Reading, Writing and Chicken Chasing

Are you ready to talk over coffee today?  Mom gifted me this recent mug in a bag of odds and ends she sent home with our 17 year-old last week.


Speaking of coffee, oldest Daughter got her coffee "tea" bag and said her "battles" were jealous.  Hubby said, "you only sent one?"  So another one is getting ready to ship soon.

Last night our two youngest daughters were in a school choir concert.  They did several military songs and put up a slide show to honor the armed forces/military etc.  Of course I submitted the kids photos (along with many other family members), and when they sang that song, "Armed Forces, The Pride of America" I teared up.   Later I told the kids I didn't stand up for either (they asked family to stand when that branch was called out) Army or Marines because I was trying to keep my tears from flowing. We won't see either one at Thanksgiving this year either.  Not sure about Christmas, but we do miss them.  They are both suffering either from illness or injury, so we continue to pray for them.

My morning "happy" moment" . . .

A clean table.  Clear of clutter, garden produce, kids belongings, and dirty dishes.  It makes me smile after such a long messy kitchen summer.  The flowers from Mom are still beautiful too.  As for the other table, it is back to clutter mode.  The kids will be on clean up duty today after school.  I told them we tried it their way, now we try it my way. 

I am trying to read through my skyscraper pile of library books and I am currently reading this one.  Very useful for making herbal teas, and good explanations for what the herbs are good for.

I'm enjoying writing again in a madness-crazy sort of way.  I took some time to print out the first 40 pages of my 115 page (not double spaced either) novel from 2011.  I was so impressed with myself, I allowed the kids to read it.

So, it's on the agenda to work on as well, but not so much that I lose out on this month's novel.  I'll admit, I want to start over already, after reading the one from 2011.  I was so creative compared to this year.

The kids told me when I write this year's novel to not use kids in the story.  The funny thing about that is, that in the past I did not, but now I am.  They provide me with so much drama, entertainment and eye-rolling material, it's too good to not use.

Now for the chicken part of my post.  This time of year my chickens go into "Let's-drive-her-crazy" mode.  Literally.  They get into so much trouble.  They go clear out to the road to check out the black walnut tree, they dig into my herb garden, flower beds and poop on my doorstep.  

Now they refuse to go back in at night (unless it's really cold out).  This last time, I had a few runners on my hands.  I'd go left, they'd go right.  I'd get them all in the barn, and one would run right back out.  I'd get her back in, and another would run out, or straight back to the house at full speed ahead.  

I had to threaten them they'd be dinner tomorrow, if they did not get back inside for the night.   They did too.  Not sure if it was my mad-hatter screaming, flaying arms in the air, or the tomato stake I was shaking over their heads like a roasting spicket, but they went back in.

Ah, the joys of self-sustainability.....chicken poop and all.