Family & home

We had quite the end to our week.  There was a family emergency, the kind where relation near and far throw things into bags and run out the door. Thank god for an early diagnosis and a great team of cardiac nurses and doctors.  There was a triple bypass surgery that was needed but it looks like everyone is going to be just fine.  We were gone for a few days and came back to re-group before heading out again.  Thanks also to my dad, who came over to check on things outside and keep the poultry fed in our absence.

We came home to a sink full of dishes, cats draped across the kitchen counters and no food in the refrigerator.  Then we all slept in until 9:30 which is unheard of around here.  I am so grateful to my garden.  A quick walk outside gave me this:

I can work with that. In fact, it looks like we're entering into the season of over-abundance here, for which I am grateful.  The next month will be a race to preserve as much as I can - summer squash & eggs frozen into baked goods, tomatoes canned in all sorts of ways.  Breakfast was scrambled eggs with peppers and tomato.  For lunch/dinner we'll have some sort of summer squash & veg dish over grains. 

  

Heirloom "Indigo Apple"

This happened while we were away.  I checked on her on the nest when we got home late last night and found 3 empty eggshells, which I disposed of. This morning the family was out and about. 

The only "ugh" to this is that this morning every one of her 13 eggs were empty.  I looked all over for the other chicks but I have no idea what happened.  I think it's safe to blame raccoons, cats or a hawk. She's a great mom to these three little ones. 

I had been avoiding an entire section of the garden to give her some peace, but today to clear my head I pulled about half of the onions to cure.  

I had some help.  When you read about raising turkeys, people will tell you how sociable they are.  It's true.  They're like dogs, curious, constantly in your business, constantly underfoot.  "Turkeys! Get the hell out of my way!" is something that gets said a lot around here.  

I'm in the bedroom writing this, little man is napping on the bed and husband is clearing his mind playing guitar in the next room.  With my back leaning against the wall, the guitar resonates through the plaster and it feels like our home has a pulse.  Which it does, more and more each day.