, and way too busy to do much homesteading stuff on a daily basis, minimal gardening. Today I am a homemaker and I've already switched us over to homemade bread and tortillas. Every week I start something else, and I'm going to be doing lots of gardening this year (and getting chickens and possibly rabbits). My only hunch this year is that I need to be as self-sufficient as possible. I don't get any feeling anything will happen this year, but it is coming and we need to be prepared. Reminds me of a vision/dream I had about 8 years ago - the overwhelming message of that dream was "It's coming and you aren't ready."

It's a blessing, to say the LEAST, that I am now in this position, but I can't help but remember "Perhaps you were put here for such a time as this."


----------



## Astrid (Nov 13, 2010)

Ernie said:


> I don't believe it's the "end of days" as in Revelations, Rapture, etc. But I do believe a serious judgement is going to come upon us.
> 
> Don't worry about looking crazy. I don't.
> 
> My great-grandchildren will one day be looking back and either saying, "Great-Grandpa was a loon" or they'll be saying "Great-Grandpa was a visionary." I know not which. I only know that if I am wrong and deluded and I prepare anyway, that I at least will HAVE those great-grandchildren to say it.



At the very least, they'll be saying "Grandpa was sensible to buy food before the prices skyrocketed."


----------



## cnichols (Jan 5, 2010)

I don't get "hunches" per se ... However, I am a firm believer in the fact that there is a REASON my DH and I met when we did (4 years ago). It's uncanny the things we have in common and the things we want to accomplish in common. We were just talking about it yesterday. He was saying "I wonder why I was never able to have kids." and I looked at him and said ... "You weren't meant to have kids. If you had had kids your life would have been totally different and we would likely never have met. There is a REASON we met."

Call it fate, call it divine intervention ... call it what you will but I am firmly and completely convinced that he and I were meant to be together to get through this together.

We haven't been as diligent as we should be in preparing for whatever is coming, but we've both had the feeling for a couple of years now, that it IS coming. It's just a matter of "when". Until then, we are trying to get ready for it as best we can.


----------



## caroline (Sep 29, 2009)

This last year (fall of 2010) I had a feeling I had better stock up big time, so I did. I had bags og dog and cat food, litter, TP...and then there was the dry goods---lots of RICE and coffee, I even froze milk!

I filled the freezer by Nov 1st with lots of meat and veggies, dog bones and bread. Bought a lot of chickens from a local guy who raises organic ones. I used them for soup. Bought a ham and made bathces of ham and bean soup, froze it in single serving ziplock bags, so fat I am not nearly running out. Been to the food store twice since Dec 1st to get perishables. I eat dried fruit and only eat 2 meals a day, no snacks at all. 

My huntch to buy the freezer and stock it (and the kitchen cabinets) with tons of food has paid off.


----------



## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

Terri said:


> ............ is anyone else getting really specific hunches as to what they ought to be doing?


Yes. Considering the way the local climate here has been changing so much in the past 3 - 4 years I'm going to be changing some of my gardening habits. I'm not going to grow any more of the fruits/veggies that are already being produced locally in such abundance. This year I'm going to focus on starting some plants whose produce are usually imported from southern regions and other countries of warmer climes.

.


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Eliminate junk and anything unnecessary. Stock up on stamps. Stash some emergency cash. Pay down the bills.

One thing I did already was to try growing greens indoors in the winter. As long as I have light and heat we can eat fresh leafy greens all winter. Works better than greens from the garden.


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Ernie said:


> My great-grandchildren will one day be looking back and either saying, "Great-Grandpa was a loon" or they'll be saying "Great-Grandpa was a visionary." I know not which. I only know that if I am wrong and deluded and I prepare anyway, that I at least will HAVE those great-grandchildren to say it.


I'm going for similar. I would love to hear thanks mom, grandma, or great-grandma for learning, practicing and teaching me the skills I need to have to survive today. I prep and learn and teach my kids today so that they will have the skills they will need. My mom did that to an extent, she did it once or twice for me to see so I knew it could be done - she learned form here grandma. Then, as an adult, I had to research how to actually do it. I want my kids to know how without having to do too much research later (although I have the books now, so they won;t have to look far  ).


----------



## 36376 (Jan 24, 2009)

Danaus29 said:


> Eliminate junk and anything unnecessary. Stock up on stamps. Stash some emergency cash. Pay down the bills.
> 
> One thing I did already was to try growing greens indoors in the winter. As long as I have light and heat we can eat fresh leafy greens all winter. Works better than greens from the garden.


Where are you growing the greens in the house? I've been interested in doing that myself. What kinds of greens?


----------



## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

I have felt an urge to move into an even more rural place and learn how to raise more of my own food. I am also seriously stocking up on food.
We are moving next month to a house on 5 acres in a remote area with irrigation and an amazing root cellar. 30-day escrow will not be here soon enough!

I have been praying for God to put us where He feels we will be safe. I prayed that if this house was His will that it would happen.


----------



## 36376 (Jan 24, 2009)

shanzone2001 said:


> I have felt an urge to move into an even more rural place and learn how to raise more of my own food. I am also seriously stocking up on food.
> We are moving next month to a house on 5 acres in a remote area with irrigation and an amazing root cellar. 30-day escrow will not be here soon enough!


