Stuff and nonsense

• gary'd sent me a link to a chicken-raising email newsletter he gets
• i subscribed too
• what the heck are we doing?
• but still, it's very zen-like to sit outside and watch the chickens be chickens
• they're so funny, and have such distinct personalities
• piglet is the love of everyone, liking to be held and hiding her head in your hand...very stork-like in that respect...she's also the runt
• anastasia is the girl you want to know and aren't jealous of...slightly dumb-blondish
• nora isn't very friendly, but isn't rude...she's just not keen on much holding...probably just an introvert (i can relate)
• madelyn is very friendly and always glad to sit on a lap...curious about everything, to her detriment
• and milk is the leader of the pack...even scared off violet the pug today when said pug wanted to sniff eat the chicken's crackers...milk put down her head and stared down violet...must keep chicken beaks far away from buggy pug's eyes...they peck very quickly
• a bit tired today
• some days are just like that
• was fine until gary texted me with a problem he had with a delivery
• the doorway at the home was mis-measured and he had to alter a piece he'd made
• my energy level plummeted when he told me the details
• just wife sympathy for the husband, i guess
• thankfully everything worked out just fine
• we've trained the chickens inside to roost when it's dusk
• thinking the coop will be ready very soon, but until it is, this large amazon cardboard box is winning
• must let them know what a quality box they ship things in :)
• now all is quiet, and it's time to rest 

Gardening and such

Went outside after dinner and planted some of the flowers oldest daughter bought me over the weekend.  A couple of perennials and the same number of annuals later, I'm here resting in bed.  The older I get, the shorter my time is spent outside digging in the dirt.  The getting up from a sitting position is a bit of a challenge.  Not impossible, but still, not very graceful.  The end result is always a treat, though.

And I transplanted some of my Evening Primroses which showed their faces, and that made me happy.  My abundance of black-eyed Susans had smothered some of the Primroses last year, so in the fall I yanked up some of the Susans to allow breathing room.  Ahhh.  I do love my Primroses.  The yellows didn't show up last Spring, so I'm happy to see them back.

Tomorrow (or whenever), I'll move some Begonias my neighbor gave me.  I've got several Angel Wing and some Dragon Wing Begonias and some monster Begonia she unloaded on me as well.  It's HUGE, but don't know its name.  Gary took one look at it and just shook his head.  This neighbor is so funny---says she needs a plant intervention.  Giving away her excess is the only way she can defend her plant habit. The thing is, she has this green thumb that can't be stopped.  And she doesn't trim her plants, so they get enormous.  I'll have take a photo of the Aloe she gave me.  You'll laugh.  It's kinda scary big.

Best go now.  Oldest daughter's making Mary Kathryn's Strawberry Yum Yum dessert to take to sweet Indian boyfriend's house (as requested by his mom) tomorrow night. Delish, let me tell you.  Too bad she's not making two of them, or at least I've been led to believe this springform pan of amazingness won't be staying put.   Darn.  I'm going to lean over her shoulder and hope she still has some graham cracker crumb crust to nibble on.  Love that stuff.

Anyway, looking forward to tomorrow.  Don't have to leave (which thrills me), and the bills are either paid or shortly to be done.  Relief.  Such deep satisfaction when responsibilities are taken care of.  I can breathe.

Life on the...uh, farm

...blurriness blamed on photo being taken by phone ;)

Sunday night

The chicken coop build is underway.  Gary's brought home over a series of days lots of scavenged wood, roofing, etc.  And he had a unique double shutter at the shop that's now here as well.  It came from a client who wanted it repaired, didn't want to pay for the fix, and left it for Gary to toss out.  Well, he didn't, repaired it anyway, and now will serve as a clever type of ventilation, and will add an antique flavor to the chicken house.

We're having to deal with what appears to be a raccoon who's curious in our backyard, though.  We've found some things upset in the yard, things moved or turned over and have to wonder if it smells the chickens from when we've taken them outside.  Eeewww.  Don't like to think of that.  Raccoons do get a bit desperate when they want what they want.  I wrote a couple of years ago about an albino raccoon that actually clawed its way into our attic, ripping though the shingles and everything underneath until it was inside.  Those claws must be amazing.

