Accepting Limitations, Mint Plants and Other Ruminations

On the right is a picture of my mint plants - peppermint and a chocolate mint - growing in a corner garden. I just watered them with the soaking water from the kidney beans (pictured on the left) that I mentioned in yesterday's post. The mint leaves will be picked and laid on an old screen to dry for use in my teas this winter. I don't recall the exact names of the plants; I bought them at our local farm store last summer when they were 4" plants! They're fragrant and don't require any special work to grow.

Medical Equipment: Woke up late today. I'm going through another cycle of this blasted MS and fibromyalgia so my sleep has been intermittent and I'm feeling weary. I tried to knock myself out last night with a sleeping pill and a couple benadryl tablets about two hours before that but, by 4 a.m. I was still thrashing from leg cramps and having difficulty turning my head. But, I'm fortunate to live with a man who accepts my condition and I'm not yet in a wheelchair.

So insomnia led me to think of our medical provisions. Between the two of us we've spent 15 years caring for others. We've met the challenges of everything from Mesothelioma, dimentia, amputations, incontinence, broken limbs, and vertigo to heart conditions, MS and Parkinson's. And, now we're aging ourselves. It's inevitable if you live long enough. So how many of us preppers - especially those age 60 and up - have prepped for some of the aforementioned conditions or just plain old age? Do you own a pair of crutches? A wheelchair or raised toilet seat? How about a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope? A urinal or bedpan? A bath bench that allows you to slide across it so you can sit in the tub/shower? We have all of these things and in the ONE YEAR that we've lived in this home, many of them have been used. Remarkably, I'm the one who has used them the least! The bath bench, crutches and urinal have been most used by either Sweetie or visitors! Sweetie's son had one leg amputated last fall and spent two weeks with us this spring. My father visited in late summer and got sick for three days while here. Incredible, huh? And, being 10 miles out of town we were prepared. Just something to think about.

Other Ruminations: I suspect a lot of us are waiting for the next "rescue" of some financial institution (seeing as there's a pattern with Paulson and buddies), or the next "failure" of a major bank or corporation. Or perhaps we've caught mention of a suspension of trading or that government fella in the UK being chastised for mentioning the "R" word. Or maybe some of us have already grown weary of hearing about any of it and a certain amount of complacency has crep into our thoughts. Myself, I wonder if that's not what these morons are hoping for. I mean, if we grow complacent and get a bit glassy-eyed over all the financial talk and the political mud-slinging between the Repubs and Dems, wouldn't/couldn't the powers that be get a bit more emoldened? But, really, when I carry that line of thought a bit further, I say to myself "Hell, they'll do that anyway."

So, what's a person to do? Well, turn off the news for awhile. Take a walk, savor time with your loved ones, bake a cake and pet your cat! Other than continuing to prep, there's not much any of us can do at this point. Sadly, things will have to deteriorate a whole lot more on several fronts before many people do something radical. We are, after all, the peons who the rich and powerful have counted on to keep the game running. If we no longer participate in the game (due to their greed making it impossible for us to do so) than the game's over. And that's when the real uncertainty begins. And uncertainty is disconcerting; it's scary for most people. Knowing what to do, even if it's not what you want to do, is better than not knowing/uncertainty.

In my mind, one thing is certain. Life as we know it will never be again. This is both a good and not so good thing. The question is, do you know the difference?

Is it a bad thing that people without 20-25% down can no longer buy a home? Is it a bad thing that our inflated home prices are exposed for the illusion that they are? Is it a bad thing that our convenient, consumptive lives built on plenty of credit are no longer possible? Is it a bad thing that words like "scrimping", "saving", "downsizing" "making do", "gardening", "home cooking", and "lowering expectations" will likely be associated with the words "wisdom" and "prudent" and no longer be seen as denegrating the person or their lifestyle? In other words, will the words "careless" and "wasteful" and "reckless" be assoiciated with people who continue to do everything possible to maintain their illusions of "status" and "wealth" and "success"?

As all the schemes play out and our lives begin to transform, those who've recognized the errors of "globalization" and "conspitious consumption" and their associated costs will take comfort in being less affected and better prepared to weather the coming changes. And that's a good thing.

Well, it's time to take my own advice. I'm going out for a walk, Treesong