Berg leaves fruitful legacy

Remembering spirit - from Age-ing to Sage-ing

Y2K-Getting ready for 2000

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The winds are blowing. The rains have come. It's a time of year that people traditionally prepare for nature's harshest. Behind our beautiful redwood curtain we know floods and earthquakes happen, even if we don't know when.

Now we have Y2K (the year 2000), another reason to prepare. This time we don't know what to prepare for, just when. Articles explaining the computer problems about the year 2000 have been published in Senior News and other local newspapers and magazines. The bottom line is that we, as individuals and a community, must be prepared to take care of ourselves and others.

Last month I suggested buying at least one extra item of food every time you go shopping. In January I will discuss detailed plans for what to buy. In the meantime get things you usually eat. Buy them in the size nearest to the portion you would eat in one day. Figure on having no refrigeration. Buy some bottled water or save some in two-liter bottles.

Save your grocery receipts this month. They will help next month when it's time to make a long-term buying plan.

The remark I hear most often is," I don't have any room to store things." In apartments and small houses this can require some real creativity. Start under your bed. Partial cartons are easily available at the supermarkets. Lay the cans in the box, cover it with a plastic bag to keep dust off of it, and stick it under the bed.

Next month, more of what to store, how much and how to store it.

Shelf life of foods

Products retain optimum flavor and nutritional value when rotated within the following guidelines.

Wheat, corn, sugar-10 years
Beans, lentils, peas-5 years
Pasta, dry fruits & vegetables and soup mix-3 years
White rice, white flour, juice, cheese powder, non-fat milk, oats, pudding mix-2 years

Y2K task force forms

Last month of a group of people gathered to identify and explore ways to handle Y2K problems. The Y2K Preparedness Task Force is composed of people who believe that disruptions in our lives are likely from malfunctioning computers in the year 2000 if not before and want to figure out what to do in a timely manner, both individually and for our community.

Communication, safety and storing and growing food are only a few of the issues that we will deal with. Everyone is welcome to attend meetings and participate. Notices of meetings will be in the papers and on radio. For more information call Rachel Windsong at 442-8706 or Amanda Taylor at 269-0156.

Carla Emery to speak

Carla Emery, author of the best-selling book The Encyclopedia of Country Living, will speak Friday Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Eureka Library.

A homesteader and mother of seven, Carla has been a guest on TV talk shows and has more than 30 years experience in sustainable living and homesteading. She will discuss trends in our nation's food supply, how to garden as if your life depended on it and preparing for problems caused by Y2K. Books and resource materials on heating, cooking, food storage, gardening, waste management, water supply, shelter needs and more will be available for purchase.

The presentation is free, although the group invites help with expenses. Emery's talk is being sponsored by the Y2K Preparedness Task Force.

One-time article Copyright 1998 by Humboldt Senior Resource Center.