Catholic Prepper YouTube Channel / Training Class Tomorrow!

Just found this by accident. I feel God wants me to put this up because they have ONE MORE DAY of a training class. I admit I am not familiar with this content, but a superficial look is encouraging. I would think if you miss the class, videos will be posted, not sure. Most likely, these classes will be offered again. Check it out anyway!

br coalition

The above short video talks about the class and the recent occurrences in the world which should show anyone that preparing is more than reasonable, and people are feeling the stress of a world gone wrong. The massive amount of drug overdose deaths is mentioned. We now have a statistic for 2021 in the US, a staggering 100,000. The Covid agenda was certainly one aspect of this rise. I personally know 3 people who have lost young sons to this tragedy. One is a family member (a devoutly Catholic family). One a friend and one a woman I met at church. I live in New York and it is a particular problem here, for a variety of reasons. Let us pray for our dear young men and women at this confusing time. Let us support them and teach them how to cope in an ever-changing world. Let us show them the Rock, the Holy Catholic Church and our King, Jesus Christ, in Whom all our hope resides!

Are You in Idaho??? / Ideas for a Catholic Prepper Event

Modern Homesteading Conference offers two full days of practical, strategic, and proven presentations. It will be held in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on June 30th and July 1st. You’ll gain insights from individuals who have honed their techniques over many years. There will be live demonstrations to bring these concepts to life before your eyes. When it comes to pursuing a self-sufficient lifestyle and turning your homesteading dreams into reality, mere aspirations and online tutorials can only take you so far.

What: Modern Homesteading Conference

When: June 30th and July 1st

Where: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

The curated lineup of speakers have thrived in challenging northern climates. These experienced individuals understand the unique demands of short warm-weather growing seasons, enduring long winters, and two months of rain scarcity in July and August. They’ve not only managed to feed their families year-round from their homesteads, but have also extended their offerings to provide pasture-raised livestock to others. The speakers will equip you with information for: 

• Enhancing food production.

• Leveraging the benefits of herbs for personal and livestock use.

• Incorporating livestock into your homestead.

• Mastering the art of preserving food for year-round consumption.

• And much more!

Thanks to Peak Prosperity for this info. It has been copied from their email.

If you are not in Idaho or the surrounding area, and you have expertise in these topics, please consider chairing a community, diocesan or parish-based event. How do you Catholicize (I just made up that word) it? Obviously, you can come up with your own ideas. I might suggest discussing: Saint Francis, Saint Isidore the Farmer, Saint Fiacre or Saint Hildegard of Bingen…Saint Joseph was a woodworker!…the Ember Days…growing wheat and grapes for the Holy Mass (we should all have these seeds)…how to perform an emergency baptism…Biblical support for preparedness. Also, the Catholic Bug-Out Bag!

We will post it for you, of course. Gotta get the info out for the children of God and their little ones to navigate the coming days!

The Banking Crisis: A Fabulous Conversation....

Michelle Makori of Kitco News interviews Edward Dowd, author, financial analyst and founder of Phinance Technologies, regarding our current global financial situation. There is also talk towards the end about the Covid shots and their disastrous results, including the economic perspective…

Emergency Fed rate cut by June, only 6 US banks will be left by 2025, paving way for CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency)

Things are heating up in the world, but never forget God loved us so much, He sent His beloved Son to die for us! Remember the 3 Theological Virtues always…

Faith Hope & Love

The "Do it Now Principle"

Marla Cilley, also known as “Flylady,” is a homemaker’s helper, particularly with cleaning and organizing. She has videos, books and wonderful cleaning products (I’ve bought some!). She talks about the “Do it Now Principle,” which means, if you see something that can be done quickly and easily, don’t wait for later, just “do it now.” As the world situation is heating up, this is also a great tenet for preppers.