:clap:


----------



## whiskeylivewire (May 27, 2009)

I feel...scared. We are not in anyway as prepped as we should be...or as most of you are. DH is starting to feel it too(he doesn't pay as much attention to what is going on in the world as I do)and with what we get back on taxes it will go to paying bills and buying chickens, probably some goats and some other things that will help us be more prepared. I am thankful we live within 2 miles of a creek and 3 miles from a big lake. As soon as they have DS11's meds worked out I'm going to ask them for a 3 month prescription for him so I can start stocking up on the meds he needs to survive. Just typing that makes my heart be in my throat...


----------



## used2bcool13 (Sep 24, 2007)

I am as prepped as I can be right now, I need to add a good grain mill and would like a better dehydrator but I can function. Of course that is if the grid is still up, lol. I have to work on additonal energy sources. I also may need a new prep partner but that is another thread..

A tip that I would like to share is for baking anything in your gas grill:

turn on one burner in your gas grill and keep the lid down, when the temp gets to 350 or 400 what ever you need, put the bread, meat what every in a oven safe pot/crock/pan on the side without the burner on and bake away! 

I personally think it takes less time when you bake like this so keep an eye on your food.

I really appreciate all the prepping threads, you guys always make me say, oh yeah.. I forgot about that...


----------



## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

Ernie said:


> Hunches? No. I don't get those.
> 
> I get brilliant flashes where the Lord guides me. During my last private prayer retreat I asked over and over what I was supposed to be doing right now. The answer I got back was "more of the same, but with more urgency. Time grows short."
> 
> ...


Same here. I have felt the Lord leading me to learn as much as I can about being self-sufficient and try to teach others. That's why I started my own forum, to approach it from a Christian perspective. It's amazing to watch others as they begin to wake up.


----------



## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

This may sound strange, but I've been feeling like I should begin stocking up on cloth and materials to make clothes. Just found some denim on sale at Hancocks (a place I never go to, but as we were driving by I felt the need to go in). This is the first time I have felt the need to stock up on something other than food items or things of that nature.


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

I feel a sense of urgency.
A need to do a bigger garden and put up even more etc..
A need to organize and streamline for efficiency.
DH wants a greenhouse and I am not about to stop him.
I don't think it is the end of the world or anything, but I think things will get very tight in the next year or two and very unstable and unsure. 
I am seeking a greater sense of security in what we have here.


----------



## Sarabeth (Sep 14, 2008)

Like many others here, the general sense of urgency is what I feel. I am seriously lacking in wheat, and I told dh the other day that I was going to really focus on that ASAP. I said to him that I just have this feeling like i am 'out of time'. I can't explain it, but those are the exact words that i hear in my head when I think about what i need to get now for my preps. 'Out of time'.


----------



## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

Ernie said:


> "more of the same, but with more urgency. Time grows short."


That's exactly what we're feeling. Prompting us to stay on course.


----------



## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

naturelover said:


> Yes. Considering the way the local climate here has been changing so much in the past 3 - 4 years I'm going to be changing some of my gardening habits. I'm not going to grow any more of the fruits/veggies that are already being produced locally in such abundance. This year I'm going to focus on starting some plants whose produce are usually imported from southern regions and other countries of warmer climes.
> 
> .


I have a friend who grows figs, lemons and oranges. In Manitoba. She has a south-facing glass wall in her living room, and it's got all these potted fruit trees -- beautiful! And delicious -- I enjoyed a few of her figs this year, I *LOVE* figs!



Danaus29 said:


> One thing I did already was to try growing greens indoors in the winter. As long as I have light and heat we can eat fresh leafy greens all winter. Works better than greens from the garden.


I sprout almost 3/4 of the year -- I buy my seeds here.

Nothing like fresh sprouts on a blustery January day!


As to the OP -- I've had a feeling I need to go through the boy's clothes and make sure that they're set up for the next year. Normally, this is something I do in the summer, but I've been having the urge to get it done now.


----------



## packerfan (Aug 21, 2008)

Started stocking up on dry goods, rice , wheat, etc. Going to expand raised beds this year and get some berry bushes going. Also looking to add another solar panel and grain mill. Just got my "heirloom" seeds in the mail. Things are moving along.


----------



## paintlady (May 10, 2007)

> One thing I did already was to try growing greens indoors in the winter. As long as I have light and heat we can eat fresh leafy greens all winter. Works better than greens from the garden.


I would also like to do this. What type of lighting do you use? Do you use a heat pad to set the containers on?


----------



## Guest (Jan 24, 2011)

Get prepped, stay prepped, then get on with a life worth living.

But don't prep so much that the failure of disaster to occur becomes the disaster in itself.


----------



## Loquisimo (Nov 14, 2009)

I'm just now restarting my computer business. I feel like I may be out of time. I need to pay off a couple debts, then buy a car (or maybe a pickup), then I've got my eye on 41 acres in the Nevada desert near Lovelock. It has a spring about 30 feet from the SW corner so water should be no problem. It also has mineral rights, so if there's gold (it is near an active mining complex) I get to keep it. I hope that this is the year it all will happen. I pay half of my income towards debts and bills.


----------



## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

I am also getting the urgency to stock more food. I picked up 50# of oatmeal this weekend. I would like to pick up another one. I also really want a milk cow.


----------



## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

I also feel an urgency to get my life right with the Lord. I had to make some drastic changes like leaving a 6 year live-in relationship. I knew one of the best preps I could have was the stability of marriage and owning a home.


----------



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

I just learned that a pound of grain only has 1400 calories, and there are 4 of us.

I need far more grain products than I had thought!