Anyway, Gary's fortifying the coop, and even put a screw-type barrier on the side against the wooden fence.  Guess they won't claw through that.  The benefit of having a rooster on guard, is that they warn the hens when trouble's about.  Alone, the hens are a bit helpless.  And sadly, we can't have a rooster in the city here.  So, you build them a fortress.

Looking forward to a quiet tomorrow.  Second son will grill, Gary will continue on the coop build, and I'll try to get my head into Summer-time mode.  Hope you can do the same.  Now must go play with the chickens in the kitchen...our evening routine.

Friday afternoon

• it appears bills will get paid before month's end, or soon thereafter
• ::sigh::
• those of you with regular salaries coming in---be thankful, and don't ever take it for granted (as i've told you before)
• not knowing how to juggle can be exhausting
• probably partly to blame for my health issues
• constant draws on adrenal glands/thyroid not beneficial
• turning off brain this weekend
• feels like saturday today with the neighborhood kids out and about
• lots of traffic when i was running errands, but now i'm
• simmering spaghetti sauce and bread's rising
• might watch a movie later on
• gary's working in the shop on a vapor for a woman online
• she's sorta flirty with him via email
• huh to that!
• windows open and lovely breezes flowing in
• chickens happy
• but daisy the pug tried to chase down chicken anastasia when said bird got loose in the backyard
• daisy tried to do the front paw slap on her
• chicken oblivious, but that's their way
• chickens aren't too bright
• guess they qualify as walking food items
• and man, can they eat
• that's really all they do
• i lie, they poop all the time too
• very swift digestion systems
• eat, eat, eat
• poop, poop, poop
• they've acquired a healthy appetite for chopped green pepper
• cooked white rice is another favorite
• thankfully they seem to be satisfied with very little food variation, and are amazingly affectionate
• chickens....can you believe we have 5 chickens?  i'm still shaking my head
• 2 youngest girls have their eyes on some chicks we saw at the feed store called 'silkies'
• gary's also smitten
• they look like they have on yellow top hats
• good grief
• i personally think they look like french poodles in bird form
• i think we're limited to 6-7 chickens in town
• can't have roosters, though
• not a problem with me....a feathered alarm clock i don't require
• gary has a friend online (not flirty chick) who sits in a lawn chair outside, and her chickens will hop up in her lap...even try to drink her coffee out of a mug
• like i said, they'll eat anything
• madelyn the chicken is friendly like that with  me...not the coffee part, but the lap-sitting part
• but we don't have any lawn chairs
• an overturned plastic bucket will have to do for now
• must go and stir the sauce
• take care everybody

Boyfriends

Daughter's having boyfriend woes.  She got in town from her trip (which she and third son left on Friday morning) on Monday afternoon.  Tired Monday night so no company, but she and SIB were going to go out to dinner last night (Tuesday). Thunderstorms abounded and she made a comment on a text that he might not want to drive over here.  He took the bait and went to his uncle's house with his family instead. He was fine with that.  He didn't push the point.  Stopped responding with texts, and as a result, she got VERY mad.  And hurt.  And just sayin'....texts are a stinky way to communicate.  Fine with updates, but with real information, pretty lousy.  My opinion.

The thing is, though, she made it too easy for him.  I tend to do that sometimes as well.  In order to make the other person happy, or to make life simpler for them, I'll say what I don't necessarily mean, but what gets the other person off the hook.  Not always wise.  Maybe rarely the thing to do, or maybe should be only considered on a first-come/first-serve basis.  Dunno.

Anyway, maybe even more so, I tend to want my husband to slay the dragon.  To go out of his way to be there for me.  To be my knight.  When I told him about SIB not coming over, he said that if I'd been out of town (in dating times), he'd have been there on our doorstep waiting for me when I got home.  And he would've.  He's not bragging, but he was actually like that.  He still sorta is.

Our daughter's been set an example by Gary of what a husband can be in terms of emotional support.  He's always put me first, and most recently has defended me to my mom.  Makes me feel deeply loved, let me tell you.

SIB is just that...sweet Indian boyfriend and we all love him, but he sometimes just doesn't get it.  Gary says, and this is true, that we can't fault him for that, but it seems that our daughter craves someone to slay her dragons.  To go out of his way to be there for her, both physically and emotionally.  The thing is, they've invested about 18 months in this relationship.  Makes it all the more difficult when it smarts.

