Greetings and welcome to the Patriot Express Newsletter Edition #273. Thanks for stopping by for this week's edition of the PENL. It remains hot, humid, and the work is never done. Preparing isn't for the weak or lazy. This heat is definitely a test of one's ability to do the task and chores one must do. Stay safe and hydrated.
This is the newsletter carrying us into Independence Day or the 4th of July. Oh, how I love and appreciate this holiday and the memories of life on this special day. The family time, parades, celebrations and fireworks. It seems we lost the luster over the years and celebrations are not as prevalent as the past. Remember in school how we used to use colored paper, crayons, and glitter to make crafts to celebrate the different holidays? Then because it was summer, being creative and making some of your own craft with neighborhood friends. Running around in the summer heat with friends, spraying each other with a water hose to cool down was a treat as well. Another big treat was the watermelon once it was cut and shared.
Fourth of July at my grandparents' house with visiting cousins from Washington D.C. and Maryland was always a treat. We had so much fun together. My grandparents always had lots of garden goods to add to the burgers and hotdogs on the grill. We had pop caps we could throw against the ground and hear a popping noise. Then when the evening arrived my grandmother would turn on the television and we would watch the live showing of fireworks from New York City or Washington, D.C. It was a true celebration of the holiday at the family level. Who would have ever guessed 50 years ago that the internet, cell phones, and texting would rob so many generations of the true meaning of the holiday and why we celebrate it.
There are so many things' civilians don't get to experience that our military sees often, and it becomes a part of life in a military member. I'm a nerd and often bring up videos of military jets taking off. Why? Because it is a reminder to me that this is the sound of freedom. From foreign lands to floating ships, our men and women fly 24 x 7 to protect our liberty and freedoms. The parades we marched in as military units to the Independence Day celebrations on foreign lands with locals who wondered what it was all about. I remember back around 1986 while stationed on the Island of Guam, on the late evening of July 3rd I do believe it was, a US Air Force C-141 landed on its return trip from Vietnam headed for Hawaii. This plane was special. Why? It was the homecoming for 20 or so Vietnam vets who waited to be reunited with their families. When the tail of the aircraft opened up and the interior aircraft lights lit up the cargo bay, perfectly aligned coffins draped in American flags rested. it was a silence I will never forget. It was sad but it was also beautiful to see. At last, Americans going home from a war no one wanted. Their government drafted and sent them to a foreign land not knowing their government had no desire to win the war. The only comparable to that moment was my visit to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. and Arlington Cemetary in Arlington, VA. Most see these as numbers reported on the local news unless they have a family member or friend who perishes. It is one of the most moving moments you will ever experience when you realize someone just like you rest in the box covered by a flag. They died, not by choice, but through dedication to their nation so others may live free. Think about that this Independence Day. Agree or disagree with war, the fact is with past and present events, we have ladies and men coming home in boxes covered by the flag that others are trampling on, burring, and spitting on while living off our free tax dollars handed over by the same government who sent our kids away to die.
As I typically do for this holiday, I share one of my favorite memories that was influential to my life. This video of President Reagans speech on Independence Day took on more meaning to me as I spent years in the military and traveled around the world to see how other people lived on foreign land. In several places they even celebrated the holiday in American fashion. From country to country, I would hear "what is it like to live in America and be American." What happened?
Before we move along, I wanted to briefly share my thought on the Presidential debate. I had planned to not watch it because I just arrived home from drive back from Alabama. What can I say, it was rough to watch. Personally, since I decided a couple years ago to approach the direction of our country as an American, not a political party citizen with expectations of the party. What is best for our nation going forward. Is that asking too much for the world's most powerful leader? Regardless of party, the debate was ugly. It got uglier with each passing minute. I do see a replacement coming soon, which I believe was part of the plan to begin with. Why hold the debate so early in the election cycle? Sympathy? Display to watchers the depth of the issue with cognitive disability. Get ready, its coming.
Ms. Lucy always says, "watch what the other side has to say" so when I cut the television on, I clicked on the first advertisement for the debate. It was from The Hill on CNN. After holding my nose to click through the screen (streaming), I landed on the debate. What I wanted to see was the post-debate spin. How would what we witnessed be spun to the viewers. I think it was the kindness treatment of Orangeman I have witnessed from this network. But the immediate attacks on the current President was fairly shocking. Guest after guest stated polling during the debate showed liberal voters polled favorably to replace JB. He was this, he was that he was lost and off cue, an on an on. You won't convince me otherwise that this wasn't planned pre-debate.
Now, to the opponent. Yes, he won, and it wasn't close. But did America win? I want to make it clear, I'm not anti-Orangeman. I simply want what is best for our country short and long term. Most things under Orangeman I have no problem with. What concerns me most about his performance from the debate is unless specifically asked twice he didn't talk about what he would do going forward. He was in slam JB mode most of the evening. Most voters are already settled on how they will vote. Most voters on the right already know the story, so why spend most of the free airtime available to send a positive message on how to go forward and get us out of the quicksand that is sinking us as a nation. We have so many issues and problems and it is going to take more than one person to fix it.