----------



## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

Terri said:


> I just learned that a pound of grain only has 1400 calories, and there are 4 of us.
> 
> I need far more grain products than I had thought!



What grain do you stock up on? Do you keep it in tubs???


----------



## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

Tools, like "big job" tools. Need to cut wood, make hay, bust sod tools. Spent most of my life trying to get the gas powered tools, they are great but the focus is different now.


----------



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

shanzone2001 said:


> What grain do you stock up on? Do you keep it in tubs???


No, I buy rice in bags at the grocery store. They keep pretty well after I freeze them. I also like spagetti noodles, oatmeal, and such. 

Life is turbulent, and I have never been able to keep my stored food for long enough to worry about packing them away in buckets. It always seems to hit the fan in my family, and as a member of the sandwich generation here I am to help......and then we eat the food!


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Terri said:


> No, I buy rice in bags at the grocery store. They keep pretty well after I freeze them. I also like spagetti noodles, oatmeal, and such.
> 
> Life is turbulent, and I have never been able to keep my stored food for long enough to worry about packing them away in buckets. It always seems to hit the fan in my family, and as a member of the sandwich generation here I am to help......


i lost 50# of rice and some other things this year to mice , get that stuff into mouse resistant boxes 

it only took them a short time to eat thru the corner of the bag that i kept meaning to split up and get put away in buckets.


----------



## BillHoo (Mar 16, 2005)

It's not so much natural disaster or lack of food growing capacity that is the problem.

Banks have been tightening up.

They examine farms and if there is too much risk, or not enough of a profit margin they will deny the farmer funds needed to gorw a particular crop.

Some farmers might just go belly up and return the fields to the wild.


----------



## debbiekatiesmom (Feb 24, 2009)

socks. on the way to work the other night i got a strong urge to buy socks to put back. your feet really take a beating and need to be taken care of. you rely so heavily on where your feet can take you. so i stopped at wm before i got to work and bought some pkgs of them. 
today i got a shipment from bulkfoods.com. first order i've done w them. of course everything is only in bags. i got 2 types wheat, beef base, dehydrated potatoes, tvp the color of hamburger(not sure about this but since it is a type of protein i bought some). trying to diversify some of my storage a bit. and the grandkids might not notice the tvp isn't realy beef(i hope). the good thing is shipping is only $5 on orders of $75 or more. this is always a big consideration for me. i really like the cans from the lds website but variety is really limited. yes must diversify! oh and looking and readying to buy more variety of fruit plants. i already have the usual. am wondering about the goji berries? am going to add some muscadines, more peaches, asparagus. more perennial crops, i think, more raised beds as last years did so very well, and i need to get more organized to really be able to take inventory.


----------



## cnichols (Jan 5, 2010)

debbiekatiesmom .. how long did it take for your bulkfoods order to come in? I've been wanting to do that but need to know when to be there to "receive" it .. I've been surfing their site for months now trying to decide on if to order, and actually started putting stuff in the cart this morning, but didn't follow through. I'll need to get buckets to store it all in too ... wondering if "storage bins" would work temporarily ...


----------



## debbiekatiesmom (Feb 24, 2009)

cnichols, i placed my order on the 19th. it gave me a confirmation and tracking link so that i knew it would be here today. very good service and speed. i believe i had 69lbs worth so for $5 shipping it was great.


----------



## lorian (Sep 4, 2005)

It's been a great rehersal year for us! Hubs lost his job and We've been living off the preps. This thread is a bit hard for me as I see my preps dwindling and have no $$ to replace them. BUT ....I have learned some incredibly valuable lessons from our own SHTF.

I saved half of each of hubs paycheck when he was making money. We lived on very little so now we are getting by. Through this time I have learned EXACTLY how much we need MINIMUM each week to keep out of the hole. What is amazing is that hubs gets a small job every week from the local community that provides almost this exact amount. I have learned that God is taking care of us and will continue to take care of us no matter what the situation. I am not as nervous about things as I used to be because I feel each day/week has been a miraculous provision.

I really super-prepped last spring and summer when the money was coming and the gardens were producing. I felt the need to..now I've not needed to go to the store (for a few fresh things) but once every 3 weeks or so.

This time of testing has made our family pull together and has actually opened doors to new areas that we had never thought of and would have never thought of had it not been for the lack of money we have right now. New businesses, new directions....it's been an adventure. Sometimes very hard..but good to learn from.

We've also learned (and we are a physically slim family) that we eat MORE than we need. Most people do....even if they aren't fat. I've cut my food intake by about 1/3 and am doing fine...lost a little weight but nothing major. Your stomach adjusts after a while.

I agree that this country is on a track to economic disaster..but I'm not afraid as I once was. We can do with a WHOLE LOT LESS in the USA and not miss it! We are bloated and overburdened with too much stuff, too much food and too much fill-in-the-blank.


----------



## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

Tracy Rimmer said:


> > Yes. Considering the way the local climate here has been changing so much in the past 3 - 4 years I'm going to be changing some of my gardening habits. I'm not going to grow any more of the fruits/veggies that are already being produced locally in such abundance. This year I'm going to focus on starting some plants whose produce are usually imported from southern regions and other countries of warmer climes.
> 
> 
> I have a friend who grows figs, lemons and oranges. In Manitoba. She has a south-facing glass wall in her living room, and it's got all these potted fruit trees -- beautiful! And delicious -- I enjoyed a few of her figs this year, I *LOVE* figs!
> ...


