Fellow Patriots,
Happy New Year!!! Greetings and welcome to the Patriot Express Newsletter Edition #143. Thanks for sharing your time with us here at the PENL and Hope for Survival. We welcome readers daily from around America and beyond. It is interesting the increased number of new people who are finding interest in preparedness. We are happy to have you with us.
Ms. Lucy and I had the honor of spending a quiet New Year's Eve at home with two HFS members and dear friends. After a week on the road with family and doing HFS duties, it was nice to have a relaxing evening with lots of treats and yummies while playing some games. We spent quality time together with no conversations on preparedness or any other heavy topics. It was peaceful and just what we needed.
It is always a great week when we get to visit or spend time with one of our fellow Patriots. Ms. Lucy and I got to spend the day with a sister Patriot discussing preparedness, herbal remedies, self-defense and tactics, and a bunch more. We even had time to show off our community and some of our favorite places around the countryside. Thanks for stopping in for a visit and sharing your day with us.
Herbal Studies - This is a great opportunity. One of our Patriot sisters in Western N.C. provided the following website and information from Botan Logos to share with fellow Patriots regarding Herbal learning and studies. The following website has a wealth of information to include self-paced virtual studies to help educate Patriots. The particular course she is currently taking is $25.00 and you can download and complete at your own pace. Herbal Basics for Everyone – BotanoLogos School of Herbal Studies (wildhealingherbs.com). Thanks much for sharing this great opportunity with us. BotanoLogos is located in North Georgia.
Thursday Zoom Rallies – HFS started the zoom rallies this week to kickoff 2022 with Rally #79 We covered some communication tools for bugging out and then the regular chatter that matters. Thanks to everyone who attended the rally. Just a note, HFS will be going to a new schedule holding the HFS Thursday zoom rally twice monthly to make room for specific working groups pertaining to HFS projects, training, and group meetings with regional team leads.
HFS Digital Football Sticks - The feedback on this product has been outstanding. It is a tool to help the individual or family preparer consolidate critical documents on one device. The stick is already set up with numerous file folders such as bank records, marriage certificates, deeds, titles, loans, passports, births, graduation diplomas.....and more. Several of the folders you see below will include sub-folders to break out the specific title.
You simply place your scanned document in the proper folder for storage. When you travel away from home or evacuate because of a disaster you now have all your important documents available on the football stick. It is also waterproof. You can order one or multiple sticks through the HFS website for $25.00 per stick.
Hope for Survival YouTube and Odysee Channels- If you have not already, please consider subscribing to the HFS YouTube and HFS Odysee channels. We would appreciate your consideration. Because I still work a full-time day job, time is limited, and I have not been able to set up a routine schedule for recording and posting videos yet. Thanks for hanging with me. Share the link with family and friends.
HFS Mobile Training:
If you would like HFS to come to your community to conduct training classes or speak on the importance of preparedness, feel free to contact me.
Joppa, AL - Jan 15, 2022 Preparedness Training 9 AM - 3 PM
Communications: You can now follow HFS social media on the following outlets:
Facebook – Hope for Survival
YouTube Channel – Hope for Survival
MeWe: - //mewe.com/p/hopeforsurvival2
Odysee - Hope for Survival (odysee.com)
Rumble - HopeforSurvival (Platform established. Videos coming soon)
Connect and give me a shout. Share with family and friends.
Guest and Newcomers
If you are a guest or newcomer to the HFS journey, please check out this link for additional
information offered through HFS. https://www.hopeforsurvival.com/post/guest-and-newcomers-information-page
Hope for Survival books: You can obtain information on the two HFS books at this link: Survival, Preparedness, Disaster Management for individuals or family (hopeforsurvival.com)
Hope for Survival - How Food, Water, Shelter, and Security Could Save Your Life (Book 1)
Hope for Survival - The Mindset (Book 2)
We must make this brief public announcement to protect the innocent.
