Saturday, July 30, 2022

No You Are Not!

 I have been busy.  What was once my bedroom is now a store room for my food storage and supplies.  And it was an unorganized mess.  And because it was an unorganized mess, I found I was ordering more of some items I needed and not enough of others.  And at the rate grocery prices are increasing, I just can not afford to spend needlessly.

Due to physical limitations, it has taken me a considerable amount of time to set things to rights, but most everything is now in containers or on shelves, sorted and labeled.  I now know that I need to get another 25 lbs. of rice and that I have enough cans of tomatoes for now.

I still need to do some organizing of the large shelves that hold my home canned foods.  I have three sets of shelves, each about 6 ft. high, 4 ft. wide and 2 ft. deep - six shelves on each unit.  Two units are in my store room and one unit is in my living room.  All are full of food in jars.

Here is where the title of this post comes in.

Many of you know that I have home health care nurses that come to my home three days a week to do what is necessary to keep my lower legs as healthy as possible.  At one time I was hospitalized for two weeks due to open sores and draining fluid on my lower legs.  Thanks to the nurses, that problem has not reoccurred.

I usually have one nurse to deal with, but lately a second nurse arrives on Wednesdays, to give the regular one a break, I suppose. This past Wednesday a nurse arrived that I had never seen before.  When she finished her duties, she got up to leave.

The store room door is close to the entry-exit door in my kitchen.  I keep the store room door shut so visitors, with the exception of family, can not see what I have in that room.  When I saw the nurse was reaching for the store room door, I told her she needed to use the other door.  But instead of stopping, she went ahead, opened the store room door, took a good look around and said, "Oh my!  You sure do have a lot of food in here.  If things get bad, I'm just going to come here."  To which I replied, "NO YOU ARE NOT!!"

I am completely amazed at how many people, at least in my area, are completely clueless as to what is happening around them.  And the mindset that others will be happy to take care of them when they are too lazy to prepare for themselves, is astonishing.

There was a time when I thought that I would help people other than my family, but that time has past.  The question has to be, which one of my grandchildren should I let go hungry in order to feed someone who couldn't be bothered to do for themselves. Not gonna happen.

Prepare.  Pray.  If you are paying attention, you know it is getting worse every day.  And we are on our own. 

44 comments:

  1. Everyone thinks the world owes them something.

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    1. We both know, Gorges, that the world owes us nothing. How sad that more have not yet figured this out.

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  2. Congratulations on a job well done. I organized our upright freezer yesterday and realized that we don't need to buy chicken for a year, at least. (There is lots canned as well.) And no, I am not sharing with adults perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, especially ones younger than myself, and there aren't many, as I am 72. If my arthritic self can do it with poor eyesight and a wonky ticker, they can as well.

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    1. And good for you, anon, for your organizing efforts. I have a few years on you, but still we do what we can because we can see what is coming. Those who feel entitled are in for a rough go of it and I can assure you, they will need to find their food somewhere other than at my table. My family comes first.

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  3. Glad to hear that all is well! I hear you on the "mess." I need to spend more time on organizing; I get stuck on acquisition and processing.

    We recently had a neighbor ask to borrow money for an emergency. He hasn't paid us back; obviously, we should have said no when he asked. My only consolation is that we now know he cannot be trusted. When he shows up looking for food, like your healthcare worker, we'll know what to say.

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    1. sbrgirl...I can so relate to getting stuck on aquisition and processing. I need to concentrate on organization as well and I didn't - hence the mess!! At least now I can find what I need and I have a list of what I need to buy to get to a level of storage that I am comfortable with.

      I fear that my level of trust of those outside my immediate family is at a low point. I see way too many people who really do think that in bad times, someone from government is going to take care of them. God help those people when they discover that is far from being true.

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  4. I've written on this topic as well. And I know there are people who prepare to help their neighbors to some extent. Unfortunately, those neighbors will be like pigeons. Did you ever see a pigeon take just one piece of bread and never come back for more?

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    1. Also, I'm very glad to hear that all is well. I was beginning to worry about you as you hadn't posted in so long.

