YIKES!! Shortage of Field Workers in CA Could Spell Disaster in the Grocery Store

We don't need this as a problem!  CA supplies 1/4 of the USA food. 

That is a lot of food by the way!

No matter what your political bend is -----  This could impact everyone!

Time to think garden in the Spring and a nice Pantry full of food.

New York Times article:  Don't miss reading it!

California Farmers Backed Trump, but Now Fear Losing Field Workers

 https://www.thrivelife.com/justicepantry  FB Group Justice Life Pantry

FB Group Ancient Trees of Myths

 

Cutting Back on the Big Box Store - Not Really Just a New Strategy

You have to understand my husband has spend the last 7 years going to Costco 3-4 times a week.  We live just over 2 miles away.  Sheer danger written all over that. You know if you have shopped Costco that a $20 trip is unheard of. lol He was a great shopper though.  He would stick to the list and bring small surprise items home, which was fine.  I was the one that would spend $500 a trip.  We were both working and the cash was flowing.

This is the year that big changes arrived.  He had a mild stroke in Aug.  The regular trips disappeared.  My health is such that I could not pick up the ritual.  Our son and grandson live with us but our son is busy working.  So as the dust has settled and my husband is recovering nicely but slowly I have implement a new strategy. 

The goal is to shop 2x a month.  

So I create a list that is designed to make it easy for our son to do the shopping.  Since I know the store in and out.  I create the list as though I am walking through the store front to back to the refrigerator items then to the meat over to the paper, laundry, dog supplies up to bread and the freezers then over to the milk then over to the canned goods and ending with the pharmacy.  Oh I do include the candy area at the end.  :)

This approach is starting to take shape.  This is the 3rd time we have done it.  Yes our carts look like the one above.  My goal is to actually shop only 1x a month.  It will take another refrigerator to meet that goal.

I have been building a deep lauder [food storage or home store].  The approach will save us money and time.  The benefit is if funds are low one month, health issues arise or an emergency happens we will have plenty of food.  :)  I like the sounds of this!!!!

Another part of the plan has been to implement My Thrive Q!

 

What is the Q? 

 

 

It is a wonderful program.  You get fabulous freeze dried or dried foods shipped each month to your home.  I am able to set a budget for each month.  Then place my order.  I love that it is delivered right to my "door step".  I am modifying my pantry to include more freeze dried and dried foods because they save time, space, money and give more nutrients AND flexibility in preparation than canned goods. 

Want to learn more?  http://www.thrivelife.com/justicepantry

Have fun building your pantry strategy!  Judy

Preparing for TEOTWAWKI, Depression II, Great Recession or an Emergency with Family Lore, Stories and Teaching by Example!

I follow many blogs on preparation, emergency awareness, gardening, food storage, practical living, sustainability, being a modern survivalist, peak oil, peak anything, financial news, TEOTWAWKI, spiritual inspiration and just plain fun subjects.  Yes I love to read and find the Internet the greatest library!

Now what does this have to do with my title?  I made a post on another blog that I wanted to share with you.  Here it is -

Depression Stories - The “Depression” was fixated in my mind by my Grandmother and Mother. The stories were passed down. My Mother has written a variety of stories on how the family survived during those years when she was a child. I believe family lore is important. I have read how leaving an “ethical will” allows for “what I learned in life and hopes for the family” to be passed from one generation to the next. Family stories put into book form do the same. Even movie stars are into writing what worked and did not work in their lives. In our family we have a Christmas tradition that came straight out of the Depression. My Mother’s parents would buy a tangerine [expensive in that era], an Almond Joy candy bar and a package of gum. Then they would divide them up as a treat. Every year members of my family get a brown paper bag with a tangerine or orange, an Almond Joy candy bar and a package of gum to remember how far the family has come. This last Christmas my Mother read her story about the tradition. Maybe that will become a tradition as well. It was an inspirational moment. I believe family traditions and family lore is an important tool in the box of “how to live prepared for whatever”.


Buzz Terms - When it comes to terms I find that “buzz words” are helpful as well. My children are in their 30s and 40s. They respond to terms like “sustainability”, “locally grown”, etc. I use the term “pantry” or “food storage” but my mother called it in her stories the depression term – larder. I guess in the future those who read her stories will have to have a dictionary to explain the meaning [smile]. I use the buzz words when I “Tweet”, on my Blog and on my personal Facebook page. My goal like everyone reading this is to BE prepared for whatever happens.

