The Disappearing Suburban Basement

[AZ Prepper]

The Disappearing Suburban Basement
By Jeff W.
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/06/...rban_base.html

Two years ago, as I began preparing for TEOTWAWKI, the first thing I did was take a real, accurate assessment of what I had and what I was going to be able to do for my preparations. One of the first issues I needed to face was the fact I would never have a true “survival retreat” located out west, far away from any major population centers, and tucked away in some forgotten corner of the country.

As much as I would love to have something like this in place, the balancing act between having a family, financial commitments and restraints, employment, and several other obligations, I needed to accept the fact that should the worst happen I was going to have to deal with it in my current location and from my current home.

I live with my wife and two small children in Ohio, in the suburbs midway between two decent sized cities. Just two decades ago our town was a sleepy little farming community, but developers came in, bought up most of the land, and began carpet-bombing middle-class homes and planned urban developments. We still have the feel, the atmosphere, of being out beyond the cities, but the tractors and combines no longer run in this area.

With these limited options, the only thing available to me WTSHTF is my home or a neighborhood effort to create a fortified, defendable position to try and ride things out—not ideal, but it is what it is . . .

At that time I decided to use our home, part of our home really, to create this fortified location to protect my family, store our supplies, and lay low for awhile. Our home is about 2,000 square feet, with lots of windows and entry points, and built by a home developer whose motto seemed to be quantity over quality---again, not the ideal home for creating a defensive position, but it’s what I had to work with.

The only thing of any value I had, as far as creating a defensible retreat for my family, was our basement. The basement is poured concrete and has around 1,200 square feet of useable room; it has three window wells and one stairway leading to the first floor for entry points.

My dilemma was how do I make this basement a retreat location---easy to defend, with adequate storage, and most of all hidden from potential looters or those wishing to do harm and steal our supplies?
How do I make this basement disappear?

With the thought of creating an invisible basement retreat, I got right to work. I have the three window wells leading into the basement from various points along the foundation of the house, so this was the first issue I decided to address. One of the window wells is actually located below our wood deck at the back of our house, behind the kitchen. At night, when the lights are on in the basement, the window was barely visible due to light leak—and only then if you were looking for it specifically. I came up with a plan for this window; since the only means of getting in and out of the basement was the stairway leading down from the first floor, I decided to make this a second means of exit, a more covert access and escape. First, I pulled out the window and replaced it with an insulated wooden panel and hinged it at the top. Now, the window well to the outside could be accessed quickly in case the basement should be discovered or overrun in a survival situation. The deck outside was already raised, with just enough crawl space for a full sized adult to be able to crawl out between the support beams. At the side of the deck I cut the boards and placed bolts on both sides of the loose wood panel. This way nobody could open up the boards from the outside.

The leaking light problem was fixed with the hinged, insulated window I had installed, so the only time I needed to worry about light was when the window hatch was open for somebody to come in or go out. To minimize this effect I purchased a carpet remnant, twice as long as the wooden window panel, and screwed it to the inside portion of the hinged window—essentially creating a light flap.

Now, the basement had an emergency exit leading out into the backyard should the need to escape arise.

The other two window wells are on either side of the house. They are standard sized window wells, with glass window panels to allow light into the basement. The wells are surrounded by a metal well grate, and at the bottom have gravel and a drainage pipe.

These windows presented a large problem due to the fact they were obvious, and they were also standard on all the surrounding homes in the neighborhood that had basements. About half the homes on our neighborhood had basements, while the other homes were simply slab homes built upon a solid concrete foundation.

To conceal these window wells, I decided landscaping both sides of the house would be needed.
First, I purchased half-inch, treated lumber and cut the panels the fit and cover the glass windows. Using Liquid Nail and silicone, I attached the wood panels to the outside the windows, completely covering the glass and eliminating light from the inside of the basement.

With the lumber in place, I gathered some larger rocks from a nearby construction site and used them to fill the window wells about half way. Next, I placed about a foot of peat moss in the wells, filling in the gaps between the stones and covering them. After the peat moss settled, I filled the rest of the wells with regular topsoil. Along the entire length of both sides of the house I built up the topsoil to completely cover the concrete foundation, sloping it outward toward the yard. Now, the walls along both sides looked like a garden plot---and the window wells were both completely invisible.

To complete the camouflage, I planted perennial flowers—being sure to intersperse plants that bloom throughout the spring, winter, and fall. I also included bushes---choosing firs for year round coverage.

