Monday, June 28, 2021

I've Been AWOL

Of course, you all knew that, didn't you.

Sometimes in the aftermath of an event in our lives – particularly a sad one – we think we are doing better than we really are. Such has been the case here, but with the help from friends and family, I am slowly getting back to whatever normal is these days. Thank you for your patience.

My children are going above and beyond the call of duty to make sure Mom is alright. Yesterday Youngest Son brought his family to spend the afternoon with me. It was fun to hear what the Grands had been up to. David and I took a stroll down Memory Lane, talking about his Grandparents and about how living on the farm that had been in his Dad's family for several generations had shaped his appreciation for life and his love for the land.

Those who have houses or homesteads may not understand some of the challenges we apartment dwellers face in our preparedness journey. I am finding that I am quite literally out of space to store preps. I did manage to fill four banker's boxes and turn them into a makeshift coffee table with a crocheted afghan thrown over them and adding a plant and some books on top. It is one of the few plans that actually works.

In the process of clearing off a shelf to fill boxes, I discovered two cases of half pint jars full of canned bacon. I had forgotten they were there. The only good thing I can say about old age memory loss is that sometimes it results in some really good surprises. :)

I know I have been preaching 'stack it to the rafters,' but I believe I am going to have to slow down some. If I don't, my little apartment is in danger of looking like one of those hoarder's houses!

I still have some canning to do – meat from my freezer – a batch of ham and beans and a batch of vegetable beef soup. I have room to store those jars, but that is all.

I don't just store food. I use it. So my new strategy is to keep a list of what I use and replace it accordingly. I wish I had a basement or a spare room. I don't. Neither do many apartment people. So we adapt and do the best we can with what we have to work with. At least we will have something to eat should the lights go out, which is more than I can say for those who aren't paying attention to the crazy world round us.

17 comments:

  1. Finding things.
    I've been unable to find something, bought a replacement, and when I went to put the replacement away I found the "lost" item.
    It's elves I say, house elves! I'm not forgetting things.

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    1. John...House elves. Works for me! Those little buggers have been living here for a long time. I still haven't found the birthday cards I bought for my Grands about 7 years ago. Yep. Gotta be elves!

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  2. Since your kids are one of the reasons you prep, maybe you could fill a big box with stuff for them, but don't tell them and ask them to "store it at their place for you." Then, if tshtf, tell them to open it.

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    1. I hadn't thought of that, Gorges. I will have to give it a try. :)

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    2. Doing this also puts your eggs in different baskets. The safest apartment dweller is only as safe as their most unsafe neighbor. Should you have another fire; one that takes out your apartment, a good chunk of your preps will be somewhere else and you won't be back at square one...

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  3. That's what I was going to suggest. You have the knowledge and doing, they must have space to store some things for you.

    *hugs* Vicki. Be safe and God bless. ♥

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    1. Sounds like a plan, LindaG...Will have to see what we can do with it. Hugs are good. God bless you and yours.

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  4. Vicki, these days there is a lot of "fake news". Why not a fake coffee table? I think it is very fitting for the times we are living in. 😊 CW

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    1. CW...If a person is going to go so far as to make a fake coffee table out of boxes of food, might as well go all out tacky and add a potted plant and books on top. :) I was actually surprised at how much stuff I could pack into it. At least now some of the cutter is off the floor and I a not tripping over it. And yes - perfect for the fakery all around us. :)

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  5. I did the apartment thing when I was in the military. I know EXACTLY what you mean! As I previously noted in Gorges' post, I'm with him on spreading your preps out among the family. I would tell them what it is though. Should you not be able to contact them in a crisis, they won't be sitting there in want of food, not knowing those boxes are full of it.

    It's easy for us preppers to overprep. On one hand, you can never have too much food. On the other hand though, if all you do is prep food, you might come up short on some other equally important prep. Tis a knife edge we walk, Vicki...

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    1. Pete...Some of my kids are on vacation now, but I believe we will talk this over when they return. Or, because I am the Mom and can probably get away with it, I may just fill boxes and hand them over when they come by.

      One reason for the lack of storage space is that I do prep much more than just food. Medical supplies, paper products, soaps, supplies for heating, cooking and lighting, etc., etc., etc. It all takes up space but is all necessary. I use what I store, but it seems like I add more than I use. :)

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  6. My wife and I have been storing food since Y2K. But as we have gotten older, I find that we don't USE as much as we used to, and some of the food is getting older than we like. So recently I have started giving my youngsters what they will eat, and sadly we may have to get rid of some and restock with fresher.

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    1. Fred...I find that I don't have near the appetite I once did now that I am officially old! Except for chocolate. I could likely eat my weight in chocolate. :) I try to rotate my food storage, but there have been a couple of items that I had to replace. I think if I made better use of my FoodSaver, that might help.

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  7. I keep a canning journal, but it is so hard to remember to write in it. It's great to find something you canned and forgot and can still use it.

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    1. Kristina...I suppose if I were better organized, this wouldn't happen. As it is, finding two cases of canned bacon is just a lovely surprise. :)

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