Ding, Ding, Ding....Attention HFS readers..... Opinions shared in this newsletter are just that, opinions, and nothing more. Read at your own risk. The owner and author of this site is not responsible for hurt feelings or thin-skinned readers. I do my best to show restraint and respect to the best extent possible. I take as many precautions as possible and try to remain as nonpolitical as possible, however, there are times when I just can't help but point certain things out. Occasionally I use words only Patriots recognize and understand. It's not personal against any non-Patriot. It's just the truth. Sometimes we must pull up our spenders and suck it up. Just saying. Stay the course, read what you want, and avoid the rest. Avoid fear porn as much as possible and the day will be okay. When all else fails… Keep the faith and always have Hope.
Let’s move along and get to some thoughts...
Thoughts for the week –
Hope for Survival is approaching our third-year anniversary in a few weeks and sometimes it is overwhelming to see the growth and how things continue to develop. We started with about three people and now have over 500 followers using different platforms HFS offers. We have put a lot of time and effort in to trying to provide you with the best information and preparedness material possible.
One of the things we wanted to see happen through time is now happening and it is great to witness. That being, connecting likeminded preparers from different states and regions together and then witnessing them communicate and get together to discuss preparedness and joint training opportunities. This follows the hope of eventually connecting regional teams/groups to hold training days, visits and set up support agreements to help one another as needed at the local level.
It has been a slow process because we all have a different level of commitment to what we want from our preparedness effort. Not to mention some folks are retired and others still work. Some people can be available seven days per week and others only on weekends. It is a work in progress and I'm very proud to see you in action. Another HFS member told me a while back, if it wasn't for the effort of HFS to connect people, think of all the Patriots in different states who would heave have met and now spend hours together daily using the HFS Zoom app on Signal chatting about many different preparedness topics.
Something that would be a great help to us is if folks would check their email account HFS has listed more frequently. Often times we send out emails trying to lock in dates for training, visits, connecting HFS members to one another, working group meetings, and things of this nature and it will take a week to hear back from a person which slows down the process a great deal. The daily routine for HFS is packed full of things to get accomplished daily and often we do not have a week we can wait on a response. You checking email more often would help us a great deal.
Localized team building and coordinating is critical because if the world stopped tomorrow, having already set up communications and agreements in advance lets you know who you are around, and what can be offered between individuals and groups. We will continue to work on this area and connect individuals as fast as possible. But, you also must play a role in this process to make it work. There is only so much we can provide in writing or teach through the virtual zoom application. The best training takes place live and in person.
Thanks for all your efforts.
Next ....
In the last PENL #142 I shared that Ms. Lucy gifted me a new book during the holidays titled The Lost Superfoods - 126+ Survival Foods and Tips for Your Stockpile by authors Art Rude, Lex Rooker, Claude Davis, and Fred Dwight. During the past week I have spent more time reviewing the contents of the book and wanted to recommend this book again. It may not be for everyone, not the key words "Survival Foods" in the title. This is not long-term storage foods. Again, the key words here is survival foods. Before building this into your food plan you could spend a rainy Saturday using one of the recipes to try it out first. Here's a few to consider from the Table of Contents:
- Homemade Spam - (Hillbilly Steak)
- Bread on a Stick
- Yeast for Long Term Storage
- Native American Pemmican
- Making Boiled Peanut Butter
- Homemade Bread in a Can
- Potted Meat
- Delicious Lard with 2 Years Shelf-Life (5 tasty recipes)
- Amish Poor Man's Steak
- Mountaineer Tuna Stroganoff
- Keilbasa Sausages
- Johnny Cakes (The Native American Superfood that Saved American Colonists During the Winter of 121)
- Keep Eggs Fresh for a Year Using Isinglass
- Preserve Eggs with Mineral Oil
- Preserve Half a Pig for a Year Without Refrigeration
- Three Sisters Soup
- Bean and Rice Survival Soup
- Ottoman Empire's Shelf-Stable Meat - Pastrima
- Dehydrated Chili Bean Soup
- How to Make Fruit Leather
- And much more (7 Deadly Canning Mistakes, How to Slaughter and Field Dress a Cow, 22 Ingenious Hacks to Make Food Last Longer)
This is a great book to consider putting on your bookshelf. The average cost is about $37.00.
