There have been a lot of things that have served us well - for example, some of the earthquake proofing measures we took several years ago were very effective back in March. Fortunately, the earthquake was on the smaller scale. The only damage we had were a few things falling over and our water heater going out. There are other things that could have gone awry. If our earthquake had been bigger, and our water supply had been affected, I definitely would have been kicking myself for not having our water barrels filled (we had just relocated them and had to drain them to do so. Day after day I kept thinking, "We need to fill our water barrels." But when you've needed them NEVER, it's easy to keep procrastinating). Immediately after the first earthquake and the subsequent aftershocks settled, we went outside and filled up our water barrels. We ended up not needing them, but it reminded me that we could need them someday (I confess, I hated that we might need water after an earthquake and that all of the pandemic water bottle hoarders would then be validated!)
I've been reminded of how quickly one's financial situation can change and how scarce resources can become. I had a thought early on that I should really write it all down - because there were things that kept coming to mind in terms of, "If I'm ever in a situation like this again, I would like to have this, this, and this in place." Of course, I didn't write any of it down - because why would I forget? Yeah... I forgot. The only things I can remember of dire importance are 1) a water supply and 2) a six-month financial reserve - even if I'm only able to contribute $10 a month toward it. I don't like thinking about future emergencies because, somehow, that makes me feel like I'm willing them to happen. But I think it's wise to prepare.
Even though I can't recall all of the emergency essentials I want to implement for the future, I have been very aware of some of the more frivolous things I've had available to me during the pandemic and earthquakes that I've been very grateful for! I have to admit, in all of the anxiety-ridden imaginings I've had of disasters and turmoil throughout my life, this scenario was never one of them - the one where we are hit with a world-wide pandemic, and we have to homeschool our children. If this scenario takes place again (and it might, as we know), here are some of the more luxurious things I hope I'll have on hand again:
A Bosch Mixer
I bought a Bosch on Black Friday. I'd always wanted one but couldn't quite justify the expense since I owned a working Kitchen Aid (that I got for free), and I don't bake all that often. I finally decided to just go for it! Then I had Bosch guilt because I spent lots of money on a mixer that I rarely used. That all changed in March. Baking became one of my coping mechanisms. I also have to be thankful that I bought some flour and yeast right before COVID went wild. I remember seeing big two-packs of yeast at Sam's Club and thinking, "I'll never use all that yeast before it goes bad, but it's so cheap!" as I loaded it in my cart.
A Roll of Butcher Paper
A Whiteboard
As soon as they announced that school was closing, I bought a whiteboard. I knew that having my kids do school from home would mean being asked a thousand questions a day, and I felt like I needed to have an information center to keep things organized. Seventy-six days later, the whiteboard is just a regular fixture in our day.
Chickens
I love having chickens, but over the past couple of years, I've gotten tired of taking care of them. Pre-pandemic, we were toying with the idea of getting rid of them and being done with animals altogether. Our rabbits are gone, the parakeet finally died, and all we have left are chickens.
For a while, it was hard to get eggs from the store, and I was so grateful that we had our chickens! It renewed my love for them. Not just because they provide food, but also because there is something comforting about sitting outside while the chickens roam the yard in the evening. It feels homey and relaxing, and we really needed that feeling of, "Everything is fine because there are chickens!"
Spring Clamps
We keep a box of clamps around the house for the kids to use to build forts (we stock up regularly at Harbor Freight - they are so handy). I can't even tell you how many forts the kids have built over the past ten weeks. They build them inside and outside. They've slept in them. They've done school in them. They've taken shelter from the rain in them.
All hail the clamps! A pandemic must-have!
The Garage Recliner
(Alternatively called the "driveway recliner" depending on its location).
You all know I love my recliner. Many a pandemic day, when I've been so mentally and physically exhausted that I don't know how I'll keep going, I end up in my driveway recliner while my kids do sidewalk chalk or ride bikes. In the thick of the stay at home order for Salt Lake County, sitting out in my chair gave me the chance see humans - even if they were just in their cars waving. I was always so happy to see other people. It became one of my favorite things to do - just sit outside and watch for people.
The Garden
Other than a few cilantro leaves, we haven't harvested anything from our garden yet this season, but I've been so glad to have it in progress. The garden has served multiple purposes for me this season. For one, it gave me a sense of accomplishment. Prepping the boxes, planting the seeds, and having them grow has been really satisfying. Eventually there will be the reward of food! At the beginning of the pandemic, when so many food items were scarce, I had legit concerns that fresh produce might not be available at some point. It wouldn't take a big thing to prevent trucks from being able to make their deliveries. I knew if we got to that point, garden seeds would be the next thing people started hoarding, so I bought the seeds we needed for our own garden just so they'd be available to plant when the time came. We planted our early crops right away and then planted the rest in late April (which is still kind of early for Utah planting season, but we took our chances because the weather was especially good at the time).
I'm very glad that we've been able to maintain our food resources and that most of the things that were scarce two months ago are available now. But I'm also glad that we have the space in our yard and the know-how to grow a few things just in case.
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Some other things I've been really thankful to have are miscellaneous arts and crafts supplies, board games and puzzles, access to digital libraries (Overdrive, Audible, Deseret Bookshelf Plus, Kindle, etc), jump ropes, a fire pit, a sandbox, birdhouses, Otter Pops, grocery pick-up, and a box of chicken costumes.
“Bosch guilt.” Yes! I’ve wanted one for years but I’m worried I won’t use it enough.
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