Staying Ready for “Whatever Happens” - I strive to keep the pantry full and have long term food storage. We garden and have an orchard even if they are in pots. It keeps our fingers in growing things and lets my children and grandchild “see” how it is done. We keep emergency items on hand. We are always working on something that will keep things up to date. I guess it is teaching by example. This year as you might remember I had a series of surgeries and almost died. I might not live to see the next Depression or TEOTWAWKI. I follow the blogs, keep inspired and do my best in preparation. I try to blend my life with necessities as well as trimmings. I have lived poor and comfortable and I prefer comfortable. My goal is an abundant life and being prepared is part of that life.

Hope you found something that will inspire you to live a life filled with Abundance and Prepared! Judy

Snug as a Bug in a Rug - A Deep Larder and Pantry

I always like the saying but do NOT want bugs in my rugs. Security though is something that I am always striving to reach. Having a full pantry is part of that secure feeling. Food seems to be such a basic survival item. In a priority it would be #2 next to water. Then there would come clothing and shelter.

I use the word Larder because my mother always talked about her Mother's pantry as a larder. I had fun researching the difference between Pantry and Larder. I thought you might be interested in what I found.

Wikipedia has an excellent description of pantries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantry

Pantries can serve several functions. In Medieval times whole rooms served as pantries. I love that idea. I remember a friend that had a custom built home. She had a 6' x 12' storage area offer her kitchen. It was fabulous and all shelved lined with food. A dream pantry. My husband and I love to walk through model homes. It has always surprised me that they were 3,000+ sq ft for $750,000+ without anything but cupboards and maybe a 3'x4' space as a "pantry". I am fortunate in my 2,200 sq. ft. home to have a 5'x 6'. I want a whole room!

Butteries were built on the North corner of the house to keep things cold [cold storage] in early America. Wouldn't it be great to have your own "cold storage". So often we think of a basement for this function. I don't have a basement.

"Butler's pantries, or china pantries [storage of serving items], were built between the dining room and kitchen of a middle class English or American home" during the 18th and 19th centuries. I like the idea of having space for different functions. There were shelves and counter tops in these rooms.

Now a Larder is close to a "Buttery Pantry". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larder They were built on the north side of the house to keep the space cool. In Australia it was the south side. They even could have a screened window to help keep them cool. They were very popular before refrigerators moved into the kitchen. Now I like the idea of a large cool space for food. Today it takes more than one refrigerator if you are into having a full pantry.

At the present I have food stored in several locations in the home. It would be great to have a "room" designated for this.

Happy Pantry and Lauder storing! Judy

Emergency Supplies for the Unexpected Hospitalization and Recovery

With all of the earthquakes families have been thinking of starting preparation for emergencies or updating their emergency supplies. It is good to do this. Others are developing a 3 month or more supply of food and necessities because of concern of loss of employment. I have spent years trying to keep a full pantry. I recently discovered another reason I have not seen discussed in the blogs – hospitalization. March offered me another reason to keep a good pantry and supplies on hand. I went into the hospital on March 5, 2011. I spent a week “enjoying” the services of the hospital. My husband found himself becoming a caregiver. The whole month has become embroiled in recovery. It will be another month building my strength. The full pantry has really helped save time and energy for my husband. He only had to reach on the shelf at home to supply my needs. Shopping was almost eliminated in the process. I am facing a possible surgery in 2-3 months. I hope to make sure the pantry is full for that time as well. Preparation for the emergency is important but the emergency might be hospitalization and recover. It might be a good time to check your pantry and see if it is full. Judy

Being Prepared for the Unexpected - Be like the Stores Stock the Shelves!

Sustainability brings up many issues in my mind. Today I will address the ability to Sustain my family during the unexpected. Mexico right now is trying to contain a very deadly flu. Now I live in the Pacific Northwest. But the Mexico to my region connection is active. It could be in my backyard quicker than I would want to think about. In a situation like this I would not want to be out in the public very much. It is critical that I maintain a supply of what my family needs and uses at home. A harvest to harvest [1 year] approach is good.

Spring is a perfect time to reaccess the family pantry and bring it back up to "filled". It is easy to let the pantry slide during the winter months. We have eaten quite a bit out of ours. It is time to reshake the shelves and see what needs purchased. Fortunately the garden [I hope you are planting one!] will give wonderful fresh food this summer. Yet the need to have the necessary items is all the more critical now. Be like the stores and Stock to those shelves!

Happy Pantry Stocking! Judy

P.S. A helpful article "Stay at Home Toolkit for Influenza!"

http://www.co.nezperce.id.us/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=5FH434lyuKo%3d&tabid=450&mid=1057