I will give you a real-life example from my own life today. I drove to the grocery store and when I got out of the car, realized I had forgotten my purse. I used to have a small amount of emergency money in my car, but the last time I used it, I neglected to replace it. Not that it would have been enough to do all my shopping, but I could at least have gotten a box of chocolate eclairs….I mean some low-carb snack bars….before heading back home.

So…I went back home, got my purse and immediately replenished my emergency money. I felt like a good prepper again. It is empowering and motivating to take care of yourself. It instantly lifts your mood and this world could use a little mood-lifting.

So, next time you notice something that needs attention, think of the “Do it Now Principle,” and….do it now!

WEF 2023 Part 1

Welcome to the World Economic Forum 2023

“Cooperation in a Fragmented WorlD”

(Translation: “Eat or Be Eaten”)

The 4-Day Week ~ Metaverse ~ Digital Currency ~ Redefining Life

Woke Stuff ~ Battery Passports ~ Brain Transparency ~ Injections

Globalization ~ Artificial Intelligence ~ Medical Tracking ~ New Era

And More!

loads of fun for the “select group of human beings”

(This is how John Kerry referred to himself and the other Weffers in attendance.)

These plans are moving forward aggressively. They are all-in.

If this is what they are telling us, what are they hiding?

What happens to those who refuse to conform?

They are busy-bees, looking forward. So must we be. They talk about the Great Reset. We must begin creating the Greater Reset, the Newer World Order, an authentic life, close to God and nature. They talk a lot about nature, but it is doublespeak.

We are up against Satan himself, an evil genius, the likes of which we are no match for…without God.

Evil is always self-defeating. We win.

“In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”

Our Lady of Fatima

Random Stuff

STATES RESTRICTING ABORTION / POST-ROE AMERICA

Idaho Supreme Court allows state abortion ban to take effect

Georgia declares unborn babies ‘natural persons’ who can be claimed as dependents on state taxes

LifeSiteNews ‘InFocus’ highlights upcoming pro-life battles in post-Roe America

LifeSiteNews is a trustworthy go-to source for info on life issues, Covid issues, the New World Order agenda and the Church. There are few others doing as good a job. Please support them and subscribe!

Let us also continue to pray for the safety of all pro-lifers and churches in this post-Roe environment. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!

~ ~ ~

i have this compass!

Video: Testing The Cheapest Compass on Amazon

I just started watching this guy on YouTube-”Stokermatic”-and I also have a renewed interest in compasses after recently buying an Army Style Lensatic Compass from Deutsche Optik (check this site out for awesome prepper gear)…I paid $35 for it and you can now get it for $19! The compass mentioned above, is a cheaper baseplate compass which I’ve had for a while. I was amazed when this guy (he calls himself “Stoker”), a US Army veteran, did a video recently on this compass…I said, “That’s my compass!”

This video will give you an intro to Stoker and his work. It is technical and assumes you already know a bit. That’s okay if you don’t. It is an immersion, like those language courses which only speak in the language you are learning. Just take it in and get the gist of it. Watch a few more videos to see if this content is for you. I am addicted now.

Think how fun it would be to do this sort of thing with your children, family or friends…enjoy the outdoors, try to find something with a compass and learn some valuable skills as the world hurtles toward chaos. It could be the beginning of an incredible journey!

There is also a Stokermatic website with all kinds of info and several products. Get stoked!

PS If you know a gender-confused girly boy, he just needs to spend one day with Stoker and the girl will be whooped out of him. (I think he does give courses-I will email him about that.)

~ ~ ~

We have never seen a time like this before

Video: WARNING from a Farmer: Get READY

This post is a sampling of what I have been researching recently. I have been looking into the possible future (not a crystal ball, just research) since I took an interest in it as a teenager. So that’s about 40 years. I stepped it up after 9/11 and have been writing on these topics for 14 years.