While we watch problem after problem mount in our nation, one of the big stories not discussed is a serious one but it gets no attention. HFS covered this in the newsletter about a year ago but here it is covered much better.
Let us move along.
HFS New Affiliation with Aftershock Freeze Dried Foods - Do you still need to get prepared? Need long term food stock? Here you go. I have personally taste tested several of the freeze-dried products. GMO free and a choice between regular or Gluten free, I'm totally impressed with the quality and price of their products. Many of the other providers of dehydrated and freeze-dried foods left my fingers tingling and feeling a tad swollen. This was because of the sodium content. Not the case with Aftershock freeze-dried foods. Another great feature of Aftershock Preparedness meals is for a low price you get larger serving sizes in each bagged meal. For example, the Taco Rice Skillet was a serving size for five. The freeze-dried white chicken is a serving size for three, The Cajun Pasta Laya is a single serving. The prices are adjusted according to the serving size. They are 25- and 30-year shelf-life products depending on the product of choice. As an affiliate, if you use the following link, HFS will receive a small percentage of the purchase price which is great. The customer is getting a high-quality product and HFS receives a small payment to help financially support the HFS mission. It's a win all the way around. You can buy single packed meals, fruit, dairy, meat and vegetables, or you can buy the larger buckets with single packaged items in the bucket for easy storage. Use this link to get started.
Let us move along....
Upcoming Preparedness Events:
West Virginia Thrive and Survive
Oct 3-5, 2025 - WV Off Grid Living (wvoffgridexpo.com)
Communications: You can now follow HFS social media on the following outlets:
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HFS Thursday Zoom Rally - No zoom this week.
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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 and HFS Thumb Drive for Emergency Documents -: 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)
HFS Thumb Drive for Emergency Documents - We just restocked the HFS Thumb drive and have them available now. Follow this link and you will see the add at the top of the page. Blog | Survival (hopeforsurvival.com)
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.
Thoughts for the week - Aging
There, I said it. Ha Ha. It's a tough one to admit. I just turned 63 and I told Ms. Lucy the period of 62-63 was the hardest aging year so far. The physical aches and pains. The realization my brain was wrong and the signs from my body was right. Slowing down is never a fun choice because the list of things to do seems to grow faster and get longer. Is it that way for you? Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful to wake up each day and have another change to get it right in some way or fashion. I know and tell myself daily, God has a plan for each of us daily. Back to the point here. Aging is a reality, and we have to prepare for it the best we can, but much of today is how we rested, fed our bodies, and exercised over the years to the point I'm talking about.
Did someone lie when they said, "I can't wait to reach the golden years?" Yea, I know it's different for all of us. I get that part. Lord willing, we each will reach the golden years in some form or fashion. It is rare to have a 20-hour day and now it's more like a 8–10-hour sleep and if the work gets done, it gets done. But for many, this isn't possible in the preparedness lifestyle. Regardless of age and health, work must be performed to each day. It's tough but it has to happen. Raising and tending to the garden or farm. Raising, feeding, and slaughtering animals, canning another season to survive another six months to a year. Oh, don't forget cutting firewood for six months to heat the home. Then, even though the work doesn't stop, neither does aging and the ailments, pains, and past injuries causing current pain. We must move forward the best we can.
I know a homesteading couple in NC who are in their late 70s/early 80s raising food and animals and running a homestead to feed their family. Not to mention still working on the weekend with some travel. I know another Patriot couple still getting up and running a business daily and preparing as much as time permits. I know many of you are older than me in age, but you are getting up daily and doing the best you can in the hours you have energy. I salute you. Don't let anyone fool you, aging is tough but staying in motion is essential
The world is upside down and three ways crazy, but the reality is we all are aging with our ailments and life we have before us. I'm sure we have to handle it in our own way to get through it as it presents itself. Our brain says we can compete in the Olympics and our body says, "hey mister, better sign up for bingo this go round." One more task, or one more hour, we keep pushing and pushing to get more done and it bites us in the behind one way or the other.
So, with all of this said, we must learn to do things smarter, not harder. Doing more in less time at a slower pace. Is that possible? We have sore backs if they even allow us to bend at this point. What can we do to stay upright moving forward and still complete "must do" tasks. Our Patriot homesteaders in NC had a great thought and took the large 250-gallon water tanks, cut them in half, and filled them with dirt. Now, instead of gardening bent over, they can tend to their crops standing upright and not killing their backs. This probably gives them more strength which may mean more available time to work vs being bent over for hours tending to their crops.
