by Ron Foster
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
“He loves both of those mutt munchies recipes. I will have to make us some ships’ biscuit or hard tack if we can get enough wheat to make some flour out of for iron rations. Grab whatever prepackaged enriched flour we can get too. It won’t be going bad anytime soon as much as I anticipate us needing it at the moment. Can Donald grow wheat?” Cat asked unsure of just what Donald’s climate and arable land would support.
“I never talked to him about it, I know he was
experimenting with some Moringa trees and also had some soybeans and a peanut patch growing.” Bubba said before going on to explain what a Moringa tree is.
Moringa is considered to be the most nutrient rich plant on earth. Moringa leaves have been consumed by Asian people for millennia as a healthy food product. Containing more than 90 nutrients and 46 antioxidants, these vivid green leaves are nature’s super-power food
What is Moringa? Moringa Oleifera is the best known of the thirteen species of the genus Moringaceae. Moringa was highly valued in the ancient world. The Romans, Greeks and Egyptians extracted edible oil from the seeds and used it for perfume and skin lotion. In the 19th century, plantations of Moringa in the West Indies exported the oil to Europe for perfumes and lubricants for machinery. People in the Indian sub-continent have long used Moringa pods for food. The edible leaves are eaten throughout West Africa and parts of Asia. Moringa is more than a super food. It is a food and commercial resource that can change people’s lives. In Comparable Amounts (gram per gram) Moringa contains more vitamin C than oranges, three times the iron of spinach, and four times the calcium of milk. The leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant. Moringa trees have been used to combat malnutrition, especially among infants and nursing mothers, being a significant source of beta-carotene, Vitamin C, protein, iron, and potassium The leaves are cooked and used like spinach. In addition to being used fresh as a substitute for spinach, its leaves are commonly dried and crushed into a powder, and used in soups and sauces. Although you can cook with Moringa, if it is exposed to temperatures above 140 degrees Fahrenheit some of the nutritional value will be lost. The tree is a good source of calcium and phosphorus.
Moringa leaves and pods are helpful in increasing breast milk. One tablespoon of leaf powder provides 14% of the protein, 40% of the calcium, 23% of the iron and most of the vitamin A needs of a child aged one to three. Six tablespoons of leaf powder will provide nearly all of a woman's daily iron and calcium needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The Moringa seeds yield 38–40% edible oil (called ben oil from the high concentration of behenic acid contained in the oil). The refined oil is clear and odorless and resists rancidity at least as well as any other botanical oil. The seed cake remaining after oil extraction may be used as a fertilizer or as a flocculent to purify water. The bark, sap, roots, leaves, seeds, oil, and flowers are used in traditional medicine in several countries. In Jamaica, the sap is used for a blue dye.
The flowers are also cooked and relished as a delicacy in West Bengal and Bangladesh, especially during early spring.
“Wow, I never heard of this plant before. That is one very useful tree to have around!” Cat exclaimed, trying to picture one.
“Yea, it is, I just hope we don’t have to end up depending on eating lots of different plants to survive. I don’t know what this solar storm is going to do with the weather but I am sure I won’t think it’s very nice.” Bubba said, speeding up to take advantage of a clear stretch of road
“We will be getting to Donald’s place pretty soon now. You think he is there?” Cat asked. “He is supposed to be there or be on his way to get there. He told me where to find a key if he wasn’t about, so I guess we are fine either way. He will get in sometime today or tomorrow, I imagine, if he doesn’t have trouble with traffic or is experiencing car problems.” Bubba told his wife.
16
Fair Thee Wells
Betsy looked overwhelmed and flabbergasted as the full impact of Janice’s little speech about solar disasters sunk in.
“SO YOU DON’T THINK THEY WILL GET THE POWER BACK ON FOR YEARS?” Betsy said, appalled at the notion, her mind reeling as she fought back a creeping panic.
“Possible, I suggest that you bug out to that friend of yours Steve’s place in the mountains as soon as you can. Travel is just going to get a little rougher and harder every day that passes from now on.” Janice counseled her distraught friend.
“I’m sorry to say that I think you are right in your predictions, looks like I got me some serious packing to do. What are you going to do, are you leaving for somewhere also?” Betsy asked Janice.
“Good question. First thing I am going to do is go check on Donald’s mom and then mine to see if they are safe. I got to get them aware of this situation and do some kind of strategic planning for them and with them. I think Donald is supposed to be coming back today, but no telling how long it will take him to get here from Florida or when he left there. I sure hope he comes in today and doesn’t decide to stay over at the farm waiting on us to come to him for some reason. I bet he comes in town as quick as he can though, he is pretty responsible when it comes to checking on his mother.” Janice told her after contemplating how to second-guess Donald’s
methodology and timing.
“Are you going down to his place in the country to ride this storm out?” Betsy asked. “Well, I am supposed to be going to Donald’s and bugging out with him, but I think I might just hang out with the family in Ramer for awhile and see my sister and mom settled in. It depends on conditions how long I wait to move in his direction. I know this change in plans will upset him at first, but I think he will try to understand and be supportive.” Janice said, dreading telling Donald she would not be in his bug out convoy as they had rehearsed over and over before when playing out mental scenarios or drills how to get out of the city after a big disaster.
