Family

A family is a unit comprised not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. -Ogden Nash

Moving on

Yesterday, we moved our camper to it's final (as far as we know) resting spot. It is parked close to John's shed and is at the end of the driveway John has been working so hard on. (the picture only shows a tiny portion of it)

It was lovely to camp there last night. Food over a campfire tastes so much better!

Tomorrow, we will (Lord willing) move to our tiny cabin! Ah, the warmth! Hopefully someday life will slow down [ha, ha] and we can catch up on sleep.

John has been swamped with things to work on, take care of, and fix up. We are very grateful to God for His gift of a deer this morning! We have been turning it into venison. I am thankful we butchered the veal first. The site around the shot is something I am Quite happy to keep my back to!

This is Sophie -- The beautiful, furry, purry beast who has warmed our laps and our hearts:

[Despite my multiple attempts to take her picture, she refused to be photogenic, so John got some meat to tempt her with. She finally laid still and opened her eyes! [She will not be traveling with us.]

miscellany

- We have a date of return to our tiny cabin! I can't wait!

- I am So Excited about spending time with my family this winter (all 27 of them)!

- John has been working so hard to get everything finished. This week he plans to: finish and fill the shed, tune 2 pianos, work on the truck, move honey into buckets, winterize both the camper and his motorcycle, and hunt [in addition to various other projects].

- We have been adopted by a cat. She leaves mouse heads and other small body parts at our door but, she does make a very nice lap heater and is so grateful for every bit of attention.

- I have been taking fish oil daily (disgusting stuff) and I really think it has helped with energy.

Did you know?

I married the Most Wonderful Man in the World!!!

Creating Veal

Butchering isn't so bad. It is definitely a mind over matter thing. If someone wanted to get grossed out, it certainly provides opportunities to do so, but it was much better than I expected. I thought there would be copious amounts of blood and a horrible stench. This proved to be untrue (except for the liver - it was slimy too!). Instead of being disgusted by it all, I was fascinated by the layers of muscles and all the "stuff "that holds it all together. The bones were massive! I think one of the best proofs of God's design is the way He made our joints! WOW!

John's sisters amaze me. Anna is a master butcher. When she looks at a hunk of beef, she is able to quickly determine where to cut so as to get the most meat off the bone. (Much harder than it sounds!) She is very familiar with the different cuts and knows which cut is best for steak, roast, or hamburg. I spent most of the time holding the hunk steady for her, happy to assist progress. Gloria is our master sealer of the meat. She knows the way to remove air and keep the meat fresh. I do not believe that Gloria only has two hands. Watching them fly around and hold everything together... I'm quite sure I saw at least four!

So, 3 out of 4 carcases are prepared and in the freezer. We did not get as much veal as we hoped. Next year we plan to start our calves earlier with better nutrition throughout their growing cycle. This certainly isn't the cheapest way to get meat, but it is great to know it came from healthy, hormone-free calves.

A few favorite poems

Fog
The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
--Carl Sandburg

The Somerset Farmer
I said,
It is good to live in the country,
To have a small cottage in a big green field,
A neat little garden inside a gateway,
To see how much you can make it yield;
To have dusty chickens and a spotted calf
And a good stout cow with a silky skin,
This, I suppose, is better by half
Than the winning of much men die to win?
The Somerset Farmer rubbed his head
And smiled at me. "Oh-ay," he said.

I said again,
It is good to be friendly,
To have a small door where neighbors knock,
To get up early and work while you listen
To a cuckoo singing as well as a clock;
And to lie down when the West is ruddy
With hardly a thought that is not kind;
With the earth to con and sky to study
A man need never be dull of mind?
The Somerset Farmer nodded at me
And smiled again, "Oh-ay," said he.

I said,
It is good to have young things near you,
Children to play with, children to hold;
To hear them laughing; to have them near you
Calling to them as you grow old;
To know that you have a part in the ages
Through all to-morrows, though silently,
Immortal as singers and saints and sages
While youth buds out on the ancient tree --
The Somerset Man looked out at the sky.
Solemn and soft he said, "Oh-ay,"
--Marguerite Wilkinson

The Old Woman
As a white candle
In a holy place,
So is the beauty
Of an aged face.

As the spent radiance
Of the winter sun,
So is a woman
With her travail done,

Her brood gone from her,
And her thoughts as still
As the waters
Under a ruined mill
--Joseph Campbell

"Like Barely Bending"
Like barley bending
In low fields by the sea,
Singing in hard wind
Ceaselessly,

Like barley bending
And rising again,
So would I, unbroken,
Rise from pain;

So would I softly,
Day long, night long,
Change my sorrow
Into song.
--Sara Teasdale

Sic Vita

Heart free, hand free,
Blue above, brown under,
All the world to me
Is a place of wonder.
Sun shine, moon shine,
Stars, and winds a-blowing,
All into this heart of mine
Flowing, flowing, flowing!

Mind free, step free,
Days to follow after,
Joys of life sold to me
For the price of laughter,
Girl's love, man's love,
Love of work and duty,
Just a will of God's to prove
Beauty, beauty, beauty.
--William Stanly Braithwaite