The Hard Times Cafe

I was warming water up on the stove last night for baths.  I had the reservoir full but needed it to finish up dishes so I figured the cook top was hot so might as well put some water in pans and use that.  I can get 3 turkey roasters plus one large kettle on the top.  As I was filling the pans and checking the reservoir to make sure it was full it occurred to me how close and personal water and I have become this summer.  I know that sounds odd but really.  I never knew how much water my family wasted.  Now don't get me wrong, I still have cold water at the touch of a faucet but cold water is basically good for drinking and cooling milk after pasteurizing.  Hot water makes things function.  Bathing, washing, cleaning etc.  I learned over the summer that it took an amazingly small amount of water to shower in.  The solar showers hold 5 gallons, two of us could take showers with water from one.

This summer I learned I could wash the days dishes in less than 3 gallons of water.  I recycled in little ways.  Hot water from the pasteurize went into the dishpan.  As my great grandmother and grandmother would have done from days of old I washed the least dirty first then the dirtiest last.  Hoping, praying the water would hold out.  A big change for me, although I don't have a dishwasher I have always liked to change my wash water with every load, glasses get one, plates another, etc.   A little quirk of mine and so wasteful, I always have left the hot water running to rinse the dishes.  I have sense learned that wasn't possible or necessary.

I found that yes, this might be more than many could accept, certain things in life changed. Cleanliness, though most certainly didn't have to be sacrificed must take place at different levels.  Hot water at hand to wipe down the table, to fill a bucket to mop with, to wash clothes.  I am a product of our thoughtless society in more ways than I thought.  Its made me wasteful and worst still, unappreciative.  I have taken one of the basic necessities of life for granted.  Use to when taking a bath we will fill it to capacity to soak in, almost every time.  Whether we had 5 minutes of 20 minutes.  We have a claw foot tub to boot.  Holds more water.  When doing dishes besides constantly changing my water and leaving it running, I would find I would fill up a pan and let the dishes soak.  If I got busy doing something else and the water got to cold well you guessed it, I'd empty and refill.   We figured we went through on the average 2 hot water tanks full of water a day.  About 60 gallons.  That of course doesn't include the cold water.

Last night as I filled up the containers I wondered how much was really necessary.  I had filled my reservoir us 3 times yesterday by that time and I thought how crummy it would be if we had to all it in from outside.  Then it hit me, what if it wasn't available.  15 gallons of water just to wash with, that doesn't include cooking or drinking.  As stated in a long past entry, water storage is a weak point in my pantry.  Obviously if hard times are here your only going to worry about drinking it for life's sake.  But not to be able to wipe off a counter or have it to cook/boil something with could wear quickly on someone's nerves.  So I guess my point here is besides drinking water make sure you put up some water to cook and wash with too.  But also start now to see how much you really use and how much is really neccessary.

Weak points in the pantry can be found out when its too late to do anything about them.  I would recommend some dry runs.  Living off your pantry for a week or more to see where you need to shore up.  Another week point I found this summer was in the area of protein. 

 

We've had to use our pantry a lot this summer.  As this recession has hit home here.  I'm sorry, I forgot, all of Washington says we aren't in a recession yet.  Okay well for whatever reason we've had to tighten our belts here and protein is an issue in our pantry.  In most  pantries people worry a lot about mood foods, and though important they are the least of needs.  Make sure to look over life giving requirements and how your pantry is stocked there.  The old saying you don't want to  get caught with your pantry down is so true.

Until next time at the The Hard Times Cafe