As we age, how will we tote water from a well, stream, river, creek, or lake, when the tap goes dry? At 8 lbs. per gallon and a distance of 100 yards from source to the house, this could be a problem. I talk about several options for water storage in my first book, Hope for Survival, and we all should start considering these options in our plans. How are you going to move 10 gallons of water to meet the need of your household for a week? Carry them? A wagon? A buggy or motorized method? Now, don't forget your animals, pets, and garden. What if you are surrounded by threats and have to carry protection with you? Now you have one arm available to carry 8 lbs. of water. Do you want to make ten trips per day to the water source? Ahh, laundry, let us not forget we must do laundry as well.
When we think of all the things we have been talking about the past years that could be part of a collapse of society it is mentally taxing. Matter of fact it simply weights down our mind, spirit, and motion when we think of all the things we may have to do physically to compensate for our aging bodies. There are some days when it is extremely difficult to get from a chair and get the legs and hips working in the same direction. After 40 plus surgeries and a hip replacement yet to come, some days forward motion is like a walking down a West Virginia country road in several directions. I tell myself I can't stop and must move forward just like I encourage each of you to do. Years ago, while still in the military a doctor once told me one day in bed is two days of physical strength lost. Today, we must have motivation and desire to keep moving ahead. This may mean doing less daily or doing the task smarter. Or it may mean getting help from a family member or friend. The bottom line is we are older and must do things smarter.
While our aging continues and the aches and pains mount, the world continues spiraling, and this can be taxing on our mind. It is worrisome. What about our children and grandchildren who appear unprepared because they aren't seeing the future as we see it. We work harder to educate them to no avail. We plant more and grow more in the hope we will have enough to provide for our home and extended family members. It keeps us awake at night. Most are on fixed income at this point and the current rise in the cost of everything is another cause for stress. No one explains how a fixed income can be stretched to cover the rise in cost of gasoline, food, healthcare, taxes, energy, and surviving. Then we have our health and worries of health cost to add to the mix. The golden years. Ahhh, yes, about that crazy saying. I think it was meant as a joke and we missed the humor part of the saying. I remember watching John Wayne ride his horse across the desert on his horse wearing chaps and long sleeves. I used to think he was amazing to do this until I finally figured out it was a movie.
Next ....
The threat -
Preparedness -
1.From Brian Duff - Mind 4 Survival - Water Purification and Storage: Essential Steps for Preparedness - Mind4Survival - It's blazing hot and not letting up. The grid is tapped to the max and water is short in supply. The tap just went in to drip mode and you are scratching your head wondering why? You need water. Your family needs water. Your garden pet's and animals must be watered. What is your solution?
2. From Rhonda Owen - Prepper's Will - https://prepperswill.com/making-fire-cider-a-traditional-remedy-with-many-health-benefits/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=making-fire-cider-a-traditional-remedy-with-many-health-benefits - Have you tried it? You may want to add this to your personal stash for home remedies. Good stuff. Our Patriot sister up on the Cumberland Plateau makes some awesome fire cider.
3. Prep School Daily - Prep School Daily: The Medicinal Uses of Lavender - Here is another recipe for your home library.
4. From Jim Acosta - The Survival Mom - Two Ways to Quietly Run Chest Freezers During Power Outages - The Survival Mom - Ahhh, failing freezers. What a pain, huh? We just experienced one of our freezers crashing without warning.
5. From Prep School Daily - Prep School Daily: Fruit Tree Guilds: Why and How to Create - Fruit trees are like having babies. They are each different. They show you problems before they can tell you. Know and learn what they are saying.
Other News -
1.From Michael Snyder - Discern Report - They Are Using Lab-Grown Human Brains That They Have Enslaved Called “Organoids” to Run Computers – Discern Report - I know, this seems like a crazier than a square planet story. This is not surprising and falls in line with stories reported over the past years where it is being studied. (Thanks Festus, for this submission).
2. From Brian Mcglinchey - Stark Realities - Gaps In Electoral College Tiebreaker Rules Could Bring Constitutional Crisis (substack.com) - Here we go again, it's an election year and we see many possibilities regarding the election that could change the outcome. (Thanks Festus, for this submission).
3. From Tyler Durden - Zero Hedge - Hackers Demand CDK Pay Millions In Ransom To End Auto-Dealer Cyberattack | ZeroHedge - Another day, another victim. (Thanks Festus, for this submission.)
4. From Michael Snyder - Economic Collapse - Hundreds Of Thousands Of Americans Are Going "Off Grid" In Anticipation Of What Is Coming (theeconomiccollapseblog.com) - We shared a version of this story a few weeks ago but it is worthy of sharing again. (Thanks Festus, for this submission).
5. From I @ I Board - Issues and Insights - Biden’s Fiscal Crisis Is Far Worse Than We Thought – Issues & Insights (issuesinsights.com) - Yep, nothing to see here. STOP!!! This is a problem, Houston.
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.
Our HFS family has many prayers needs for health and moral. We love you all and continue praying for each of you.
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.
As Patriots we must stay strong and never give up. Our home, community, and nation need 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 faith and 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,
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