I can tell you, I have never seen what is happening now. It’s not just the freaks and geeks, the conspiracy theorists, the End Times eccentrics holding signs in Times Square. The warnings are coming from everywhere. From ordinary people. From experts in all areas. It’s being freely discussed…and censored. People are putting their jobs, their reputations and even their lives on the line. The video above is just one of hundreds of warnings out there right now. This southern homesteading woman reads an email she was sent from a farmer in Texas. She boldly asserts that a day of reckoning is coming. She talks about being right with God and gives her heartfelt advice.

I would add 2 points to this video…#1: It takes a village. #2: Get out of dodge. As Catholics, we must develop our communities and we must also consider establishing them in less populated areas. For a number of reasons, the dense areas are not where you want to be when things go wrong. Of course, this is only my take on it and you must pray and assume responsibility for your own decisions.

Also as Catholics, we know we are here in exile and some are called to a glorious martyrdom. We know the most important preparedness is spiritual. We must flee to the Sacrament of Penance and take consolation in the Rosary. To pray the Rosary is a great joy in the midst of suffering. Let us all pray at this hour and discern the work Our Blessed Lord desires of us.

These topics aren’t really random at all. It is all connected.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid."

John 14:27

Traditional Priest is Doing Something Amazing in the Italian Alps!

Young Priest Turns Forsaken Farm into Paradise Homestead

I was blown away by the above video. Below are the notes provided by the video-maker, Kirsten Dirksen (she’s got a great YouTube channel, but this is not necessarily an endorsement of all her content). The video is 23 minutes, well-worth your time. We all need to be thinking this way going forward, due to the state of the world. This priest also has filmed 2 documentaries-link is below-I have not seen them yet, but I’m sure they are good…

Five years ago Catholic priest Johannes Schwarz left his parish to "withdraw for a few years" in the Italian Alps (in the shadow of his beloved Monte Viso). He bought an old "rustico" - stone farm building - for 20,000 euros and transformed it into his mountaintop hermitage.

Inspired by the early Christian desert hermits from the "200s and 300s when some people went into the deserts of Egypt and Palestine searching for a more rigorous life", Schwarz found something remote: he has only one full-time neighbor on the entire mountainside and in winter, he often has to snowshoe for a couple hours just to buy food and supplies.

To be as self-sufficient as possible, he makes his own bread and stores plenty of potatoes which he grows using Ruth Stout's "No-Work" gardening method. To grow much of his own fruit and produce, he terraced the steep hillside (using stones from the area) to create micro-climates. "You try to build walls that have southern exposure because they heat up during the day and they give off the warmth and can make a difference of several degrees." (Studies show differences of 27°F/15°C in the ultra-deep Incan terraces). He grows plenty of tomatoes inside his self-built recycled greenhouse.

For heating and cooking, he built a combination rocket stove and masonry heater by creating his own casts and loam coating. His refrigerator, which he transported up the hill on top of his bicycle, is kept in the unheated room, along with his food stores. He uses a tiny 30-year-old 3-kilogram washing machine and built his bathroom out of salvaged materials. To transport the lumber up the hill for his remodel, he got some help from a local farmer.

He divided the old barn into four small rooms on two floors; the living room/kitchen and pantry on the ground floor and a chapel and bedroom upstairs. His bedroom also serves as an editing studio where he creates videos on philosophy and religion.

He created a wooden-arched indoor chapel where he “celebrates the traditional Latin mass” alongside a wall he painted with Byzantine, romanesque and gothic styles in appreciation of "the symbolism of the ancient art."

Johannes’ pilgrimage films: https://www.reelhouse.org/birettballett

Hurricane Henri: Real-Life Preparedness Situation

Our Lady of the Island, Pray for Us!

Our Lady of the Island Shrine ~ Manorville, Long Island

~ ~ ~

Exactly one week ago, the news was predicting an imminent hurricane, with winds up to 110 mph, likely flooding and power outages…headed straight for my house on Long Island. What do you do when you are in this situation? You secure your home as best as possible. Then you leave. If you can. And we did.

