Earthquake! Prepare now! Week 3 Aug. 31, 2015

Earthquake!  Prepare now!  Aug. 31, 2015

Ok!  If you have collected all the supplies we have mentioned so far, look how much more you are ahead in safety for your family already!!!  Maybe you already had all your stuff and have checked it over just to make sure everything is up to date and where it is supposed to be!

TO DO †
Out-of-state contact:
        After Loma Prieta earthquake phone lines were down in local areas.  Many people had to call an out-of-state contacts to have them call back to friends or relatives in CA.  The local calls couldn't get through where long distance could.   So. . . Establish an out-of-state contact to call in case of emergency. †

Prepare a list of important phone numbers: out-ofstate contact, physicians, veterinarian, family, creditors, insurance, etc. †and add to First Aid Kit in car and in house.

If you haven't done it yet, make an emergency family plan.

SHOPPING LIST
† 1 gallon of water per person!  if you haven't already!  Also, once we get all the water for drinking for
          3-5 days, we are going to need to have water for sanitation purposes also...did you forget about
          that!

†1 jar peanut butter per person  - protein and filling and kids usually like it!† Don't worry there will be
          more food than peanut butter!
 Hand-operated can opener
 †Instant coffee
 Tea
 Powdered soft drinks (because, if you didn't buy your water, the water available may not taste the
           same.)
 † Permanent marking pen to mark date on cans & water container
 Diapers, baby food, baby supplies
 Pet food, and pet meds, if needed

Better pics of the Victorian Mourning Dress

Still a bit hard to see with all that black, but overall these are better pictures.

Front

Sleeve

Ruching, pleats and ruffles!

Side View

Back

President Abraham Lincoln's casket (replica) for viewing at Ardenwood

To commemorate the 150^thanniversary of the assassination of President Lincoln (April 30, 2015), the Batesville Casket Company created a replica of Abraham Lincoln’s coffin for the 2015 Lincoln Funeral Train Commemoration.  After official 150th anniversary ceremonies in Illinois, the replica has travelled throughout the United States.  The Chapel of the Roses in Fremont asked the Patterson House at Ardenwood to host the casket while it is in the San Francisco Bay area from September 4 through September 13.  Ardenwood is located at 34600 Ardenwood Blvd, Fremont, CA just off Hywy 84. 11:30am-3:30pm  The park opens at 10 am.

Following President Lincoln's assasination on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, a casket was custom built to hold the president's remains.  The first public viewing of Lincoln was held in the  East Room of the White House on April 18, 1865. Following the funeral the coffin was transported to the Capital for another public viewing. It was decided that President Lincoln should be returned to his home in Springfield, Illinois for burial and not in Washington, D.C. as Congress had hoped.

President Lincoln’s funeral train began the long journey to Springfield on April 21, 1865. The remains of his son, Willie, who died in 1862, was taken on the train with his fathers remains.  The funeral train would travel the route that Lincoln had made as president-elect. The only changes to the route were the omission of Cincinnati and Pittsburgh and the addition of Chicago.

Large funeral precessions were held at each major stop along the funeral route, as the coffin was transported from the train to the place of public viewing. Cleveland, Ohio was the only city to hold its public viewing outdoors, as they did not have a building large enough to accommodate the large crowds of mourners. Finally, on May 3, 1865, the funeral train reached its final destination of Springfield, Illinois. On May 4, 1865, President Lincoln was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

President Lincoln’s elaborate coffin was constructed of solid walnut, lined with lead and completely covered in expensive black cloth. It was six feet, six inches long and was decorated with sterling silver handles and studs extending the entire length of its sides. The center of the lid showcased a shield outlined in sterling silver studs and a sterling silver plate bearing the inscription:

It is estimated that one million people viewed President Lincoln’s body from the time of his death until his burial in Springfield, Illinois. His coffin was the most elaborate of that time. President Lincoln also had the distinction of having the largest funeral throughout the world, until President John F. Kennedy’s death in 1963.

It could be said that Abraham Lincoln’s death triggered the beginning of modern day funeral service. President Lincoln was the first public figure to be embalmed and put on view for almost three weeks. The embalming technique used on President Lincoln was primarily used on soldiers who died during the Civil War and needed to be transported home for burial. Being able to view the body for extended periods of time without being iced was the precursor for modern day funeral service. People at that time thought embalming was a barbaric violation of the body, but Lincoln’s funeral had changed that perception. President Lincoln’s public viewing introduced the population to the benefits of embalming. Mourners were able to see the late president for twenty days and embalming made it possible. 

Ardenwood's Mystery Dinner!

Coming up!

