I think it is safe to say that most of those who read and comment here are not kids. I don't blog about fashion trends or make-up tips. I may have a tube of lipstick somewhere in my apartment, but it would take me some time to find it. Instead I write about the world around us, about my grands once in a while, but mostly about the importance of being prepared.
I read many blogs. I have the greatest admiration for those who homestead, raising their own food, preserving their own food, cooking from scratch and who are much more self sufficient than I will ever be.
There was a time when I did many of those same things. I was 30 or 40 years old and under the assumption as are many of that age, that I would likely live forever. I now know better.
If you are one of those 75 year olds who still run marathons or climb mountains, good for you. And I mean that sincerely.
If you are one of those who have become spoiled by the abundance of America and lazy by thinking nothing bad will ever happen and if it does, the government will rush in to take care of you, shame on you.
But if you are one of us who has found the need to slow down due to age or infirmity or both, this post is for you. We have spent our lives working hard, raising our families, paying our bills and expecting nothing to be just handed to us. We have done everything we know how to do to keep our families safe and secure and fed in troubled times.
And now we find ourselves unable to do many of the things we once did. I occasionally like to think I am still Wonder Woman who can do it all. The reality is that I am a 73 year old granny with health issues.
This reality has been brought home to me this week. I have always bought fruit by the crate to home can. I spent time checking all the grocery stores and markets in my area to see if they sold fruit by the crate. Apparently city folks don't home can any more, for I found none.
But what really surprised me was that I was relieved. Reality time.
I still can vegetables and meat. Those require not much effort on my part. But to can peaches, for instance, I need to stand at the stove and blanch the fruit to loosen the skins, then stand at the sink to peel the peaches and remove the pits, then stand at the stove again to cook the syrup used in canning them. That's way more standing than my body will allow.
I will be buying canned fruit for my food storage. I know the taste won't be as good as home canned and I realize there are issues with added preservatives and such in commercially canned fruit. But do I want my family to do without fruit just because I am unable to home can it now? No.
Sometimes we who have done for ourselves for a lifetime without asking for help, feel a twinge of guilt when we find we have limitations. I am here to tell you that it is OK to use and to stock up on products that are available to us now that can make life just a bit easier for us. The reality is that for me, when I am in one of my Wonder Woman modes and overdo my capabilities, I spend a day or two being completely useless in recovering. Sometimes the pain is worth it, but most times it is not.
It is OK to use a cake mix instead of baking a cake from scratch. It is OK to keep a stash of frozen meals for those days when we hobble instead of walk. It is OK to let the crockpot or microwave do the cooking now and then. And it is OK to open a can of peaches when we can no longer can them ourselves.
The thing is, I may not wake up tomorrow morning. Or I may follow in the footsteps of my Dad and live to age 93. Only God knows which it will be. But as long as I wake up here on earth each morning I will continue to do what I can and I will continue to encourage others to do what they can. If we are unable to do things the way we would like, then we have the imagination and ability to find other means to an end.
Never give up. Learn to adapt. We are all in this together.
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You're right - unfortunately - we're all in the same boat. - lol
ReplyDeleteSome days it feels like that boat is without a paddle, but we manage to muddle through, don't we! By the way - how is your back doing? Been praying...
DeleteAnother great stop and think post. Darn you. I went to today to move things around in the shed. After 10 min by back started to object. I had to sit for a bit. Then while shitting my depression rears its gully head. See you are useless letting your family down again. Bottom line I did get something done in the shed, but not as much as I wanted. I'm pissed off at myself once again. It pains me to have to seat and watch by boys do a job, I would pride myself in doing alone, or teaching the boys how to do things. Well thats it for me. Sorry if I turned this into a poor me answer.
ReplyDeleteRob...What on earth makes you think you are useless or have let your family down just because your back is hurting you? If you were just sitting, remote in hand, not even trying to get things done, then yes. But we have very little control over our physical ailments and less control over aging. Contrary to what most of the medical profession tells us, there is no magic pill that will make everything better. I have had to adjust and so do you, my friend.
