When Charles and I started living more like the past, it did not take long before we realized how important this was for our life.
We started understanding why we were suppose to stay in our small house and this was well before the pandemic. Now we know this is why we were suppose to learn to live on less, it was why we needed to change how we lived.
Doing our history projects we have learned that anything can happen and it can and does still today so yes, we need to live a more prepared life.
We know that if we make purchases that our money should be on necessary living expenses and items that will help us to be more self sustaining. It is all about keeping a roof over our heads, power, running water, food on the table and medical care.
I am thankful that we have kept a pantry and kept extra supplies on hand such as food, laundry soap and bath soap and first aid kit.
I have a difficult time with people that think this is hoarding. Keeping a pantry or food stock is simply the right thing for anyone or family. It is done over time so there is no panic buying. It is thought through and rotated.
Now that our food supply is somewhat questionable, I top off and topping off would mean if I use 2 cans of something I will buy four. This will build the supply slowly without causing a shortage for others. We also have canned and dehydrated vegetables that can be used if we cannot go to the store for a long time. I keep grains such as rice and flour, cornmeal and such as that.
I especially like to stay stocked up on items to make pasta or oatmeal for breakfast. But I like to keep something growing in the garden to have something fresh to eat when possible.
I hope that if anything at all is learned from this pandemic is to have a better sense of what our families need to get us through something like this or ever worse than this. How to live a more prepared life and have better finances.
Charles normally comes home for lunch on Mondays. Since we are being careful with him not catching or bringing home the coronavirus while working he removes his clothing outside and washes off before coming into the house.
So he does not have to do all of that for lunch we set up an area outside to eat lunch in the garden. It was a beautiful day yesterday.
We normally eat our main meal around noon or 1:00 and eat a light meal in late afternoon or evening so this was our main meal yesterday. Oven fried chicken, boiled carrots, buttered potatoes and a large salad. We enjoyed the breeze and the birds chirping and all the beautiful flowers in bloom.
If I would not have had some chicken I could have used canned chicken to make chicken fritters.
Our home is our refuge through the thick and thin so to speak. It matters how we treat our home. A pit stop or a place to find comfort.
We make our home what we want it to be. I want ours to feel like home.
We cannot grow food if we do not plant it. Most everything takes some effort and gardening takes a lot but it will reward us and feed us if we feed them.
Our first cucumber of the year.... a pickling cucumber.
I know the Blackeyed Susans will be gone soon, I will miss them when they stop blooming but there will be other things happening in the garden.
So while they are still here I will capture their beauty.
The yellow snapdragons are suppose to be an annual but they gift us each year by coming back like a perennial.
Each year we think we cannot fit one more plant in the garden but we always do. We have flowers and cucumbers, zucchini, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, bell peppers and other peppers, sweet potatoes, dill, okra, peas, cabbage, lettuce, many herbs and now our addition of asparagus. Then there are the fruit trees and bushes.
Many times we get garden gifts from the birds and wildlife and sometimes we get seeds so we can start all over again. This year we are trying to expand our knowledge of saving seed, we feel it has become very important.
I encourage you to try to expand your knowledge to help yourself to become more sustainable.
Grandma Donna
