My son was right. He told me that my head would probably explode if I didn't have a place to vent once in a while. I realize that most of my readers have moved on. But for the two or three who still check in, here you go! (Thanks, Jennifer!)
I need a home nursing service to change the wraps on my lower legs three days a week. The wraps help keep fluid from collecting. If fluid builds up, pretty soon it will break the skin from the inside out, resulting in infection and probable hospital stays. I avoid that outcome at all costs.
I don't always see the same nurse. This past couple of months I have had a new to me nurse. Nice gal. Does a good job. Lives in the land of unicorns and fairy dust.
One day a couple of weeks ago, I was repackaging some pasta and rice for storage when she arrived. She wanted to know what I was going to do with so much food. I told her that I have a large family, and the pasta and rice was to be stored so family would not go hungry in an emergency situation. I asked what she planned to feed her family should something bad happen. Her answer - "Oh, they can eat peanut butter sandwiches."
Last week I did some canning. A dozen pints of chicken/veggie soup and another 16 pints of hamburger/veggie soup were the result. Love these meals in a jar. So many uses.
Nurse saw the jars sitting on my kitchen table, waiting to be labeled and put on the shelf. She wanted to know what the jars contained. I told her. And then because I am completely out of patience with those who think that in bad times the government will take care of them, I added that while her family was scraping the bottom of the peanut butter jar, my family would be dining on homemade soup or stew or maybe pot pies.
I know. I am bad. Live with it.
I went on to explain that a person doesn't need to home can. Just by buying a few extra food items when grocery shopping, one can soon build up a pantry that will be ready to keep loved ones alive when the world blows up in our faces. And that time is close.
Take good care, friends. Keep stacking to the rafters. And most important, keep praying. We need Jesus now more than ever!
So happy to see that you are back, I missed you!
ReplyDeleteDiane
Thank you, Diane! I so appreciate you! I missed all of you as well.
DeleteI didn’t move on because I figured you would be back. Welcome and I enjoy your blog
ReplyDeleteSo very glad you had the patience to wait until I came to my senses. :) And I truly hope I don't disappoint!
DeleteWell, I don’t have such a grim world view as you, but I laud your preparation, and am very much a “pepper” myself. I think along the lines of our common wind related power outages, iced over roads, or the more mundane stuck in bed with a debilitating migraine! Also, I truly enjoy canning. I can’t really explain the feeling I get at hearing the tell tale “whooshclick” of the jars sealing* and the sight of my pretty jars all lined up on a nice dish towel on my counter. But I don’t think I need to try to explain it to you. My plan this weekend is to get a case of ugly tomatoes and can tomato soup from a recipe a lovely neighbor shared years ago. Since making that, my kids eschew store bought!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your home visits.
*Kids who are in ear shot of that sound STILL cheer when they hear it!
Perhaps I do sound a bit grim. Don't really mean to. I would rather think I am being realistic about the mess our world is in.
DeleteYes. The sound of a sealing lid is music to my ears. Canning simply is a lifestyle for me. And one of the best ways there is to build up a deep pantry.
Sadly, some of the younger generation claim they would never eat home canned food. But it seems to me that soup in a jar will look pretty good to a hungry person!
Good luck with the ugly tomatoes. And good for you!!
You remain on my sidebar, ma'am. And I missed you, too.
ReplyDeleteWhy am I not surprised that you are still with me!! Thank you, my friend. I missed you, too!
ReplyDeletestill here in n.c. glad your back
ReplyDeleteIn a couple more months when winter arrives here in Minnesota, chances are pretty good I will be wishing I could join you in NC!! Thanks for sticking with me.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see you back, Vicki! I don't blog but love the bloggers I follow; kindred ages & beliefs. I'm sure the nurse's family would soon grow damn sick & tired of PB&J when the SHTF!
ReplyDeleteI might have ticked her off a bit with my remark about her choice of emergency food (peanut butter, indeed!). But I no longer care what those who pretend all is well think. Guess I just can't understand someone thinking that handing your child a jar of pb when they are hungry is OK! I wonder where common sense went!
DeleteWELCOME back! I have no one to vent with so you and I can vent together! You verbalize perfectly what I'm thinking. The times are so nonsensical. We need each other! Come Lord Jesus!
ReplyDeleteCelaina...Vent away, my friend! I think it is necessary, if only to remain somewhat sane in a world full of crazy!! I hope to post about preparedness sometimes too. Me...I just do not understand how some can believe everything is perfectly fine. We need Jesus more than ever!!
DeleteWoo hoo!!!! And you're not grim at all! You're solidly grounded in reality. And it's really late and I should be asleep already.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jennifer. And about being awake at 2:16 AM...Me, too. Worked the night shift for years. Body is still on night shift time! On the up side, 2 AM is a nice, quiet time without distractions. I do some of my best work at 2 AM. :)
DeleteI knew if I kept looking at your blog everyday you would hopefully show up. Thank you for posting again!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I will do my very best to not disappoint.