Yes, that's a bit along the lines I'm thinking of too. Citruses, also olives, oily nuts, perhaps even tea, bananas and pineapples and other temperate to sub-tropicals. There are already some people here growing those successfully but those aren't the only plants I'll be looking into. I'm still researching the specific growing conditions for what I'm most interested in.

I got thinking about it partly because of what these following people are doing, which I'm really interested in, and also because I feel in the near future the prices of many imported foods that I personally use are going to go up drastically or, considering the potential of certain global crop failures, many of them may just be plain unavailable under some circumstances. In the event of that I'd like to try my hand at seeing what I can grow for myself. 

You may have heard about this on the Canadian news? The 100 Mile Challenge is the challenge to Canadians to only eat local products grown, produced and sold from within a 100 miles of where you live. It's been interesting for me to learn more from this about what kinds of "exotic" foods people within the 100 mile radius here are producing already and where to find them. http://100mile.foodtv.ca/ 

PS - forgot to mention, it doesn't exclude products from the United States. Since parts of Washington state is within the 100 mile radius for me where I am, I can access certain home-grown products from there too.

.


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Carmen Renee, I've got a good set-up in my basement. I've got the info and pictures in the Gardening and Plant Propagation forum under the thread titled "basement garden". 

Just picked some kale from it this evening.


----------



## 606JAE (Dec 20, 2010)

Last year I felt the need to get some fruit trees in. We already had 3 huge blueberry bushes and 3 pawpaw trees. I got 4 apple 1 fig 2 pear 2 plum 3 cherry and one peach in with another peach ordered. This year I feel the need to get more seeds put back.


----------



## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I had a terrible dream a month ago, about starvation and violence and people not being ready to deal with life as it was 100 years ago. I woke up horrified and thrashing, but with a fresh drive to prepare my family. I told my husband what I had dreamed, and although he wasn't convinced that the S will HTF, he's known me long enough to know that I don't do the Chicken Little thing. So this last month I've been filling in some holes in our preps and making sure that what we do have to eat is balanced and varied. I've also ordered some more meds, spices, equipment and comfort things. Hubby has put in some orders for gun parts and ammo that he had been wanting.

In my dream people came to take away our food and we couldn't defend it. So hubby has promised me we'll focus on making some caches - something we've talked about and planned and I've wanted, that just hasn't been done. Also, I've worried about accessing water if the grid goes down. I have a well bucket now, but this week I got some cable and fasteners for it, and I'm planning to get a winch of some sort so we can continue to get water. I've also purchased in the last few months a couple of solar shower bags. Showers seem like such a small thing in a desperate sitiuation, but with the sun we get here, having a hot shower will mean a lot.


----------



## NJ Rich (Dec 14, 2005)

I do "get hunches". But most of the time I can point in several directions as to why I do some things.

Prepping was encouraged from the first post I read here on HT and that was just over five years ago. I had talked about it with my doubting wife and I really didn't do anything about it until the "revelations on HT". Yes, God will provide but just in case I am low on the list I do my part to.
BTW: DW is better now that she also sees the writing on the wall.

Reading news; stock reports (not my favorite thing to do); listening to all the carp flying around the political people; watching the food prices escalate and many other factors and of course the nice people on HT. All of those factors are what is pushing me to prep when I can.

Why so many people don't want to take care of themselves and think; "The gubberment will take care of me". Well that is just mind boggling........ :smack


----------



## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

In Jan 08, I felt and heard the earth rolling in great waves under my house. Then again in Feb 08 it happened twice again, same way. My earthquake preps weren't much and I've been insistent with DH that we had to prepare for a possible quake. It's the main, maybe the only reason, that we bought the FEMA trailer. We know that will be our best bet for housing if an earthquake occurs. We live in a brick house and it won't hold up well to a lot of ground shaking. We want everyone we know to have access to earthquake proof housing. 

In 1990, I had a series of 5 dreams over a 2 week time period that showed me the rest of my life. Each of these dreams have come true exactly as shown in exactly the sequence presented. The only thing I didn't know ahead of time was the death of my mom. The last dream has yet to happen in my reality and I hope it doesn't, but I was alone and starving in the town closest to me. Everywhere I look is deep grey ash. There's no green anything. Even the sky is grey and no sun can be seen. All the glass in the windows are shattered. There's no life anywhere, no animals and no people. 

In the 21 years since those dreams, I've wanted to gather everyone I can and whisk all of us to a place of safety. Life simply doesn't work that way. We're each here to play a part in this and make contributions where we can without interferring with others. I'll pray that I'm wrong and hope that nothing happens.


----------



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

I have had another hunch, that I should grow a lot of peas and beans but that the tomatos are less important! Folks, this is backwards. This climate is too hot for peas to do well, and I bought the pea seeds for a cover crop! It is tomatos that do well here!

This has been a cold winter for us: I wonder if it will be a cool summer? Usually the heat hits just as the peas flower and then I get no peas.

Well, I was going to plant a row of peas anyways, as I got 2 pounds of seeds last fall when the feed store was wanting to take down the seed rack: I either will get peas or I will not! 

It does make me wonder if it is to be a cool summer, though, or a cooler START to summer! In my area, at least: it would fit.


----------



## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Terri, it is ironic that you would bring up peas and beans. I have got the hunch to plant beans! A lot of beans! This will be the first time I have ever planted beans.


