The New Year: Train on the Old, and in with the New

ReadyNutrition Readers, I wish to thank you for your comments, feedback, and insight you shared with me and the rest of us in my first year of writing with Tess Pennington and ReadyNutrition.com.  One thing you can be sure of: on behalf of Miss Tess and all of us, I reaffirm what I wrote recently, and that is you can depend on us – as a source of information exchange, new instruction, a forum for discussion, and a window into what we all need to keep preparing and stocking up.

And I am committed to you, Guys and Gals, to continue to help Miss Tess and this wonderful blog to do my part with timely information and instruction with your interests always in my mind and heart.  We all instruct one another; all learn from one another.  I have gleaned much personally from my dialogues and interactions with all of you.  I thank you for a wonderful first year of writing for you, and I am honored with the responses and contacts you have gifted me with.  You’re the heart and soul of what it means to be dedicated, self-sufficient, and resourceful with your interest and feedback.  JJ is a “very happy camper” to serve such a wonderful readership and ReadyNutrition.com.

Now that the “old” year is coming to an end, we will need to take the lessons learned from this past year and (remember: refresh on study continually!) and keep them close to mind and heart.  Such is necessary as a base and foundation for things we cover next year.  This year, in a short and summarized review, we covered such things as Bug-out/Go bags and ways to stock and employ them.  We covered a tremendous amount on Biological Warfare (a three-part series back in the late Spring/Early summer).  We went into a few pieces of equipment, reviewed some books, and gave some instruction on things such as the most likely waterborne diseases, rainwater catchment, water purification, setting up a home hospital/recovery room in event of pandemic.

We studied many different diseases and ailments and the naturopathic holistic support to aid a person in their healing, as well as covering preventative measures.  We did a series on Wilderness Survival techniques and Wilderness First-Aid.  In short, many articles covering a gamut of subjects with references and information based on training and practical experience.  I reiterate, all of the subjects I have written articles to you, I have had formal training and experience with.

I ask you to save your articles in hard-copy for your reference in the times to come: for continuous review, and also as a backup in case we ever face a long-term or indefinite power outage, stemming from man-made or natural sources. If you can’t print them off all at once, do a little at a time.  I’m certain most of you do save to hard copy, and this makes me smile: you have info that you can use, in your hands.  Read them all frequently and continually, always remembering that (as my First Sergeant used to say in the 82^nd Airborne Division): “Repetition always promotes a good follow-through and success.”   He was right.

Also bring to mind what “Top” told all of us all the time (more reinforcement in itself), as I have written to you before, of which he was even more right:

            “How you train in peace is how you fight in war.”

Much of what I have tried to impart to you is that you always hold a “readiness stance,” that is, the “footing” to step off as soon as a situation throws itself into gear.  The military experience I bring to you is important, regardless of whether you have served, because we are all Americans and called upon to become citizen-soldiers when the true need arises, in whatever gifts and capacities we can serve one another.

Today’s soccer mom may be tomorrow’s key to a community’s survival: home canning and food preservation, to teach to the younger preservers, maybe serving a small, isolated town with a hundred souls.  Today’s soccer dad may be a builder by trade, but tomorrow he will be the engineer for a group laying out perimeter security projects of building and construction, building storage sheds, barns, etc., for that same community.

Today’s family member may be tomorrow’s family leader, called on to take responsibility and accountability for all of their kin, eldest to youngest.  Today you are our Readership, and (it breaks my heart to ever have to say this to you, my Countrymen), and tomorrow you may be called upon: A Citizen-Soldier, to fight a battle of survival for our country.

Review all of the techniques and articles from Miss Tess, Joshua Krause and Ruby Burks.  Review and study the things I have written to you.  It is important to reinforce the knowledge in your mind, and if you can put some of these in practicum with training?  All the better.

We’re going to go into the New Year with some goals and plans:  JJ will continue with these different subjects, and you can use many of the past year’s instruction as a basis for our ongoing studies in the coming year.  I will also interject some current events and tie them in with whatever subject I’m covering in the article.  I’m going to submit more photos and diagrams to cover many of these articles in order to help you with the instruction.  In short, the Staff and Writers of ReadyNutrition are going to be there for you in the coming year, just as in this year.

Take a few days before the New Year to reflect upon all you guys and gals have accomplished and learned.  Review these things, and go into the New Year with a fresh mind to follow after those two things you need with all of it: resolve and patience.  Outline goals you wish to accomplish.  Send in comments with requests for special subjects you wish us to cover together for you.  BTW, “Shadow,” we’ll be getting into trees and their gifts for use in survival, as you requested…haven’t forgotten you!

It has been a challenging year, but it has been great for me because of all of you.  I thank you for your support and comments and feel charged up to meet the tasks for next year with all of you.  I wish you all the blessings of the season, and a New Year with success, health, happiness, and all that your hearts wish for.  May God bless and protect you and your families, and Happy New Year.  JJ will drink a toast to all of you!  Take Care…of one another!

JJ