Ardenwood, Fremont, California.

The Rail Fair will be held on Labor Day weekend.  The park will be especially full of 4 year old boys!  But there will be lots of girls too!  The children love all the model trains set up in the farmyard.

Abraham Lincoln's casket (replica) will be on display at the Patterson House  September 4-14.
     This replica was made in 2015 for the anniversary of Lincoln's death to celebrate his life and re-enact the funeral train trip that brought his body to be laid to rest in Springfield, Ill.   The train stopped at several cities so the people could express their goodbys.   Since the 2015 anniversary the replica has been traveling throughout the country as a memorial to Lincoln.  The Chapel of the Roses has offered it to be displayed at the Patterson House before it moves on to its next destination. And now that I have my Mourning Dress finished with all its embellishments I am ready for the proper viewing of the casket.

Ardenwood will hold the next Murder Mystery Dinner on September 12.  More information will be posted on the Patterson House facebook page soon.

There will be the Foundation Rummage Sale on September 19 in the front parking lot at Ardenwood.  7-Noon.

Spifying up the Victorian Mourning Dress

I have never been able to let go like the Victorians and go full bore on throwing all kinds of decoration on their late 1800's dresses.  But I decided to really give it a try.

This is what the Mourning Dress looked like originally.




































I did end up adding pleats at the hem.


















Now I decided to try some ruching. . . yards of ruching.

And lots of stitching and lots of thread...

And lots of gathers.

I added some ruching on the sleeves too.

Then I decided to make an overskirt too, with ruffles all along the edges.  And the end result . . . .

Well, that was fun!

Earthquake! Prepare now! Week 2 Aug 24

Week 2  Aug 24

Emergency Water Storage And Purification

Following are recommendations for storing and purifying water supplies:

• The minimum drinking water supply is 1 gallon per person per day. You will also need water for food preparation, bathing, brushing teeth, and dish washing. Store a 3-5 day supply of water (at least 5 gallons for each person).
• Water should be stored in sturdy plastic bottles with tight-fitting lids. Rinsed chlorine bleach bottles work well for water storage. Plastic containers for juice and milk do not work as well because they tend to crack and leak more readily. All containers should be labeled.
• Stored water should be changed every 6 months.
• Avoid placing water containers in areas where toxic substances, such as gasoline and pesticides, are present. Vapors may penetrate the plastic over time.
• Do not store water containers in direct sunlight. Select a place with a fairly constant, cool temperature.

It is a good idea to put together a first aid kit for your car also. 

Since we are talking about the car....what if you are at work and overpasses are down?  How are you going to get home to your family?  If you do need to walk, it's a good idea to have tennis shoes and jacket, water, power bars in your trunk, even a whole "go-kit" if you can.  We can go into that more later.

Hopefully you have your first aid kit together since last week, or at least you are on your way.

Don't forget to add in your kit:

family medications

emergency phone numbers *

AND while we are at it, put in your calendar right NOW, 6 months ahead, to check your supplies and their expiration dates and change out what need to be updated. (Especially water and meds and batteries!) 

SHOPPING LIST FOR WEEK 2

A metal trash can if you are storing any supplies in your shed, etc.  They have them at OSH.  Rodents can't get through metal vs. plastic.

       You can put a table round with a long tablecloth on top of a trash can and it looks like a table for storage in the house.  Put it in a place easy to get at from an outside door. 

Radio and batteries.  

Just a thought.....We keep our camping supplies near the garage door.  Just in case. . .

To me I sound like I am really paranoid, but really after you set this all up you feel that you have really gotten it all together.

EARTHQUAKE! Prepare!

After our little shaker this morning, I decided to put a few things together to post for our neighborhood web site.

I put ours together just a month before the Loma Prieta.  Luckily we didn't have to use it but felt really good we had it.  Actually, we gave most of it away in Watsonville to the people out of their homes and in the rain.  We helped give out hundreds of tents that had been donated by TARGET!  Families were so thankful for the tents, but I worried for them without lights, trying to put up tents without being able to read the instructions or without even being able to see the picture of what it was supposed to look like!

I will try to post  a bit once a week so shopping won't hit the wallet all at once.   The first shopping list will be at the end of the page.

First things first!

