Emergency Toilet

Yesterday, at our Provident Living class, we learned how to put together an emergency toilet. It would be pretty handy, even if your water was shut off for a couple days. For example, our neighbors water heater went out and had to be replaced. They had to wait an entire weekend, without running water! I don't know about you, but in my house this would be an emergency situation.

Home toilets may be unusable and going in the bushes quickly promotes diseases. A simple solution is a 5 or 6 galon plastic bucket lined with a plastic bag with a snap on toilet seat. When full, transport waste to a central dumping hole or station.

Emergency Toilet

Store all items in bucket until needed

For one toilet you need:

• Bucket - You can use a bucket and purchase a toilet lid separately, or purchase a "Porta Potty" such as Luggable Loo. (My dad screwed three screws into the bottom of a toilet seat, to help hold it in place, and this is what we used while camping. It worked fantastic)!
• Plastic Bags - 30 - 50 heavy duty bags, 10 - 15 gallons
• Toilet Paper - center cardboard can be removed and TP can be wrapped in plastic to keep dry and save space in bucket
• Hand Sanitizer or wet wipes for clean up (I personally would go with hand sanitizer on this one)
• Kitty Litter - 1 bag. Sprinkle a small amount over waste to help with smell; or, Sawdust - fill with 3" of sawdust after each use to reduce odors, absorb, and help with decomposition.
• Rubber Gloves - 2 pair, use as you dispose of the bag and clean off the lid with disinfectant.
• Privacy Curtain - shower curtain or tarp
• Rope - for privacy curtain
• Disinfectant - pour a little in bucket after each use. Also for cleaning off the toilet seat lid!

To help with disease control, keep the lid tight when not in use.

Disposal: Using rubber gloves, carefully remove the bag, press out excess air, and tie securely for disposal. The bag can be stored in a covered and lined trash can until disposal service is resumed. Bag can also be buried 3 feet deep, 50 feet from a water source. The same hole can be used for several bags. Cover hole with 12" of soil when not in use.

Are you kidding me?

Alex broke his arm again! Yep, that's right, he did. I was at our stake Relief Society service project, and had a realization. I thought, "Oh, I have baby blankets I can donate to the women's shelter." So, my plan was to hurry home, pick them up, and drive back as soon as the speaker was done. My mother said it was inspiration. "How can we get Krystal home really fast without making her worry? Baby blankets!" Well, it worked and Alex made it to the doctor. But, poor little thing, he had to wait all weekend with his funny little arm in a splint because we had to let the specialist set it again. Today is the day though, and he's getting it set right now. Well, I don't know about right now, 'cause I'm not there. I'm a WIMP!

Do you know what we learned about little kid bones? They have the ability to straighten themselves out while they grow! If we didn't set and cast Alex arm, it would take two to three years, but it would straighten out. If we set and cast it, the bow will take about six months to disappear. I think that's fascinating!!!

Garden, Garden, Who's gonna Garden?

This photo is from USU's Utah County Horticulture Page

My sister just sent me a photo of all the little plants they are going to plant in their garden! Hooray for the salsa garden! I'm going to try seeds this year. If they die, like last year, I'll just buy plants too. Here's a list of what I've got so far:

• Basil - Sweet
• Bell Pepper - California Wonder and Grand Bell
• Spinach - Giant Noble
• Mustard - Tendergreen
• Dill - Long Island Mammoth
• Cucumber - Marketmore and National Pickling
• Zucchini - Dark Green
• Tomato - Brandywine Pink, Beefsteak, Rutgers-Select, and Large Red Cherry
• Broccoli - Calabrese
• Cauliflower - Snowball X
• Squash - Straightneck Early Yellow
• Watermelon - Sugar Baby
• Cantaloupe - Imperianl 45
• Mystery Pumpkin (We just saved these seeds)
• Aster
• Larkspur
• Zennia - Dwarf Sprite and Liliput
• Forget-Me-Nots
• Alyssum

For great information on gardening in Utah, check out USU's extension: Uintah County, Salt Lake County, Utah County. (If you live in a different county, click on any of the three links, find the home button in the center of the page, click on it. Enter your county in the page URL in the address bar. And voila! It's a little confusing, but it will work).

Good luck and happy gardening!!!

Earthquake Preparedness

I gleaned this information from an article on KSL. Click here to read it.

The first step to being prepared is: Have a plan

• Choose two meeting places - one outside your home and one outside your neighborhood in case you can't get to your home.
• Choose an emergency contact person outside your area because it may be easier to get in touch with them if local phone lines are down.
• Prepare a first aid kit with basic supplies.

Basic Items You will Need:

• 72 Hour Kit
• Gloves
• Flashlight with Good Batteries
• Water
• First Aid Kit
• Sturdy Shoes
• Radio with Good Batteries
• Extra Medications

Preparedness Tips for Earthquakes and Other Natural Disasters

(This is the Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter)

American Red Cross' Earthquake Safety Checklist

Utah Red Cross "Be Ready" Earthquake Preparedness Checklist

American Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Video

What's Up?