DeleteI really do understand how aggravating it is to have to sit while the kids work. I hate it when I have to call one or two of mine for help. I hate it that I need to have someone come in once a week to clean my apartment because I can not properly keep it up. But none of that is my fault and none of that is your fault, either. That's just the cards we have been dealt.
I can not comment on depression for I have not had to deal with that particular illness. I do have days when it all gets to me and I start feeling sorry for myself, thinking about all the things I will never do again due to health issues and circumstances. But I have been able to turn that around by remembering all the good stuff in my life, and the bad stuff no longer seems important. I know it isn't that easy for you and I pray often that you will find relief from the depression that can be overwhelming.
Age teaches adapting to using our brains, instead of our muscles....my brain is telling me to wonder why in the effort to keep children, and tamperers, from opening our packages, they've made knives, and scissors necessary to open just about anything. That and pliers. Even pulling the seal off a bottle ketchup is becoming a lesson in futility.
ReplyDeleteSome days the absurdity is confounding.
I know exactly what you are talking about, Jess...The only way to get a childproof cap off a medicine bottle is to call a kid to do it for me. My steak knives are used more for cutting open packaging than they were ever used for steak. There was a time in my misspent youth when hair spray and lipstick were items I couldn't live without. These days it is two kinds of pliers, wire cutters and a hammer.
DeleteWhile I am much more mobile than you, I recognized in me everything you said. I still keep trying. Tommy told me he could see that I was not giving up because I always was making plans and buying things for projects. Mind you, these are tiny projects. My mind just won't quit planning. I will be 73 on Sept 11, so we are basically the same age.
ReplyDeleteLinda...I really think that half the battle is not giving up. I refuse to just sit here and wait to die like so many of our vintage have done. And from reading your blog I know you are much the same. We don't have to do monumental things, but we need to keep on doing something, even the small projects. Otherwise, what's the point of it all?
DeleteVicki ~~ When people ask how I am doing, I say "I'm above ground." Cuz "Any day above ground is a good day!" I've had people young enough to be a Grand Kid look me in the eye and agree. I'm not as able as I once was, but I keep up with maintaining what I have as far as strength and being flexible. I'm looking forward to my garden and the first seeds have poked their green shoots up. Red
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right, Red...I figure any morning that I wake up is a bonus. That and God must not be done with me yet. Sometimes the best we can do is maintain. My fingers are getting gnarly from arthritis, but I find that if I type or crochet or sew, those things help keep them from stiffening up. Many here in fly-over country are fighting the rain for their gardens. I hope yours does well for you this year. Next to harvest, my favorite time was when the plants first poked through the soil. I miss that, so I love to hear about other people's gardens. :)
DeleteI agree with you completely. Those of us who continue "making ready" for the next big calamity have to be flexible with everything we do. As you know, I also have my limits. Since my son also understands the need to be ready, he has been a great help! He is "the muscle" when lifting and other big jobs need to be done. I could not do it without his help. Vicki, you and I are pretty stubborn and independent in most our ways, but our kids know that when we ask for help it is because we truly need their assistance. I don't think we should feel guilty. I am very grateful, and I know you are as well.
ReplyDeleteAs for the store bought canned goods, we have a store where we buy canned goods by the case. They are reasonable and stack well in a small area. We usually make an effort to stock up twice a year. Those store bought items fill in the gaps for what we cannot raise and can at home. We watch the expiration dates closely and donate any that are a few months out to a local food bank. We consider them to be food insurance.