Next ....
Friendly Neighbor - We are knee deep in winter and this means colder temps, winter storms, and tighter budgets for many. Be a good neighbor and check on folks around you, especially senior citizens. Just as we conduct buddy checks on our HFS family on the HFS Signal platform, set up a buddy system to check on neighbors. Many citizens must live on a tighter budget during winter months to offset the cost of heating their homes. With inflation and the rising cost of most resources needed in life, don't let your neighbors go hungry or freeze at night. When time is available or even make time available to stop in and get a status check if possible. Maybe even take some hot soup as a kind gesture. Many people do not want to be a burden and will not ask for help. You could be the difference in the person or family living through another cold night. Ask if they need help to see if they will volunteer their needs and concerns. Make a difference if you can.
Next ....
I'm going to run around five bushes and through three rabbit holes to get to the end of my points being made. So buckle up and loosen your shirt for a laugh or two. I do have a few points to make through all of this. It's a new year so I can start it off running all over the place to reach the end. Ms. Lucy says I'm good at it. Here we go.
Recently, we witnessed thousands of stranded motorists stuck in I-95 along Virginia and I-64 in Kentucky, maybe DC and NC also, not sure. But I do know miles of I-95 Virginia and I-64 closed down. Some folks remained stranded for 30 hours or more. Of course, with these events comes the "Johnny on the spot we can do it better, police" How come. Why didn't they. I would have. They could have. They should have." are the sounds of the perfect. These are the same warriors standing in the ankle-deep mud holes during hurricanes to appear as though their life is being threatened. They have the high dollar super back packs equipped with a cell phone to call the 1-800-Save Me line. Okay, I'm being sarcastic for a reason.
To be honest, I'm sure many of the people trapped in their car felt the same way before getting stuck. Would you agree? There is always one or more in every event. I often point out how people are unpredictable and especially when their individual stress level increases and they feel threatened, or their way of life is threatened. It is fairly impossible to truly figure people out unless studying trends and personality short falls under a set of conditions. Here is a true but funny example.
Years ago, in the military working Law Enforcement we hated getting called to domestic abuse calls. Now I'm not condoning domestic abuse in this point. I'm simply pointing out the characteristics of the human. We would roll into the driveway and dash out of our squad cars to go help the woman (caller). In some cases, we rescued the man because the wife would be holding a cast iron skillet above her head ready to strike again. The wife would tell us about every way in the world her husband was a terrible abusive man and she wanted him out of the house. When we asked her "do you want to press charges" and she would say "yes" we would move towards the husband to handcuff, search, and remove him from the house. OH NO, the tide just changed. The wife would then attack us and defend her deadbeat husband who got us in the mess from the start. We would hear "what are you doing? You can't arrest my husband." Imagine what a circus you will be part of if you don't know yourself and everyone around you sooner than later.
People are unpredictable and can and will turn 180 degrees on a dime. An old boss used to say humans are like ice cubes and depending on the environment it will determine the personality of the hour. I often see the same personality traits when non-preparers want to talk preparedness because they think we are crazy. Ha. Yea, we may be crazy but guess who wouldn't be stuck on the interstate for 30 hours with no food, water, blankets and needed gear to be safe, dry, and okay.
When I was following up on the I-95 and I-64 Interstate stories this morning I thought back to my first book when I referenced author Amanda Bradley words that said “All across the nation we have snapped plates of armor onto our professional lifesavers. In return, we have very high expectations for these men and women. Only after everything goes wrong do we realize we are on our own. And the bigger the disaster, the longer we will be on our own. No fire department can be everywhere at once, no matter how good their gear.” Regardless of books, interviews, or past disasters it always amazes me how the story often goes the same way. Why didn’t the responders get to the people fast enough? Funny how so many expect others to put their life on the line to help their unprepared behinds. Let me move along....