However, I never worry too much because…A) I trust in God B) We are preppers C) We’ve already had lots of experience with crazy stuff here in New York, from 9/11 to being the Covid epicenter to all your New York lunatics running around. So, my general feeling was…here we go again. And as a prepper, I am always grateful for one more real-life learning experience. There is even some sense of excitement for weirdos like me. Looking back on all the other things, I can see how much I learned and how much stronger I feel as a result. It also gives me the life experience to help lead others through the chastisement which is now upon the world. Hence, this ministry.

We spent the whole day before the storm securing everything outside and leaving things the best we could (appliances, computers, etc, that you really care about should be unplugged due to potential power surges which can short them out…but no, we did not shut off the fridge, but we took all the food we could, due to a possible outage). We also left our phone number with the neighbors in case the house was damaged (we have a lot of trees, which we just had trimmed, along with taking down a few which were hanging over the house-this gave us much peace of mind). When we got on the road, it became clear that lots of other people had the same idea…leave. Did I mention you should have a full tank of gas? (Always keep it at least half full.) Prior to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, people ran out of gas on the road, the traffic was so bad.

Regarding another Hurricane Katrina detail, don’t go to the Superdome. If everyone is going in one direction, go the opposite direction. Don’t rely on FEMA to save you. Katrina was an utter disaster. Be self-reliant! Have a plan and a location, or even several locations (what are friends and family for, anyway?). So…we drove to our (undisclosed) bug-out place. We stayed a few days to avoid the traffic rush back, which proved to be smart because some major roads were closed due to mud accumulation. Never take anything for granted-the Covid insanity should be teaching us this as well.

We’ll get to Hurricane Henri and how it turned out, but first, let’s look at Sandy, from 2012. Sandy illustrates why you should be concerned about hurricanes, even if they are only Category 1. It’s the reason we and all those other people decided to leave…

Hurricane Sandy is now infamous in the New York area. It claimed 131 lives in the US alone. It was a Category 1 when it hit, with 80 mph winds. But don’t let a minor Category rating fool you into thinking a storm is not dangerous. According to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, “The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based only on a hurricane's maximum sustained wind speed. This scale does not take into account other potentially deadly hazards such as storm surge, rainfall flooding, and tornadoes.” At its worst, Sandy was a Category 3 and then deceptively turned into a mere tropical storm. Soon after, it picked up speed and made landfall in New Jersey. It dumped up to 12 inches of rain in some areas, caused massive power outages (our power was shut off before it even hit) and sent 20,000 people to shelters (not where you really want to be-they ain’t no Hiltons). Tragically, most of the deaths were due to drowning, many in their own homes. Other causes of death were trauma, carbon monoxide, car accidents and electrocution (see note below). Some of the reasons reported for why people failed to evacuate were: fear of homes being looted, misjudging severity of the storm and having no access to transportation. Another possible reason is one may want to stay with his home in case it is damaged, thinking the damage could be better managed. This is not entirely without logic, though is it worth risking your life? In addition, you may not be able to obtain services for some time and do you really want to wait out a storm with a tree in your living room? But…we stayed through Sandy…and it was terrifying at the height of the storm, the wind howling and fearing a tree would careen through a window at any moment. We prayed and we were fine-not even one tree came down.

The day Henri hit was both the feast of the Queenship and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Toward the eastern end of Long Island lies the Shrine of Our Lady of the Island, with its huge statue of Our Lady overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, a short distance away. She seems to be protecting us upon a great stone, holding up her Divine Child. There is much devotion to her on this little island, which contains 2 of the boroughs of New York City. Henri veered to the east, weakened to a tropical storm (just under Category 1) and made its main landfall in Rhode Island. However, New York did get some of the brunt. There was record-breaking rainfall with major flooding…also power outages and fallen trees. Our area was pretty good and there was no damage to our house. Sadly, 2 deaths took place (according to my research, but full reporting may take some time) in North Carolina, due to riptides.

