This random thought about my Grandma popped into my head the other day...she used to keep a man's hat in the back window of her car.

When I was young, this confused me, and so I asked my Mom "why?" Mom said that it was so a would-be bad guy who was looking for an easy target would think twice, because there might be a man coming back to the car. You see, Grandma lived in a big city (big for this state) and at that time was a widow.

So she kept that hat there all the time, and had no issues with BGs.

Then I remember when I was a wee lad. Mom and Dad and Grandma and I were eating at our favorite pizza place. A tornado passed within a couple of miles of where we were and the power went out. My grandma was the only one who had a flashlight...kept it in her purse, and she gave it to me to hold! I remember they started bringing taper candles around to the tables, but I felt better because of that flashlight.

Until recently, I never would have thought of things like this as "being prepared". But it seems that I might have some preparedness in my genes. So, my hat is off to Grandma...for the example she probably didn't know she was setting for me.

Dad of course stocked what he considered important items...mostly toilet paper. After he passed, I don't think my wife and I had to buy any for two months!