Winter Safety for Senior Citizens @MatureAmericans @AARP #OKwx #OKready

Did you ever hear a parent tell a child to put on a coat before they catch a cold?  That’s because just being really cold can make you very sick, and it’s not limited to kids. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) says older adults can lose body heat fast—faster than when they were young. A big chill can turn into a dangerous problem before an older person even knows what’s happening. NIA has a brochure, Stay Safe in Cold Weather! with tips on how to stay warm when it’s cold. Here are a few of the tips they recommend: Set your heat at 68 degrees or higher. Dress warmly on cold days even if you are staying in the house. Wear loose layers when you go outside on chilly days. Wear a hat, scarf, and gloves. Don’t stay out in the cold and wind for a long time. Talk to your doctor about health problems that may make it harder for you to keep warm. Find safe ways to stay active even when it’s cold outside. Ask a neighbor or friend to check on you if you live alone. If you think someone has hypothermia, call 911 right away. Cover him or her with a blanket. Don’t rub his or her legs or arms. For more tips including keeping warm inside and how to talk with your doctor about staying safe in cold weather, check out the Stay Safe in Cold Weather Booklet from NIA.

Have a safe holiday season

Celebrate the Holidays Safely

Cooking, candles, decorations, electrical cords, and heating devices, are all things you can expect at a winter holiday party, but, they’re also fire hazards. Keep your holiday parties safe with these U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) tips: Test your smoke alarms and tell your guests about your home fire escape plan. Keep children and pets away from lit candles. Keep matches and lighters up high in a locked cabinet. Stay in the kitchen when cooking at high temperatures; like frying, grilling or broiling. Ask people who smoke to smoke outside. Remind smokers to keep their smoking materials with them, so young children don’t touch them. Provide large, deep ashtrays for smokers. Thoroughly wet cigarette butts with water before discarding. Find Home Holiday Fire Facts, Christmas Tree Fire Safety, and other Holiday Fire Safety tips on the USFA’s Holiday Fire Safety page.

Happy Thanksgiving #ARRL #HamRadio fans

From our shack to yours, please have a safe Thanksgiving.

Know what do to during an emergency.

Know how to get important information from the National Weather Service and other government officials.

Dust off the radio and get on the air!

Be blessed.

Hacksaw Ridge: A movie review #hacksawridge #teamJesus

If you consider violence and sex have no part in a #teamJesus move, Hacksaw Ridge is not for you.

The R-Rated movie shows what combatants on Okinawa faced during a three-week period in which Desmond Doss, as a conscientious objector, saved life after life on “a jagged escarpment 400 feet high” http://bit.ly/2eMEefb

While it's not for the faint of heart or the young, this movie paints an accurate, historical picture of what America and her allies faced in May, 1945.  

*  If the loss of life had been lower, America may have decided against using atomic weapons against Japan.

*  Can a Christian serve in the military without taking up arms?

*  What does war do to a person's faith?

Clearly, the movie is about one man's faith call him to "put a little" of the world back together while the World is determined to conduct a war.

What can one person of faith do?  How about saving scores of troops, a number of them enemy warriors, with only the power of God to go.

Hacksaw Ridge is an amazing yet violent film.  Viewer discretion advised.

Fall Back this weekend #WRN #Skywarn #hmrd

Change Your Clock, Check Your Smoke Alarm

Is your smoke alarm still working? A smoke alarm with a dead or missing battery is the same as having no smoke alarm at all. On Sunday, November 6 when resetting your clocks for Daylight Saving Time, make sure your smoke alarms work and replace the batteries, if necessary. Take care of your smoke alarms according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and follow these tips from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA): Smoke alarm powered by a nine-volt battery Test the alarm monthly. Replace the batteries at least once every year. Replace the entire smoke alarm every 10 years. Smoke alarm powered by a 10-year lithium (or “long-life”) battery Test the alarm monthly. Since you cannot (and should not) replace the lithium battery, replace the entire smoke alarm according to the manufacturer's instructions. Smoke alarm that is hardwired into your home's electrical system Test the alarm monthly. Replace the backup battery at least once every year. Replace the entire smoke alarm every 10 years. For more information on Smoke Alarms, visit the USFA Smoke Alarm page.

Also, please remember to change the batteries in your all-hazards weather radio that receives signals from the National Weather Service.