With war on the horizon in Europe, my friend Carolyn and I were discussing how it was living through the last world war.  The world lives on oil, and it will become scarce.  This generation hasn’t had to carpool.  Everyone has a car with one person in it. A huge waste of gasoline.

Back then, everyone had chickens, a cow and hogs.  You can exist on dried beans, milk, eggs and bread if--you have hog fat or oil.  When the pandemic set in, I bought dry white and brown beans.   A lot of them.  Flour, cornmeal, dry milk and oil. Canned goods.  Pat has hens, so eggs were available.  All of that was just “in case.”  Everyone else was buying toilet paper--obviously they didn’t know about news paper and the Sears catalog.  Gran saved chicken feathers to make comforters and beds.

You need a saw to cut wood to build a fire.  As I think back, families shared tools.  All tools were run by hand, not gas or battery.   I still have my dad’s whet stone to sharpen knives and tools with.  Every kid who was able to walk had a job to do in the house.  And as soon as they could get a real job, they worked.  And gave the money to their parents to help pay the bills.  No air conditioning.  Heat was from wool clothes and blankets.  You lit wood in a fire-place or wood stove.

We may be getting ready to do some of that again.  I can do it if the city will give me water and electricity.  Otherwise, I’m going down the tubes.  Carolyn is going with me.  Come Lord Jesus.  I’m tired of war.