Toni's second day; pt3 her luncheon

     After breakfast, Toni waited for lunch!  Well, really, she was tired from walking to the river and getting two buckets of water so she could have her bath. When her bath was done and she had changed into her last set of clean clothes, I sat down with her and talked about the importance of clean, safe water for daily use. When that was done she lay down and took a nap. She woke up to me eating my lunch. Remember the second egg I had hidden? I cooked and ate it. I boiled 2 oz of rice to complete the Cuban poorman's meal. 

     Toni wanted to know what was for lunch. "What'd ya make us for lunch?", she rudely asked. "I'm eating a poorman's Cuban meal. What are You making Yourself?", I pointedly stated.  "What? You didn't make me anything? How rude!" On and on she droned. 

     When it dawned on her I had finished my lunch and washed up, Toni looked to her pack to see what she could make for lunch. She took out her mess kit and sloppily made too much food for one person in one setting at this time and place.  

1 whole 7-oz wet pack of corn. 

6 broken crackers from the table cracker sleeve. 

1-4 oz. can of chicken. 

1-2 oz pack of pasta shells. 

1 packet of coffee, again. 

She made herself a casserole that took too many dishes to store. She just about ate the whole thing within 5 minutes of serving her food. "Toni, you have to pace yourself. Everyone is still on rations. No one's garden has come in to eat as much as you did just now." I continued to tell her, "Everyone one is waiting and praying for their fresh vegetables to grow, their fruit trees to bear fruit, and their live stock to multiply." 

     After she digested her meal, she took her buckets and got more water at the river. This time she boiled and treated the water before she used it. She took out her five seed packets and asked me for my opinion on her garden. "Did you get any more when they picked you up? You need to economize. You can't snack throughout the day because 'there's nothing to do' or you're a nervous eater'.  You'll run out of food, seeds and live stock. Milk your goat. Learn to make goats cheese. Trade your skill for food.

     "Five packets of seeds are a start. How many seeds are in them? Are they heirloom seeds? Will they grow true? Read the back panels on your packets. Choose the packet closest to our weather and environment."  (Easier said than done. The packets we got were for cold weather. Here we are in a warm area.) Other than that, she'd do better to ask a pro. I told her about the workshops the community put together. I think it went in one ear and out the next. I don't know. Time will tell.