Preppers? Not really.

I have learned that I hate being of the people who scramble around stores at the last minute whenever they're calling for a storm or bad weather, throwing things into the grocery cart and wondering if I really have everything I need.

For example, when Superstorm Sandy was on her way, my Grandmama (Hubby's Grandmother) INSISTED that we were going to get slammed by the storm. Even though we were in Central Virginia. She decided she needed to go to the grocery store RIGHT THEN and needed Husband and I to take her. That was a hellish experience, let me tell you. She was basically grabbing things and putting them into the cart because she was sure the power was going to go out for at least a couple of days and she needed lanterns and a camp stove and all the canned goods she could manage. She even thought that since Husband and I live in the middle of nowhere in the mountains, that when our power was out it would get too cold for Little Miss (which it more than likely would) and convinced us to let Little Miss wait the storm out with her.

Watching all of those people scramble around and freaking out because all the lanterns were gone made me think - wow, I'm totally one of these people. In the event of a disaster, I am completely unprepared. My whole family is. We have no stockpiles of anything, no emergency kits of any sort, no plans or anything. And I think that needs to change.

Do I plan on being a "doomsday prepper" or whatever. But I do believe in being prepared for natural disasters or anything else that comes our way. And with the 2013 looming ever closer, I feel like a good resolution would be to prepare for anything that may happen and to become more self-sustainable.

I'd like to at least have the 72-hour Emergency Kit that's recommended by FEMA (though I know how well FEMA works, more often than not), an emergency kit for the car and an emergency kit for both cats and for Polly to start off with.

I'd also like to get some chickens, with the prices of everything going up, I think it would be a good idea. And healthier, seeing as the eggs would be organic and the chickens wouldn't be pumped full of chemicals. I'm also considering getting some dairy goats and a couple of pigs, for butchering purposes.

I just wish that my yard was good for growing something - it's mostly rock underneath the topsoil. It'd be useful to be able to grow something eventually. Though, I'd like to move to home with more land so all of this would be possible, so right now the goats and pigs and chickens are long term goals. The chickens may be more of a realistic goal while we live in this house, but first I need to learn how to take proper care of chickens. I don't want them dying on me five days in.