"Survival is a Mom's job"
For the second time this winter I am living life without running water. We've had -20* weather and it's frozen our pipes. The first time around we lived without water for a day and a half and I survived. We hauled in water for the toilets, for drinking, and for doing dishes. (Thank goodness for hand sanitizer so we didn't have to try to figure out how to wash our hands as well.) It wasn't exactly fun but definitely do-able.
This time I am going on day 3 with not much hope. Our pipes are finally starting to defrost but the freeze has cracked our pipes so even when (if) we do get them defrosted there will be more work to fix the pipes.
I've been trying hard to hold my head up high and keep a good attitude. My husband, the perpetual optimist, is always pointing out my pessimism so I've worked really hard to keep my head held high. (My reward for doing so is that he did the dishes for me, by hand!, while I was gone yesterday). So I'm not here to complain. While it has been hard it's also good to be reminded how grateful I am for something I take for granted on a daily basis, like running water.
Not having water has also reminded me how important it is to be prepared. We are extremely lucky in that we have a water spicket outside of our house that runs separate from the water that comes into our house so we still have easy access. If you live in the city you are probably not so lucky so it's important to be prepared.
One of my New Year's resolutions this year is to make 72 hour kits for each member of my family. Last night I decided it was time to start making a list of what I want to put in each kit and what we need to buy. HERE is the best list I found. I'm going to make it my own. We all need different things. And a 72 hour kit should be something that you can easily carry. You may not be able to fit all of those things in one backpack so chose wisely. Water, food, and warmth are always most important.
And surprisingly this website also encouraged bringing toys and/or games for little ones. If you do have to leave your house for an emergency it will be important to have something to keep your kids entertained and comforted. So, you may want to leave the heavy, bulky, game console at home but a few small toys is probably a good idea. If you have any other questions about emergency preparedness go HERE.
p.s. Thanks to everyone who participated in voting for my little black dress. The Black Oak is the winner so I will order it along with the Aristocrat. Hopefully one of them will be "the one" for me. 
2 comments:
Oh man! Still no water! You are a survivor. We really need to get some 72 hour kits packed as well. Thanks for all the links.
We used to lose power regularly when we lived in Portland. Once we went for two weeks with no electricity in the dead of winter. But I actually grew to like these times simply because each time I figured out one more way I was deficient in my preparedness. Each time was like a fire drill in preparedness. I learned a lot during those years. Sounds like you are, too. I got a lot of courage by thinking of my grandmother as I went through those days, knowing I could do it if she did. Good luck. Smart move to get on those 72-hour kits!
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