It's not too late, it's not too difficult...

Over the last year, I've become very interested in ways to increase resilience, both personal, residential, and actually community-wide. I spend a lot of time researching information online, and one useful site I've found is Bernie Carr's The Apartment Prepper's Blog. When the chance came to review her new book: The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster, I eagerly volunteered. The book's suggestions are helpful prompts for action; this would be an excellent book for someone curious about where to begin preparing for possible future difficulties.

I will point out, as she does in the book, that "A Disaster" does not necessarily mean a Zombie Apocalypse, it can be something as common as illness or a loss of work for a time. These days, with so much uncertainty about the common infrastructure, finding simple ways to prepare for possible difficulty is a kind of "insurance", increasing our confidence and peace of mind, that we are more likely to weather a transitional time well.

The Pocket Guide is a helpful, not-scary introduction to major categories to think about and prepare. Bernie's writing is clear, and she has experience in just what she is writing about. She lives in a city apartment with her family, and does not have unlimited funds; reading her book feels a bit like having a knowledgeable friend to talk to. Each section of the book has numerous useful, simple projects, I found that there were some aspects that I was already doing (#48 basic canning), and doing well, and other things that I'd not thought of, but were simple enough that they will soon make their way onto my to-do lists (#78 emergency dental kit)

Here in the Northwest, living in the land of earthquakes and in the only city in the continental USA with a volcano in the middle of a city park, (not to mention the three that are visible on a clear day), I never forget that things can change in an instant. Looking through the chapters: Getting Started, Financial Readiness, Water Needs, Food Supplies, Ready Your Home, Personal Health and Safety, When the Power is Out, and lastly, When You Have to Get Out, it is clear that there is much to be done here still, to make Acorn Cottage a more resilient home. While it can be easy to either feel overwhelmed and do nothing, or to become obsessed with one aspect of preparation and forget to maintain balance, this simple book is a good reminder that really, it's not too late, it's not too difficult...

Just move forward one small step at a time.