And I think this generation is hit with a temptation my generation didn't have to deal with.  Portable technology gives folks the excuse to not engage.  That convenient iPad or iPhone (Apple seems to be the worst culprit) puts folks into a one-dimensional world and sets a huge wedge between two people who might be trying to have a conversation.  In daughter's case, seems many times lately, only one person is wanting to chat.  Uh-oh.  Relationships have to be nurtured all the time, married or not.  You've got to stay on your guard and never assume too much contentment on the other person's part.  Take care of them.  And men, slay those dragons.

On a Monday night...

Thankful that our travelers got home safely, especially with the horrific weather that was near them.  The kids  went to a wedding near Joplin, MO, where the tornadoes hit 2 years ago.  One friend drove them through the areas that'd been hit, not realizing that more bad weather was due.  Feeling my stomach bottom out after hearing about Oklahoma this afternoon.  Just grateful to have my children safe at hand.

I'll leave you with some 2 week old shots of the chicks.  Madelyn is the brown one in my hands, and Piglet is hiding in the least one's arms.  That chick is so silly, tending to duck her head when she's cuddled.  Chickens really are amazing.

What about that brain fog?

So, for quite awhile now I've felt what they call 'brain fog' and it seems to be a symptom of hypothyroidism.  While I'm not experiencing weight gain lately, I do need to lose weight, but, pretty much, blame eight children for that.  I have a slow heartbeat, not too slow, but on the lowest rung of what's acceptable.  Lowered basal body temperature? Yessiree.

My mom had a goiter when she was a child, and eventually she responded to treatment, so it went away.  I think she was very young when this happened...one of the family tales.

Anyway, I've suspected this being a problem of mine for awhile, but the symptoms have increased in this new year.  Not sure why, but I'm grateful to find some help online in diagnosing and some treatments that, so far for me, are working---slowly but surely. The fog is lifting, but not all at once.  I have moments of enlightenment, but not as much as I hope to have.  I've mentioned before here about how I'll have wisps of feeling myself, but as soon as it happens, it slips away.  Brain fog is so apt a term.

Even this morning when I was helping out in the least one's Sunday School, the other teacher (who is a really good friend), said something and I had a glimpse of the real me. There was a moment of clarity.  So odd, but so familiar a feeling.  Then it's gone.

Seems diet is key with gluten being a no-no.  Huh.  No cake.  And no white foods like rice and pasta.  No sugar.  No cake, and I do love cake.  Trying to find some humor in a vaguely trying situation.  Thing is, I feel better when I don't eat bread, etc.  Seems to weigh me down.  Literally.  And I found last night that a hamburger is just fine with lettuce acting in as a bun.  Delish indeed.  And honestly, I think that reducing/eliminating flour will be a great tool in a natural sort of weight loss.  If I'm getting away from gluten for my thyroid, maybe it won't be so insulting to me.  Being on an official diet is such a drag.  Maybe this attitude adjustment will be beneficial.  I do want to feel better.  Am I willing to limit what sorts of foods I eat in order to improve my mental health.  Darn tootin'.

I like the way that taking care is important.  Stress is an irritant with thyroid dysfunction, and I do stress very well.  You might say I'm an expert at it.  Aren't we all?

So, if you've noticed that I've been in a draggy mood more often than not, maybe this is the reason.  I'd like to think so, and that I'm on the right track.  We'll see.

A quiet evening

Oldest daughter's heading out of town in the morning with third son in tow to attend a wedding of friends in Missouri.  She's never driven on the Interstate (very avoidable here), and with it being about a 6-7 hour drive, should be one big adventure.  Frankly, I think driving over the Mississippi River will be mind-boggling enough for her. Anyway.  She rented a car (turns out it's a red Dodge Caravan---pretty wonderful) today and sweet Indian boyfriend just left here after bidding her farewell.  At least I think he's gone.  She needs to pack, but figure she'll be up 'til all hours anyhow with the excitement.

