My neighbours continue to astound me

in the nicest possible way.
Yesterday I was catching up briefly (and from the requisite distance) with M.... from across the road. His wife arrived back from NZ yesterday.
We are all glad S... is back although she has to be in self-isolation for two weeks and it will be hard, very hard, for her and her family. It is also hard because she had to leave before her mother dies but knows she won't see her mother again. Nobody in the family will as NZ has gone into what amounts to lock down. I am trying to sympathise but not think too hard about what S....is going through right now...on her own, not able to hug her husband and boys and grieving as well. It must be immensely hard. (It reminds me of a man I knew, now deceased, who was conscripted and sent to Vietnam. They did not allow him to return home for his mother's funeral. It was something from which he never recovered.)
But, back to the neighbours.With all that M... was still concerned that we were coping. Yes, thank you.  I intend to do a supermarket visit today and, hopefully, get enough that I need not go again for at least a week - and then only for milk and bread.
If I can get bread flour (not possible of late) then I won't need to be too concerned about that.
And milk? Well if I can't get fresh milk then L... from two doors down on the opposite side of the street came out as I was talking to M... She was carrying a disposable bag with a note taped to the side. She passed it over and said, "You mentioned powdered milk as a back up. I got  this for you. It was the last one on the shelf."
Yes, a packet of powdered milk. 
The note gave me her house and mobile numbers and the offer of help if we need it. I know she would mean it too. Until she retired she had a high level job in the public transport sector. She is efficient and reliable.
As kittens we had to do with powdered milk in one location. It was rare for people to own a cow. There was a school milk service back then but not for such remote places. Mum would measure the milk powder into a bowl, measure out water to go with it and then beat the two together with a rotary hand beater. The water quality was appalling and the milk tasted strange but it was all we had. (Our next move was to a dairying area and did we make the most of fresh milk. It was not pasteurised but Mum had ways around that.)
Thankfully powdered milk has improved since then. It mixes easily with cold water. I can use it as a substitute in cooking if need be. It doesn't taste like fresh milk but, apart from cereal, we can handle that. We will use it that way if we need to.
I hope though I don't need to try and find or eat reconstituted dried egg powder. I still remember that vividly from my time in hospital as a very young kitten. The Senior Cat was given "scrambled egg" in hospital last year and it is one of the few things he won't eat if can possibly avoid it. (He's easy to feed so he really detests it.) I hope it doesn't come to that and - with our good neighbours - I doubt it will.