----------



## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

My hunch is that the economy isn't going to get any better this year, so I plan to keep my head down, not attract any attention, and keep on doing what I have been doing.


----------



## edjewcollins (Jun 20, 2003)

I'm feeling this year something is coming, hopefully something that will start to wake up the rest of the country before it is too late. I just bought 90lbs of sugar and 55lbs of flour to vauum seal with O2 apsorbers. DW and I are quadrupling our garden. Bought a 23qt canner and that wonderful 3 piece weight so we can can more that just sugery or acidy items. Stocked up on ammo and toiletries and medical supplies. Keeping 50 gals gas and 15 gals kerosene on hand. Bought kerosene lamps too. Installing an add-on wood furnace. Planted fruit and nut trees. Bought a greenhouse and we're getting chickens in the spring.
Somethings coming, and I've been feeling it's weight heavier everyday!


----------



## D Lynn (May 26, 2008)

Seeds, seeds, seeds, seeds......SEEDS!

I want to buy enough seeds to garden effectively for the the next 3 yrs or so. So that by that time, I will (hopefully) be able to harvest my own seed and not _have_ to buy any after that. Does that make sense?
...Well that's the scheme that's been rolling thru my mind for the past few weeks. Self sufficiency in the seed department. Also "mother" plants for frost tender stuff that dosen't winter over well here.

BTW I too have been worried about the rice situation.


----------



## CocalicoSprings (Mar 12, 2008)

I have a very very strong feeling that ABSOLUTELY nothing will be different this year than last. I refuse to stock up because I have to believe that the birds and the animals who the Lord has provided for will also provide for me and my family. I know how to shoot and hunt. I do store enough dry goods as is prudent for any emergency whether it be for a storm, a bad contagious virus, or a continuation of our economic depression. I will never refuse to feed a starving child at my door so that I can survive. I'm too soft.


----------



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

CocalicoSprings said:


> I have a very very strong feeling that ABSOLUTELY nothing will be different this year than last.


Actually, this is one thing that worries me the most. Where I live the job situation is fairly bad.

A few months ago DH's employer decided to not have layoffs, but that was because a few people quit. And, the signs are there again. I am not too worried about TEOTWAWKI, I am worried about what my Mom calls "adjustments". She is a depression baby, and what she calls "adjustments" can be very painfull indeed. 

I would prefer that my family have an easier time of it than she did. So I think, I garden, I watch my costs, and I plan ahead.


----------



## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Sure glad you guys are here. Makes me feel like I'm not alone. 
Halfpasthuman.com is an interesting website that has an interesting set of 'predictions'. 
For those unacquainted, it's based on human linguistics changes, phrases and words 'harvested' from the internet by their proprietary software. The software was designed years back to give market predictions. Along with that came other information too.

In a nutshell, call it the world consciousness with respect to words. According to their analysis of these linguistics changes, we're heading for some pretty serious times worldwide, but also that the dark powers controlling them are beginning to lose their grip. They predicted a 'world altering event' 2 months before 911, the 'ocean disease' in the gulf (BP) in late 2009, and a prediction of 'secrets revealed' just this last year. (think Wiki)

It's worth a look, but it's not for the faint-hearted and you do need to purchase the data set analysis for $10. It's about 40-50 pages in pdf format. I've bought 4 of them since the beginning of 2010 and so far....well things aren't getting any better.

Not trying to sell anything here, just recommending outside resources for precautionary measures. 

And another indicator: As the FED approaches its 100th Illegal anniversary, it divulges its plan for complete and total destruction of the US economy.
http://www.midasletter.com/index.php/u-s-treasury-secretary-admits-u-s-default-is-imminent-11012301/
It's worth remembering that this is why Andrew Jackson so wisely shut down the Central Bank, why Abraham Lincoln spoke out against it, why James Garfield spoke out against it, why JFK spoke out against it and why most of them died shortly afterward. 

Keep up the good work people.


----------



## Ohiogal (Mar 15, 2007)

I feel like I'm the lone ranger where my family is concerned on this. My sisters have lent an ear, I'm not sure where they are with the preps thing. Hopefully somewhere other than "nothing".
I'm in a decent place, have something to work with, but I am not fully stocked.
I keep thinking that its going to be some small event, like today's leak in the press about how Obama has no birth certificate in Hawaii because it doesnt exist, that tips the scales in favor of a downhill run. People are getting nervous and they don't know why. Imagine, just imagine if the President of the US is not qualified constitutionally to be president. Won't that upset the apple cart! 
We need to all be as ready as we can get as we have no idea "when" any event will happen, but it is slowly winding down, that's obvious.
Trouble is, I feel like most people are a drag on what I'm attempting to do - because of their denial and ignorance. Its making it harder to keep flying below the trenchline and gathering "stuff".


----------



## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Ohiogal, I am feeling the exact same way!! My mom just says I should stop reading preparedness sites and I do not want to talk about preparedness with other people out of fear of them dragging me down. But I feel an urgency that the writing is on the wall and they are just covering their eyes so they do not have to see it. Like if they ignore it ...whatever IT is...it won't happen! 
Right now I am feeling like a loner because I feel like I can not talk about prepping but I feel a sense of urgency about it. I am so thankful I can come on here and other sites and feel like I am not the only one feeling this sense of urgency.


----------



## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

I have had an overwhelming sense of needing to be prepared to bug out. I met my grampa again, who has a perfect location, and is prepared to go himself, along with caches. Now I need to buckle down. I am preparing a bag with supplies to last us at least till we get there, and this summer plan on moving some of our preps out there. 

