OK. Here's the Deal.

I haven't asked anyone's permission to do anything since I left my parent's home at age 17.  I really would like to know just why some government official thinks I now need to ask permission to live my life as I see fit, within the law.

I have a simple solution to the problems facing us all. 
Open everything back up.  Now.
 
If I decide to go to a ball game, I go.  If I fear catching a virus, I stay home.  If a ball player wants to play ball, he does.  If he fears catching a virus, he doesn't.
Those business owners who want to open their businesses back up - do it.  If they fear catching a virus, don't.
Those who have lost their means of employment, go back to work.  If they fear catching a virus, find another means of employment.
If I want to shop at a department store, I shop.  If I fear catching a virus, I order online.
If I want to see a movie, I go to the theatre.  If I fear catching a virus, I stay home.

There is talk of forcing those who are vulnerable to stay home.  That would be me.  I am nearly 74 years old with health issues.  If I choose to spend time with family or walk the dog or sit on a park bench, that is my choice.  If others want to join me, that is their choice.

It really is quite simple.  We are grown-ups.  We make choices every day and we live with the consequences of those choices.  We know how the virus spreads and if we decide to risk contracting it, that is up to us - not some bureaucrat.

I will not comply.  I will not live the days I have left in fear.  Should my decisions cause me to catch the virus I will do everything I can to avoid spreading it to others.  But I absolutely refuse to ask permission of anybody to live the way I choose.

Besides, I already have my permission slip.  It is called the Constitution. 

Good Day, Fellow Inmates

I know I live like this all the time, but even so, this whole 'shelter in place' thing is getting really old.  I see my oldest son and I am glad of it, but I have three more kids that I can't hug.  To say nothing of grandkid hugs. 

You know it is getting bad when the highlight of my week is a warmer day when I can open a window next to my dehydrator and dry some onions.  When you live in an apartment building, you need to be mindful of your neighbors.  Not everyone is pleased with the smell of drying onions.  Nevertheless, tomorrow is the day.  I am excited!

The construction of an apartment building across the street continues.  The workers don't seem to be too concerned about masks and social distancing.  They are just busy doing the job they were hired to do.  It is good to see the work continue.  There are so very many that wish they could do their jobs as well.

Our governor has opened golf courses, marinas and parks, but no camping and no picnics.  We are now allowed to go fishing as long as we fish in a body of water close to home.  If your fishing rod breaks, good luck.  No opening of sporting goods stores.

Minnesotans are getting cranky.  There have been protests outside the governor's mansion, with more planned.  There are many who worry more about being able to feed their families while unemployed than worry about catching the virus.

Me...I baked two loaves of banana bread, one of which just left my apartment with my son.  I will continue to add to my food storage as much as is possible.  There are quilts to sew and afghans to crochet and books to read.  And I will continue to pray that the light at the end of this tunnel is not a freight train headed our way.

Just a short post about food.

 I have been seeing accounts about meat processing plants across the US that are shutting down.  Ice Age Farmer in his latest post tells the story much better than I can.

I can not speak for anyone else, but I have made the decision to order as much meat as possible in my next few grocery delivery orders.  Some stores are already setting limits on meat products.

It is not only the meat industry that is suffering.  Vegetable farmers are finding that with the shutting down of schools and restaurants, they no longer have sufficient markets for their produce.  Another Ice Age Farmer video uploaded a few days ago discusses this at length.

Today I am canning ham and yams.  Last week I canned 16 pints of peas and carrots.  I wish I had ordered more foods to be canned.

While our country is being held under house arrest, our farmers are facing the devestating conseqences of a virus.  I understand that this virus is serious and people die from it.  But I also understand that if we don't do something positive soon, we will not have much of a country left.  

Cabin Fever, Anyone?

