Cackle cackle cackle..... Who doesn't love a good chicken? I've always wanted to have chickens in my yard. I have a nice yard that could be a terrific host to a really pretty chicken coop and some beautiful chickens. I would love to watch them roam the yard. I would love to hear their soft clucks, watch them scratching here and there, enjoy their eggs. Alas, we live in the woods where there are lions and tigers and bears. Those chickens wouldn't last a week. And that would make me sad. I'm very lucky that I have friends who do raise chickens and I'm the happy recipient of a dozen eggs every week! They're so gorgeous - shades of brown, blue and white. I can stare at them for the longest time and appreciate their natural beauty. And are they ever yummy!!!
My dad's family were dairy farmers. And because they were dairy farmers, they didn't waste their land or energy just milking cows; they had all sorts of livestock, including chickens. But when I was a little girl, they were the "dreaded chickens." Way back in olden times, when I was a little girl, every time we visited our grandparents, my job was to go to the dreaded chicken house and gather eggs. Oh geeeeeez, how I despised that job, but I would do anything my grandmother asked me to do because I loved her so much. I would obediently walk outside, take the path to the dreaded chicken house and stand outside and feel out the lay of the land. I could only hope the dreaded chickens would be outside the house, in the yard, but it seems they never were. They hated me. Every time I had to visit the chicken house, those rotten chickens were always inside the house and I knew what they were doing. They had probably been in there for the past half hour, laughing their rotten heads off (which they were eventually going to lose anyway), planning exactly how they would lure me in by appearing uninterested in me, and then jump on me and peck me to death! That's what happened every time I went to the dreaded chicken house. As I became hip to their behavior, I started a new pattern. I would stealth up to the chicken house, then start humming softly. I would slowly hum my way into the house, and begin singing softly, "Sweet little chicken, I'm going to steal your eggs, but you don't know what I'm singing, so you won't peck my hand or arm today." I would continue singing softly, gathering eggs in the basket, taking one from this nest, two from another next and BAM!!!!! PECK!!! Damn chicken!!!!! Grrrrrrrr..... Try to be nice and get mangled by a chicken! I know there's a life lesson in there, and it took me a while to learn it. I hope you can dodge the chickens pecking at you.
Who else still has the Christmas tree standing? Don't lie to me. Yep. We still have a tree up. We have a tree up for the same reason we usually put the tree up in October or November. It goes up whenever the huzbin has a few days off to tackle the beast. We don't just have a tree, we have a village that goes under the tree. A very large village that takes forever to set up. And the huzbin is the mayor, so he rules. We were going to take the tree down last weekend, but he was on call and some of those thoughtless patients decided to get sick so no tree take down occurred here. We were going to take it down this coming weekend, but something has come up and we cannot take it down. If you come to my house and the tree is up, say nothing. We use to have a Christmas tree that stayed year round. Yes, we're freaks. One year our Christmas tree stayed up until late February. This tree and village is very pretty. The tree sparkles and glistens and the village invites you to enter and become a Christmas shopper, house decorator, car salesman, truck driver, cop, taxi driver, Christmas tree salesman, basketball player, dog walker, or any of the many other fun occupations that dwell in the village. Of course, you have to stand in place for a long time and that might not be your cup of tea. I have a favorite house in the village. It's a pink midcentury split level and it's fantastic!! I can see myself moving in right after I shrink myself using my shrinking machine that I haven't yet invented. So although the tree and village are still up, they'll be coming down soon. If you want to claim a house or occupation, come on over and we'll find one for you after I shrink you. I would love to have a neighbor!
Still in the deep freeze here. But wait - GOOD NEWS AHEAD!!!!!! Ice on Monday!!!!!! Isn't that fantastic??? And the huzbin is on call, so he'll be on pins and needles, dreading the call that will drag him to the hospital. I've suggested that he spend the night there on really bad nights, but the thought of leaving me is more than he can stand. I so understand that..... Anyway, here we are in January. January days mean new beginnings. The gyms are full, the diets have begun, some begin the decluttering of the house.... many new beginnings. January has always meant the return to school after the Christmas holiday break. Way back in the old days, the 1950's, it was always exciting for me, because my teacher (in the younger grades) would allow us to bring in one toy we had received for Christmas for a show and tell. I remember the year I brought in my very favorite Christmas toy of 1958, a Shirley Temple doll. She was just gorgeous, I thought. Blonde, curly hair and a beautiful pink and blue dress, pink slip, black shoes, lacey underpants - who wouldn't love her? I was in the throes of watching old Shirley Temple movies around that time, so this was a perfect Christmas present from Santa Clause. I remember taking her to show and tell, knowing she was the best present in the entire school. Following lunch, the teacher announced that it was time to get out our beloved toys and take turns showing them to the class. I waited patiently, playing with my doll, while each kid displayed and described his/her toy, knowing I was going to destroy them all. Then came my turn and I sashayed to the front of the room, turned around and thrust Shirley in front of me. "This is my favorite toy - my Shirley Temple doll!!" Nothing. No response. Each kid was playing with his/her respective toy. They weren't even looking at the best doll in the room!!!! Of course, I can't remember any other toy displayed that year, or any year. I only remember my fabulous dolls that I continued to take to show and tell every year. My sister and I were remembering some great toys we received from Santa, and our favorite was a Vac-U-Form. We can still smell the melting plastic..... What were some of your favorite Christmas toys?
Brrrrr....... I bet you're freezing, too!! Today the high was in the mid-twenties, same tomorrow; wind chill is bringing the "feels like" temp in the single digits. ENOUGH!!!! Sheesh!!! I'm forced to withstand winter with it's shameless, naked trees, lack of color, lack of sunlight, lack of daytime, so come on!! ENOUGH, I SAY!! On the positive side, daylight savings time is only 8 weeks away, so I'm sure the time will pass quickly hardy har har.... I know I sound like a crackpot, but I would really like some snow. It's winter, it needs to snow. When I was a little girl in West Virginia, it seemed like it started snowing in November and the snow stayed on the ground until March. Actually, that did happen. It snowed all the time in those West Virginia hills. We all had sleds and we would have so much fun sledding. Our house was situated near the top of a small hill. A bunch of kids would gather at our house and take turns going down the snow packed street. We would fly down the street and, if you were lucky, turn the sled onto the next street and continue your ride. My sister and I usually rode double decker. I would lie stomach down on the sled and she would lie on top of me. Of course, this allowed me to drive the sled. Every now and then, she would carry on enough to force me to allow her to drive, but when she was very young, she didn't have the strength to make the turn onto the next street and BAM! We would hit the snow piled on the side of the road. There was a good side to this - the walk back up the hill was shorter than turning the street and going all the way down. We would stay outside sledding until our hands and feet were so frozen we couldn't stand it. Even then, our mother would have to make us come inside. There was an inside ritual, of course. You had to stand at the door and peel off your wet boots, 2 layers of socks, snow pants, snow jacket, wet mittens, and wet hat. All wet items were placed over the heat vents to dry quickly. All snow pants and coats went to the basement to dry downstairs. And then we would find an empty heat vent and put our hands and feet over them in an attempt to encourage any feeling that might be left to please, please return. Our mother would bring us hot chocolate. "Don't you dare spill that!" And usually my sister and I would start fighting because that's what kids do when they're frozen and trying to thaw. Or we would settle down and play a game of cards or paper dolls or something to pass the time. And as soon as the mittens, socks, etc. would dry, back outside we went! Every time it snows, I think of those days and all the fun times we had playing in the snow for hours. Spring will be coming. Enjoy the tulip.