Like always, I wonder how many had a Bug Out Bag, Day Bag or any kind of bag for that matter? Heck, wonder if they had a plan? We went through this several years ago when the ice struck Atlanta and our son-in-law was stranded with our three-year-old grandson (at the time). Nope, no bag. No nothing. So, we purchased each kid and their family an emergency bag to keep in their car with supplies needed in the event of another overnighter on the highway with no Domino's pizza delivery service. It lasted six months and the adults allowed the grandson to play with it and that was the end of its purpose.
Here's some things you may wish to consider keeping in your vehicle during inclement weather or seasonal. It is a personal decision, like everything else. Heck, you may have an electric car that requires your spouse to ride in the back storage area to crank the battery to keep it charged. I'm just curious, wonder how the electric vehicles worked out during the 30-hour stoppage on I-95 recently?
In addition to your seasonal personal ready bag, you should consider these items:
Check your coolant. ...
Check your battery. ...
Fill your wiper fluid. ...
Replace your wiper blades. ...
Inspect (and maybe replace) your tires. ...
Check your tire pressure. ...
Change your oil. ...
Check your belts and hoses.
Also, put together an emergency kit to carry in your car.
Despite excellent planning, winter weather can still take you by surprise and put you in a dangerous situation. Be ready for the unexpected by equipping your car with emergency supplies including blankets, flares, a jack, a first-aid kit, flashlight, shovel, food, and kitty litter or sand for traction if you get stuck.
We can talk about all the supplies one may wish to have stored in a vehicle for this purpose. Water, food, blankets, dry clothing, a whistle, fire starter, sand to get tires unstuck, and the list goes on. But, something few ever talk about is "what if a family member must go to the bathroom? In the I-95 stoppage folks reported people getting outside their car in the freezing temps and taking a relief break on the spot. Personally, we typically keep a small plastic pan and a bag of cat liter stored in the vehicle for trips just in case. We actually had to use it on a trip I-40 between Crossville and Knoxville TN when a truck crash stopped traffic for hours. It works great, especially for females during daylight hours.
If you prefer to not have the plastic pan and kitty litter in your vehicle, another option is the Travel John Urinal Resealable Bags that fits in your glove box or storage space. You simply use it seal it, dispose of it, and like magic you are golden. You can obtain the travel urinal at Amazon for about $17.00. Here is the link. Amazon.com: Travel John Resealable Disposable Urinal Bags (TJ1N) - 6 Pack : Health & Household Now, I know a few of you are laughing at this post and I understand why. I have been around most of you, and I know for a fact not everyone in this group will squat behind a tree or beside a truck tire. Just not going to happen. Just saying and I will leave this topic right here.
And those are my thoughts for the week.
Preparedness News –
1. From Prep School Daily - Prep School Daily: The Medicinal Uses of Baking Soda - Great information to include in your paper library.
2. From Erin Foster - Survival Mom - End-of-Year Prepper Evaluation - Survival Mom (thesurvivalmom.com) - Do you conduct annual evaluations of your preparedness plans and then set goals for the new year? You should. Preparedness and preparedness planning is evergreen and a constant commitment on your part.
3. From Ahley Adamant - Practical Self-Reliance - How to Make Pancetta (practicalselfreliance.com) - Yum, yum. Doesn't this sound great? Another good one to print for the paper recipe library.
4. From Bob Rodgers - Preppers Will - The Basic Livestock Vetting Requirements For The New Homesteader (prepperswill.com) - When I start my homestead I am going to have? I want to have? I plan to have? What do you know how to have and what will your land space and location allow you to have? What do you need? Remember, you have a mental picture of what the animals may do for you, but you must take care of them and feed them also.
5. From Prep School Daily - Prep School Daily: A Rational Approach to Acquiring Medical Supplies - During conversations with other likeminded Preparers the topic of medicinal needs always surfaces. I hear inputs from A-Z on training and resources. My question and concern is how many participants knows and understands when to apply and how to use the resources obtained. This article offers a good perspective on this topic.
