Greetings from Anita!🎉
We had a perfectly lovely New Years Eve, our son and daughter in law had gifted us their last four chickens a few days earlier, which brings our little flock up to ten. We partioned off one end of the hen house to acclimate the immigrant chickens and New Years Eve was their first foray outside to mingle.
They stayed on opposite ends of the yard all day.
We sat outside on the last, late, unseasonably temperate afternoon of 2023, images of abundant quiches and angel food cakes dancing in my head, and observed the two hen families jockey for position. A new pecking order had to be established for them to go to bed or none of us would be getting any sleep!
Apparently nobody particularly enjoys change, especially chickens! There were several tense moments as the sun began to dip below the horizon and the birds naturally go home to roost.
Some of the more easy going girls ambled right in, picked a spot and settled down. but Lucille, a striking white hen is fond of her high perch that was already taken, much to her dismay. To her credit, she has the personality of a mother hen, always the last to bed, busy checking to make sure the rest were settled before she could relax.
Gosh, I remember those nights of waiting on a teenager to get home safely and lock the doors, before I could close my eyes.
Somehow, they all managed to find a roost after dark, and flashlight in hand, I made a hasty hen count. Now that’s about as exciting as it gets around here!
New Years Day, as is my custom, I opened my planner, in an attempt to look ahead at 2024. My brain did not want to cooperate.
I found myself very reluctant to set any kind of goal. I knew what I said I would do in the New Year, but my heart wasn’t in it. I was so resistant to looking ahead I decided to simply review 2023.
I discovered a universal truth. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Same with Jill.
2023 was our third year in a row of construction, then selling our homestead of 14 years. We moved all our possessions and animals into a barn being built as quickly as we could, while living through a long hot summer in a “Tiny Home” better known as an RV.
Midway through the summer I began researching doctors and trying to fix a persistent back problem with seemingly endless treatments 75 miles away in the big city. Unfortunately, it was not successful for me.
I finished the last quarter of the year with a round of COVID, immediately moved in to the almost finished log home, and “capped it off” with a total knee replacement.
Thanksgiving came fast, Christmas, even faster and here we are in January!!
No wonder my heart and mind are rebelling!
I am incredibly grateful for all the miracles that have made it possible to get to this point. I am thankful that you, dear reader have chosen to come along on this messy journey with me.
It wouldn’t surprise me if you may not be all that bubbly about the New Year either. Let’s admit it, life can be tough, and many of us are struggling with loss which is most painful around the holidays.
I hope you will give yourself some grace and treat yourself gently. I realize that my brain will not be co operating if I don’t make some changes in my schedule.
I send you all hugs for 2024 and plan to keep you amused with simple, country stories about stumbling toward happiness despite the cactus and mosquitos, living the country life!
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From over here at El Rancho No Gotta better known as Poverty Acres, we wish you, with all your family a happy and prosperous New Year. As country folks, we also wish you good health, happiness, few mosquitoes and even fewer chiggers. Blessings + Bob "N" Pat.
Anita, may your New Year be filled with totally unexpected happiness and joy. Personally, I'm a bit down on "resolutions." Last year I resolved to lose ten pounds. This year I have just fifteen to go.