The getting right with God thing is on my mind, too. If the Lord is for you, who can stand against you?


----------



## Ohiogal (Mar 15, 2007)

Ya know, I've never had a need to "bug out" and I don't anticipate leaving what I've worked so hard to build. I don't have a fancy place, just "enough". And I've been quiet about my preps. So unless we have a real big civil insurrection, I most likely won't be bothered where I live. We are heavily armed in my area, too. 
What bothers me is that people hear the message, nod their heads, and do NOTHING to help themselves other than to say "I heard so and so say that on TV the other day..."
Meanwhile I'm scrambling around, on this insane inner prompting, hurrying to get the last in order that I think I'll need.
:smack
I used to think I'm crazy, had this "security" need. But lately, its started to dawn on the less interested that things are really bad and not improving, and they are close to the "light bulb moment", but not quite there yet.
I can see it coming. The rest of America will suddenly realize the SHTF scenario is upon them, and they aren't prepared at all. 
Meanwhile, my family thinks that I am a nutcase. :hrm:


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

A.T. Hagan said:


> Get prepped, stay prepped, then get on with a life worth living.
> 
> But don't prep so much that the failure of disaster to occur becomes the disaster in itself.


Well said! Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and have fun along the way. Life is too short to be totally focused on gloom and doom. There has to be some balance or you'll go nuts. I love to see my stocked pantry, a big wood pile, garden, orchard and the other preps. They are part of my lifestyle. But they are not the sole focus of my life. People, hobbies, books, and the animals are big parts, too. Balance. Yes, prep your little heart out, but also keep in mind that being a well rounded person is important. (See my sig line.)


----------



## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

Ernie said:


> Hunches? No. I don't get those.
> 
> I get brilliant flashes where the Lord guides me. During my last private prayer retreat I asked over and over what I was supposed to be doing right now. The answer I got back was "more of the same, but with more urgency. Time grows short."
> 
> ...


It is almost the very same answer that I am getting in prayer. I have been getting answers similar to these for a few years now which is what led us here to this land and to homesteading and even to this site...however, there does seem to be more of a persistent tone recently...more of a feeling to move quickly and for me to watch and be aware of things around me..everywhere and everything...There is also a very strong message for me to not accept everything as it is presented..I am directed to question everything... and again be very watchful...the message has been so strong that at first I admit it kept me awake worrying... but I learned to let that go and just move forward.


----------



## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

Trisha in WA said:


> Ernie, I don't know if it is "end of days" as in Revelations, or if it is just the beginning of the end, but I do know things are changing FAST and we better be ready.
> *It is the end of the easy days. This I am SURE of.*




I so agree...


----------



## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

Overall, a sense of urgency. I think because there are so many topics in the news that have been there before in some form but not all at once. Retirement going into the gutter, job loses, food prices, civil unrest, PIGS, weak dollar, Chinese currancy manipulation...you get the idea.


----------



## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

I think this is the year people will need to help each other through, more than any other in our history.


----------



## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

We listen to political talk radio and watch the stock market and read other related things, watch underground news, etc. Its obvious the american dollar is on its way out. we are pulling investments and doing other things with the money.
We are also preparing for if we have to hunker down or run and hide. an example I have 6 extra small highland cows. 4 are very tame and 2 are halter lead-able at this point. 2, I can ride, and would pack if I strapped one on.
why were the heifers born so small this year?
we just calved an accidentally unrelated to 2 of the 6 pure highland bull. Conveniently, his mother flipped her lid and he is having to be bottle-fed. Why?
Maybe because I am supposed to have a small group of very hardy breeding stock that are all very tame that we can take with us when its time to run?
He will be keeping his berries.

I know that sounds a bit far fetched, and even conspiracy theory like, but I have had this inner sense of impending doom for 4 or 5 years now. Its gotten worse the last couple.

there has been so many 'coincidental' things like that happening the last few years. Every time we leave to go somewhere that we have to be gone more than half a day, I get nervous. We go south to visit my family 2 or 3 times a year, and had to drive to OK this past summer. Every time, the whole time we are gone, I am a nervous wreck. Being away from home base, even to visit my family who I terribly miss, has me feeling so nervous, it makes me physically ill.


----------



## Browncoat (Jun 8, 2009)

Yes, overall, a sense of urgency. I've done a few things after serious prayer led to an answer of "hurry." Now I really feel pushed to get more ammo and maybe a new gun (after all, you can never have enough), especially one that is easier to carry concealed. The one I have now is just too big for that. 

I also feel the urgency to get members of my family more prepped. I've been trying for years, but they are just now starting to come around, and asking what they should be doing and how to do it. I'm trying to teach the best I can, but I'm always afraid it won't be enough.


----------



## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

Browncoat, your comment about "hurry" is the same for me.


----------



## debbiekatiesmom (Feb 24, 2009)

oh my, been tilling all afternoon. i bet i've increased the size of the garden by at least 50%. i hope that means i'll get to tend it. 

i've put in 2 large orders in the past 2 weeks. was worried about spending the money since my truck has been acting up. guess what? my dad showed up out of the blue and took it home w him to work on. somebody's looking out for us. thank ya jesus! maybe he's urging me on, too, telling me to not worry, but to trust and get it done!


