Monday Message

"Today, I emphasize a most basic principle: home production and storage. Have you ever paused to realize what would happen to your community or nation if transportation were paralyzed or if we had a war or depression? How would you and your neighbors obtain food? How long would the corner grocery store—or supermarket—sustain the needs of the community?" (President Ezra Taft Benson)

I don't think we have to imagine anymore. We now see happening what we never could have thought of but yet we are here.

I know it is harder now but try to pick up a little extra when you get your groceries.

It is hard to conceive not to being able to get all the supplies to even bake bread...something I never thought I would see...but here we are.

I made this bread this week. I'm thankful I have stored the ingredients to be able to do so. I looked up yeast to see if Walmart has it and it still doesn't. I do not need yeast, I have lots but I am using it to judge how things are, same with meat.

I have not been inside a grocery store since this started to get bad in the beginning. I do the online store pick-up as we are in the high risk. So this is why I check, I have no idea how the shelves are.

Our positive cases are rising and the news reports say lots of states are rising, this being said, try to be ready for harder times ahead. There will continue to be limits on things and shortages on many things. Have you noticed the toilet paper company with the bears in the commercial went from "you should not have to worry, we are working around the clock" to "you aren't using too much are you?" They claim that because they are a good brand you can use less... something to think about.

The virus is still here and going strong. We need to keep doing the things that will keep us safe. If we get complacent it could have bad consequences.

As I'm writing this, our 46th wedding anniversary is tomorrow on June 15th. I know this will be two weeks ago by the time you read this. We were together in seventh grade and every year after that. We were high school sweethearts and married two weeks after we graduated. This will be the weirdest anniversary we have ever had as we cannot risk going anywhere and it will be the cheapest as we will be eating in and not going out. We will miss the Half-Priced Bookstore as we would include that in our anniversary date. But when things call for it, we all must do the most prudent things.

I made up seven more bread mixes while the bread above was going on.

I make three loaves in two weeks time, one of those is cinnamon swirl. The one pictured above is plain though I throw in a handful of oatmeal.

The garden is doing great. I did have to replant some green beans as one package did not come up. I was just going to leave it but I went through my seeds for something else and did not think I had any left. What was I thinking? I had several packages so I replanted those. I also planted a package of pole beans out on the post so we shall see, so far everything is doing well.

We were given Easter lilies over the years all white except one pink and this is what they became.

I will soon be picking raspberries to be making jam. I usually freeze till fall when it is cooler to be making jam.

Gus says keep working on your storage...plan for harder times and hope for better times.

There will be peaches this year, I cannot wait!

Missy wants to know what things you are doing during all this.

Everyone stay safe!