You know That Uneasy feeling

the one you've had since childhood. It's here.

"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them." Maya Angelou

The loudspeaker crackled us to attention meaning the principal was about to make an announcement. This was Friday and generally at the end of the school week announcements were to let us know of an up and coming event such as a tornado drill, duck and cover, or assembly in the gym scheduled for the next week. But today would be different, very different.

The crackle stopped and there was silence in the room. A long pause from the loudspeaker, then a shaky, male voice cleared his throat and began, “At 12:30 this afternoon President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. He died about a half an hour later at the hospital.” I don’t remember what was said after that, but I do remember our teacher bursting out in tears.

The dismissal bell rang with a fierceness jolting the classroom of 3rd graders out of their heads. Slowly students began leaving their seats in zombie like slow motion and headed for the exits. Sobbing could be heard throughout the building. Our world was no longer a safe place if the president could be killed, shot in the head they said. Why would someone do such a thing, I just couldn’t understand? I was too young at that time to understand all the intricacies of how close we actually were to danger with the Cuban Missile crisis boiling over on the back burner. But I heard things on the TV and adults talking about how the president was keeping things from escalating.

That feeling of uneasiness never goes away. It lives on your soul like unwanted tattoo. Always present, always a reminder of what our world has become, constantly screaming “there is truly no safe place if they can kill a president.” A good president. Then Robert Kennedy his brother and Martin Luther King jr. were shot. No place is safe, no place is safe. This kind of change leaves a scar sometimes.

Today I think back to my grandparents day. They were born around 1900s and lived into well their 90s. The things they must had witnessed! The automobile, wide spread use of electricity, the vacuum cleaner, the electric toaster, the Great Depression, and four wars. WWI, WWII, the Korean and the Vietnam. Grandmother would have been 18 at the end of WWI. This new millennium of American history, brought in with it at the turn of the 20th century, a constant deep uneasiness. This uneasiness is now generational.

It’s a warm summer Sunday in 1968, 5 years later. Grams and Gramps had retired and moved to a hand build cottage from the trees on the property, nestled in the those woods facing a pristine, glistening lake. A soft breeze coming off the lake brushed my cheek as I jumped out of the car and race to greet them. Grams was in the kitchen in her apron as I bust through the door. She had a batch of homemade egg noodles rolled out on the counter drying waiting to be used in the meal she was making for us. Such pleasant memories and for a brief moment I forget my uneasiness about the world.

Coming in 2024, food shortages and the possibility of rationing are already in the works. Our world again has been brought to crisis level. Then there is this disturbing thought rolling around in my head that in my Grandmothers day rations stamps were pretty much accepted and households learned to adapt. Many new recipes were created and enjoyed. But in America how will todays households deal with food shortages and rationing is the uncomfortable question? I try and reason this out in my head and simply can’t get a grasp on it. Maybe my wooded isolation won’t let me see through the trees. But from just what I know about the average household, it won’t be easy. People have lost basic daily skills. Or maybe imposed convenience has stolen it from us.

I remember my sister a few years ago when I was at her house, I I complained she had barely enough food in her cupboard to feed herself for a day. If she ate at all she preferred to eat at fast food places or pizza delivery until one day she got sick and there was nothing in her house to eat. It was the reason I was there that day. She had just gotten a diagnosis of cancer. Her lifestyle of living mostly on coffee and cigarettes and working the midnight shift and sleeping during the day for over 14 years were contributing factors. Her body was devoid of nutrients and she had no vitamin D in her at all!

What follows are some lessons I learned from dear grandmother that my sister chose not to learn;

*Grams always had a pan of water sitting in the sink to wash dirty hands even though she had electricity and running water in the cottage. The pan in the sink with water in it was something they did back in their water hauling days and just continued forever it seems.

*On a warm spring day Grams would throw open all the windows and freshen the house with a breeze off the lake. Next she stripped the beds of all their blankets and hung them outside. Blankets are monstrous to try and wash by hand or in her wringer washer so she let the suns UV rays disinfect them. Small rugs too were hung on the clothesline or a fence and smacked with a broom or a stick.

*Back during the depression era plastic baggies hadn’t been invented yet. Waxed paper was all the rage but before that reusable beeswax cloths were used as sandwich wraps and supper leftover covers. Saran wrap wasn’t around yet either. There are youtube videos everywhere on how to make waxed cloth. I love these things, what a money saver!

*Melted beeswax also works well as a waterproofing agent when smeared on the toe of your boots. Personally, I’ll add a teaspoonful of an oil such as coconut, olive or even lard to the melting beeswax to help the wax smooth out evenly when applied.

*Fragrant herbs and spices burned in a fireproof container in the sickroom kills germs and freshens the room. Hospitals did this back at the turn of the century. Ready made incense sticks are just as good, I’d think.

*Put rolled oats in a thermos and pour boiling water over the oats. Put the plug on the thermos and let sit overnight. You will have a hot breakfast waiting for you in the morning. This one is great if the power is out or out camping. Leftover stew or soup can stay warm for a long time in there too. Even spaghetti.

*Grams had whipped honey in the center of the kitchen table always. You know, I can’t remember a time when Grams had a cold. Honey has such wonderful healthy properties. Recently, I learned that you can treat MRSA with honey and tea tree oil. How awesome is that?!!

*For a cough that won’t let you sleep, warm a pair of white cotton socks. Rub Vicks vaporub on the bottom of your feet, put on the socks and climb into bed. Works damn near every time! On infants, I use chopped onions and put into their little booties. My mother-in-law told me to do this when my 3 week old son was showing signs of pneumonia during the blizzard of 1977-78, I was so worried. By morning he was so much better. His dad and I took turns staying up all night keeping an eye on him. Oh why does a mom get gray hair?

*There is no better medicine than the loving touch and care of another human. However, during stressful times those who stress easily, are angry or get upset at trivial issues, or have issues with bodily functions should NOT be a caregiver.

*Now is a great time to talk to your grandparents and find out what they know or what they knew about their own grandparents. I’m sure Grams would love the visit in any case. Give them many hugs and kisses. You will miss them when they are gone.

Time is now to learn as many of those basic day to day living skills as soon as possible.

Meet Brad, a family man his video will quicken that uneasy feeling with what to look forward to next year.

You can find lots more helpful hints in “How to Survive and Thrive When the Power is Out.” I left pages blank in the book for your own personal stories and recipes. Hopefully, these pages will be filled in and passed down to the next generation. They are going to need these skills even more than you.

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