Good morning to you all wherever you may be in this big old world. I hope this finds you all well.
I want to say WELCOME to all those who are new here. We have been having some new folks post and find our little coffee klatch here. Glad to have you and look forward to learning from you.
It is a lovely morning but looks to get pretty breezy and the temps aren't going up a lot today. It is currently 60*F. These cooler days are the days to get things outside done.
Yesterday was beautiful, but I almost over did it. While working on plowing the garden, I got to feeling icky and had to stop and sit down for a while. The garden is in full sun and of course I picked the wrong time of day to be out there. All good now. Pacing myself - got to remember that!!!!
Today is just a bit of thought about getting through this weird old world we are living in. It is NOT political in any way, and I appreciate that you NOT make political statements as well. It is strictly about using common sense and doing what we can to tend to ourselves and our families. I have been seeing and reading a lot about people who have no idea how to survive, nor do they have a plan or think ahead. Our ancestors went through times that were truly tough and here we are. It wasn't always easy, but they made it.
Groceries are up in price, shoot, most things are up. Skills seem to have disappeared. Many think that being sufficient is 'old fashioned'. It isn't. It is FREEDOM! No matter where you live.
We need to garden and prep foods. We need to repair and reuse in all ways and things that we can. We need to learn to cook from scratch and use ingredients. We need to have a lot of simple foods and ingredients on hand. We need to live closer to the land. We need to teach younger folks our skills. We need to learn new skills. We need to know how to adapt!
Saying this, I can say I have NO fear about things. I am confident and feel I can survive. I know I can take care of myself, and I can help take care of family, friends and neighbors. I can adapt to most everything. Fear helps nothing. Spreading fear is soooooo wrong, and it does nothing to help anyone. It serves no purpose. Now that being said, it is just plain smart to be prepared for any type of situation - as prepared as can be. We do not know the future - but we can prepare.
I am resilient - you are resilient! Be the best you can be and the most prepared you can be to help yourself, your family and your community, and your independence!
Slow down in life. Reconnect with people (not electronics) and do what you can to help yourself.
Turn off the TV more and get outside and enjoy the beauty of the world. Make life with real people a priority. Spread joy and laughter.
We plan dinners and outings and occasions.
We take an umbrella when rain is forecast.
We plant a garden and flowers and trees.
We save for the children's education fund.
We keep an emergency fund.
We maintain our vehicles and homes so they will last for a long time.
We buy sales and prep to have goods for another day.
We plan leftovers.
I could go on and on............................
So, get out and plants some GOOD seeds in this world. You can be the positive that influences someone else.
ENJOY YOUR LIFE
This. ALL of this :-) Happy Wednesday!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks - and back at ya!!!!!
DeleteCheryl, I think we are about the same age. On Sunday I also went outside at the wrong time (mid-day) and did a lot of trimming and our weather is hot and humid. I kept pushing to get just a bit more done. I enjoyed it and felt accomplished but I got exhausted. Even after taking a shower I felt so, so tired. Will I ever learn? I will TRY to work in the yard early or after 5 p.m. (We did get a moderate downpour yesterday.)
ReplyDeleteI am not worried about the future partly because I have no children. Here in hurricane territory it has always been more important to have enough clean drinking water than food. Water is often in short supply. People like me stock up on food that doesn’t have to be cooked. That is what the “authorities” recommend. Power is the big thing that can go out for days or weeks. I do not have a generator. (No natural gas in my area so I’d have to store propane, I guess.) I do not feel comfortable using a chainsaw but there are always people in most neighborhoods who go around to help people (free or $$) with downed trees and limbs. Barbara M.
Well, that is what I did yesterday = mid-day. Not a good idea in the sun. Someday maybe I will learn!!!! Not too sure at this age! I did better today - early and it is cooler.
DeleteI can see that being a priority in hurricane land. Water is everything. We can do without food for a good while, not so much water.
Glad you got some rain!
That is what you like and that is what would sure be handy during a hurricane! Yes, power is a big thing and we have no guarantees, especially during storms.
Maybe a gas grill - would come in handy. Limbs are always an issue in storms, and gladly I have people that would help with that as well.
Girlfriend, we need to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses, and not do too much. I always felt guilty for not getting everything done and keeping up. At almost 79, I need to take care of myself so I can enjoy life, not just work, work, work. At the Farmer's mom's burial service, I overheard a lady say that Dorothy had always kept an immaculate house. That had to be the saddest thing I think I've ever heard. Not "I will miss her", not "She was a sweet lady, not "I admired her". I want to be remembered as a Child of the King. This is probably not where your thoughts were when you wrote this post! ha!