Funny thing is, all of the people she's meeting up with are friends she's made over the Internet.  Mark Schultz is Christian singer they all liked, and as a result joined his message board.  This was years and years ago.  Anyway, oldest daughter has a best friend she met that way, and 2 marriages have occurred simply because of their friendships.  It really is amazing.  And the girl who's getting married is engaged to a guy who is formerly Amish.  Seems he has one sibling who left the Amish faith as well.  His parents, as much as I'm hearing, are okay with the marriage, and aren't the hardcore types as you read about in books.  That's a plus.  They wouldn't meet our friend until she and their son were officially engaged, though.  Not sure what's up with that, but there was a reason.  Doubt they'll be at the wedding, but don't think there's a problem.  I just find it curious.

As they drive tomorrow, I'm taking the youngest of my brood to the library.  Anything to get my attention focused elsewhere.  Found a list of books considered Mood-Boosters and wrote several of the titles down to find tomorrow.  I need a good book (or two or three) to busy my brain for a bit.

Must go eat another piece of the Mace Cake I made earlier.  Yummily spicy.

Seeyoulater.

Tuesday evening

So I've been dealing with a bloodshot right eye for the past few days, along with the unsightly eczema which continues on my wrists at the base of my hands.  Gary came home today and said he'd been thinking about my eye all day.  Commented on how it's been an ongoing/off and on sort of situation for the past six months.  Drilled me on my contacts, which I'm extremely careful about wearing, and asked a couple of other questions.  Said that the bottom line was that he thought that mental stress was the cause of all of it.  Yep.  I'd agree.  Dang extended family stuff.

He said the keywords to relax might be treadmill, yoga and the like.  He's right.  Got to get the junk out of my head.  About to sit on the kitchen floor with the girls to play with the chickens.  Gary's been laying out the plan for the coop for the backyard. Thankfully the birds are easily contented.  I think that's a chicken's way, though.  Not too bright, so that's good, and glad of any attention at all, especially if it concerns food.  Their current favorite treat is spaghetti noodles, with roaches being a close second.  Yeah, buddy. We're a class act in this house.

Anyway, taking middle daughter to the dentist tomorrow to have two teeth pulled. One a baby tooth that never fell out and an adult molar that came in decayed.  It's next to the back molar and she'll have wires put in to pull that back tooth into the gap. Amazing to me what they can do.  And also wild that she actually enjoys going, but then again, her student doctor is such a doll.  Makes it easier all around.

Hope all is well in your world.  I must go play with chickens now.

Family stuff

Since Mother's Day is a full one for me, in the past I've tended to leave a gift for my mother inside her house while she's still at church.  We go to different churches, so the timing works out fine.  She gets a bit of a surprise on her kitchen table, and I'm free to be with our children for the rest of the day.

And since my oldest brother usually goes to her house on Sunday afternoon, at least on Mother's Day, it works out for everybody.  She's got company, and I don't feel bad not being there.

But this year is different.  I'll leave a gift there this evening on her carport, and I won't knock on the door.  Just flowers from our garden, but I have to do something.  Even now my heart pounds at the thought of going over there.  My hands are already broken out, and have been for several weeks.  A headache lurks continually on the left-side of my head.

With her upset with me, and being more drawn to my brothers now, I just don't know what to do.  Communication has stopped.

Here's how our house is run differently than how I was brought up.  One of our boys got into a bit of trouble, or what could-have-been trouble last night by not telling something that needed to be known.  Not a big deal, but it had big deal potential.  I told him that he needed to talk to his dad about it, and with sweaty hands, he did just that. Went to him, cleared the air, and Gary was fine with it.  No drama, but dealing with a sticky situation quickly before it could fester.

In my growing up years, we didn't deal with things.  We were told to not argue or raise our voices.  We were sent to our rooms and disagreements were disapproved of, yes, but things never got settled.  If anyone butted heads, the silent treatment began good and earnest.  No closure and no end in sight.  Just silence.  My mom and brothers use the same manner of dealing with conflicts to this day.  I married a feisty Irishman who won't stand for it.  He gets loud and gets in your face.  But he doesn't hold a grudge and when it's over, it's over.  I never knew what a blessing arguing could be.  To feel the relief of being forgiven, or being able to vocally forgive.  What a difference.

But that doesn't change the anxiety I feel with my own extended family.  I just wish it'd stop.