You could look into joining your neighborhood CERT group.
Gas shut off valve.  In a real shaker, you may smell gas.  Be sure to have something to turn off the gas and know how to do it.
Water shut off valve.  Do you know how to turn off the water in case a water pipe breaks?
Electric shut off.  Do you know how and where to turn off your electicity?
Water is a necessity and running water may not be available.
First Aid Kit, important in case of injuries.
Flashlights & batteries


____________
CERT group
I believe the initials stand for Citizen Emergency Response Team.  You can find information on CERT at the fire station.  They train citizens in all sorts of first aid and response techniques in case of emergency, like a large earthquake.  Each community will need people trained.  CERT provides very interesting and important information and training.
___________
Gas shut off valve
Find out where it is and be sure there is a designated shut off wrench in a place where it will (for sure) be in case of an emergency.
Be sure you know that the valve  is open when the line you turn is in line with the pipe, it is off when the line is across the pipe like a +.
Only turn off the gas if you smell gas though.  You should have PGE turn it back on (and it may take days after a big earthquake because they will be busy!)
__________
Water shut off valve
There should be a valve where the water comes into the home and one at the street.  Your valvat the street may need a special tool.
__________
Electric shut off switch
Do you know where your electric box is?   Usually it is on the side of your house.  PGE give you information if you need it.
__________
Family evacuation and meeting place
An important topic for a family discussion:  if everyone is home, some at school, some at work.
If phones are disabled because of heavy usage, how will family members communicate or waiting place.

Shopping list:
WATER!!!  Water is much more important than food!
First Aid Kit - Either by as a kit or put a kit together.  I know it will be hard to find some of the things on the Red Cross list, but if you have at least the easier ones it is better than none.   I have mine in a nylon lunch bag that we weren't using.

The Red Cross recommends that all first aid kits for a family of four include the following:

• 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
• 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
• 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
• 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
• 5 antiseptic wipe packets
• 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
• 1 blanket (space blanket) [Available on the Red Cross Store]
• 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
• 1 instant cold compress
• 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
• 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
• Scissors
• 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
• 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches) [Available on the Red Cross Store]
• 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
• Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
• 2 triangular bandages
• Tweezers
• First aid instruction booklet [Available on the Red Cross Store]

Flashlights
Batteries

This is the second earthquake we have had in the Bay Area lately so better ready than sorry!

Catch up. . .Again!

We have been up to lots of things these last several months.  We have been down to Pacific Grove and enjoyed the ocean again.  We actually stayed a couple days this time!

I have been doing all sorts of small projects, mending and changing what needs it.

And more weeding.  The back yard is looking a lot better, even though it is dry.  The scientists are thinking we will be having a very rainy winter!  I am starting to think of projects for rainy days.  One of them may include an Victorian evening dress and a 1918 day dress.  And who knows what else!

I decided since I delved into making the Regency Dresses, I really needed the stuff that goes under them.  So, I am taking an online class to make a Regency Chemise and Corset.  Surprise, surprise!  Under those cute little airy dress of the Jane Austen period, they wore corsets!  I never would have thought!  But, they needed something in the way of a "foundation" garment to get that "shelf-look" in the bodice area that looks like they are going to have a fashion malfunction!  We will see if I can harness some of that "lift".

The class started a couple weeks ago with a list of supplies we need.  This last week we worked on the chemise.  Very easy and I am finished.  Tomorrow we start on the corset.  The Regency corset is not boned, it is corded.  Literally instead of sliding metal bones in casings, we are pulling butcher's string through casings.

I have also been taking a course on "Literature and the English Country House".  It was very interesting and in the process I read the "Mysteries of Udolpho" a gothic novel by Ann Radcliffe.  It was written before Jane Austin and quite interesting.

That course just finished up last weekend.  It was a free online course provided by the University of Sheffield in England.

EVENTS UPCOMING!

There will be one more round of Summer Camps.  More information is on the Patterson House facebook page.

Cajun Zydeco will be Sat., August 15
     This is a popular event, come early with your lawn chairs, blanket and sun umbrella.  Cajun food         will be sold but you can bring your own also.

The Rail Fair will be held on Labor Day weekend.  The park will be especially full of 4 year old boys!  But there will be lots of girls too!  The children love all the model trains set up in the farmyard.

Abraham Lincoln's casket (replica) will be on display at the Patterson House  September 4-14.
     This replica was made in 2015 for the anniversary of Lincoln's death to celebrate his life and re-enact the funeral train trip that brought his body to be laid to rest in Springfield, Ill.   The train stopped at several cities so the people could express their goodbys.   Since the 2015 anniversary the replica has been traveling throughout the country as a memorial to Lincoln.  The Chapel of the Roses has offered it to be displayed at the Patterson House before it moves on to its next destination.

Ardenwood will hold the next Murder Mystery Dinner on September 12.  More information will be posted on the Patterson House facebook page soon.

There will be the Foundation Rummage Sale on September 19 in the front parking lot at Ardenwood.  7-Noon.