DeleteSo glad that you are back. I kept checking everyday. I just taught a new canner last week. She learned water bath and pressure canning. Keep on canning I'm just afraid that the government will try to take what we have. It's not like when they told us to have victory gardens now they want us all dependent on them.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sticking with me. And good on you for learning how to can. Canning is a favorite method of mine for food preservation. I don't worry so much about government confiscation of our food, although nothing they do would surprise me. I worry more about those who haven't lifted a finger to prepare. When they get really hungry, nothing is safe. Take care and enjoy your new canner!!
DeleteYay! I've checked every day, hoping you'd reconsider! Glad you're back!
ReplyDeleteBless you, Norene...I promise to give this my very best shot!
DeleteI am SO happy to see you back! I learn so much from you and I sure have missed your common sense posts! Glad you are doing everything you can to take good care of yourself. Maybe that little nurse will begin to think about things!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you, Mandy. Thanks for sticking with me. I find some people listen and others prefer to remain clueless. The nurse appears to be in the last category. I find that sad, but not surprising.
ReplyDeleteHi Vicki ! Good to hear from you ! our preppy patriotism IS important ... so is advice to peanut butter people ... just for general info I was looking at my canned goods stash and found a few cans dated 2017 so I opened 2 of them ... had black beans and rice today and tomorrow will be veggie soup ... perfectly ok ! I also met a new neighbor who is anti fast food so now I have someone nearby to share soups and stews with ... remember the times when we could borrow stuff from our neighbors and we gave each other jams, jellies, fruit ,and veggies ? Blessings , Patrick
ReplyDeleteHey, Patrick! So good to hear from you. And good for you in finding a like-minded person close by. They seem to be few and far between here. Although my landlord surprised me not long ago. He stopped in to pick up my rent check and noticed some food in jars sitting on my kitchen table. Got into a discussion about canning. He wondered if I liked plum jam. He and his wife had canned a bunch of the stuff and he promised to bring me some.
DeleteYes - I do remember a time when borrowing food was common among neighbors. So was sharing excess garden produce. Don't see much of that anymore. sadly. Take care!
Welcome back -- for however long the mood strikes and then take a holiday - my two cents of course. And I too left your blog link in my sidebar.
ReplyDeletePerhaps your new nurse will think of you and your discussions should/when a storm blows the power out and she's munching on her PB. Perhaps she still has time. And if not -- oh well. She had her chance.
Life is good if hot here in the Central Valley of Calif.Cooler temps are on the horizon and I'm ready. And then a glorious if wet winter and no snow or ice - ideal for this senior. Cheering you on. SJ now in California
Hi SJ...I am amazed at how many found this post! Thought I would be lucky if two or three showed up. I am truly blessed.
DeleteI kind of doubt that someone who thinks peanut butter is a good substitute for other food in an emergency, would know how to bake bread should the stores be out of it or completely closed, like with a major power outage. I guess, after trying to get others to at least store a month's worth of food and being told I am foolish and that nothing bad will ever happen here, I have little sympathy for those who will find out the hard way. Sigh.
Take care, my friend!
My thrill of my morning checking...You're BACK!!!
ReplyDeleteHow I've missed you!! You are loved by so many, Vicki!!!!!
~BarbaCat
What a nice thing to say, BarbaCat. Thank you and it is so good to hear from you. I missed you, too!
DeleteGood to see you back again, I also kept checking to see if you happened to post again. It paid off this time. Decided to come out from the shadows. Lol. I have been a silent follower of your blog since before the passing of Georges Grouse. I enjoyed his ramblings as well.
ReplyDeleteWe have been watching the most disturbing events in our lives and share the concern of many here. Fortunately we have been preparing for many years for all manner of fiascos. Living in the country it has been a way of life and gardening has been a hobby that now seems very wise indeed.
Like you, I don't know how some folks can deny the threats to our well being as a country and to our economy. I was blessed to have a mom of the greatest generation to teach me.
So I wanted to chime in and say hello.
Lucky, from SE Ohio
Thank you, Lucky, for chiming in. I so very much appreciate it. I get what you say about country living and raising a garden being a way of life. Circumstances have set me down in a town, but my heart is still living in the country!
DeleteI really miss Gorges, too. He had a way of telling his story that made us feel like we were sitting on the front porch with him and his beloved dog.
I honestly do not understand how half the population came to believe the crazy stuff they seem to believe. The idea that government is going to take care of us is ludicrous. And all the evil that now is considered "normal" by so many scares the hell out of me. Take care, Lucky. Things get more insane by the day.