Wintry conditions can create beauty and challenging situations
The horrendous perfect storm in the northeast serves as a reminder that winter is approaching with the probability of icy conditions. Why not prepare for what may be up ahead for North Texas? Like how?
For your home/apartment
- Make sure you have batteries, flashlights and non-electric can openers. Yup, they still make those hand-operated openers.
- A landline phone that is not dependent upon electricity
- Check your supply of insulated covers for outside water faucets.
- Wrap pipes.
- Mulch for outdoor plants.
- Clean out gutters.
- Trim trees of branches that just might fall on roofs or power lines.
- Seal drafty windows and doors.
- Reverse the direction of ceiling fans. Looking up at your fan, it should turn clockwise in the winter.
- Take gently-used blankets and coats to the Salvation Army or Goodwill. You might need them, but you could provide lifesavers for others.
- Get your flu shot.
- Check out all those smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. If you don’t have one or two, put ‘em on your shopping list.
- Stock up on canned goods.
- To keep munchkins busy, buy some coloring books, building blocks or toys that are not dependent upon electricity. There is nothing worse that bored kiddos who have built up a reliance on video games, DVD’s and computers.
- Get a backup battery for your computer.
- Make sure your prescriptions are up-to-date.
- Don’t laugh, but even if you don’t own a pet, buy cheap kitty litter (not the clumping type) and “ice melt.” If ice covers your sidewalk or steps, mix the two together and spread the combination.
For your car
- A couple of bottles of water.
- Blanket.
- Check your tires, battery, windshield wipers and wiper fluid.
- Make sure that your anti-freeze mixture is up to snuff.
- Carry an emergency kit. You can find one at Target, automotive supply stores, etc.
- Get a scraper for your windshield.
- That sun shade you used for summer might come in handy in case you need to put on the exterior of the windshield to block ice from building up.
We didn’t mention checking your chimney and dryer because we already warned you about that.
Goodness, but doesn’t MySweetCharity sound like Heloise?
