Feeling Lucky

My nephew Schyler is a college student at Webb . This prestigious University keeps him busy studying and I rarely see him anymore.Recently he stopped by to return a book of Art History that I lent him to study from. I immediately grabbed his hand and dragged him to my dining room where I presented him with 12 chickens in a large octogon box. " Look I exclaimed, I have chickens!" His reply was completely relaxed and respectful, as he knows his Aunt Stephanie well. "Oh wow, they are really cool."
This was the child I sat beading with in my studio when he was a little boy, and this was the young man who visited me after school on Fridays for a ...It's not my birthday present,surprise.
I love this child because he has maintained his kind and thoughtful attitude as he is growing into his own manhood.
As he sat with the little bird it became relaxed and walked across his arm and up his shoulder. She knew. She was safe and this was a nice guy. I was glad I had made sure I was a part of his life,despite my busyness. Now he was making time for me and I was grateful.
I guess it doesn't matter if you are into bunnies or chickens, if life is being kind or it's craziness is keeping you running. The important thing is to carve out the moments that you can only hope to remember. They return, and if you are lucky they delight in your chickens,

City girl meats blow drier

I grew up in Queens. Elmhurst to be exact, and that qualifies me as a born and raised city girl for all of my formative years. The only green I ever saw outside was on our two week vacation to the Island, and two weeks of girl scout camp up in the country. My Mom was allergic to animals so my only pet was a turtle, and we all know what happened when they failed to thrive. I wasn't unhappy but I lacked the fresh air and sunshine of country life.

I suppose that's why the first chance I got I returned to the beach I loved and the shores of the Island that made me ache unless I was standing on her soil. To this day if I am sad, I get on my hands and knees and work the earth until my exhaustion gets a hold of me or until the light is gone and I can see no more. I have surrounded myself with not only pets but farm animals that I take great pride in caring for.I especially like chores that no one else will do. For me it is a privilege and I would be hard pressed to give it up. What makes me laugh is the surprise I find in each of the little things this city girl discovers. This very morning my baby chicks were suffering from a common dilemma. Seems they have trouble during this first week of life with their new food and digestion. Things don't always roll smoothly so what needs to be done for 4 day old chick is one must bath and clean their bottoms and then because they can't be in a draft all wet...you guessed it-blow them dry. I laughed out loud seeing myself in the mirror this morning . Here I was still half in Elmhurst holding a wet 4 day old designer chicken and blow drying his bottom after his little bath. Yikes. After I was done my husband returned home and noticed. "Gee the chicks look awfully fluffy I guess they really are self sufficient pets"
Hummmmm I replied, I guess. Now I wonder...should i clue him in or keep this little privilege to myself? Small steps towards a country life.

I get the feeling we are being watched.

Chicken with the hairdo says to chicken with the laid back look...Someone is watching us and i think it's in our best interest to stay cool. They seem to have doubled in size and noisy! Well at least these little rascals are healthy and thriving. no wonder they call girls chicks. yak Yak yak
sooo cute sooo sweet .

They came in a box

Sixteen perfect little creatures,and only three days after they were ordered. I guess that the woman who created My Pet Chicken .com is very tired because I can only imagine how many other mid-life tree huggers like myself were watching Martha Stewart this Easter week and caught her the day she devoted the show to chickens. Bravo for the small business person and bravo Martha for introducing this lovely creature into my life.
Here is my list of discovery for today and I am sure to keep this list ongoing.
Chickens come in many varieties and it's perfectly acceptable to order and enjoy them for their colorful display and unusual pretty eggs. Chickens do not know how to eat when they arrive so I can safely say I am responsible for dipping their little beaks in water and then into the special organic grain which is a neat trick because now only a few hours later they are very self sufficient. Chickens sleep in a funny splat but when they are handled or you pet them they wake up and jump to the beat looking like they haven't a moment to waste. I like that because it reminds me of myself. Lastly the whole reason that I ordered chickens and that I am so excited about these adorable creatures is that chickens can sit on your lap and be cuddled. Go figure,who knew? I believe these rumors folks because it's not just Martha that has boasted of this little unknown fact. I ran around my school sharing my excitement today and boy I guess I am the last to know anything about the personalities of chickens!
You'll be hearing more on them you can be sure. After all they are only one day old chicks today.
What fun lies ahead. Perhaps a baby raccoon? You didn't hear it from me.

"Today is the day...

For all it's worth today may as well be the first day of spring. I know this to be true because a few years back I decided to dig a small pond and along with a neighbors frog,eventually I got fish. As most know I am a sucker for all animals and yet I refuse to name anything that I eat so my fish remain anonymous. There are many kinds, I have tried your standard goldfish, and of course the expensive Koi. My favorite is a seemingly a funny cross breed named shabumbkins. They all have their pros and cons but in the end the goldfish seem to survive. Koi are wrongly named I found and easy prey to big blue birds that swoop and land plucking your investment quickly down their rather slender throats. The first time I saw a blue heron I ran for my camera, now I run for a baseball bat, but they always get away.
The shabumbkins don't freeze and thaw like the goldfish, yes you heard me freeze and thaw.
What an amazing trick. So today was the first day I saw them swim and thus for me the day the earth opens it's eyes.
I photographed some lovely buds on the trees and ate my breakfast scone in the garden. I will continue with my afternoon chores of opening beds. Later on today I am sure to regret not knowing when enough is enough; but for now I will throw caution to the wind.
For this very first day I will try to remember the cold dark afternoons that I felt sad because there was not quite enough sunshine and be grateful that now there is. For today I will be grateful for the goldfish that woke me up to remind me ...Today is the day the Lord has made,let us rejoice and be glad!

No Good Deed…

My husband is very nice. He is presently unemployed, not too many people building extravagant houses these days. As one would imagine it is a difficult time for a busy man who is caught in a limbo of time. Nevertheless he has taken to doing many things since he is capable, and he like others has found Ebay.

I approve of his activities because he reminds me of my father. He too was destined for a early retirement but gleefully kept busy for the next 30 years. My Pop would walk the streets of Queens finding projects in broken items tossed away from neglect, or lack of imagination. He brought them home and on the kitchen table in our three room apartment he made them born again. Dexter does something similar except since he is reviving car parts he rarely gets them for free.

Recently he did a friend a favor and listed his old BMW for sale. For his meager commission he spent an enormous amount of time listing, checking, interviewing and finally securing the final purchase. The original owner seemed detached at best, and agitated at most to participate in an activity which seemed to interrupt his life. The day arrived when I returned home from work and my husband announced… “The car is gone!” Thank Goodness I replied; but it was premature. Within hours the phone had rang and the car along with its new owner were stranded. An “as is” sale was less than an hour old but seemed grossly unfair. My husband never mentioned his reputation as a seller being on the line, or that it was not his burden anymore, he jumped in the car and raced to the rescue.

Today the car sits still 70 miles from its final destination. My husband paid for the buyer to take a bus home, our seller still detached and disregarding his moral responsibilities.

The upside is in knowing the arrangement is no longer in between someone who wants a car and someone who clearly doesn’t care. I married the man who does, and as far as I am concerned that is the best thing he can do with this time in limbo.