Once completed, our home just looked well landscaped with lots of foliage along the entire length of our home. The home now appeared like just another slab foundation, no-basement home from the exterior.

Next came the interior, and the issue of the stairway leading down to the basement. The hallway which contains the basement stairs is a short hallway that also contains access to a half-bath, a laundry room, a coat closet, and the doorway going out to the garage. In all, this hallway is only about 14 feet long yet has five doors---it’s actually pretty goofy looking, and a major design flaw, but it’s what I had to deal with. All the doors in the hallway were matching, so I needed to figure a way to disguise the basement steps.

I decided to turn the doorway leading to the basement into another coat closet—matching the one straight across from it as much as possible.

To do this, I purchased lumber and sheetrock, and built the back wall, top shelf, and flooring section to the same measurements as the existing hallway closet. I also created a bracket, hinge, and support system that allows me to attach all the pieces needed to complete the closet in about five minutes.

When fully deployed; with the addition of coats, hangers, and other stuff thrown in on the top shelf and flooring, the disguise is complete---I now have a second fully functioning coat closet hiding the stairs to the basement. The back wall of the closet also swings open enough to allow anybody in the basement to quickly leave the basement.

I did this closet with the thought, and the hope, that should the “worst case scenario” come true, looters will be moving quickly—looking to get in and out, strip away and steal whatever they can use quickly and without time to fully investigate, or even wonder, why there might be two matching closets in the same hallway.

Now, I have a usable, defendable, secure retreat perfect for disappearing for short periods of time.

My next project was to outfit the basement with supplies, create defensive positions, and to make a livable space for several people that could be used for an extended stay should outside events require the need to go underground.

In Part Two I will show you how I finished my “Suburban Basement Retreat”, and how you too can create a safe space for your family in case of emergency.

[AZ Prepper]

Part 2
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/06/...an_base_1.html

In part one of this article, I outlined the process I used for the exterior of my home to create a hidden retreat for my family, and maybe a few lucky friends, should we experience some event in the nation which would precipitate the need to “go underground” for a short time.

With the exterior of our home finished, and the basement retreat fully camouflaged from possible intruders, looters, or those looking to pillage and do harm, I turned my attention to outfitting our basement retreat into a space converted to provide shelter, defense, and storage.

The only true access point to our basement is a single staircase leading down from the first floor. The door to our basement is in a short hallway with four other doors leading to various other rooms in our home. I created a quick-assemble false closet to install behind the door leading to our basement, matching the closet contained within another doorway in the same hallway, and hopefully good enough to fool anybody attempting to loot our home.

The stairway leading into the basement dead ends into a wall at the bottom, and anybody entering the basement needs to take an immediate left turn at the bottom of the stairs, and make another left turn to enter the main portion of the basement. Basically, a person makes a complete 180 degree turn at the bottom, and then enters the largest portion of the basement. This section of the basement is about 25 feet wide, and runs the entire length of our home, twenty yards or so, and then another section meets it from the left. Essentially, the basement is configured in an “L” shape, and anybody entering the basement would be entering from the top portion of the “L”.

The stairway, due to the fact anybody entering the basement needs to immediately turn to enter, creates a natural choke-point which limits the number of people who can enter the main basement space—a nice feature, perfect for creating a defensive setup.

To take advantage of this funnel, I decided to build a false wall at the far side of the basement, facing the stairway and entrance to the basement.

I built the wall six feet from the original back wall of the basement, and the wall runs the same width as the section of basement visible when a person enters the basement from the stairs. One side of the wall is open, for easy access—and the window leading to the area below our deck is now behind the new wall as well.

I built this wall using concrete blocks to make it appear as the normal end of the basement, and when constructing the wall I left five slots, each 6 inches by eight inches, for firing positions. With these slots, I can stand behind the cover of the wall and fire out into the open section of the basement, and most importantly—the bottom section of the staircase. From these slots in the wall, one person can cover every inch of the main section of basement effectively, and with more then one person firing from behind this cover we now have crossing fields of fire. As only one, maybe two, people can squeeze into the basement from the stairs at the same time, this creates a killing zone right at the basement entrance.

The concrete blocks also would provide adequate cover should somebody toss a flash-bang or fragmentation grenade into the basement from the stairway.

To further give the appearance that this new wall is a natural part of the basement, I lined the floor in front with boxes, toys, and other junk we keep in the basement.