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    2. Jennifer...I have read your words on this subject and totally agree. Feed one and the next day they are back with three more hungry people. I prep for my family and there are a lot of us. If one of my grands told me they were hungry and I had nothing to give them because
      I had given it to others, I would have a hard time living with myself.

      All is well. I have just been extra busy. And sometimes, I just need a bit of a break. :)

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  5. You have to chuckle and ask yourself how those that make such stupid statements could possibly think you would open your doors and stores up for them should such a time of need come. Apparently she is not able to think, hear, or follow directions either. I hope she does not return.

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    1. CW...In the years that I have needed nursing assistance, this is the very first time I have had anyone do something like this. I consider what she did an invasion of my privacy. I haven't yet decided what I am going to do about it, but I need to address it one way or another. As the world around us becomes more insane by the day, the last thing we need is for strangers to be aware of our stockpiles. I still do not understand why some think others need to take care of them. That notion is foreign to me as I know it is to you, too.

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    2. you need to report her to her superior
      she flouted your instrucions and purposely stuck her nose in
      when the dotgov jackboots start rounding up hoarders she will rat you out, and get a gold star for it from the snake people
      tell her supervisor that she was spying on purpose and then made comments about your private business
      she is NEVER to return to your house
      she is obviously dangerous
      wonder if she is spying on all the other patients?
      be sure to inform your kids, too

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    3. Plus one to deb. Exactly the type of response I was thinking of.

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  6. You know she is entertaining people with a tale of food and a doddering old lady! She will reveal what you have, putting you in danger. I would be furious that someone opened a door that I said to not open. I would not have her in my home again. AND, I would put a sign on that door.

    Brush off her response with a tale of how your daughter asked you to get things for her and she will have the room emptied by next week and take it away. I lie to nosy people.

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    1. Linda...If the woman chooses to make a joke of me and my preparations, I really don't care. And as for lying to her, well, my memory is such that I have to pretty much stick to the truth. If I lie, I forget what I said and wind up in more trouble. :) And I do not owe her any explination at all. I will probably just make sure the company does not send her to my home ever again.

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    2. PP is correct
      this runs deeper than just rudeness

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  7. Great post and a great reminder to be the gray person right now and careful what we share with others. I too have been on a huge re-organization kick and sadly found myself dealing with some poor purchase decisions. Sigh. All I can do is work on doign it better. At least I'm working on it and don't have blinders on. Give that gal a boot if she won't respect you when you say 'don't open the door', what would she do next, make herself lunch from your stash? And like someone said above -- who's she telling. I'm all for some creative story telling of my own with people like that. Too bad you can't get your kids to empty the room, have her back to see it empty and then give her the boot.
    SJ in Vancouver BC

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    1. SJ...I can relate to finding poor purchases among my food stores, but mine are mostly canning experiments that looked good on paper but in reality - not so much.

      It would be fun to show her an empty room, but it would take a lot of people and a good sized truck to pull it off. So instead I think that putting in a request with her company that they refrain from sending her to my apartment is probably the best solution. And finding a way to make it hard for someone else to open that door. It will happen.

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    2. I've got a good picture of your setup and know emptying the room is not an option. But boy, it was a fun thing for my imagination to see her open the door to an empty room. SJ

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    3. I like the idea of the bungee cords or a lock on that door from other commenters. My idea on those lines to block access - do have room to put a wheelie cart on the kitchen side that will block the door? You know, one with at least one set of wheels that lock in place? SJ

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  8. I echo PP and SJ’s comments. She would not be allowed in my home a second time and I would be extra careful in the future.

    Is there something you could bungee cord the doorknob to? You could explain that the door doesn’t latch securely and you use the cord to keep it closed. Not really a great solution but putting an extra layer of effort into getting the door open might prevent an “accidental” incursion. (We use cords to keep our cats out of places we don’t want them. And yes, they CAN get some doors open!)

