Cold and damp again. 40s to start the day, warming a bit. Sunny, if we’re lucky. It was clear yesterday but the sun wasn’t out much. We might get a high in the low 70s.
Spent the day sorting auction items. Didn’t get anything dropped off at my auctioneer. That slipped to today. I’ve got a pickup this morning, so I’ll be out of the house and moving earlier than usual. That will help me get my stuff done.
I got some paper work done, and some household stuff done. Not much, but a little. Perhaps today will be a bigger work day.
I haven’t been commenting much on the election, the war/ongoing money laundry in Ukraine, or any other politics, because I’m worn out. My ‘give a flock’ is all used up. A while ago I mentioned someone observing that people were ‘pulling in’ their circles of friends and attention. They are focusing on issues and people closer to home. I think that is what is happening to me too, and I didn’t really notice at the time. It seems pretty clear now though.
When times get tough, your attention and what you care about condenses. I once asked my mom what her experience of the Vietnam war was. She married in 1965 and started having kids. She replied that she didn’t pay much attention to it. She had several babies in diapers and then toddlers and young kids for the duration. Her brother was serving overseas, but not in country, iirc. To look at media from the time, you’d think everyone was involved in the war in one way or another, but that’s simply not true. It AFFECTED everyone, but didn’t dominate at home, for a new wife and mother anyway.
Times were tough, and her attention was focused inward. It’s hard to care about other peoples’ troubles when you have troubles of your own.
I’ve also not been posting a lot of basic prepping stuff. That’s mainly because at this point, Bob or I said most of it. Have food, water, shelter, defense, and meds. As much as you can. Avoid trouble if you can. Get your house in order. That means relationships and networks and circle of friends too. ESPECIALLY circle of friends. They are the people who will help you get by, or dime you to the Feds. VERY important to get that right. Far more important than I ever thought it was when I started this journey.
Remember too that life is what happens when you are doing other things. These are the ‘good ol days’. Live them. Pay attention. Don’t be so focused on the future that you miss the present. My prepping is so intertwined with my daily life that I barely think of it anymore as something separate that needs to be done. Equipping and preparing the BOL brings some of it to front of mind, and I try to share that, but otherwise, it’s just normal every day life. As I meet more of my neighbors up north and talk with them I see that “prepping” is really just “what we’ve always done” for a whole lot of people. If you aren’t one of those people, you really need to look for them and learn everything you can from them.
I am convinced more than ever that this is one of those times when everything changes. There will be disasters along the way, and plenty of strife and hard times. But there are still Romans in Rome. We’ll get through this. It just won’t be pretty or easy.
Preps will help. Stack ’em up.
nick