My goal when I moved from the city was, initially at least, to live a simpler life. I wanted a small house, sparse furnishings, a few chickens and a vegetable garden. My sweet brother in law and a dear friend worked weekends to get my chicken house built so I could have those chickens by the time I moved in. I had tilled my garden and planted the heirloom seeds and watched as they sprouted up. I watched as my house took shape and all the little things I dreamed of were completed in that house. I had a huge estate sale and liquidated 90% of my possessions in the big house and moved them all into storage to wait for the new house to be ready. Finally, on the first day of May, I moved in. As soon as the moving truck arrived I realized the remaining 10% of my possessions were never going to fit in this house. I ended up getting rid of half of the 10% to who ever would take it and I still had too much. I felt like I was on a picnic on the shores of Galilee and no matter how much I gave away, more kept appearing. How in the world did I ever get all this stuff??? Luckily I had a barn and I could stash it in until I figured out what I wanted to do with it (and, it's still there).
A week before I moved in my sister and her husband bought 2 little turkeys and 9 chicks to have in some family photos and I was so ready to get my own chickens. A week after I settled in, I went to the feed store and bought my chicks. I had built them a brooder so they could live in that for a while until they were big enough to be in the coop. I bought 15 female sex links because I didn't want a rooster (keep that in the back of your mind, we'll get to that later), just hens for eggs and they were so cute. I talked to them and cared for them and held them, feeling their warm little bodies in my hands, and watched as they grew. Soon they were too big for the brooder and I moved them to the coop. I built them miniature roosts so they would know to roost at night. Talk about cute!!
Time ticked by and soon I had 2 rescue puppies, 2 free kittens, a rescue horse, then another horse. I vaguely remember something about a simpler life way back there but I didn't know what had happened to that. I was in the middle of a busy, wonderful life and loving every bit of it.
My sisters chickens were disappearing one at a time every night until she only had 2 left. I talked her into giving them to me and for a day I had 17 chickens until one of the puppies ate one. I still have those same 15 hens...and 1 rooster. The people who sort those chicks by sex need a brush up course because that little boy slipped right past them. It was a good thing though, I'm glad it happened. I'm looking forward to babies this spring and more eggs and chicken for the freezer later.
Recently a friend of a friend had 6 turkeys she needed to relocate so I took them. I warned them I would be slaughtering some of them and not to give them to me if that was going to be an issue. Those turkeys arrived and they were the biggest things I'd ever seen.
That brings me to my post title and my opening line.
Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal
it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38
Indeed I have been blessed.
No recipes this week but next week I have a great turkey sausage recipe to share! Ha ha ha!
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