I can't honestly say the 'shelter in place' orders have affected me very much.  I am housebound anyway.  My sister called to see how I was doing.  We decided that we didn't mind staying home as much as we minded being told we HAD TO stay home.  We, of course, blamed our Dad, who never liked being told he had to do something, no matter what it was.  :)

Duane and I have ordered Easter dinner from the restaurant where he works.  The biggest reason for doing this is to support local business in these trying times and the second reason being that this way, neither of us have to cook.  We had two choices - individual meals and a meal for four - both with all the trimmings.  We chose the meal for four with the idea of having enough leftovers so that neither of us would need to cook dinner for a few days.  After doing the math, I found it would have cost more to buy the ingredients for dinner than we paid to order.  Win - win!

I have been seeing videos and articles about food shortages.  Some are due to last year's bad weather that had an effect on the harvest as well as meat animals lost to flooding.  Others are due to Covid-19.  Tyson just closed a pork processing plant in Iowa because some workers have the virus.  Other meat processing plants across the country have done the same, giving farmers and ranchers nowhere to ship their meat animals for processing.

Other warnings are being heard from the grocery industry.  It seems now that restaurants are closed with minimal take-out orders still in effect, many are now having to cook their meals at home.  This has resulted in 'panic buying' at the grocery stores, leaving some shelves empty.  Some stores are putting limits on the number of certain items that can be purchased, while others are limiting the number of shoppers in their stores at one time.

So far, aside from the lack of toilet paper after the 'Great TP Stampede' last month, the store where my delivery service buys my groceries has had little if any shortages.  I will find out if that is still true when my order is delivered Thursday this week.

Ham and turkey are on sale and I saw no notice of purchase limits, so I ordered two of each.  The plan is to cook one of each, divide the meat into meal sized portions and freeze those for easy meals.  I haven't decided if I will can the rest or just freeze them whole for later use.  I also have ordered frozen peas and fresh carrots to can together in pint jars for an additional vegetable option.  I like peas and carrots as a vegetable for a meal or in casseroles or cold macaroni salads.
 
Until the canning starts again, I have been spending time doing what I love to do - reading, sewing, crocheting, etc.  I found myself feeling guilty for not being productive, but as a dear friend pointed out, "You are retired.  You don't have to do anything, so do what makes you happy."  Good advice.
 
Although I am sure there are other newsworthy things going on in our world, the news broadcasts are filled with little except the latest dire reports on the virus.  I wish the newscasters would report on the number of recoveries as often they do on the number of deaths.  We desperately need good news.
 
Here in my little corner of the world, I am keeping track of the latest developments, but I am also working really hard to stay positive.  We need to get our people back to work.  I find it astounding that all those years ago we could successfully send men to the moon and get them back home unharmed, but we haven't been able to figure out a way to get our citizens safely back to work.
 
Hang in there.  Do something that makes you happy. Pray.  We might be in a long, dark tunnel, but I have to believe there is a light at the end of it.  And never, ever give up.      

How Much is Enough

I look at my shelves full of food and think I must have enough to last a year.  But do I really?

Danny over at Deep South Homestead put up a video this morning entitled "Breakfast For a Year - Reality Check."

I believe I will need to get out the calculator and do the math.  I have a sneaking suspicion I am not as prepared as I think I am.

If someone wanted to bring America to its knees...

they are doing a fine job of it.

I understand this virus is no laughing matter.  It is insidious in how it is spread and heartbreaking in the way it takes lives.  It has ground our great nation to a halt in a way that nothing else could.

I have come to believe there is much we are not being told.  Frank and Fern have posted an article that mirrors the conclusions I have found.  Please go read it, for it tells the story much better than I can.

I was wrong to set aside preparing simply because it may be more difficult now with all the restrictions that have been put into place.  We may need every jar of canned vegetables, every bag of rice and every every can of tuna we have set aside before this thing goes away, if it ever does.  We need to learn everything we possibly can in order to survive.  There are videos and articles out there to teach us how to bake bread, how to fix things instead of buying new, what herbs to use when medicines are no longer available.  Watch a movie once in a while, for we do need distractions, but the ones who are most apt to survive hard times are the ones who know how to do stuff.