The rest of the defensive preparations for the basement were simple changes. To augment the defensive position of the new wall, I also cut out a section of riser in one of the steps—the vertical part of the step—at shoulder height. This wooden board can now be removed quickly from underneath the stairs and used as another position to fire upon the landing at the bottom of the stairs. I also painted the front wall of the basement white--the portion that would be immediately to the rear of anybody entering the basement--to create a better silhouette picture and provide easier target acquisition.

To also further disorient anyone entering the basement, I placed two large strobe lights on either side of the basement, shining toward the stairway entrance, but until I’m able to rig these lights up on a battery system they may just be useless if the power grid goes down.

Now that I have the two entrance points to the basement covered defensively, it was time to lay in supplies of food, bedding, communications, ammunitions, and weapons. This process was pretty self-explanatory.

Our food stores are a continuing, on-going process, with the goal to build up to a minimum of a one year supply. This consists of a combination of canned goods—both from the grocery store and freeze dried #10 cans from Costco, MREs, and other long-term storage food items.

Water, also, is a continuing and ongoing process. With a goal of having one gallon per person, per day, the amount of water needed for a long-term event is daunting to say the least. Every week I purchase at least one 5 gallon plastic water dispenser from the local grocery, and I keep these stored in the coolest, darkest portion of the basement. I have also built a rain-barrel, and eventually I will have this feed down into the basement with the use of PVC piping and a clamp system.

I currently have a Sawyer 4-in-1 filter, which can be used to filter any water gained from the rain-barrel or other outdoor sources if needed, and I also have a Steri-Pen for backup. The Steri-Pen is effective and easy, but I use it strictly as a backup due to its fragile nature and battery usage.

The shorter section of the basement—the lower portion of the “L” shape—is the living quarters, and this section has been partitioned off from the main section of the basement using steel cord and curtains. Most of the food and water is also stored in this section of the basement. This section of the basement also faces the open side of the new wall, providing quick and easy access to the defensive positions and means of escape from the window well leading out below the back deck.

With the current setup, I figure up to ten adults could stay here for up to a month, but the cramped quarters would not be large enough to accommodate this many people for longer periods of time.

I also have G.O.O.D. packs prepared and ready for each member of my family. I have obtained and enlarged maps, both street and topographical, of an area 100 miles around our home—with designated routes of escape, alternative routes, and possible destinations should our home become a non-viable place of shelter.

Our weapons, another process of continual growth and upgrade, are pre-positioned, along with an adequate amount of ammunition, in our defensive positions and ready to go at a moments notice.

I have also laid in a stock of supplies that include medical kits, saved prescription medications, batteries, flashlights, radios, a C.B. radio, and all of our tactical gear. I had to get rid of a great deal of junk to create room for all of these things, but the proceeds from the garage sale of items we no longer used purchased a number of supplies that made the entire effort worth our time.

My biggest fear during this process of creating the “Disappearing Suburban Basement” was my neighbors on either side. I often wondered if they might find it strange that my window wells were suddenly gone, or that my house now appeared different then the home they were used to seeing from their windows---but the reality is most people are too caught up in their own lives, their own dramas, to really notice or care what you are doing. Not once did anybody ask me about the window wells, or the construction I was doing in and around our home.

Today, I feel totally secure that the people who live in close proximity to me have absolutely no idea of the preparations I’ve made---and in a catastrophic event secrecy will be perhaps the greatest tool of survival.

My basement, and my plans, continue to grow and evolve---and while I’m now confident that I can ride out most major events in relative safety for a short period of time, the lessons I’ve learned creating my hidden bunker have opened my eyes, and opened my mind to even bigger and greater ideas—and I’m excited to begin my next project using the knowledge I’ve gained in the time since I started this journey.

For those of us who don’t have the means to become remote and remove ourselves from the mainstream of society and larger population centers, the need to become creative and use the things you already have available is critical—and it could very well be the difference between life and death. I encourage everybody to make a list of your needs, your wants, and then take an inventory of what you have available currently, then fashion a plan. Don’t wait, thinking that eventually you may be able to move to some far off location---make your plans as if some event could happen tomorrow---because, the reality is, it can.

[AZ Prepper]

Letters
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/06/...disappear.html

Jim:
One question comes to mind, does his basement have a restroom, or is he relying on a honey bucket? Also, how does he intend to deal with cooking odors [both good and bad?] Might be a huge tip off in a SHTF situation. Thanks, - Greg L.

