This year we are also starting a pandemic.

This is our first major pandemic. It is another new and frightening experience.

I found myself not only preparing my home for possible disruption of daily routines, due to a pandemic , but also preparing for the disruption of having one child no longer in the mix of those daily routines. On top of that, I have had to add preparing that darling daughter-college-child for possible disruptions in her own daily routines, while at said college.

In preparation for a disruption in my shopping routine and the possibility of things just not being available in the stores like they usually are, should this pandemic escalate,  I been reviewing what I currently have in stock at home, in our pantry.

I have also been doing the same thing for our daughter. Making sure that she is also adequately stocked to weather a pandemic storm, while away from home, in her dorm.

Before she left we had the necessary piles of college ‘stuff’ ready to pack up and cart to her new dorm. Boxes of stuff. Bags of stuff. Tubs of stuff. But, much to her dismay, I added one tub and one bag that she HAD to take with her. In addition to her new comforter, pillows, towels, plastic drawers, photographs, cleaning supplies and school  supplies she had an ‘Emergency Two Week Food Box‘ and a ‘Flu Kit‘.

The ‘Flu Kit’ included:

• N95 Masks (several styles) (with instructions on use)
• Latex free gloves (with instructions on proper removal)
• shower cap-Hand sanitizer
• Disposable
• Thermometers
• Tissues
• Pain Relief (Tylenol)
• Anti Nausea
• Anti-Diarrhea
• NyQuil Cough/Cold
• Tamiflu
• CDC Guidance on Home Care

Her Emergency Two Week Food Box included:

(3) Hormel ‘Completes Dinners’ (Chicken breast/potato/gravy)
(3) Hormel ‘Completes Dinners’ (Turkey/Stuffing/gravy)
(3) Hormel ‘Completes Dinners’ (Roast Beef/Potato/gravy)
(3) Hormel ‘Completes Dinners’ (Beef Tips/Potato/gravy
(6) Canned Corn (Individual serving pop top cans)
(6) Canned Green Beans (Individual serving pop top cans)
(6) Success Rice boil-in-a-bag *
(3) pkg. of chicken noodle soup*
(6) Ramen Noodles (Chicken)
(6) Soup-Campbells Chicken & Stars w/ pop top
(3) Dry Gravy Pkts-Chicken
(3) Dry Gravy Pkts-Beef
(2) Sm. Peanut Butter
(5) Pkg. of Graham Crackers-4sheets/pkg*
(10) Chewy Granola Bars*
(12) Apple Sauce (Cinnamon,snack size)
(6) Cheerios-Single serve*
(6) Rice Krispies-SIngle Serve*
(3) Gold Fish Crackers-Single Serve*
( 8 ) Teddy Graham Crackers-Single Serve*
( 8 ) Vanilla Frosting-to dip Teddy Grahams-Single serve*
(2) 6pk Snickers Bars
(1) Bag Reese Peanut Butter M&M’s
(2) 6pk Reese Peanut Butter Cups
(1) 12 pk. of shelf stable milk
(15) Hot Chocolate Envelopes
(60) Tea Bags – 3 20/pk packages*
(6) Gatorade-32 oz bottles (had to pack in a sm. duffle bag, it made the tote too heavy. Tote was already heavy!)

I had to be creative with the food box, so that it contained foods that she would eat. The tub with the food is duct taped shut and I told her that she can open it up and eat it all at the end of the year, if it’s not needed before hand. (The dinners are fully cooked, 90 second heat up in mircrowave – there’s a microwave in her room. If she has to eat them cold … then she eats them cold).

A Flu Kit and Emergency Two Week Food Box … not the things you normally think about and pack for your kiddo/new adult to leave home with. Not the things that same kiddo/new adult is anxious to have other dorm members see them lugging through the hallway to that new dorm.

Problem is, this new beginning is bringing along with it … a new pandemic. If all goes well, she’ll have a party-in-a-tub at the end of the year.

So ….

Why not?

So, here I am in the midst of my first attempt at a blog. It’s world-wide, diary, of sorts, right? So, keeping that in mind, I will attempt to NOT embarrass my family, yet at the same time, share my thoughts and what I am learning as I move forward in this unexpected journey.