AncienTrails

10  80%  24%  0mphESE  bar 30.02 steady  windchill 10   Winter

                         The Full Cold Moon

Since Kate came back from a disaster preparedness event at work in May, we’ve had a manila folder marked death and disaster.  After a couple of postponements (and, I’m glad to say, neither death nor disaster), we got around to it today.  An odd choice for Christmas Eve, but it fit our schedule.

We now have a plan and a kit with those things they always tell you to have somewhere.  You know, matches in a waterproof container, blankets, first aid material, things like that.  It’s a large kit, stowed in a plastic container and destined to live in our coat closet until that moment.  My own analysis tells me that fire, tornado and lengthy power outage are the most likely disasters to hit us here in Andover.  I have a hard time imagining Al Qaeda having an interest in Anoka County.  Any of it.  We’re on the high point for some miles, on sand, and far from any body of water that acts up.  Minnesota has no history of hurricanes; but, the folks that did Kate’s event claim we have a moderate risk of earthquake.  Geologically I suppose that’s true, but it seems improbable.

We also have insurance documents, financial papers, wills and power of attorney stowed in our safe. (No, I won’t tell you where it is.) 

While Kate dug out the stuff we needed for the kit, I spent time looking up material on cremation and donating a body to the U of M Medical School.  Cremate or donate.  I’m leaning toward donating my body since it seems like a worthwhile thing to do and I do have some anatomical oddities, my ear bones in particular, that my ENT asked me to preserve.  This raises another question though and that is where do kids, grandkids, friends go to remember?  Haven’t solved that one yet, but it’s on the list.  Hope we get to it before its necessary.

And a merry christmas to you, too!