My sisters and I take care of our sweet 81-year-old mother on a rotating schedule and this week she’s staying with me. She’s had Alzheimer’s for about 10 years and then suffered a stroke two years ago. Since that time, it’s been a wonderful privilege to care for the woman who always cared for us.
Today was fairly busy but that’s normal, right? First, I squeezed in time for prayer and scripture study, read the Book of Mormon with Lizzie for maybe six minutes, and then raced her to school while my mom was still asleep. Next it was time for my mom to get up, be showered, eat her breakfast, and head back to bed for her morning nap. While she was sleeping, I got myself ready for the day, cleaned up the kitchen, washed and folded a few loads of laundry, vacuumed the main floor, scrubbed a bathroom, and worked on my talk for upcoming presentations.
When my mother woke up I fed her a late lunch and raced her to a hair appointment. As soon as she was settled in the chair, I took off for the bank and post office, making it back just as the last spritz of hairspray was being applied. Then we headed back home where Carin, a dear friend and makeup artist, was waiting to do my mother’s makeup for a special photography session. During that time, one of my sisters picked up Lizzie from school and dropped her off at home so that I could supervise the homework, snack, and piano practise before she drove Lizzie to her piano lesson. (It takes a village.) As soon as the photographer left my house, I bundled up my mom and took her to visit one of her sisters and deliver a belated Christmas present.
By the time I got home it was 7:00, everyone was hungry, and I had nothing planned for dinner. (Please tell me you’ve been there.) This is where my food storage makes a real difference in my daily life. I cracked open a can of chicken chunks and heated it with a can of cream of chicken soup and half a cup of powdered milk. That took 2 minutes to prepare. Then I sliced three zucchini and half an onion and sauteed or almost burned them in some olive oil and garlic. While that was going, I had leftover cooked brown rice heating in the microwave. On his way home from work, my husband picked up Lizzie from piano and stopped at the grocery store for the birthday treat she needed for her school class tomorrow. Then he quickly set the table, washed lettuce leaves, and I topped them with sliced tomatoes and dressing. I think we had a complete meal ready in 10 minutes. It wasn’t anything amazing but it was nice.
You know, with the economy tanking and jobs being lost everywhere, more people are beginning to see the obvious advantages of food storage. In addition to emergency preparedness, having a food storage helps ME navigate the day-to-day challenges. It helps me provide basic meals for my family when I simply don’t have enough time to think about food. Having food storage has meant that even hectic days have a better chance of ending with a family meal enjoyed in our home.