“Oh, I don’t think you are giving him enough credit. He will see your concerns and it will be ok.” Betsy said reassuringly.
“I don’t know, I think he might feel a bit betrayed by me and my preps going a different way, but you’re right; he will most likely get over it and just tell me to try to hurry to his place when I can see my way clear.” Janice responded a bit hesitatingly.
“He loves you a lot. Everything will turn out ok.” Betsy said trying to reassure her. “Look, I got some packing to do if I am heading out early tomorrow morning. I will stop by later this evening and say my farewells, but I think it is best I get started back to my house now.” Betsy tearfully told Janice and then gave her friend a huge bear hug before they parted to ready for their separate bugging out packing preparations.
“ Hell, I don’t even know where to start organizing on that mountain of preps in my spare room. There was no way even amongst three vehicles she could possibly move everything she and Donald had amassed and he had helped her store in that room. I feel guilty too, I never really got around to breaking down my food stores into reasonable size or content units. I got cases of one thing, mixed cases of dissimilar food stores, partial cases, etc., so evenly dividing it based on content is out of the question at the moment. First things first I guess. I will put Donald’s extra bug out bag and weapons on the couch by the front door along with mine to be the first things grabbed and ready to go. She never had figured out just how many supplies or bug out bags Donald actually had, but she knew he probably had a bunch of crap over at his mom’s house too that would take up a lot of room in his mom’s car. Donald! Donald where are you at, my boy? I hope you’re safe. Hell, I know you’re safe, probably having the time of your life too, plotting and scheming how you’re going to get us all and a few adopt-a-puppies or strays safely through this might- be apocalypse. Well, you called this bugaboo dead-on, nobody will be nay saying you now.” Janice said to herself bitterly and set about prioritizing her preps for moveme
nt. Preps she had, time was another matter. Time to kick it into high gear and just getter done!
A few hours later a knock came on Janice’s front door and she put on a false front and cheerfulness as she let Betsy in, after spying through her peephole and recognizing her outline and voice.
“Well, I got about as much done as I am going to tonight. You want to sit on the porch and finish that drink we were having?” Janice said to a hot and tired Betsy.
“That sounds good. I got my van loaded. Wish I could take some of that gas I got in my car with me, but I don’t have a container for it.” Betsy bemoaned.
“You can dump the oil gas mixture out of that can Donald has for the weed eater and tiller and take it with you.” Janice offered, remembering she had a full five gallon jerry can of stabilized gas stored for herself in the shed and smiled to herself at the memory of her Donald insisting last month that it had to be filled and wishing he were here to help her load it into her car.
“Where should I dump it? In the sewer maybe?” Betsy asked. “No, there is a big ant hill out back by the garden you can dump it on and get rid of those pests. Not much left in that can anyway, I don’t think. You got a siphon hose?” Janice responded.
“Yea, I got an emergency siphon in my van. You sure it won’t hurt your garden?” Betsy asked. “It won’t hurt anything, that anthill is some distance from my raised beds. I guess I will leave the garden with Mary if she wants it, might help her get by. Oh, Betsy, I feel so guilty about leaving so many friends in the city, but there is nothing else I can see to do.” Janice said tearing up and both women beginning to cry.
“All we can do is to be offering up some prayers for them now, I suppose, and try to survive for ourselves as best we can. Mary is a tough old bird anyway, I am sure she will do fine by herself.” Betsy said sniveling a bit and trying to dry her eyes as they discussed one of their favorite neighbors neither of them had contacted yet with the disastrous news they now possessed and fretted over.
17
Mental Misery
Donald began to think back on all his college courses and the various FEMA training he had taken in emergency management over the years to try and figure out the prevailing human factors that were soon going to impact him and the world in the weeks to come. Culture and religion have always come to the forefront when trying to predict conflicts or mental attitudes and stressors. The mental health of those around him was a huge concern of his to take into account right now. He already had a pretty good understanding of the effects of Post Traumatic Stress from his own first hand experiences and that would of course be on the rise and be a more prevalent mental health issue amongst the populace now. The adverse effects of separation and major dislocation on mental and physical health would soon be a commonplace malady everyone was contending with.
Mental Health: The shock of so many disruptions, so much anxiety, sickness, death and grief will cause high levels of stress for even the most resilient parent or neighborhood. Before the solar storm hit, every community included adults and kids with the full range of mental health strengths, weaknesses and most of the common mental disorders. I want the reader to be aware that the 1% that cause 80% of crime on a normal day will increase to at least a 3% figure as they become more and more desperate or bold in an extended emergency event.
The first rule of survival is “don’t panic”. You must take stock of your situation.
This survival mnemonic will assist you to avoid immediate panic:
S Size up the situation.
U Undue haste makes waste.
R Remember where you are.
V Vanquish fear and panic.
I Improvise.
V Value living.
A Act like the locals.
L Lean on your basic skills.
