I'm trying to spend less time on the computer and more time out there doing. I'll talk a little more about this later in the "what I'm doing to prep" section, but I went with a local friend out to a horse sanctuary. I haven't spent a lot of time with horses - for me, it's been more with other kinds of animals.

I made friends with this very sweet girl named Ruby who was horrifically neglected for years by someone who was well-respected, and nobody knew about the poor horse

Her neglect made me think about how you never really know people. I heard a story about a person I was in a Facebook group with in the past who seemed like a good guy. He's been accused of some truly terrible things involving a minor and since there's been no trial, we have no idea if this is true or not.

A hotspot to watch
If you haven't been paying attention this week, tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been heating up with troops and tanks. This is definitely a hotspot to watch that could burst into flame at any point.

On the 31st, Russian tanks were seen heading toward the Ukrainian border and on April 1st, it was reported that Ukrainian troops were being fired upon with grenade launchers and machine guns.

Now this may sound like it doesn't involve us but back in September of last year, Robert wrote an article for The OP explaining how American troops protecting Ukraine from Russia could easily draw us into a global conflict. That might be worth a re-read.

Don't Forget to Join Prep Club on MeWe

Since we permanently closed our Facebook group, we have a couple of different options for hanging out.

First, we have our forum which is on MY server and can't be censored by outsiders. You don't need to put your real name anywhere in the forum but we do need your real email so we can help if you somehow get locked out of your account.

Secondly we have moved Prep Club to MeWe for those who still wanted the social media feeling of our Facebook group. Many of the old gang is there and the conversations are going strong.

To join, you go to this link:
https://mewe.com/group/601ef7ceaed0013e63d13c4b

There will be 4 questions you must answer (Helpful Hint: The first rule of Prep Club is like the first rule from the movie Fight Club, you don't talk about Prep Club.) Next you MUST change your profile photo. It doesn't need to be a picture of you. It can be your cat, a random cat, a cartoon character - we just need something personalized because we don't want "bots" in our group. That was an issue on Facebook because that's how our content kept getting reported. While MeWe promises not to censor us, I don't really trust ANY social media outlet.

Oh, and if you join MeWe, send me a contact request here:
LINK: https://mewe.com/i/daisyluther2

So over the course of my travels, instead of other types of souvenirs, I've purchased silver jewelry. It's easy to pack, doesn't take up much space, is useful (or at least fun) in the meantime, and if you strike a good deal, holds its value.

I picked up a couple of silver rings for a good price this week to add to my collection. This is something that tends to be more cost-effective when traveling than when in the US, where the mark-ups are higher.

Another great way to find some silver or gold at bargain prices is digging through the baskets at thrift stores and the like. Sometimes you can find some real treasures in with the costume jewelry.

The other thing I did to prep this week was signed up for horseback riding lessons. Unless you can't those ponies they strap little kids onto at the fair, I've never ridden a horse and it seems like in our crazy world, we need all the old-fashioned skills we can get. It's very reasonably priced here, the money goes to support the horse sanctuary, plus - it's good exercise!

I hope you had a prepared week!

***Are you looking to learn? We'll be constantly adding new courses and webinars to our Learn website. Here are the current offerings, including one from me about building your pantry on a budget. (I'm offering it for half price this week!)

***Do you have any pets suffering from aches and pains, or just plain old age? My 12-year-old Golden Retriever runs circles around her younger brother. I strongly recommend Organica Naturals CBD products for pets. (They have some BOGO deals, too!) If you are new to using CBD products for pets, check out our guide right here.