ReplyDeleteBoth signs say it all. If we rely upon the Father, we have no worries. It has been the hardest thing for me to say "Your will be done", mean it and stick to it. It is very freeing to stop dragging tons of guilt, worries, and concerns every day. A person who is fretful should try this. Stress affects our health also.
Really nice day! We are headed out to pick some things at Walmart and then I want to buzz across the street to Dollar Tree. Ever notice how many Dollar Tree stores there are?
You and Bits enjoy your day. I think Jacob is realizing that Riley is gone. Poor boy.
Donna, there are a lot of Dollar Trees around where I live too! We like to shop there for certain things, and are happy when they are they are in stock.
DeleteWe had to have our beloved dog, Angus, put down a month ago. He was 13 1/2 years old. We miss him a lot. Our cat Bella, who was raised with Angus, still misses him. She lays on his blanket and just looks sad. We pick her up and cuddle her and sit with her, and it helps us feel better. Hopefully it helps her too. It's hard for the family to adjust to the change. Take care! Cheryl in WA state.
Jacob, Riley's littermate, looks a little puzzled but doesn't cry or bark for him. We think he is lonely but he wouldn't really like another dog. Besides, we're too old to start over with even a grown dog. We are like you...cuddle the one left behind.
DeleteDonna, I tend to push myself too hard. I need to realize I aint getting any younger and need to take it easy some and slow down. I just want a project done once I start.
DeleteI preach it, I believe it, and I TRY - but I still tend to worry about things I have no control over (outdoor kitties safety is 1). I have to put it in God's hands every day and I remind myself of that every day. I even pray about it.
There is all kinds of dollar stores around here too. They do have some cute decorations and stuff. Happy shopping. It is nice today!
Cheryl so sorry for your loss as well. It is tough. Bitsy looked for Blackie for a long time. He laid on his blankie and in his spot for ages. They just don't understand where they went. It is so sad.
DeleteI'm glad to hear you're feeling better today. Yes, we have to pace ourselves especially working in the sun.
ReplyDeleteI am very thankful that being self-sufficient is how I was raised and everyone in my family practiced it. It has served me very well over the years no matter the situation.
I hope the younger generations are starting to understand the importance. I'm afraid how some will handle a long-term power outage when they can't use their phones.
The longest we've been without power was 9 days after hurricane Charlie in 2004. We were perfectly fine. The worst part was the horrible heat and humidity. Now that smart phones are so popular I wonder how different things would be for some.
Enjoy your day!!
My cousin’s apartment building flooded during Hurricane Helene in 2024. The whole building is still vacant. She and her husband stayed in a FEMA shelter for several weeks. Then after a month her husband died (unrelated to the hurricane) at the VA hospital. If she had not had a smart phone it would have been very hard to keep in touch with FEMA and access their documents and also keep in touch with her husband’s doctors. (She also lost her car in the flooding.) Smart phones are a blessing in many instances. Barbara M.
DeleteNo doubt they are but a lot of Americans are literally glued to them for everything.
DeleteWe went through Helene also. For us, the phone system (landline and smart/cell) did not work for many days. It was quite interesting to have no connection to the wider world beyond my own walkable neighborhood. Fuel was hard to come by, everything was cash only, no power or cell service to work credit cards. Banks, when they opened, limited how much cash one could take out, because cash itself was limited.
DeleteI was so glad to have canned food and bottled water on hand, so after I'd eaten down the frozen food (before it went bad) I was not going hungry. I think a number of folks got a Big Wakeup Call then.
MaryB
That is how I was raised too - you learned to take care of yourself and your things as much as possible. I agree phones are very important - but a long enough outage, and they aren't going to work. I would like to keep in touch with folks, but I could also manage without.
DeleteMARY - you can give a good testimonial about that as well. Your area was without a LOT for a long period. I know there are still people that haven't recovered.
A charged phone will only work so long (maybe) if towers work. Canned food and lots of water is so important. Cash is also important.
Many lessons to be learned by younger folks - I agree with Lori, I hope they start taking notice.
Great post as always, you lift me up, my friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you dear. I appreciate it.
