December 28
Posted on: December 29, 2012I took today to think over the latest events: Teresa is dead (still digesting that); someone is trying to burn the town down (definitely still digesting that!); and there’s a dead body on Eagle Beach (is death becoming the norm?). Nothing I can do about any of this, except notify Gary with EMS about the body, and that can wait until tomorrow, and he can alert Pete for another burial. I don’t want to do it – I just don’t!
I took a quick inventory of what was left in the coolers. Some chicken, several turkey thighs, six packages of burger, the roasts and steaks I had grabbed that last day plus the steaks from Tom, in one cooler. In the other, ten pounds of butter, five pounds of bacon, fish and shrimp, and soup bones, lots and lots of soup bones; Time to do something with those bones. I opened four packages into a pot; added a chopped fresh onion, dried celery, dried garden herbs and a fresh bay leaf off my bay laurel tree … how long will that plant survive? I filled the pot with water from a drinking bucket and set it on the stove. It will take two days before its edible. We still needed lunch. One pint of venison soup and one jar of mixed veggies, a handful of rice, to split, plus homemade bread. It will have to do. When will this become our only meal?
I’m really feeling down.
All my preps, I felt I had so much, enough to last me forever, at least well past the next growing season. But I didn’t count on so many depending on me, not really. Will I have enough, or will I let everyone down? The responsibility is overwhelming. Is that how Teresa felt?
Nick, You should be so proud. That’s an excellent job.
Deborah, Yes, no matter how much we put away, when the stores are empty, the food goes quickly. I was completely cleaned out after Hurricane Isabel and we gave away 2K worth of supplies, and that was 2003 prices. I have never been able to restock to that degree again.
Remind me that sometime I need to pick your brain about making soup from soup bones for canning. I haven’t done that yet.
Still looking for a Bay Laurel plant local purchase, but no one seems to carry them. Time to expand my search.
One thing that has really helped me was, when we bought our house I fenced in the back yard. I actually fenced in 5,000 sq.ft. for the dogs, but over time it has turned into an expanding garden. The garden is about 2,500 sq.ft. now, and about as much as I can physically handle alone. If something happens we[as a family] will expand it to full size, and could even expand it into the field behind our place. For those of you who have a limited area for gardening, Google WWII British gardening and the US Victory Gardens. Any piece of ground which will take a shovel and seed will grow something.
Nick – SWVA
Oh ps.. I expand my garden during the winter so I can spend all my time during the planting season on crops and processing what it provides for us. Physical limitations prevent me from using a tiller, so I do it by hand. Those reading Deborah’s wonderful story could do the same, if necessary, post event.