Three things Toni and I did at the trading post. We got food rations. We got our clothing rations. Finally, we got our trade credits filled out.
At the trading post this week I got my usual food. Similar to last week I rounded out my 50 credits this way. 3 cans soup, 1 can tomatoes, 1 can peas. Toni filled out her 50 credits this way. 3 cans soup, 1 can grapefruit, 1 can peaches.
Then
I picked my next allotment of clothing. My last choice was the men's utility kilt. It has a variety of uses. I enjoy it as a blanket myself. Last month Toni picked a jumper utility. She won't get anything this month.
Anyway, my new clothing is another kilt as well. Last month it was navy blue. Today it's brown. I tried to get the same color, again. They didn't have navy blue in stock, by the time I got there. This one should work better as a bedding.
Finally, Toni and I brought milk and eggs in to trade. We actually turned them in first before we stepped in to the store. This way we had a voucher stating how much credit we got for our trade able food items.
We earned extra credit/rations for trading. We decided to share what we got today with our milk and eggs. With the store credit we were able to buy acetaminophen, 500 mg, 100 tablets. When we got back we counted and divided evenly our medicine. First, of course, always wash our hands. We got the water basin out, along with the soap. "Don't touch that til you wash your hands." We both washed and dried our hands at the same basin.
Other things we bought: an old newspaper, shoe strings, yarn, and toothpaste tubes.
The newspaper isn't even worth a quarter at home. Here it's entertainment, hygiene, and tinder, respectively. We enjoyed reading the newspaper. We both read it so many times. The financial section is used as tinder or toilet paper, first, since we never made a dollar from the stock market. We made sure to keep the comics. The rest of the newspaper awaits to be used up in due time.
We were so in need of new shoe strings. One package of two is enough. One for me one for Toni. We're going to need new soles for the shoes soon, too. Gotta start looking around for the village cobbler.
My yarn! I sit out front and let people see that I know how to knit certain items. They'll come to me and ask me to make a trade. "Do you know how to knit socks?...hats?....dress?....scarf?....blankets?" I'll answer with, "sure, whatcha got to trade with?" "....got any baby cloth diapers?....unexpired canned meat?....unexpired canned food?....yarn to make your project?" They have to supply the yarn, not me. Everyone can only get so much material from the trading post. So I make an existence knitting.
Finally I got a tube of toothpaste. We had run out of it some time ago. Everyone did. I tried to brush one day with snd one day without. Eventually the tube ran out completely. Even when I spliced it open to get the last of the paste. These past few weeks I've been brushing my teeth without toothpaste. I simply take my toothbrush out of it's battered plastic pouch and brush my teeth and gums. One time someone traded me some mouthwash (travel size) I was in heaven! Minty breath and no cotton mouth. That ended after a while. I got it to last 3- almost- 4 days. Then it was no minty breath and no cotton mouth. But today we celebrate having toothpaste again!
Where's that financial page? Good night.
From newspaper circa WWII.