In this time of isolation, staying in touch with friends and family is important.  My family calls to check on me.  I email back and forth with friends.  It all helps to keep our spirits up.  We can not let all of this bring us down.  We are a strong people and we will survive.

Keep on prepping.  Keep on praying.  We are all in this together.

So Now What...

Now that we are officially a shelter in place, social distancing nation, what are we doing to cope.

First off, my oldest son who lost both his jobs when restaurants were closed here in Minnesota, has been called back to work three days a week.  It seems the carry-out business at the bar & grill is booming.  He was pleased, as three days a week are far better than no days a week!

I talked with my oldest daughter over the weekend.  She is working from home. Her son is home from college and will be taking his classes online.  I am relieved he is home rather than still at school.  They have a table set up with a huge jigsaw puzzle on it.  My family for the most part are avid readers, so books play an important part in passing the time.  Jill said if I need anything, she will get it for me and leave it outside my aprtment door.  She is taking this virus thing seriously.

My youngest granddaughters, both teens, called me.  Both will be happy when they are no longer under "house arrest."  Being teens, they miss spending time with their friends, but are able to stay in touch via phone and computer.  Apparently their Dad is keeping them busy with some household chores and they are seriously considering shredding his 'To Do' list.  :)

My youngest daughter is in Montana where her boyfriend is doing some construction work.  They are just fine, but I hope they are able to get back home to Minnesota fairly soon.  I have heard rumors of travel bans between states.  I hope that is just rumor, but those two are well equiped to cope with whatever comes their way and for that, I am grateful.

Me...aside from limiting access by others to my apartment, life continues as it has the past couple of years when I have been mostly housebound.  I have decided to put a hold on canning and dehydrating for a time.  I don't want to be one of those people who selfishly clears a store shelf, leaving nothing for others.  I had become lazy about baking bread but the baking will commence this week.  The bread on the store shelves can be used by those who don't know how or can't, for one reason or another, bake their own bread.  I am keeping my grocery order as close as possible to the items on sale, with only minimum amounts of staples like milk and eggs.  Luckily, I have enough food stored that if I am unable to get groceries, we will be just fine for a long time.

I find that although I am a bit of a news junkie, I am in danger of being overwhelmed by the virus news everywhere, all the time.  So I read enough to keep myself informed, but then move on to other things.

I do think there are some positive effects of this shelter in place thing.  Families are spending time with each other rather than everybody going off in oppposite directions.  Meals together as a family that had nearly become a thing of the past, are now happening.  I wonder if some will find the benefits of online classes outweigh the costs of physically attending a university.  Homeschooling of younger kids might see an upturn.

In my travels through cyberspace, I have noticed that there are those who thought preparedness was something to laugh at, have now had a 'come to Jesus' moment when they were caught without enough food or water.  Granted, grocery stores are still open, but there are shortages on all levels and no guarsntees that supplies will reach their intended destinations.  And those who relied on restaurants for most of their meals are finding life has changed considerably for them.

My street is still very quiet.  There are only two cars parked on a street that is usually full.  At the construction site across the street, I saw one construction worker walking about.  All the cranes and other equipment are parked in a row.  Even the kids on skateboards have vanished.

That being said, we will get through this.  We are Americans and Americans are some of the most resiliant, determined and resourceful people on the planet.  We didn't forge this nation of ours by curling up in a corner and sucking our thumbs when things got bad.  We met each crisis head on and we will do so again.

One thing that gives me hope is how some are reaching out to help those who are the most vulnerable.  My grocery service that is run by volunteers, will continue to see to it that their clients get what they need to stay healthy and survive.  I have heard of individuals who are quietly and without fanfare, preparing and delivering meals to neighbors who need help.  Others are volunteering their services to pick up much needed medicines at pharmacies and deliver them to those who need them.

We can do this.  We are all in this together.  God bless.