DeleteWhat an interesting post, Cheryl.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, following the pandemic, my daughter and her then fiancée (now husband) were getting very stressed about world events. We sat down for a heart to heart and she asked how people coped mentally in the time of the cold war etc and I was able to reassure her that after a while most people get used to the huge things happening in the wider world and just carry on living their lives as normal and the other stuff becomes a kind of background static. I don't think she really believed me at the time but, after the turbulence of the past few years, she certainly gets it now.
All we can do is prepare for anything and have skills and pray! Nothing else will help truly. I think many may have learned some pointers during the pandemic time. It can be stressful at times, but all that stress will change nothing. We just have to wait and do the best we can while waiting.
DeleteI am glad she now understands - sometimes it takes hard things for that to happen.
Your experiences help you and hopefully your family get through things.
Another well said post Cheryl! I think back to difficult times in my life and how resilient I was in surviving well, even though I might have been worrying too much at the time.
ReplyDeleteThe world continues to experience wars, famines etc and I am so grateful to live in a first world peaceful country.
Thanks. I think we have all weathered things that we never imagined and we made it through. Life isn't easy but it sure is wonderful.
DeleteI think so many take freedom for granted - not me!
Dearest Cheryl, well said! Not Bossy
ReplyDeleteThank you! Just a little common sense!
DeleteI love every word of your post. So many people don’t have a clue or don’t care to know. And the food waste drives me insane with all the hungry on this earth. I find it’s not just the young that don’t know anything about being prepared and living with in their means. Not that I’m perfect 🙃.
ReplyDeletePlease slow down and take care yourself,Cheryl. I’m finding in my 60’s I certainly can’t do what I used too.
Sue in MN
Hi Sue. Thanks. Exactly, many don't know what to do and many just don't care. Hope they don't have to see the day that they do need to care! Oh heck, I am not perfect either, not even close. But I do have a clue about things.
DeleteI am working on slowing down a little - my body tells me to! I still do, just a little slower.
I wish I could say I had no fear, I am very fearful for the future, both immediate and long term.
ReplyDeleteI thought Donna’s recount of her MIL being an immaculate housekeeper very sad. At junior sport once I told a mother her son was batting next but she said she couldn’t watch him because she needed to go home and vacuum under her beds. That has remained my standard when I ask myself do I have time to attend this function, spend time with a friend, stop and chat to an acquaintance…. Would I rather spend time with a person or vacuum under my beds???
Once again Cheryl, thanks for prompting some thoughts that in my world at least, might get lost by the wayside in day to day life. Take care, Sleepless Louise.
I guess I just figure, no matter the worry, whatever is to happen will anyway. I can't stop it. I wish I could.
DeleteIt is amazing what priorities people have. Yes, people need to realize that experiences and people are so much more important than a spotless home or workaholic job. Reminds me of the song "Cats in the Cradle'.
You are a giver and a doer. Keep doing it.
Get some sleep!
You are a helper and a doer and that is great.
Current events are all fun and games, not so much when they end up at the front door trying to get in.
ReplyDeleteMany current events are not fun and games, we all know that. We just make our little section of this big old world as good as we can. That is all we can do. Stay safe.
DeleteCheryl, this post brings up some interesting things. I have a few friends who are overly prepared with food storage and other things that should make them feel secure. However, they are actually the ones always sharing things on social media about how the sky is falling and how soon we won't be able to buy food, etc. In other words, even their security stash doesn't satisfy that need to be worried about the world. I think this is where common sense and trust in God has to meet. It's not our job to take care of the world. That's God's job. All we can do is take care of our circle and a little bit wider and if everyone would do that, God can handle the other. Thanks for always making us think :)
ReplyDeleteYou hit it right on the head! Some people are never going to be happy or realize that they have 'little' control.
DeleteGod has the world in His hands and He is in control. We can try to take care of ourselves in our best way - the rest is all up to Him.
I have skills and knowledge, which will help my little circle - but I also have faith in God - and that is everything in my book! His will be done.
That's because the sky is indeed, falling. Diesel fuel is what keeps the store shelves stocked. If the blockade in the strait of Hormuz remains much longer, high diesel costs cause runaway inflation, thinking Weimar Republic levels. If God forbid the US/Israel resume combat then it's game over...catastrophic food shortages and $10/gallon gas.
DeleteAnon - just work on your little place in the world and try to be as good as possible. What will be will be - nothing you or I can do about it, but pray.
DeleteTrue enough, sometimes God intervenes and miracles happen.
Delete