The evening ritual...

The top photo shows Nora, Madelyn, Anastasia and Piglet.  The middle chick on my shoulder is Milk, who's the self-appointed Head Chicken, and that's why she's not in the second photo.  She tends to sit up higher than everyone else, looking down on her kingdom.  As they say, there really is a pecking order.  And the bottom chick is Madelyn, really the sweetest of them all.  She'll sit in my lap, letting me put my hands around her as she snuggles in.  They'll even go to sleep in your hands doing that.  Talk about laid back.  And while they've grown quite a bit since we got them (3 weeks ago this coming Monday), they're still pretty small.

Testing for chicken video

As a short disclaimer---the hum in the background is the clothes dryer, right by my feet. And the lighting is a bit poor.  It looked bright enough when we were doing it, but looks sorta dark to me.  We're not sure why they were settling in on my skirt, but it did make me feel special. ;)  The other voice you hear is the least one.

Thursday evening

• took middle daughter to dental school for 2 fillings today
• she'll have to have wires put in next visit, after having 2 extractions
• they'll pull the teeth together to fill a gap
• one extraction is a canine baby tooth
• the dental student was amazed at that baby tooth
• i told him that i had 2 other kids at home who had the very same so-called imperfection
• he took a photo of it
• apparently he found it surprising
• will be glad to be at home tomorrow
• no errands
• needing grounding sorts of things to do
• full of angst about my relationship with my mom
• this is mother's day weekend and we're still, i guess, estranged
• how weird
• i just don't get it
• funny how a person's attitude can change so quickly
• must be i'm not always paying attention
• gary says nobody really understands how overwhelming it is to have 8 kids
• unless that person has over five or six of their own, most likely
• really enjoying this apple ad
• would like to know the tune so i can play a longer version of it
• praying for the Lord's provision 'cause i'm about outta money
• it's always interesting to see what happens when i pray for basic needs
• thankful God still answers our prayers no matter what
• there are times when i feel so unworthy (most times) but He's always attending to my needs
• must go check the brownies in the oven that the least one mixed up 
• will eat one when they cool down, or maybe two
• need to chill a bit (funny how sitting in a waiting room is so exhausting)
• 'course 3 hours is sort of a long wait, but normal at the dental school
• after brownies we'll play with the chickens
• take care

Chicken living

Listening to the girls feed the chickens a roach they stepped on.  I know what you're thinking, and I agree.  Gross.  But everyone's happy (except the roach), so we all win.

This week we've made a boundary of sorts in the backyard using the top and bottom of the box our treadmill came in---putting the boxes on their sides so the chicks can't fly over them, with our Oak tree being the other border along with the wooden fence. Huge box, and perfect to set as a fence so the chickens can play out back.  We have to stay with them, though.  They're crafty little beggars.  Milk got away from me yesterday and she could RUN.  Finally got her hemmed in against the wooden fence and picked her up as quick as I could.  My goodness.

Gary's deadline to make a hen house of sorts is coming closer and closer.  Oh, and I do have a video I took of us playing with them last night on the kitchen floor.  They pooed all over the place.  Must've been all the worms they scratched up yesterday. Milk (I see a pattern here) even did it in my shirt pocket, while she was sitting on my shoulder.  Not a good idea---not so much the sitting on the shoulder part, but the pooing bit.  Again I say, "Gross."

Well, must go.  Time to play with the pooing machines once again.  Sure does keep a person's sense of humor in use.

'Hand-Knit Your Home' by Melanie Porter

This is the perfect knitting book for lovers of retro art and the rest of us, children of the seventies.  Melanie Porter has created knitting projects in her book Hand-Knit Your Home for items I'd never have visualized.  I have never seen a lampshade covered in yarn, or even a chunky knitted rug, much less a cable knit clock.  The book is charming, and full of fun items to make.  Her instructions are clear and the photos showcasing her work are beautifully done.

And if you get especially passionate about the book, you could have a fully knitted home---chairs, lamps, cushions, flower pots, wastebasket and table runner, and that's not the full list.  Really, Porter's imagination is open to any possibility.  Truly a delightful book.

