FOOD

I was wondering today what would happen if the Western World went on rationing. During the Second World War food was rationed. In England it was rationed into the 1950's. In those days there were few obese people. Nowadays we not only have obese adults but more alarmingly, obese children.
If the governments put their people on rations, they would know how much food would be needed to feed them. Excess food could be used then to feed the starving people in The Third World.
What sort of foods were rationed in war time? If I think back it was basics but also basics that would make you fat if eaten in excess. Foods such as sugar, butter, meat and cheese were rationed.
I also think we have too many food choices, especially where breakfast cereals are concerned. When I was growing up there was oats, cornflakes, weetabix and shredded wheat.
Rationing would save a lot of money and also make us healthier.

Wellington Welcomes Spring

This afternoon I was in Wellington and visited the Botanical Gardens. Spring was everywhere.  Wellingtonians and many visitors especially those from Australia and the USA were also strolling about enjoying the beauty of the gardens.
I had brought my camera with me so that I could photograph blooms which I may later use as a subject for a painting.
After I had finished my photography I made my way through the rose gardens, not yet in bloom, to the cafe for a cup of tea.
When I was leaving I espied a young woman painting "en plain air" as the French say;  and stopped to speak to her. She was from Russia but spoke excellent English. We talked about art and Russia.
Truly a pleasant afternoon!

Neighbours

Today Michael, who was found dead in his Wellington Council flat after at least fourteen months, was laid to rest. This is a sad indictment of our society. People in the flats said he was a loner who had no friends and relatives, who liked to keep his privacy. But I wonder does this necessarily mean that we dismiss such people from our thoughts and leave them to it. Should we be so blinkered and concerned solely with ourselves and our family?
Years ago we lived in extended families with our elderly with us or next door. Now with children living long distances away or even in a different country from their parents, the elderly are often left to manage by themselves. It is only when they cannot manage that they may end up in care. This was obviously not the case with Michael. Till his death, he was capable of looking after himself. These people living alone are particularly vulnerable and especially if they are unmarried and have no family.
We need to keep an eye on our elderly neighbors. It doesn't take much time. When I was growing up, after our grandparents passed away, we would adopt an elderly person to care for. We popped in every day for a few minutes before school to see they were alright and if they needed anything and from time to time they came for dinner or went out with us at the weekend.