The only sound, sure and enduring methods of defence are those based on your own actions and prowess.
Machiavelli, The Prince
We are continuing today with Annabel's 30 Day Preparedness Challenge and I am reflecting on where we are in our preparedness. I love this quote by Machiavelli, as really, we have no one to blame (or thank) except ourselves in certain situations. How well we plan and prepare, how we live, the risks we choose to take, the things we believe in and the things we fight for are all on us. Our actions and our prowess are what matters here, and I think we are naive if we expect others to step up for us in times of need or rely on others to help us. Of course, we all want to help, but how can we be in a position to help others, if we haven't helped ourselves?
Day 15: Your Vehicle
Annabel offers such a comprehensive list of things to keep in your vehicle as a matter of course. As of today, we have a First Aid kit, including things necessary for snake bite (they are the most dangerous threat to us where we live, especially brown snakes which are lethal). I also keep aspirin (for my migraines) and other over-the-counter medications, hand sanitiser, spare face masks, hand wipes, antibacterial wipes, tissues, warm gloves and little disposable hand warmers. We have a small selection of spare clothes for the kids (they aren't as necessary as they were when they were little and constantly needed spare clothing!), hats (both sun hats and beanies) and a space blanket. In the boot there are blankets and umbrellas. We don't have any cash at this point in the car, nor do we have torches or batteries. This is something to consider for the future.
Day 16: Foraging/Gathering
Blackberries grow wild around where we are but as they are considered an invasive weed they are often sprayed with poison. We have tried to grow berries in pots but haven't had much luck. I would love to grow them again, as there is nothing sweeter than fresh raspberries, blackberries and blueberries straight from the vine, still warm from the sun!
I don't often see plants growing on the side of the road, offering fruit to the casual passer-by, but I am a bit of a plant thief when it comes to succulents or ground covers. I will only take a small clipping to take home and plant in my garden. Many of the flowering plants in our front garden were free and grown from clippings. In Spanish there is a saying: stolen plants grow the best! And of course, we just mean a clipping or two, not digging up a whole plant!
At the end of summer we were able to visit the farm of some family friends where they let us forage their abundant olive trees and quince trees. We brought home kilos of fruit! The olives are all in jars ready to be eaten and the quince made 4.5 kilos of jam which we are still enjoying! Often, people are more than willing to share, if only you ask nicely!
Day 17: Medical
This is an important one, for most people I am sure. Ensuring that you have the medicines that you need on hand during an emergency is vital, but even having everyday medicines is important too. Most parents will tell you that there is nothing worse than needed children's paracetamol in the middle of the night and not having it! We always keep paracetamol, ibuprofen, electrolytes and cough medicine on hand. As both my daughters also have allergies we have a supply of anti-histamines in the medicine cupboard too. One of my daughters suffers from seasonal asthma (and so do I), so we need to make sure that we have both her preventer and her ventolin at home (and in my handbag). I have thought about keeping a spare puffa in the car, but I'm not sure how it would survive with the extreme temperatures inside the car.
We also keep bandaids, bandages and the little ones that are like stitches and hold together a wound, antiseptic cream, Dettol, antiseptic powder, calamine lotion, and a range of other everyday medical supplies. Our disposal mask supply is a bit low, I'm working on replenishing this slowly.
I really liked Annabel's suggestion to have spare eye glasses on hand. I currently have two pairs with prescription, but as my prescription isn't too strong I was thinking of buying a third pair that you can buy cheaply at the chemist, just to have on hand.
We got caught out on this one not long ago when we returned to lockdown rather quickly. Luckily, we were able to get by with what we had on hand (although the bunnies had to eat grass for a day or two without any hay!) and have since started to replenish. We have a cat, a budgie, two rabbits, and five chickens. The chickens are good at free ranging and get plenty of scraps from the kitchen. I also make them a porridge mix of cous cous and oats each morning (especially in winter), so I make sure that I have these in the cupboard too. We do rely on their eggs, so its best to keep them happy and well!
We keep worming tablets for the cat and have a good supply of her food now too.
Day 19: Addictions
Some people were of the opinion that a sober and abstemious mode of living considerably reduced the risk of infection. They therefore formed themselves into groups and lived in isolation from everyone else, having withdrawn to a comfortable abode where there were no sick persons, they locked themselves in and settled down to a peaceable existence, consuming modest quantities of delicate foods and precious wines and avoiding all excesses.
Boccaccio, The Decameron
As long as six hundred years ago, there were some who chose to isolate from the plague, to live a 'comfortable' existence, not one of excess or panic buying. But one where they had what they needed to live modestly and peacefully. As one who constantly looks to the classics for inspiration on living a refined and simple life, I have to smile when I read this. Is it too late for us to take some inspiration here? I hope not.
Have you been joining in with this week's challenge? How did you go? What areas could do with some attention in the coming days?
Kirsty x
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