You have 10 minutes to get out of your house...

Obvious recent weather throughout the mid-west and south has prompted this post. Coupled with very real memories of having the police knock on my door in San Diego during the fires a few years ago and telling me I had an hour to leave my home and the area. I had been a tiny bit smug in thinking I would be at least a little prepared for that. NOT. And NOT in a big way!

There are awesome websites and blogs out there that address being prepared for these sorts of eventualities and more. Find a couple that speak to your heart. There are a couple that come to mind quickly for me...

http://providentliving.org/
This is from my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We have always been counseled to be prepared for any eventuality, including natural disaster, loss of employment, etc. This site is a treasure trove of information.

http://preparedbinder.blogspot.com/
This woman put together a great binder that addresses all the information that, even if we have it written anywhere, gets scattered the wind. She is clever and funny and it's great information to have. And have it handy.

So what will you do when you have 10 minutes to beat feet out of the house? Besides grab the kids and, if you're lucky, the family pet? Do you have a "grab and go" notebook? Do you have someone outside the area you can contact who will then contact your family members to tell them you're ok? What about prescriptions, a change of clothes, copies of insurance and birth certificates? It will take planning, but you can put it together and have it ready to grab as you head out the door. It also takes review and renewal, but that's a topic for another post.

Please.Please.Please... if nothing else, I hope this post encourages you to start thinking of "preparation." It's like insurance, you have it and hope you never, ever have to use it.

"The best thing for the inside of a (wo)man is the outside of a horse." R. Reagan

Me on Molly today

I love horses. I always have. As a kid we went to Kansas we would go out to family farms and ride whatever horses were available. When I was 10 I finally convinced my parents to pay for riding lessons for my birthday and Christmas. I was able to do that the next year, too. For 10 Saturdays during the summer I was in heaven for about an hour.

When I was about 13 I was so desperate to be around horses that I would go a couple times a week and hotwalk polo ponies for about $3 or $4 for at least that many hours of work. Hot, sweaty, jumpy horses that we would walk up and down, up and down between chukkers (periods in polo) and afterwards. I could walk as many as six at a time -- three on each side -- when they played outside; just two at a time when they played inside. Yeah, I was in heaven then, too.

Windy & Me back in the day

When I was just about to turn 14 my parents bought me a horse. Windy. She was four years old, still fairly green, and had been used by a young guy to barrel race. It took us a while to get used to each other, but for the next five years she was my best friend. Life then took those terrible turns it likes to take and we had to sell her. I'm so glad I believe "all horses go to heaven" and I have a feeling she's there waiting for me.

This afternoon my husband and I were able to go out to a friend's and for the first time in at least 30 years I rode a horse. I have never, ever stopped loving horses. I told myself all my life that somehow I will have another. I just haven't figured out how to do that... Anyway, for a very short time, I was again in heaven. I rode a huge draft horse named Molly. As my friend said, she would be a "pocket pony" if she could. She was wonderful for my first ride in 30+ years and I'm ever grateful to our friends for allowing us that time. We even got Jack to ride for the first time in his life (I swear once I get him hooked we'll be able to find a way to have a couple horses! Keep your fingers crossed!).

It was a totally wonderful afternoon.