    Lucy’s Mom

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    1. I am not sure just how I will block the store room door, but block it I will. My demented sense of humor would love to see a large X over the door in that yellow crime scene tape. :)

      I have had cats who could open doors, but the best was the dog who would stand on his hind legs to reach the doorbell when he wanted to come in. Just loved the antics of pets. :)

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    2. I love how you think, Vicki! Crime scene tape would be so great.

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  9. I could hear it going back and forth over the airwaves; Mr. and Mrs. North and South America and all the ships at sea tapping out in Morse code, "Where the hell is Vicki!!!"

    I hadn't seen you post for a while. 'Was getting concerned. I had one of my coworkers say the same thing to me; "I'm coming to YOUR house!" I told him straight up that I had enough for my family, that it was my responsibility to provide for mine, and his responsibility to provide for his. He's one of those who "doesn't watch the news," but knows EXACTLY where the Dodgers stand in the World Series race. Misplaced priorities, for sure.

    Put a lock on that door, Vicki. No, it won't keep anyone from breaking in, but it will keep the "curious" from opening it...

    Good to hear from you again! God bless!

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    1. I'm sorry, Pete...I should have posted that I would be away for a while, but I really didn't think I would be gone this long. In addition to being busy, sometimes there just is a need to unplug.

      Tilting at windmills. I am just one chubby granny who, though very opinionated, can not change the world. Occasionally a rest and recover time is necessary to carry on the fight I can not win, but the fight I refuse to give up on. Sigh.

      There are a lot of things that irritate me these days. But in the top ten are the words, "I will just come to your house." I wonder what the people who say that would think if we told them we would be at their house for dinner tomorrow night or that we would be at their house Saturday afternoon to do our laundry or that we would go with them to the grocery store where they could fill our carts and pay for them as well.

      I wish I had told that woman I would be at her house that evening and would expect to go through her dresser drawers. Same thing as opening a shut door. Grumble!

      I guess stupid is not going to be fixed any time soon. I will work on keeping that door shut from nosy people.

      Take care, my friend and God bless!

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  10. I think I would let her company know you don't feel comfortable her being in your home.

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    1. Cheryl...I think you are right. But there is a part of me who is annoyed enough to want to make her quit. But in the end, I will likely just ban her from my home.

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  11. Vicki~ Contact the agency that sends the Home Health people. Let them know you need a call on who is coming and when they are to arrive. Then if possible have a family member there while they are attending to your legs. A Cop or Sheriff in uniform would be nice. Maybe add a security system at the door so you know who is there when and why. We are also doing an inventory. I agree with Pinball that the difference between a hoarder and a prepper is an inventory and knowing where everything is stored. Red

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    1. She violated your privacy.
      She must not come back if she cannot be trusted to comply with such a simple instruction.

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    2. Red...I just needed to sort things out so I know what I have and what I need. And an inventory list is useful when I do my grocery order every two weeks. When I reach an amount of product I am comfortable with, I just cross it off the list.

      Red and Ed...I don't think I want to call any more attention to my food storage. My kids all have jobs and are not available. I have pretty much decided just to call the company, explain the situation and make sure they know this person is not welcome in my home.

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    3. My mother had a lady come help keep house when I was a child.
      Aunt Jemima type. I thought she was sweet.
      Mom fired her when she found that she had been stealing canned food from the pantry.

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    4. Ed...The way things are going right now, what with food shortages, high prices, problems with commercial deliveries, etc., stealing of food I believe will become a problem if it isn't already. We prepare so we can make it through those times. Because of my medical issues, I could have a house cleaner provided, but I don't because of the same reason I don't want anyone looking over my store room pantry. If someome steals my food, they are stealing from my Grands and that I will not allow.

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  12. vicki i have a bad feeling about this
    best to have a son there if you let her in again--against which we all advise you

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    1. deb...I think I will just make sure the company knows she is not welcome in my home and why.

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  13. Unfortunately, you can bar her from your home, but you can't make her un-see what she has seen. Even if she never enters your home again, she will remember what you have.

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    1. That is true. And if anything comes of that, it will need to be dealt with at that time.

