Band of orange
starts as a sliver
creeps
expands
fills Eastern sky
with light and color
erases
dark of night.
Yesterday I stocked up on groceries.
Uncertainty filled my cart with extra noodles, a mega-bag of flour, and cans of beans.
I can make enough chili to feed a party of three for months.
Who wouldn’t love a bowl of steaming beans and tomatoes on a sultry July day?
I am not panic prone, but as I read signs—
One Bag of Rice Per Family Per Day,
No Refunds for Mass Purchases,
and saw a decimated aisle of paper products that two weeks ago was stacked to the ceiling, I acted out of character, selecting three massive bags of trail mix, four boxes of angel hair pasta, two bags of lentils, and a large jar of powdered chicken stock.
Prudent or piggish?
I’m conflicted….
and empathize with myself knowing that one of my primary jobs for twenty years has been keeping my family fed home cooked food.
What about people who don’t know how to mix, stir and bake?
My checker looked tired.
When I asked How are you? with eye contact,
Done with people, came her reply.
I tried to put myself in her shoes.
We made small talk about ice cream and toilet paper priced over a dollar per roll.
She smiled.
I smiled.
And then I went home to stock pantry and freezer.
There’s a band of orange expanding in the Eastern sky…..
We’ll still be eating chili come July.
Yet another rich, rewarding read for the day, Gail. Interesting how survival strategies are shared. Dried beans; canned beans; jasmine rice and yellow rice; Better Than Bullion - chicken & beef; non-fat dried milk (the last two boxes - one from Walmart and the other Publix); crackers... I was envisioning cheese & crackers but decided making cheese from non-fat dried milk might take some special effort! Kippers. Then there's the toilet paper... as a former hunter and backpacker, there are some worst case alternatives. Hope for the best but expect the worst!
I wished I had stocked up on toilet paper, rather than scoffing at the alarmists, lol. Stay well, Gail. Is your son home from college?