I'm excited to plant our vegetable garden! I've been working in our plot for a few weeks now, just here and there, and I think it's going to be great! Yesterday, I started some seeds growing. I hope they don't die like last year. Of course, last year I started seeds in March, and it was way too long for them to be in their little pots - especially since we can't even plant until the end of May. I'm crossing my fingers on these seeds and hoping they grow well.

Alex's cast comes off tomorrow. HOORAY!!! I'm a little worried about him re-braking his arm. I suppose it's just paranoia. And luckily, he didn't hit a single person with it. Although, he did get it wet a few times, so I hope it's not molding inside. That would be way too GROSS!!!

Jake is completely psycho! He's taking 16 credits during the summer and already ready to register for fall. Way to go, Dear!

Christina is not feeling well today. I don't know what's up. She has no mucus, cough, fever, nothing. She's just looks pale and sickly and wants to lay in bed and not eat anything. I took her for a walk in the stroller, so that she could be out in the sun a little. I hope she begins feeling better soon.

Mercedes is so funny! Yesterday, it was almost dinner time, and all she could say was, "I'm starving. I can't wait any longer." She repeated this over and over. After about ten minutes of it, she went outside. I guess she wasn't that hungry right? Wrong! She went to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Every time she goes to Grandma Rae and Grandpa Rods, they feed her! Cookies, popsicles, pupu's, you name it, they share it!

Now, I know what you are all wondering. What in the world is a Pupu? (Pronounced poo-poo). It's the Hawaiian word for appetizer and it's probably spelled wrong. So there you have it...Hawaiian 101.

I hope all's well with you!

Playing Catch Up

We are all doing so good! Life isn't without challenge or disappointment, but it is good. Alex received his new cast yesterday. When he had his x-ray a week ago, the bones of his arm had healed so well, the Dr. couldn't find the break. But, being weak, it re-snapped in his sling some time between then and his appointment yesterday. When Alex returned, he was not happy, but Jake said he was very brave! His new cast is red and he loves banging it on the edge of the table when he eats. It must not hurt too bad.

We have our Chicken Nugget back AGAIN! Grrrr...that crazy cat. She decided to follow our neighbors on their early morning walk, and got lost. But, thanks to some help from the Lord, we found her again! After her two day adventure, she was a hungry mess, but unhurt. This picture is of when she was in the tree a couple weeks ago. Can you see her near the top? It was very high!

Christina is a bundle of imagination! I love watching her play. Two days ago, she climbed atop a bucket, raised her hands in the air, and proclaimed, "Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you," and directing our attention up to a corner of the living room, she continued, "Tinker Bell!" We clap and cheer and have so much fun watching her. Her circus includes: Tinker Bell, a monkey, a butterfly, horses, an elephant, a bouncing Tiger, Winnie the Poo, a puppy, Cruella De Vil, and the infamous Circus Rock! Dead serious. What would her circus be without the Rock - which quietly and invisibly sits on the kitchen floor.

Mercedes has quite an imagination too! She likes to play mom and take care of all her dolls. Mostly, she enjoys cooking, and is a budding entrepreneur who has set up shop in the toy room. She sold me a hot pad for $18.00 yesterday. I wish I could sell a hot pad for $18.00. Mercedes also saved her birthday and Christmas money, and finely decided what she wanted. She purchased a Disney Princes Wii game, which was mastered in about a day and a half. It is better than a piece of candy, though.

Jake is going crazy with school! Study, study, study, write, write, study, read, read some more, study again, I can't keep all his stuff straight. Good thing I don't really have too. It would make ME crazy!

I met with the Advisor at the school. I was hoping to get the last three classes I needed for my Associates done during the summer; but no, two of them aren't even offered until Fall. Because of this, it will be the end of Fall semester before I receive it. I don't think I've told you guys what I'm going to do. I've decided to pursue Elementary Education. Even though I'd never previously considered Eled, I feel like this is where I need to be. And, that's all the reason I need to go for it.

Life's opportunities are exciting!

Irish Potato Farls

Well, hello everybody! My it feels like it's been a long time! Did you all enjoy Conference? I know I did! Just thought I'd share a quick recipe with you. We had these on St. Patrick's Day. Mercedes enjoyed them so much, we've eaten them a few times since. Instead of flouring my pan, I greased it; and, they turned out yummy! Love to you all!

Irish Potato Farls

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1 pinch salt (I used 1/2 t. and sprinkled a little more on top)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Directions

1. In a pot, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer on medium-high heat until the center of the potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Drain, return potatoes to pot and allow to completely dry out over remaining heat. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.
2. Place warm mashed potato in medium bowl. Stir in flour, salt and melted butter. Mix lightly until dough forms.
3. On a well floured surface, knead the dough lightly. The dough will be sticky. Use a floured rolling pin to flatten into a 9 inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into quarters using a floured knife.
4. Sprinkle a little flour into the base of the skillet and cook the farls for 3 minutes on each side or until evenly browned. Season with a little salt and serve straight away.