We all need to do the best we are capable of in our situations. I am thrilled when at the end of my day, I am able to put a check mark beside things on my to-do list. What doesn't get done gets put on tomorrow's list. It gives me purpose in life and a feeling of accomplishment too. Slow and steady gets it done. Take care, prepare and be aware, CWfromIowa
CW...You are spot on with your comment. Flexibility is of utmost importance for those of us who are dealing with limitations. If we find we can no longer do something the way we have always done it, we find a way around it to accomplish the task. There was a time when I would get 100 lbs. of tomatoes at a time from the Farmer's Market or 8 crates of peaches to can. That's just not going to happen any more, so I am already working on my list for my fall Sam's Club expedition. I would much rather raise my own produce or get it at the Farmer's Market, but circumstances make that impossible, so I now get what I can in my grocery order and at Sam's. It is food. It will feed my family and that is what is important.
DeleteKids who 'get it' are a blessing. My oldest son understands why I am so into storing food and other essentials. He stores my overflow and has over the years hauled hundreds of pounds of food up the stairs and into my apartment for me to process, not to mention cases and cases of jars. I call him my pack mule. :) The rest are a huge help to me when I need them to be. I am sure you understand how hard it is for we stubborn and independent people to find ourselves asking for help. It hasn't been easy to swallow some of that pride in order to get the help needed to do what I need to do. And yes, I am most grateful.
We do our best, but there are so many who are completely clueless and that sort of scares me. If things really go all wonky, so many will not even survive, but if we try to tell them they think we are tin foil hat wearing crazies. I rarely give up on anything, but I pretty much have given up on spreading the word. Sometimes all you get from banging your head against that particular wall is a headache. I know I am preaching to the choir here, but I would rather spend my time sharing thoughts and ideas with like-minded people. And yes - I no longer race along like the rabbit in the race, but am more speeding along like a herd of turtles. Takes longer, but the feeling of satisfaction in a job well done and that feeling of accomplishment and security is so worth the time and energy. So we just keep rolling along. :)
i have quit pretty much saying anything about prepping or even about Salvation.
ReplyDeleteseems it is better to ask God to bring into people's lives the wisdom needed.
the praying seems more effective
don't worry so much except for my child
it is a burden for God to bear and to resolve.
deb...I don't really talk about prepping to anyone except family and here on this blog. I am tired of the blank stares or the remarks about why go to all that work when you can just go to the grocery store. They don't get it. Never will.
DeleteI'm not a preacher. I leave the preaching to the professionals. I think more is to be gained through living our lives as we believe and through prayer.
You know you've reached "that age" when you build or buy something, say "This'll probably outlast me," and MEAN IT. I'm about there. There are things I won't do anymore if I don't have to. I won't mountain bike to the top of a mountain "because it's there. I won't try to get two days' work done in one afternoon. Then there are things that I'll hire out; things I CAN do but just don't WANT to anymore. It's not that I'm lazy. I'm just finding that my time is worth more than my money now. Yes, I can change the timing belt in the car, but it'll take several hours. Yes, I can fix the washing machine, but again, that'll take several hours. If I can afford it, I'll hire out the work. If I can't, I'll fix it myself. It's all about balance.
ReplyDeleteAs for your fruit; do you really think your family is going to care that the fruit is canned by Del Monte instead of Mom? Hell, no! They'll be happy that you cared enough to plan for their survival! Are there preservatives, etc in the canned fruit? Possibly. I think though, that when the SHTF, we'll be less concerned about "Red #7" killing us forty years from now than we will about starvation killing us TODAY!
You're doing PLENTY, Vicki! You're inspiring US!!!
Pete...I am finding that the older I get, the less I waste time on things I really do not want to do. There was a time when I sewed nearly all my own clothes and much of what my young kids wore. Now I find that to be a chore. But I enjoy cutting fabric into little pieces and sewing them back together into quilts. Go figure.
DeleteAs much as I loved having my own home in past years, I find that there is no way I could take care of one these days - hence, apartment living. I can call my landlord and tell him his toilet is broken and when can I expect him to show up to fix it.
I have always liked to cook, but these days physical limitations make 'from scratch' cooking less inviting than going with easier methods.
