Plans - Sigh

So the plan was to take some time off from blogging to do a serious amount of canning.  That was a great plan right up to the time a part on my pressure canner lid broke.  After checking on the cost of sending the lid in for repairs, I found that buying a new pressure canner would cost less.  So Youngest Son went on a quest for a new canner.  And guess what - apparently pressure canners are becoming as scarce as hen's teeth.  He has a couple more places to check and if none can be found in the stores, he says he will order one for me.  As luck would have it, I had not yet thawed the pork in the freezer that I planned to jar up.

Pressure canners aren't the only items that seem to be in short supply.  Every two weeks I add canning lids to my grocery order.  I order six boxes of each size.  I am lucky if I get three boxes total.  And I ordered two cases of pint jars and got none.  Thankfully, one of my dear readers sent me a link to order jars and I may need to do that soon.

Canning supplies are not all that I am finding in short supply.  As some of you know, due to health issues, I rely on a grocery delivery service, so I am not in stores to see the condition of the store shelves as far as shortages go.  But I am noticing that substitutions within my orders are increasing.  The service I use does not substitute items unless the particular item is not on the shelf at all.  Last week apparently at the store where the service shops, there were no bags of frozen chicken breast, no Dawn dishwashing liquid, no DelMonte sliced peaches and no store brand bowl cleaner in addition to no canning lids or pint jars.  Others that I am in touch with tell me the shortages they see in their areas are different, but are shortages nonetheless.  Methinks the time to seriously stock up is coming slowly to a close.

This time away has not been a total loss.  I have been working on an inventory of my food storage.  It is much easier to consult a notebook when doing my grocery order than it is to dig around in my store room to see what I need.  Plus, there is a flaw in my character.  Or in my memory.  At any rate, I have been known to put something away for safe-keeping, only to lose it for all time.  Yep.  I do that.  So now, at the very least, I know what is in the buckets and I know what is stashed under the bed.

I have dehydrated home canned tomatoes for turning into powder.  If canning jars continue to be hard to get, I may do more, just for the empty jars.  

I have been researching Do-It-Yourself projects to replace some of the items I may not be able to get, should the shortages get worse.  I have found instructions for several that I will tell you about as I give them a try.

And I have been getting some sewing done, particularly a baby quilt for my soon to be born Great Grandbaby.  That job is just fun.  And Lord knows, we all could use a little fun in our lives to counter all the insanity around us.  I will post a picture when it is finished - probably next week.

That's all I know today.  I pray all of you are well.  Take good care and continue to pray and prepare.