Day 77 Unifying a Nation one Family at a Time

We are studying the Revolutionary War. The struggle to build a nation to include so many diverse people and a federal government to protect the rights of the individual was miraculous. Our forefathers succeeded in building a nation. Today we need to feel a common goal. This week I had the opportunity to visit with men and women who lived as children during WWII. They said the whole nation was unified. Everyone had a son in the war. We each have children in the war of today. It is a war to preserve individual freedoms from huge government debt among other issues. We need a miracle to protect the rights of the each person to succeed or fail without government intervention and defeat a welfare state.

I have witnessed two miracles in my close friends. One has a family history of welfare dependence. For her whole life her mother has depended on others to help her through each month. My friend started with learning how to make yogurt. Then she managed to switch her family to drinking dried milk instead of fresh skim. She learned to make cream cheese and soon discovered the 25 pound sack of dried milk would last her 6 months. She didn't need to go to the store as often and spent less money. With that new confidence, twice she has been able to stay off welfare for a month or more during periods of unemployment. More important than the financial freedom is the improved self esteem that has resulted. She is seeking to better her education and a cycle is being broken.

Another friend has started living off of her shelves a month at a time. They have posted a want list and a wish list on the fridge. Through the month they prioritize items on the list. She is learning to cook, make do and make heathier choices. And the grocery trips are being drastically reduced. Little by little individual agency is being exercised - to act instead of being acted upon. And the miracle is the self worth that is growing as the family works together to achieve common goal.

These women are my heros. If they can learn to be more self reliant, there is hope for all of us. One family at a time our nation will be rescued from the growing population who demands something for nothing.

Breakfast: A healthy version of Carrot Pudding:

1 cup dehydrated carrots

1 cup dehydrated potatoes

1 cup dried apples

1 cup raisins

3 cups water

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup oil

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup flaxmeal

1/2 cup dried milk

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Cooking directions (see post 76)

Lemon Sauce (see post 76)

This was good although not nearly as sweet and needed the lemon sauce to be really tempting.

Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on white bread

Dinner: Venison roast out of the crock pot, Polenta, green beans and cranberry jelly as a garnish. I have never cooked polenta. I ground popcorn that I bought in bulk several years ago into a coarse meal, cooked it like cornmeal mush, added salt and whipping cream. The children loved it. They asked for more. I will have to find the white corn and yellow corn that is in the storage so we can grind more meal. My husband was delighted to have roast.