Sir:
Most of us have furnaces, A/C and hot water heaters in our basements, and they require seasonal maintenance by outside contractors. The description from Jeff W. sounds like he may have restricted access to these devices (180 degree turn at the bottom of the steps), or they're not in the basement...
How did Jeff W. overcome this problem? - Dave in Missouri

Hi Jim,
I just had to respond to this piece. There are three glaring omissions that will turn this place into a nightmare in short order. The first is air circulation. Without an air exchange system, there will be CO2 build up that will make the place unbearable and dangerous. Cooking will be out of the question. The second problem is waste management. In a month, the smell will be bad, the flies worse and the prospect of disease a reality. It would take a power source to run a pump to push sewage into an existing system. The final problem is likely to be moisture. Even if rain does not actually run into a basement, moisture is a reality in underground living. Best wishes, - Kathy Harrison (author of Just in Case: How To Be Self-sufficient When The Unexpected Happens)

JWR Replies: The challenges mentioned are significant, but not insurmountable. A fairly small DC "muffin" fan that is powered by an alternative power system battery bank can provide plenty of outside air, but of course you'll need a corresponding size outlet. Ideally, a more sophisticated DC and hand-powered air pump (with a HEPA filter for NBC events) should be added, as your budget allows.
See my lengthy response to a 2007 letter in the SurvivalBlog archives for some recommendations on minimizing cooking odors.

Depending on your water table and time of year, and manual sump pump, or one powered by an alternative power system battery bank would be appropriate.

For most family shelters, I recommend getting a Luggable Loo Portable Toilet. These toilet seats fit on a standard 5 or 6 gallon HDPE bucket. Depending on how many people you will have in your shelter, and the expected duration, you'll need to lay in a corresponding supply of additional buckets with lids. (The inexpensive non-food grade buckets from places like Home Depot work fine.) For planning purposes, keep in mind that the accumulated volume of urine will be greater than the volume of fecal matter and toilet paper. When each bucket becomes nearly full, move the toilet seat to a new bucket, and tightly seal a lid on the full one. To cut down on odors, keep a sack of powdered lime available, to sprinkle over the feces, immediately after each use. The lime you'll need is the calcium hypochlorite type, a.k.a. Ca(ClO)2, which is made from chlorinated slaked lime. this is available from many feed stores and farm/ranch co-op stores.

[AZ Prepper]

Letters
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/06/...bug-in_pr.html

Since the 1950s many homes have had them. Since the 1970s many building codes have required them. What? A sump pump.

Yeah, that thing in the hole in the corner of the basement that kind of hums every once in a while. You don’t think about it much do you? But it keeps your basement floor dry.

If the electric goes out, for any reason, for very long, you may have a big problem. I have seen over a foot of water in a 30x25 foot basement after just a mild spring rain.

They make “battery back up” auxiliary pumps, and they work. But the battery is recharged with a 110 volt charger. If you don’t have the electric back after the battery is dead you don’t have either pump. Is it time to think about a PV panel on the roof to charge the battery?

But why not make some lemonade out of that lemon?

Don’t just pipe the water to the ditch. At the least send it to the garden. Maybe a “rain barrel” set-up. My grandmother did it for decades.

But if the electric is out, then your well pump is dead also. And if you are on city water, their pumps are dead too. Once the water tower is dry, the whole town is dry. Lack of water is going to be a big problem real fast.

Now time for some imagination.

That sump hole is really just a 6 to 12 deep water well. The water is just rain water that has seeped down to the bottom level of your foundation. It is then piped via some tiles or plastic pipe to the sump.
It is pretty clean water. I have used it for years to top off my swimming pool. Nobody’s ever gotten sick from it.

Reroute that battery powered pump to a barrel in the kitchen. At the least, get one of those lever handled manual pumps and fill up some pails you can carry upstairs. If can’t bring yourself to think about drinking and cooking with it at least use it to flush the toilet.

You did remember that you need water to flush a toilet didn’t you?

It is almost certain you are going to have to get that hole down there in the corner drained sometime. Make use of what comes out of it. - KBS

[AZ Prepper]

Letters
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/06/...aring_sub.html

Dear Jim:
There has been such a great response to the article I wrote about using the basement in my home as a survival retreat, and I want to thank everybody for taking the time to read both parts—and to respond with some great questions. I wanted to take a moment and address a few of the questions, and perhaps give a little deeper insight into the arrangements, processes, and the solutions I have found to each of the various questions.