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    2. Vicki~ After you speak with the Agency about who will be allowed in your home and that they need to call you to let you know who is coming and and an ETA. See what it takes to get a Restraining Order if needs be. Let your family know today. Red

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    3. Red...It is a rule of the agency that nurses call clients the day before a visit to set up a time. And they are very good about doing that. I really don't think that a restraining order is needed. There was one other occasion when I refused to see a particular nurse after she showed up obviously sick and the next day tested positive for Covid. The agency not only kept her away from me, they fired her not long after. I think a phone call to the agency will be enough.

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  14. Hi Vicki...knew a couple back in the eighties when american hip liberals were all on fire over ' freedom' in central america ... the wife pulls up in her car one day and shouts ' viva neek a raug wa ' I looked at her like she was nuts...she drove away ...couple hours later husband knocks at door , I let him in... he gos over to my desk sits down and starts going thru a stack of mail on my desk ... I grabbed it out of his hand and gave him a look that said ' your move ! ' he got up and left , never got to challange me about my snub ...they never came back...call the supervisor , you dont want people like that in your home God Bless , Patrick

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    1. Thanks for sharing what happened to you, Patrick. This is the first time I have had anyone overstep the boundaries regarding my food storage. I will talk preparedness with those who show an interest, but they do not view what I have. I will be talking with the person in charge of the nurses first thing in the morning and that nurse will not cross the threshold into my home. Ever. Sadly, the time has come where trust is a huge issue and I have very little trust of those around me other than immediate family. We know that in reality, we are about three days worth of meals away from total chaos. I can not undo what has been done, but I damn sure can see to it that it does not happen again.

      My slightly twisted sense of humor still likes the idea of covering that door in yellow crime scene tape. :)

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  15. Hello Vicki! I am so happy to see you posting again 🥰 I too was feeling a bit worried about you but kept telling myself that you were probably very busy and would return soon. Just must say "what a rude person that care person is"!! I agree with your solution to call her superiors and put a "stop" on her ever returning to your home. Being an elder also (78 yrs. and living alone) I am sad to say I have pretty much lost all trust for most humans...Like you, I was raised in an environment of feeling trust and gratefulness for my neighbors and fellow men and women. Sadly, those feelings have left me. Living alone in central Illinois, I am still stocking my pantry slowly everytime I shop. I am feeling pretty well protected thanks to finding your blog, listening to your advice, and staying informed on world affairs. Thank you again for your writings....Take care ...God Bless.

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    1. lynney62...I should have let you all know I was taking time off. I have no excuse.

      First thing Monday morning I will take care of the problem with a phone call. I don't have a problem with the agency - just this particular woman who seems to think it is alright to invade my privacy. And then tell me she will just come to my house when things get bad. Nope. Not gonna happen!

      Being within a couple of years of your age, I understand that you and I grew up in an entirely different world from the one we are living in now. It seems like there were more good people then than now. Don't give up hope. There are still some of the good ones left.

      Good for you to keep on preparing. I am doing it the same way - a little at a time with each grocery order. I believe it is important to do what we can, even with prices rising.

      Take good care and God bless!

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  16. Vickie, I always tell people who say they are coming to my house in shtf, "Good! I need target practice! Come straight up the driveway!" However, I WOULD allow that practitioner to return to my house....and tell her to her face how serious this business of prepping is. Tell her to get busy herself and get food and personal items put up for HER family. And also, don't seriously think you will EVER come here for MY preps. It would be a FATAL mistake. You might be able to get one person, one more family, to prepare for themselves. If that second visit didn't go well then I would call the agency. JMHO. Love ya and glad you are back posting.

    MamaJ

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    1. Thanks, Mama J...It is good to be back.

      If that nurse's behavior was only snooping behind a closed door, I would absolutely have her back to teach her some truth. But the woman came riding in on her bulldozer, ready to change the way previous nurses and myself had worked out to be the best method of tending to the care of my legs. I simply do not have the patience any more to deal with that kind of person. The problem has already been taken care of and she will not be back here...ever.

      So now I am concentrating on finding more space to stack food. In a three room apartment, it is a challenge. And by the way - love the 'target practice' thing. Makes me wish I had a driveway. :)

      Take good care!

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