bookstore « Robin Writes

Here’s a thought – and I’m channeling Grumpy Cat, just FYI – don’t any of you read books? I know you must, because I know a lot of people who DO read books, and surely I know YOU. Or maybe not.

My point is that here I sit, while everyone is Christmas shopping – at Amazon? Maybe. Or maybe you already finished shopping. Or maybe you don’t give books as gifts. Beats the hell out of me.

And it’s true, we don’t usually carry bestsellers, but we can order them for you. And we have a lot of great titles, in spite of them not being on “that list.” In fact, we have our OWN list!

And a lot of people don’t seem to realize we’re here, even after two-plus-years. Even the ones who park their big damn SUVs right in front of the store, and then wander off to eat lunch or have their nails done for a couple hours.

I see posts and hear people talking about “shop local” all the time – but when it comes right down to it, these same people “like” pages and talk about “great deals” at big box stores. That’s where the advertising is, that’s where the “deals” are. I guess.

My point – wait, I already said that – my OTHER point is that we have nine months left on our store lease and it’s time to make some decisions. And this Christmas shopping season is definitely making me think twice.

Here’s some er, food for thought:

What do you stock up on for SHTF? Of course, we’re all familiar with the food groups – however many the US Gov has now decided upon – and we know we need a variety. For example, you might look in my freezer and see bags upon bags of green beans (apparently, it was a bumper year) and think I’d lost my mind.

Perhaps, but that’s not the point.

My garden can be rather sporadic, huge crops of one thing, virtually nothing of another, but it might not have just been me: my co-op group had scads of green beans this year. The point is that it’s a good thing my family likes green beans – lima beans, for instance, and at least two out of three of us would be suffering for lack of vegetables. No, I don’t have any lima beans socked away, or cauliflower. Same issue, different vegie.

On the other hand, at least they’ve gotten used to fresh or frozen green beans, and not those disgusting commercially canned . . . things. Ick.

From all this, we can definitively state that whatever foods you choose to stock should be something your family will actually eat.

Now, of course, if/when things really get bad, I doubt anyone will be picky. Heck, I might even make an exception for chicken or some other bird. It could happen. Maybe. At this writing – no freakin’ way! Regardless, I digress . . .

You can’t cave in to the picky eaters, but there’s no point in stocking foods no one likes. Initially when SHTF, you’re going to need all the positives you can muster, and decent food is certainly one of them, along with physical comfort, i.e., warm clothing and dry shelter. Being well-fed and fairly comfortable will go a long way toward helping you and your family cope.

But in the meantime, introduce more variety, particularly of native foods. And don’t forget to plan for your garden, now and after SHTF – you will certainly need to replenish over the months or years; prepping and stocking are, after all, only meant to get you through the initial period of unrest.

However long it lasts.