----------



## NewGround (Dec 19, 2010)

I've been building up a pantry and will "farm" my little two acre plot I bought a few years ago but has since run fallow. My brother lives just across the road and we'll farm most of his land too.

It was only a couple of years ago my neighbor introduced someone he knew who wanted to use my 2 acres and I offered it to them gratis but they never came through. My thought now was to put it to use myself and have been buying tractor, plow etc. Plenty of farmland to rent quite reasonable nearby so if I can make a go with 3 or 4 acres now then next year maybe try to rent/buy 10 or 20 more and enact my future goals sooner than I had originally planned.

Instead of wanting to restore a Corvette just for a hobby my thoughts are now more about restoring old farm equipment, cheap and dependable and becoming fully self sufficient and devolving from modern technology. Not sure I'd call it a hunch but more of a calling, a calling to learn these skills. My area is not "of the affluent" and I figure me AND my neighbors will be needing to grow our own food if we are to live free in the future. 

What will I have to give up in the future for my food allotment from the government? If it involves a bio chip in my right hand you might see me slipping away somewhere around the nearest treeline if you even see me go.

Getting rid of junk, getting rid of debt, and getting right with God.


----------



## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

CocalicoSprings said:


> I have a very very strong feeling that ABSOLUTELY nothing will be different this year than last. I refuse to stock up because I have to believe that the birds and the animals who the Lord has provided for will also provide for me and my family. I know how to shoot and hunt. I do store enough dry goods as is prudent for any emergency whether it be for a storm, a bad contagious virus, or a continuation of our economic depression. I will never refuse to feed a starving child at my door so that I can survive. I'm too soft.


Sounds like preparing to fail.

The birds and animals the Lord provide for die in large quantities each year... most of them reproduce enough to just keep the species going.

Shooting and hunting will only keep you and yours alive, if you believe in long pork. Or, live on an inaccessible island, with vast quantities of wildlife present.

Our local deer population was decimated last year by disease and flooding. 3/4 of the hunters I know took nothing home. I passed on some spikes, just because I had five freezers full of meat.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I think things will stay normal... bad. No, I don't, not really. I think things are going to Hell. The ME is on fire... just a matter of time before the big fuse is lit, and real missiles start flying.

I'm looking at getting fuel supplies put in, and a trailerload of brand new metal roofing, on hand. Enough for a home, and several new barns.

Urgency? No more than usual.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Been listening to CNN since about 2:am...... Not good over there......I'm worried.... more than usual.
Urgency?......I have been going 20 hrs a day, for some weeks now. I'm pretty sure.. I'm feeling it.


----------



## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

Interresting how many responded to this. Many seem to be feeling more strongly the sense to move forward quickly. Now the sitution in the me which has been mentioned. 
Wish dh had been on board sooner, we are redoing things that could have been done differently but the suggestions fell on deaf ears at the time, oh well, move forward. Was thinking today that there really has never been a time when I did not feel a strong urge to be "prepped", it is just very intense right now and I cannot shake it. Since first posting in this thread, the sense of urgency has just gotten stronger. Filled some holes but keep finding more, glad this site is here because lots of peole thinking sure helps.


----------



## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

I like the fact that most people have been "moved" or "led" or "inspired" to BUY THINGS! You are helping to fuel the economy. That's good of you. Keep up the good work!


----------



## NJ Rich (Dec 14, 2005)

A.T.H. is right as always.

The handwriting is on the wall and the news. Iraq; Iran; Afganistan;; North Korea and now Eygyp are countiries that are unstable. What is happening in Eygyp is like a cancer. It speads and devours the healthy.

World food production is down and prices are rising. I feel better now than a month ago since we did some more stocking. I am doing more when finances allow. 

I think the Lord will provide but he asks me to do my part. Amen ........


----------



## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

debbiekatiesmom said:


> i've put in 2 large orders in the past 2 weeks. was worried about spending the money since my truck has been acting up. guess what? my dad showed up out of the blue and took it home w him to work on. somebody's looking out for us. thank ya jesus! maybe he's urging me on, too, telling me to not worry, but to trust and get it done!



That is awesome!


----------



## debbiekatiesmom (Feb 24, 2009)

thank you shan. sometimes you've just gotta trust. hope all is continuing to be good for you! miss you..


----------



## machinist (Aug 3, 2010)

An increasing sense of urgency has been with me for the past couple years, but now I feel the need to get certain specific things FINISHED. We had been just gathering materials for projects for several years, for lack of time to work on things. Only in the past 2 years having those projects started to come to fruition. Last summer we got the cistern fixed up and are using it now, and in the past month I built a wood stove and have it up and going. (We have had a big stash of dry firewood for a couple years, waiting for this.)

Now, I feel that it is very important for us to get our solar PV system finished. Our house was all-electric when we bought it, and is slowly going away from that. We have addressed heating, water supply, stored food, stored fuels, producing and preserving food and with the benefit of our extensive shop, we can maintain most everything. The big gaping hole is electricity, for lights, communications, fridge and freezer. The solar system is designed to cover those things.

I have the distinct feeling that 2011 could see any sort of problems, including power outages, either short of long term, so a grid-dependent house is NOT a good thing. 

THE DOLLAR
I think we could see a traumatic devaluation at most any time in the coming couple years. I tend to be early on these things, but I have learned to listen to that "still, small voice". Here's some examples that convinced me to listen. :lookout:

-Many years ago I got the clear impression that depending on my auto industry job was a bad idea. Several steps were necessary to overcome that dependency, but we did it, and SO glad we did. 