First, and most importantly, I would like to stress that I’m not claiming this to be the ideal solution. My intent, and the thought process I used while setting up this retreat, was to create a very short-term means to provide for the safety and security of my family. In no way do I recommend or expect this arrangement to be a long-term, permanent solution to a survival situation—instead, my goal was to create a way to lay low during the opening salvo of a major catastrophe, let things sort themselves out for a few days, and then move on to better arrangements. Ideally, I would not hope to be confined to this arrangement for longer then 10 days, with the real intention of using this as a viable survival retreat for a period of 3-5 days, or until a time where we can begin the journey to a more permanent place set up for an extended collapse---and this may be the subject of a future article because it’s one of my current projects.

Ironically, all of the questions and issues which have been brought up are issues I’ve had to address in one form or another during this process—and when I wrote these articles I decided to focus more on the main theme to keep it at a readable length, and omit many of the logistical and technical needs, details, and solutions associated with this arrangement for the purpose of expediency.

Greg L. asked about restroom and sanitation arrangements, along with cooking scents. The restroom issue, for obvious reasons, was one of the first issues I had to address. How I decided to address the bathroom issue was by three methods. First, I have a curtained off area in the rear of the basement to use as a bathroom area. I have purchased a store of 5 gallon buckets, with lids, to use for the purpose of storing waste. Please remember, also, that we are not completely confined to this basement—so during certain times these filled buckets of waste could be moved to an upper level of the home or outside and hidden in a nearby wooded area. I have also gathered a supply of lye powder soap and sawdust to add after each use to eliminate smell and help with decomposition.

For the basic toilet set up I currently have a lawn chair with a hole cut out in the middle—eventually, if I ever get around to it, I would like to create a better solution for the seat. The area where the bathroom is curtained off also contains one of the window wells now blocked off, and I have kicked around the idea of running some PVC pipe back up through the window, rocks, and soil, for the purpose of venting—but this is going to be a major undertaking, and I wish I had thought of it before I filled the window wells.

As far as the smell of food cooking, the plan is to use MREs while in the basement; for ease of use, ease of waste disposal, and to minimize cooking smells. I don’t expect any group to set up squatter’s rights in our home in the first few days of an event, so I’m not really expecting a parade of people moving through the upper levels. Maybe I’m dismissing this issue too easily, but it’s just not something I’m too worried about right now.

Dave in Missouri asked about the furnace, A/C, and hot water heater, and how these impact the useable space. Our A/C is located outside of our home, so it’s not a problem. The furnace, water heater, and water softener are in the basement, but due to the size of the basement and the placement of these appliances they do not cause much loss of space or hinder any of the plans and preparations.

Kathy H. had some great points and issues. The issue of waste and sanitation I addressed above. The issue of CO2 buildup will not be a problem because the basement area is not completely sealed off, and the size alone, coupled with the fact I do have a hidden and secure window I can still open and use to vent gases has me pretty secure in using this basement for the short-term.

The one issue Kathy did raise that has caused me a great deal of thought is the issue of moisture or flooding. I have only had one issue of water in our basement in nearly ten years, and this was due to getting 7 inches of rain in an hour and a half one summer night long ago—so the basement has proven to be fairly impervious to normal rainfall amounts so far. We do have a sump pump, and I’m still in the process of determining the best options for a backup power source I can rig up to use should the weather during our stay in the basement be less then ideal. To find the solution I’m working by the premise of having total failure of the power grid, so battery backup or a solar powered alternative will be what is needed, and I’ve yet to come up with the ideal solution as of this point.

Water is among my greatest fears right now for the basement retreat, and if I ever need to use this retreat for the purpose and reasons it was created I would like to have this issue put to bed—so I’m open to any good ideas from anybody out there.

Dr. A.W. mentioned the need to have the basement area, or any underground area, checked for Radon gas. In our area every home is inspected, during the sales process, for Radon gas. I have also tested it myself with a home test kit that can be purchased at any hardware store—and so far I don’t have any problems with Radon. Great point, A.W., and thanks for the suggestion.

Again, I would like to stress I don’t think of this as the ideal solution---but it is a solution available to me at this time, and instead of dreaming of distant retreats, endless food stores, and the utopia of survival land I decided to use my the things at my disposal, within my budget, and in a way that presents the most realistic scenario should the worst events come to pass. I do hope to improve my plans, upgrade my arrangements, and hopefully someday create that “perfect” retreat—but for the time being, and with the current problems we are facing in this nation, I wanted to have a place I could use now—today—to keep myself, my wife, and my children alive and safe.

I hope some of you may be able to incorporate some of these ideas into your own plans and arrangements, and I’m happy to answer any question that might help.

