Reflections on ushering in the decade, 2020:
Neighbours helping neighbours were very apparent. Our road was impassable for three days, and one neighbour cleared the entire street. It was amazing.
Neighbours were looking in on each other and helping where it was needed.
- We prepared all of our meals on our woodstove, and the heat source was beautiful. It would have been a different story without heat.
- A tea kettle on the woodstove provided us with hot water for coffee, hot water for tea and hot water for doing dishes.
- Drying frying our grain-free bread makes the best toast ever. It was so successful that we have continued to make our toast that way.
- Just coming off the Christmas holiday was a bonus. We had frozen turkey dinners and turkey soup. They filled an incredible gap.
- We were very creative with some of our meals, incorporating our sprouts into many meals. We served ham and steam baked potatoes with lots of steamed veggies for our New Year’s Eve dinner. The leftover ham became ham and eggs in the morning.
- When the muffins and crackers ran out, our morning snacks became walnuts (a gift from our neighbours) and Christmas oranges with the small loaf of grain-free Christmas cake.
- Our RV generator ran our fridge and freezers for about four hours a day: therefore, we lost no food. Also, this is how we charged our cellphone and computer. We enjoyed supper and the evening by candlelight and our favourite music.
- Having a hobby like learning to play the guitar helps fill in the time in a most enjoyable way. We both made super progress this week.
- Canasta and scrabble and reading our Bidding in the 21st Century (Learning Bridge) helped pass the hours.
- There was lots of snow to shovel, so lack of exercise was not an issue.
This experience again drove home the point that each of us needs to have some emergency preparedness. Having 72 hours supply of batteries and candles is at the top of the list. Local grocery supplies dwindle rapidly. A working flashlight or lantern is invaluable.
The Anglemont community water has a generator, so having running water made things immeasurably easier.