The thing is, all these things we know how to do and choose not to these days are still things we know how to do. The knowledge doesn't go away. If the time comes when we have to use those skills, we can do so. It might not be easy, but they can still be done when necessary. And the time may come when it is necessary. The more we know how to do, the greater our chances of survival.
It was hard to let go of the ego and admit to my shortcomings, but now that the Wonder Woman cape has been officially retired, it is time to do what I can the best way I can. So I have already begun my shopping list for my next Sam's Club expedition, knowing full well that cases of canned goods are at the top of that list. We have all seen the photos of people digging through dumpsters looking for food after a natural disaster or a political one. My family members will not be among those who are that hungry. And I'm pretty sure few will be worrying about being vegan or gluten free or what part of the world that fish came from.
You know, Pete...I have often remarked that I am rather glad I am so old that I won't live to see how this whole crazy political mess we are in, turns out. But lately I am beginning to be afraid I will. We seem to be headed downhill at an alarming speed.
I'm not so sure about being inspirational. All I want to do is share information that might just help someone else make it through. And I receive much more from all of you and from those like-minded bloggers I follow. We may all be strangers in our real lives, but we also are a community of folks just trying to make it through. And by the grace of God, we will.
CW says Amen to that! :)
Delete"The thing is, all these things we know how to do and choose not to these days are still things we know how to do. The knowledge doesn't go away."
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head, Vicki! And, like you, I believe that we're going to see and have to deal with the aftermath of what's going on in our country. The speed of decline is astounding! The young don't see this. They've lived in the chaos their entire lives. My sons see the issues, but somehow think things will keep plodding on the way they have. I only wish they would listen long enough to comprehend what's going on! Alas, their too busy with Fakeboook and texting. Speaking of "alas;" In the book "Alas, Babylon," the kids were trying to catch fish, but they had stopped biting. They chanced to ask an old black man sitting on his porch if he knew why the fish weren't feeding. He explained to them that the water had gotten too warm, and that the kids needed to fish the bottom of the river instead of the surface. The kids asked why he never told this to anyone. The old man simply said "Because nobody asked." Let's hope our kids ask...
Pete...Kids don't ask. Kids mostly don't care. They have not had to deal with real bad times. Yes, there are the wars in the Middle East, but the younger ones haven't seen the daily body count reports on the nightly news like we did with Vietnam. They haven't had a Korean 'police action' or WWII horrors to try to wrap their minds around. They get 'participation trophies,' for crying out loud! Our parents and grandparents lived through events like the Dust Bowl or the Great Depression. Nobody expected anyone else to take care of them. They worked hard for every scrap of food. Our younger generations throw hissy fits if the Internet goes down for an hour.
DeleteOur elders survived those hard times because they knew how to do stuff. They knew how to take care of their food animals, how to butcher and preserve, how to raise vegetables, how to fix things. Most of mine didn't have the money to go buy a ladder or an ax handle or a new Sunday go to meeting dress. They made them because they knew how.
One of the biggest disservices to our kids was when the high schools eliminated Home Ec and Shop classes. Kids can find anything they want on the Internet and I really don't object to that very much because I use it to find different ways of doing things and when you are pretty much housebound, it is extremely helpful. But kids don't know how to DO stuff. Ask them how to change oil in their cars or how to bake a loaf of bread or even how to sew on a button and what you get is a blank stare.
I completely agree, Pete, that we are quickly sliding into an abyss. After seeing some of the dog and pony show commonly referred to as a debate, I am more convinced than ever that we just can not keep slogging along. It is entirely possible and almost certainly inevitable that what our forefathers created for future generations will be wiped out if the trends toward socialism continue, and if the insane leaders around the world don't decide to take us out first. Those of us who know how to do stuff, even if we chose to now take an easier path, will have a much better chance than those who rely on electronics instead of knowledge.
Soapbox back into the corner now. :)