ACTIONS BY SURVIVORS While a survival situation will be a traumatic experience for most people, the effects it will have will depend on circumstances. For instance, being stranded in an environment where the basic requirements for survival are available will not be as traumatic as in a harsh environment containing no visible signs of the basic requirements for survival.
Stress and Survivors Survivors will face many stresses that can lessen the will to survive. It is necessary to understand that stress is simply our reaction to pressure. Too much stress will lead to distress, resulting in anti-social behavior, angry outbursts, an inability to get on with others, difficulty making decisions, an inability to accept responsibility and eventually withdrawal from the group.
Common Stressors and Reactions The most important stressors in a survival situation include injury, illness, death and uncertainty, lack of control, environment, hunger, thirst, fatigue and isolation. These are natural reactions to stress that need to be recognized, expected and for which strategic interventions need to be implemented. These include fear, anxiety, anger, frustration and depression. It is important you do not over-react, don’t panic and remain as calm as possible and remain focused on survival.
Initial Critical Reactions Do recognize that you are in a survival situation and don’t be afraid to make an honest appraisal of the situation for yourself. Get your thoughts on track by employing the survival mnemonic and recognize any survival stressors that may be present that you can tackle. Overcome any negative attitude assumptions and adopt a positive attitude.
Remember your life and the lives of others who are relying on you to do your share are at stake. When groups attempt to function under severe stress for an extended period of time, or when they are traumatized, a predictable process occurs: the group and its members fixate on the cause of the threat or the traumatic event and self-destructive interpersonal dynamics develop in the group.
One of the most destructive of these dynamics is fragmentation. Subgroups form along “cultural fault lines.” The less integrated and more diverse the group, the deeper and wider the fault lines. These fractures bring to the fore pre-existing conflicts or tensions arising from differences of religion, ethnicity, culture, language, geography, age, work style, or status.
Much research, discourse and controversy becomes apparent when studying so called “Hurricane Cultures”. These are cultures of people that were raised or conduct their business daily where hurricanes have a predictable likelihood of occurring. Some say these people have become inoculated to the effects of this type of experience through first or second hand experience. One such hurricane culture place is Cuba.
In "Winds of Change: Hurricanes and the Transformation of Nineteenth-Century Cuba" (UNC Press, 2001), Perez, a New York native whose grandfather was born in Cuba, examines questions about national character and recurring calamities. "What makes the French French? What makes Americans Americans? One factor is environment -- weather patterns, famine, harsh climates, earthquakes, floods are all assimilated into cultural characteristics," he said.
This argument is true of any community facing a recurring threat of calamity, he added. "People who live under the shadow of volcanoes or monsoons live in a culture of calamity. What’s fascinating to me is how these cultures begin to adapt to the possibility of catastrophe and to assimilate the peril into their everyday lives.”
In Cuba, Perez said, hurricanes have created an overriding sense of being subjected to forces beyond one’s control. "Many people say, ‘Why spend too much time thinking about the future? Why not live for the moment?’" he said. "But this has also created a culture of people who are conscious of the need for cooperation and
collaboration; every year, communities must work together to develop the skills and attitudes necessary to prevail. Otherwise, they’ll perish. So there’s a cultural emphasis on community unity in crisis and heroism."
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov01/perez112901.ht m
A person’s religion also affects how individuals in the same community view their circumstances. A recent article discussing race and religion in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina posed these questions.
“How do evangelicals a
nd fundamentalists process the racial components of the disaster? Will
Fundamentalists and Evangelicals regard for New Orleans as a sinful city impede the rebuilding process?”
That some people view the storm as Gods’ wrath or give thanks for their salvation is a very interesting anomaly of different cultures. A lot of those churches with food pantries will be wielding a lot of power and influence for better or worse.
The views of why disasters happen and the role of God regarding them have been debated for centuries. One of the most famous historical accounts of how this mental process works was the account of the Lisbon earthquake.
The Lisbon disaster of November 1, 1755, began as an earthquake in the bottom of the sea near the port city of Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon was struck with violent shocks, followed by a tsunami with eighteen-foot waves at Lisbon and sixty-foot waves at Cadiz, Spain. A fire lasting six days gutted many buildings in Lisbon. As the result of the earthquake, the giant waves washing ashore, and the prolonged fire, large public buildings and 20,000 dwellings were lost. 60,000 people died in Lisbon from drowning, burning, suffocation, dehydration, starvation, disease, exposure, looting, and crushing from collapsing buildings and falling debris. Many others died elsewhere from the tsunami.
Throughout Europe, people began asking, "Why does God allow natural disasters in which many people are killed?", "If God has infinite power and God is good, why did he allow the Lisbon earthquake to happen?", "Perhaps God is good, but doesn't have the power to prevent natural disasters.", "Perhaps God has the power but doesn't care.", "Perhaps it is not God's policy to interfere with nature.", "Perhaps the people of Lisbon were evil and had it coming.", "It is not fair for Lisbon to be destroyed while many other cities were untouched." All these questions, pat answers, speculations, and complaints had a hollow ring.
