Christmas Time, Parenting, and Farming

We've decorated for Christmas, it took about a week this year, and finally it took Nathaniel staying home from school and helping me for 3 hours to get it done. We have already gone to one school Christmas concert. Now, I just need to figure out what everyone needs for Christmas, and get my shopping done in the next 6 days before school is out!

I chaperoned Ry and some of his classmates on a field trip to the zoo last week, or was it the week before. Seriously, when life gets this busy, each day just melds with the last. Zach is playing winter baseball and is the starting pitcher on his team and the 4th batter in the batting line-up. But we missed his first game because it was on Saturday morning, the same Saturday morning when we were butchering chickens with complete strangers. I'm disappointed I didn't get to see Zach's game! I plan to see the next one!

"Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bands."–Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Jay (Aug. 23, 1785)

Ryon informed me Thomas Jefferson grew tobacco and had slaves work the land for him, does that mean African Americans are the most valuable citizens?? I guess that's not exactly what Thomas Jefferson meant, but I don't know and it really doesn't matter, the quote still seems to ring true to me about our gardening and raising animals:). We've had a busy few weeks, months maybe. But today seems like a good day to at least say "Hello" to my blog followers...Mom, Jody, Ruby, Lacy, Sarah, Bea, and Ricky.

I've been busy getting office gifts ready for Ryon's co-workers. We gathered fresh eggs, made a dozen fresh (like right off the griddle) corn tortillas for everyone in his office, and cut some fresh licorice basil and sweet basil for his office manager. Plus, we gave each of them a chicken...one of our chickens. Here's the photo one of them sent me of the food she made from our gift.

Saturday we held our first official How to Raise Laying Hens & Butcher Meat Chickens Hands on Informational Class. We had fun teaching, and our students had fun learning. They were surprised when we told them it was our first shot at teaching about farming, which made us feel like we were good at delivering our information. Only 2 of our students actually gave butchering a try, but at least the others got to see first hand how it is done. So, now we have some 30 plus chickens in our freezer, and let me tell you, they are the most delicious, moist, tender chickens I have ever eaten! I was a bit nervous at first that they'd taste gamey or tough, but the meat is amazing!

Well, tonight is the AWFUL WAFFLE, what is that you say? Well, my neighbor has been baking up green and red waffles on the 2nd or 1st Monday in December for some 35 years and feeds whoever shows up! It's really fun! And it's free dinner for just walking a few doors down. I LOVE my neighborhood!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! In case I can't find a spare minute for blogging before next year!