-When our kids were still young, my wife and I both got the message to get out of the city! Very glad we did, because we had just got moved back to our rural home area when we saw riots in the city, and high unemployment there.

-Back around 2002, I got the message that the economy was NOT going to hold up, and my promised pensions were NOT a sure thing. We started a repair shop business at home in 2003, and never looked back. 

-Thinking about retirement back in 2007, I got "told" by that inner voice that our retirement savings was NOT secure. I spent a couple years frantically learning about finance and made some hurried moves that preserved what we had saved. 

Dad always told me that if I didn't know anything else, I should know enough to PAY ATTENTION!


----------



## ladybug (Aug 18, 2002)

I've been feeling the same thing for some time now, being a mother of four I have to have a backup plan and that is something we've been working on for awhile. We lost all of our preps when we moved back in Dec 08' so we've had to start over from scratch. Been trying to get a place of our own with a couple acres but it hasn't happened yet, so I'm guessing I'll have to "bloom where I'm planted" for the time being and try to grow my orchard in containers so I can move them when we do get our place. On another note last years tomato harvest was nonexistant until fall when realized I needed to hand pollinate the tomatoes to even get any as there were no bees! After that they produced them faster than we could eat them. Does anyone know if growing dwarf trees and blueberries in containers works out in the long run? Any suggestions?


----------



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Bees do not pollinate tomatos: wind does. Those greenhouse tomatos are hand pollinated also.

We had a potted cherry tree for a few years when we lived in an apartment: it yielded poorly until we moved to a place with a big yard and planted it.


----------



## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

I predict ice and snow storms in Texas for the forst week in February.


----------



## bee (May 12, 2002)

My personal "drive" is to go quiet..at least around where I live. And to get myself in balance with what stock I keep and how much feed I can produce for them. I feel a real need to sustainability. I plan to maximize my land use this year; including installing season extenders. Anything that doesn't "work" must be trimmed--unproductive poultry, trees that frost EVERY year(no fruit). Concentration on production.


----------



## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

Greenhouse tomatoes can be pollinated by vibrating them, which means wind can also make the pollen fall into the right spot, but greenhouses also use bumble bees to help with pollination...


----------



## Ohiogal (Mar 15, 2007)

I've seen them use circulating fans to pollinate tomatoes. Works quite well from what I was told.
Sustainability is moving up on the list. I too am culling the unneeded and unwanted to the point where I'm giving away chickens and whatnot as I can't sell them here.
The situation with jobs is dire in my community. My BF hasn't worked for over 2 years on any job that he is qualified for - he's doing odd jobs to pick up a little cash to pay for things. I'm fortunate I'm fully employed, but I don't know how much longer that will go. We are in the red where I work, losing money and its not reversing despite all we do.
This week my "urge" doubled to the point where I took some 'last minute' action like pre-paying my property taxes and looking at other expenditures - as in what do I need to make it through next year, not just this year in seeds, equipment and supplies.
Early 2011 might be the last time we can afford anything. Inflation is kicking up overseas in a mighty fashion, which bodes ill things for the U.S. And those jokers on Capitol Hill (sorry, but it IS the Democrats this time) are talking about defaulting on the debt to make the Republicans look bad. All in time for the elections.
I'd like ONE of our politicians to get their heads into the air and out of their posteriors, and see what they are doing jerking the country around for political reasons and not doing anything constructive to get us out of the mess!


----------



## ladybug (Aug 18, 2002)

Hi Terri, I had no idea the wind did it! They were all planted outside, not sure why they didn't pollinate naturally then. I had over 50 plants and got no tomatoes from April until September! I know when we lived in Louisiana we were having to give tomatoes, zuchinni, ect away because they produced so well. We have a little cash saved to get a place but everything is still so high, even though the foreclosures here are through the roof. Of course investors have been buying up the lower priced ones with small acreage, I really don't like house hunting lol.


----------



## AR Transplant (Mar 20, 2004)

If you knew us at all you'd know that this was a huge "sign" for us. After 25 years I was offered a job outside the home. Didn't know it but it is my dream job. I am on my feet 8 to 10 hours a day, ( read, I get forced exercise) I am making more than minimum wage. I can wear my old clothes, I only had to buy some good tennis shoes because of being on my feet.
Most importantly, we can really step up the preps. 
Also, we are not convinced that the money we have saved for retirement will be there for us. It would not surprise us that the government would find some crazy excuse to "distribute the wealth" thus relieving us of our hard earned, money. Therefore, we are using some of our funds to purchase some land free and clear. Of course, if the government can take your money it can take your land also. At least we are hedging our bets.
6 weeks ago I would have said that I didn't really think this year would be very different. Today, drastic drastic changes have caused me to take a second look.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

AR Transplant - congrats on the job. I'm looking at going full time at work as soon as I'm back on the job (still off on worker's comp for now). I've been working a .6 (24 hrs a week) for 8 years, and been making ends meet just fine, but I really want to get my place totally paid off. Adding another 12 hr shift a week will do that much more quickly, as long as I funnel it straight to the mortgage without having to think about it every payday. That is about the only "urgency" I am feeling - I want to be totally debt-free. Just have the place to pay off to do that. I'll just rest easier without a debt hanging over my head.


----------



## AR Transplant (Mar 20, 2004)

m anygoatsmore I hear you! Getting out of debt is very high on our list of things to do.


----------

