Iowa and Nebraska are currently experiencing blowing snow with very high winds that cause temperature to drop well below zero. This is a very dangerous temperature for children, elderly, and anyone who attempts to be outside for long periods. It is important to prepare yourself, your family, and stay tuned to the weather under these types of conditions.

There is a list of things which can be done. For your vehicle be sure to have an emergency kit in case something were to happen and you are caught on the side of the road. You can purchase a kit at any automotive store however you also can prepare one by using items from your home to save money. An emergency kit will include:

- cell phone
- blanket(s)
- emergency flares and reflectors
- shovel
- jumper cables
- flashlight with batteries (and spares just in case)
- bag of cat litter for traction
- extra clothing

Keep your vehicle filled with gas during the winter months. Should you ever get stranded during a blizzard, it is best not to physically leave your vehicle. Instead, light emergency flares and set reflectors on the outside of the vehicle to inform authorities of your location. You can run your vehicle’s engine for 10 minutes then turn it off. Use your cell phone to contact roadside assistance. If you are hurt, dial 911 for emergency assistance. You can contact the local police for assistance as well.

There are tons of interesting facts but does anyone really know the fun facts about our past presidents? To give a little bit of appreciation to our past Presidents and Forefathers, I did some research on the Internet and came up with some interesting trivia that was most appropriate as we have just past Election Day for the new Presidential Elect. Regardless of whether you voted for Democrat or Republican these interesting facts should be appreciated.

• President James Madison (1809-1817) was quite short as he stood 5 feet 4 inches
• President Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) was the tallest; 6 feet 4 inches
• President William Howard Taft (1901-1913) was the heaviest as his weight reached 300 lbs at one time. Due to his heavy stature, he literally got caught in the White House bathtub
• President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) was the oldest to be elected into office; he was 69 years of age
• President John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) was the youngest to be elected into office; he was 43 years of age
• President Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) was the first president to see a baseball game of the Cincinnati Reds against the Washington Senators; the Reds won 7-4
• President John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) was known to take his morning swims in the Potomac River in the nude

United States Presidential trivia is courtesy of National Geographic News
National Geographic News, Roach. J, (August 27, 2004)

After months I have located the cell phone that I want. My husband and I were shopping at of all places Wal-Mart. Well anyway, they have a display of cell phones in our store so I went and looked to see what was available. Sure enough the two I had been looking at were available so we stopped by and took a view. The ones that got my interest were the Sony Erickson and the Blackberry Curve 8310; the list was a lot longer but after research I worked it down to just the two and this did include the newest Iphone 3.

I decided after researching one of the above would fit my needs it was a matter of physically seeing which was going to be more beneficial and weighing the pros and cons. After reviewing them at the store, the Blackberry Curve had all of the advantages. It was more than just the looks it was what the Blackberry provided in the package. My husband and I both travel so the capability of having the GPS was important and I liked the option of having the ability to send text messages. A large issue was having the capability to pick up a signal when we needed it and we felt the only way to do that was to have a quad band.

Here is a link to the Blackberry Curve 8310.

Welcome to Ravens Hollow Community. This is the blog is just beginning so stay tuned for more!