A week later, we are still re-assembling our yard. It was a lot of work dealing with all the things on the deck, plants, statues, solar lights and my collection of chimes (don’t want anyone killed by flying chimes) around the property. Turned out we had no damage at all! How did our preparedness help in this situation? If we had to stay, we have 2 generators with a supply of gas, along with general supplies. We have cultivated good relationships with our neighbors. And we’ve been to confession. Some things we need work on: communications, organizing of supplies and home improvement. That is why prepping is a lifestyle-there is always something to improve and to learn. The recent landscaping was extremely valuable. As for going on the road, it is good that we are used to traveling and always have supplies, including a serious survival bug-out bag, in the car. Our remote location is also stocked with supplies.

Hurricanes give you only a few days warning at best and other kinds of disasters can come on suddenly. Then there is the societal trend toward greater instability and the emerging New World Order, which is another whole level of preparedness. Please stay tuned to this blog, as we will continue these conversations in the coming days.

Important safety note if your basement is flooded…

Take great care before venturing into a flooded basement, because death by electrocution is a possibility. My own cousin knew a family who lost both a father and his son during Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island, due to this very situation. If you have any doubt, please call for help before entering your basement. Also, do not enter any dangerous or dark areas of your house without a flashlight, in the event you are caught suddenly in a power outage (this actually happened to me and it wasn’t fun).

Image courtesy https://www.ourladyoftheisland.com

Flower #2...

Lillies

Lillies are ubiquitous, but how much do you know about them? They certainly are beautiful, most are fragrant, they support pollinators and are easy perennials, grown from bulbs. Some grow as tall as 6 to 8 feet and are called “tree lillies.” The Daylily is of a different plant family, yet the flowers are similar. They are called “daylillies” because they blossom for only one day.

Common lillies are: Oriental (among tallest), Asiatic, Martagon (if you want numerous blossoms), Trumpet/Aurelian, Tiger (grows wild all over the New York area, where I live) and Rubrum. The white “Easter Lily” we are so familiar with is a variety of the fragrant Trumpet Lily. Here are some little-known facts about the Easter Lily which adorns our altars every year as we celebrate Our Lord’s Resurrection…

1) There are no known hazards. 2) Can often be found on the coastline. 3) According to Plants For A Future, the bulb is edible and “can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes.” 4) Also according to PFAF, the bulb has been used to treat coughs, insomnia and other ailments. 5) A fragrant essential oil can be extracted from the flowers.

Flower #1 / Plants For A Future

Please see the previous post for recent pictures of some of my flowers. I asked our readers to guess what they are (some are quite easy) and now I will be giving some answers with some info, mostly taken from “Plants For A Future.” The purpose here is not necessarily to get you interested in these particular flowers, but to pique your interest in flowers (one of the many things that show the nature of God Himself and His love for us)…and to show how all plants have some prepper/sustainable/ecological use and many are even medicinal. Here is one…

MOUNTAIN LAUREL

This unique shrub is also known as Calico Bush or Spoonwood. The photo above shows its wonderful potential as an ornamental and privacy bush. It is native to the Eastern United States. I am fortunate enough to have several of these-they produce the most exquisite flowers. They are so delicately designed, it looks as if our Heavenly Father hand-painted each one. They have no fragrance. Mine are white, but they also come in pink and red tones. The plant is highly poisonous. It is however, considered somewhat medicinal, but the poisonous properties mean it should only be used by an herbal medicine professional. I am delighted to have them though, the flowers are so beautiful. Some useful things about Mountain Laurel: attracts birds (I do have a variety of birds), the leaves may be used to create a yellow/tan dye, the roots have traditionally been used to make spoons, due to the durability of the wood (hence the name Spoonwood). We know it is toxic to humans and animals. It may be possible, in a rustic setting, to use it for euthanizing animals, if it works quickly and does not produce undue pain. I don’t know-this would have to be researched (but this is the way we need to start thinking, if the goal for us is to leave this corrupt and dangerous society).