Other News -
1. From Tyler Durden - ZeroHedge - Life Insurance CEO Says Deaths Up 40% Among Those Aged 18-64 | ZeroHedge - Say it's not so. Is anyone reading this surprised? Vaccines are saving lives, right? Why so much increase in the number of coffins being sold, life insurance claims, and bodies being processed for funerals? (Thanks Festus for submitting this for the newsletter) Now, Dr. Robert Malone provides an article based on the Life Insurance article. You can catch it here. What if the largest experiment on human beings in history is a failure? (substack.com) You may also wish to check out the interview of Dr. Malone by Podcaster Joe Rogan.
2. From Tim Gamble - Dystopian Survival - Dystopian Survival : Forecast 2022 - A Survivalist's Perspective - Interesting perspective from the author as well as comments below the article. Not sure I agree with all the points and predictions, but the author makes some valid points to consider.
3. From Jim Hoft - Gateway Pundit - BREAKING: Feds Finally Admit to Running Secretive DOJ "Commandos" at Jan. 6 Trump Protests (thegatewaypundit.com) - Say it is not so. No way. Does anyone really believe the feds would do something like this against the American people (cough, cough, snicker, snicker) (Here is where you bring up the trombones and Paul Simon's 1970s hit "Somebodies knocking at the door, you better let them in)
4. From Caleb Howe - Mediate - Gen. Steven Anderson Says 'Stop Listening to the Pillow Guy' (mediaite.com) - This is a very interesting article and perspective. I caught the comments from the generals the other day and now this. We can read these two ways. 1. Get out ahead of a stated non-existing threat by stating the threat to get it in the brains of the people so when the crackdown comes it won't be a surprise. Or, 2, some really good psyops already started going on here ahead of the election which would justify it not being held. Hmmm, I think I heard this some place before. Just saying.
5. From Gabe Kaminsky - Daily Wire - Biden Judicial Nominee Said ‘Proof of Citizenship’ is ‘Voter Suppression’ | The Daily Wire - Ohhh the future is not looking so bright is it? If a person is in a pilot uniform then that suffices to fly the plane it appears. With California now closer to a vote by mail state, it won't be long. I'm sorry but this flashes me back years ago to when former President Jimmy Carter flew to Venezuela to observe an election involving Hugo Chavez and Carter ruled it a fair election. I believe Chavez received over 95% of the vote.
Drum roll...........
That's all my Patriot brothers and sisters.
Prayers - Please keep our great nation, our elected leaders, military and first responders in your thoughts and prayers. We pray for good health and wisdom. Please pray for our leadership to find answers and guidance to the problems facing our great nation. May your faith remain strong and answers to the unknown provided. God is good and may our prayers blanket and protect you and your circumstances. I pray for each, and every one of our Patriots.
May we pray for all the blessings and things in life to be thankful about and continued hope for revival around the world. We must continually pray for the unsaved, our family and friends who live each day without the protection for eternal life and salvation.
Please pray for many of our HFS sisters and brothers who currently battle Covid-19. We pray for your strength and quick recovery. Take care of yourself and focus on you through this process.
Even with all the worldly challenges, struggles, and heartbreaks we must always give thanks for the blessings in our own life and our family each day. Life can be hard and sometimes unfair to us, but we still have many things to be thankful for each day. We must not forget them.
As we have prayer needs for answers to health and family matters, we also have prayers of thanks for recent health answers and recoveries.
We all must pray strong and often for the citizens of our great nation. Many of our sisters and brothers are struggling daily with things they witness, encounter, and are surprised with out of the norm. Many times, we are in unchartered areas, however, we still must keep our faith and focus on the big picture. Our prayers and faithful strength together will be required often to battle the evils being thrown upon all of us minute by minute.
As Patriots we must stay strong and never give up. Our home, community and nation needs us now more than ever. Stay focused on your local community and things that will impact you around the nation. Don't allow the events around you to create fear in your life. Build your own self-reliance and focus on hope. Remember we are a blessed nation and we must continue to be great people today and make a better tomorrow. Keep charging.
Blessings,
Bravo Echo Out,