Thanks and good luck! - Jeff W.

[AZ Prepper]

Letters
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/06/...ing_sub_1.html

Sir,
Regarding the water problem in the basement: In our own basement, we have the traditional electric (grid powered) sump pumps. However, the previous owner had installed a water-powered back-up sump pump. As long as there is cold water pressure, this pump works beautifully. After using battery-powered back-ups for years, I've found this to be virtually maintenance free, while serving it's purpose well.

For most folks, a power outage in a severe thunderstorm is the most common cause of basement flooding. At least for a short period of time, such a water-powered back-up should work long enough for you to move and/or protect your gear. Some will rightly say that water pressure eventually will fade in an extended outage, since public generators will fail and stop pumping to the towers. This is true, but in power outages, people tend to reduce their water consumption for cooking, watering lawns, and bathing.

The pressure may last longer than you think.

Best, - The Other Brian B.

[Angelina]

Wow, this is really a LOT to absorb and think about! Thanks Darin!

I think these ideas are brilliant for people who don't have the Rocky Mountains within a day's walk (and also for those of us who would get there and then look at each other and wonder, "now what"? lol)

But, of course, it's no laughing matter. I have often wondered how my friends and family East (and West) of the Rockies are going to fare. And of course, even us here in Western suburbia. Getting through the urban nightmare to the hills may be sufficiently dangerous that choosing to stick around the homestead might be preferable.

I surmise that many of us have mulled over the scenarios perhaps hundreds of times-- do I stay and fight? Do I stay and hide? Do I go at the first sign of trouble? Do I go before any hint of trouble? Or some crazy combination of all of the above? It's mind-boggling and overwhelming to contemplate.

Then there's the debate of "the Lord protects those who have prepared and are ready and willing to protect themselves" vs. "the power of the Priesthood is all we'll need".

Hmmm.

I think it's a delicate, unique combination of all of the above, based upon personal revelation to each person for themselves and their families.

I get wary of people who jump on boards and tell us that THEIR approach and method of preparedness for scenarios x, y, and z, are THE only way or it's the highway.

We all have such unique situations with work, family, ward, neighborhood, local governments, topography, ages, health conditions, personal finances, etc., that NO ONE else can tell me or you how to prepare or what to prepare. I feel we need to prepare according to the Spirit-- being open to ALL ideas and insights on this forum. Posts like this one are of things I, for one, would've never thunk.

Therefore, I am so grateful for the opportunity to take these ideas to the Lord and ask specifically if I should implement some or all of these in my preparedness efforts. Only He knows if my family specifically will have need for these or other preparations made on this forum.

I appreciate His guidance, as heaven knows I don't want to go to all the trouble mentioned above if we're leaving! lol

But-- again-- it could just be a matter of obedience-- the Nauvoo Saints could easily have murmured about all the work they went to just to turn around and leave their glorious temple.

I am excited to learn if the Lord wants me to start making preparations like this, and if so-- hoo boy-- what an adventure! And if so-- I think (I'd hope!) I'd have more conscientious, interested neighbors than this fellow does-- neighbors who actually take note of their surroundings and see that something's different about our home. Or-- everyone's sizing each other's homes up and "keeping up with the Jones'". Bleh. In any case-- surely every ward has the nosy-neighbor lady who knows the scoop about everyone and everything... hiding the preps from such a sister in the ward would be futile-- so coming up with some good lines for her will be advisable. I think just the "we're building a theater room and don't want any light coming in. At all. Period. Nada-- thus the rocks, dirt, flowers, shrubs AND trees..." Lol! I'm laughing just imagining saying all that with a straight face! (no need to mention it's an extended-version theater room expanding through your entire basement... lol!)

But man-- although I would wish for more privacy at times-- I can't fathom living in a neighborhood where nobody takes notice of a person filling in their window wells and planting landscaping. lol! Too funny!

But then, it is sobering what he says-- that people are so busy in their lives doing their own thing, and now just making ends meet and in the future, literally surviving--- that they couldn't give a fig about the neighbor's window well project. Sad. And creepy.

Well, folks are gonna care-- and care to some severe degrees-- once it all hits the fan, whether by degrees or overnight. So I am grateful again, beyond description, to be able to stem the tide of overwhelmed-ness and know that we will be guided in what areas to prepare and in what areas to let go and let God deliver us purely through the might and majesty of His Holy Priesthood.

OK, well, this has turned more into a blog post but oh well-- excellent stuff. Keep it comin', Darin. Thanks! I love this stuff!