My Mountain Laurels are growing on the side of a wooded hill in a shady area with rich, moist soil. I feel that one was probably planted long ago and self-seeded to create a few more. I love them mostly for their ornamental nature, though it is fun to think about making dye. I would eat with my hands before I would cut them down to make spoons! And if you consider the name, one could fashion a crown with the leaves, as the ancient Greeks did to honor winners of the Pythian games. I am cherishing them and if they start to die, I will take measures to cultivate more of them.

Many spiritual people have observed how nature often seems a metaphor for the higher reality…”As Above, So Below.” God gives us lessons when we observe His creation, if we have eyes to see them. What does Mountain Laurel teach us? I think the most obvious answer lies in the fact that it is so seemingly innocent and lovely, yet the leaves are so deadly, the American indigenous people used them to commit suicide. Beware of the outward appearance of things. As we are told in every traditional Holy Mass, from Psalms 25:10: “In whose hands are iniquities, their right hand is filled with gifts.” How do we apply that to what is going on right now? Don’t think I need to spell that out.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Plants For A Future

Plants For A Future is a non-profit that operates on a high level of ecological philosophy and systems, to help the architects of these systems choose appropriate plants. Their philosophy is much like Nomen Christi Apostolate’s, in that it is concerned with respecting the natural order and economizing time, effort and energy. These are important aspects of the “Authentic Life” and survivability outside the industrial/tech world. These ideas are not only essential for those considering the establishment of off-grid communities, but for anyone who wants to live a more prepared, self-reliant life. From their “About” page:

“It is our belief that plants can provide people with the majority of their needs, in a way that cares for the planet's health. A wide range of plants can be grown to produce all our food needs and many other commodities, whilst also providing a diversity of habitats for our native flora and fauna. There are over 20,000 species of edible plants in the world yet fewer than 20 species now provide 90% of our food. Large areas of land devoted to single crops increase dependence upon intervention of chemicals and intensive control methods with the added threat of chemical resistant insects and new diseases…Our emphasis is on growing perennial plants with some self-seeding annuals, a large part of the reason for this is the difference in the amount of time and energy it takes to cultivate and harvest crops. Annuals means the cultivation of the ground every year, sowing the seeds, controlling the weeds, adding fertilizers and attempting to control pests and diseases. It all seems so much extra work compared to planting a perennial and waiting to harvest its yield. Especially when you consider that even with all the effort put into growing carrots their yield for the same area of ground will be less than that of a fruit tree and will only last the one season…We aim to recover lost knowledge and learn more about the hundreds of medicinal plants that we can grow, in a race to find safe natural alternatives to drugs used today. Plants can also provide us with fibers for clothes, rope and paper, oils for lubricants, fuels, water proofing and wood preservatives, dyes, construction materials and more.”

Plants For A Future is known for their database of over 7,000 plants, explaining all basic info about them. You can use it to get ideas for new plants or to investigate those you already have. It can be used more technically, or less. For instance, if you’re looking for specifics such as growth rate, soil pH, pollution tolerance, livestock feed or types of pollinators, you can do that. If you just want hardiness zones and sun needs, you can do that too.

For a newish gardener, when looking for new plants, please see Before You Start, which will show you the issues you need to be looking at. From that page: “Choosing unsuitable plants creates more work and often dead plants.” How true. There is so much else on this website, if you peruse it long enough, it is like a course in gardening or landscaping. All the various aspects of gardening can be overwhelming for the newbie, but please take care not to get discouraged. If it were that difficult, the human race would have gone extinct long ago. From my own past experience, I can say, if you have no idea what you are doing and in fact, do everything wrong, you will still have some success. So, be optimistic, leave all in God’s hands and enjoy the journey of greater independence and oneness with nature.

Image courtesy siteone.com/en/68035b-kalmia-latifolia-mountain-laurel/p/572399