Vacation Time

Tuesday June 22, 2010

What happens if a disaster threatens your home while you are away on vacation? I consider myself the queen of evacuation preparedness but this talent won't do me any good if I am not home to use it. Before going out of town for a vacation you need to have a contingency evacuation plan in place. I understand that you are very busy with last minute packing and errands related to your trip so here are five steps to quickly complete your contingency plan.

1. Identify a friend or relative who would be willing to evacuate a few items for you should you be out of town during an evacuation.

2. Select only the most important items to be taken.

3. Consolidate and pack the items for transport.

4. Leave a written list of the items you are requesting to be evacuated and their location posted in your home.

5. Be sure to exchange all important contact information with the person responsible for the contingency plan.

Now go ahead and have a wonderful vacation! When it is time to come home don't forget to bring your "evacuation back up buddy" a nice souvenir.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

What Are Your Dreams?

Wednesday June 16, 2010

I love to talk with children about their dreams. Children are very candid in discussing both their night time dreams and their dreams for the future. I am amazed at the ability children have to remember their dreams from the night before with all of the dream's amazing details. Children describe their dreams for the future with equally great enthusiasm. They might plan to be an artist and create beautiful paintings or perhaps a builder who constructs "the tallest building ever!" I find it refreshing that kids haven't yet learned to limit what they believe they are capable of accomplishing.

As we get older we can lose our dreams. We are often in such a rush in the morning that we can not remember the dreamworld we just left. Even the future dreams which were once so precious to us can fade away if we allow them to. If you have managed to hold onto and continue working towards your dreams into adulthood it is critical to evacuate this body of work with you during any disaster.

I have met people who failed to evacuate their "dream work" and bitterly regretted it. One young woman, a writer and artist, left her complete portfolio behind when she evacuated from Hurricane Katrina. She had spent years creating this portfolio and it was all lost. Another woman, middle-aged but determined, had been designing handbags and planning for the day she could launch her own label. She too lost everything in the haste and confusion of evacuating from a wildfire. After a disaster, any disaster, what will sustain you are your hopes and dreams for the future. Don't leave them behind!

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

The Danger We Know

Thursday June 10, 2010

I have been beating the drum and calling out warnings related to the potential danger of the present hurricane season. "Listen, I cry out, the sea temperatures which fuel the storms are warmer than 2005. Surely you remember Hurricane Katrina, Rita, and Wilma and what they did to us. Now is the time to prepare!"

People are still listening to me but their reaction is much different this year. I am encountering a great deal of fatalistic and apathetic behavior and I don't like it. Everyone wants to know one thing from me and that is, "How will the oil spill impact hurricanes?"

So I've spent some time doing a little research trying to find the answer. If a hurricane forms and tracks from the west to the east of the oil slick it could push the oil to shore. However if the hurricane comes at the oil slick from the east the winds could push the oil away from landfall. (Remember that a hurricane spins in a counter-clockwise rotation.) There are just too many variables to take into consideration. So the truth is I don't know how the oil spill will impact a hurricane and I don't think anyone does. This is a disaster we have never had to face before and so there is no past experience to guide us.

We have had a great deal of experience with hurricanes. We know what they can do and what we need to do to be prepared for them. The coming storm season could be a deadly one. Everyone needs to start preparing now for the danger we know.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

Worried?

Thursday June 3, 2010

The start of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane was 2 days ago and I am already exhausted. I, along with many other Gulf Coast residents, am exhausted from worrying about the oil spill and the disaster lurking somewhere out in our beautiful waters. I am doing everything I can possible think of related to the oil spill. I am monitoring the projected path of the oil on the NOAA website. I am going to the beach every day just to enjoy nature's beauty while it is still available to me. I am praying that my community will be allowed to keep the pristine white beaches it is so famous for. Okay enough! I will continue to do all of these things but I am also going to try and not worry so much. Instead I intend to transform my senseless worry energy into productive actions.

I will make some evacuation plans for the present hurricane season. I hope you will too. We should start by making a list of the top ten items to take during an evacuation. Let's focus all of our positive energy into identifying the ten items in our homes which mean the most to us. Once we have made our selections it is important for us to write down our list of items and their locations. When rushed it is easy to forget where something has been stored. Congratulations! We have taken an important first step in preparing for this hurricane season. I feel much better. Now everyone needs to have a glass of wine and a little bite of chocolate and try not to worry so much.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

Memorial Day

Wednesday, May 26,2010

Sometimes we get so busy we forget to stop and remember what is really important. We are approaching one of those times. The long Memorial Day weekend is the start of the summer season and, for many, the ending of the school year. It is a weekend filled to the brim with parties, picnics, sporting events, and short road trips with the family. All of these activities are great fun but they are not what Memorial Day should represent. The holiday is intended as a time to honor the men and women who have died while in the United States military service. The brave people who have fought and fallen so that the rest of us have the luxury of parties, picnics, etc.

In the midst of all the rush everyone needs to pause and remember our departed military protectors. If you have a family member who falls into this category consider including items from their military service on your evacuation list. I once saw a strong grown man reduced to tears after he realized that he had left his deceased father's flag and medals behind during an evacuation. We should all make the necessary preparations so his painful mistake will not be repeated.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

Younger Friends

Wednesday May 19, 2010

Fate has conspired to both bless and curse me with considerably younger girlfriends. Of course this age difference often makes things difficult. The energy these younger friends have is impressive. When we exercise together they are running while I am walking. I am sure you get the picture.

However lately something has changed in my younger friends lives. Frankly, they haven't been looking quite so young and fresh. Indeed it is fair to say that their appearance would have to be placed in the exhausted and haggard category. Like mothers everywhere they are all trying to survive the end-of-the-school-year sprint. This is an extreme sport requiring strength, patience, endurance, and advanced multitasking skills. There are no first place winners in this sport. Instead there are a group of survivors who after the dance recital, the final t-ball game, and the last end-of-year class party come together to bond and exchange war stories over a glass of wine (also known as mommy juice). God bless them all for running the good race!

I have decided to over look my petty jealousy that they are younger, thinner, and nicer than me and give them a little hint to make their lives easier. You will need a 10x13" envelope. As you are emptying out the contents of your children backpacks or clearing off the pile of school papers and photos on your kitchen counter choose some school work, drawings, and photos which represent each of your children. Now place these items into the envelope and mail it for safe keeping to a trusted friend who lives outside of your area. If you ever have to evacuate it will be a great comfort to know that you already have some precious memories stored someplace safe.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

"Will Our Luck Hold?"

Thursday May 6, 2010

I live in paradise. Really, I do. My paradise is also known as Destin, Florida. Destin is a little city on the Gulf of Mexico which is blessed with sunny skies, sugar white beaches, and sparkling emerald waters. My community started out as a collection of fishing camps and, to this day, fishing has remained the heart and soul of the area. For generations the beautiful Gulf waters have provided abundant fresh seafood to residents and visitors alike. Destin has long proclaimed itself to be the "World's Luckiest Fishing Village". Ever since the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill I have been worried about the impact on my home. I wonder, "Will Destin's luck hold?"

For over two weeks 200,000 gallons of oil a day has been pouring from the well into our Gulf waters. No one seems to know what caused this explosion (which claimed 11 lives) or when the gushing oil flow can be stopped. In the meantime, the spill area has become massive and just continues to grow. As this environmental disaster slowly but steadily makes its way towards land, everyone is holding their breath to see which areas will be the most impacted.

It is important to realize that there is a very real possibility that some coastal residents will have to evacuate due to diminishing air quality. I am urging anyone with sensitive respiratory conditions living along the Gulf Coast to start making preliminary evacuation preparations.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com