(i received this book free to review from cicobooks)

'Chasing Francis' by Ian Morgan Cron

As a new Anglican who is somewhat sympathetic to the Catholic faith, I enjoyed Chasing Francis so much.  Ian Morgan Cron tells the story of Chase Falcon, a burned out Evangelical pastor who doesn't know which way to go as he slowly seems to drift into a nervous breakdown.  In frustration he talks to his mom's first cousin, Kenny, who is a Baptist turned Catholic.  Kenny's also a Franciscan priest who's worked as a spiritual director, and after a lengthy talk with Chase on the phone, he invites him to visit him in Italy to recuperate and think things out.  The only problem is that Chase has left his church under uncomfortable circumstances.  His behavior as he descends into a breakdown give every indication to his congregation that he can't be relied on anymore.

In the course of the rest of the book Chase lets go of lots of mental and spiritual baggage in terms of what he expects of himself.  He gets to the heart of what he wants his church to become, since he left it in some disarray by running off to Italy.  He wants to get away from the materialism that his congregation has taken for granted as being important, and he moves toward a simpler faith, one that embraces the individual and their needs, and incorporates some aspects of the ancient church.

As he heals, he grows close to a small group of Franciscans who are colleagues of Kenny's.  And there's such an appeal with these men who embrace Francis of Assisi's lifestyle and beliefs.  Francis wasn't just the Saint who graces people's lawns with animals crawling over him.  He was a believer who desired a faith that reached out from the heart.

My only hesitation in reading the book is that while I'm not a tree-hugger, I was uncomfortable reading about saving the environment and caring for folks I'd prefer to allow someone else attend to.  Chase seems to believe that self-sacrifice is the route to reaching others for Christ.  Bottom line is, maybe he's right.

Read the book with a pencil at hand.  I underlined so many wonderful phrases.  I've yet to work on the 'pilgrim's guide' at the end of the book, but will in time.  This is a book I'll refer to again; it's just that sort of story.

(i received this book free to review from thomas nelson/booksneeze)

Chicken coop giveaway

• just entered a giveaway at Mother Earth News to win a chicken coop
• well, entered 2 contests for chicken coops
• one is neat, the other one looks a bit odd
• but they're free for the entering, so who cares?
• husband is skittish to build one
• go figure
• he can build amazing things, but show him screen wire, wood and roofing and he's a bit befuddled
• the negative at one contest is that they supply the winner with chicks
• oh my
• in our city, you can legally have 6 chickens
• we have five
• see, sounding like i'm actually going to win
• well, we're all entering in this house, and since the least one is the only one without an email address, we're entering 9 times
• should be enough, yes?
• would be so cool
• we keep having to bring home larger and larger cardboard boxes
• would be convenient if chickens were like fish, who only grow large enough to fit their aquarium
• least that's what i've heard
• at the rate these birds are growing, i'm hoping the coop contest ends soon!
• gary's not going to have an option, but to build
• but as he says, it's like the cobbler's children who go without shoes
• after a day of making sawdust at the shop, making the same here loses its appeal
• enjoy your day :)

Saturday afternooon

Last night fourth son and I ran errands including a trip to the store so I'd not have that chore today.  So love it when I do that.  So, for that brilliant move I've been able to stay home all day.  Dress like a gypsy and be lazy.  And the sun came out for a couple of hours earlier, which was a real treat.  We've had LOTS OF RAIN, really more than in ages and ages.  Drenched.  The backyard is a squelchy mess.  The route from the backdoor to the clotheslines is wet enough to suck the shoes right off your feet, and I wear clogs most of the time.  A couple of dry days would be nice.

As it is, I did hang out some sheets which I'll have to go back out to grab in a minute. More rain coming.  And I cut some pink azalea branches, roses, pansies, violas, dianthus and chocolate mint.  The mint is being taken over by the black-eyed Susans, and I'm going to root what I picked today.  Put it in a pot later on.

And the chickens are well.  They got chilly yesterday afternoon, so had to turn on their heat lamp again (as I have today).  I picked up Piglet, since she looked uncomfortable, and she just snuggled right in the crook of my neck.  They go to sleep so quickly when you cozy them next to you.

Now will rest for a bit.  Tuna casserole for dinner, chocolate chip cookies to bake and a house to tidy up just a smidgen.  Laying low.  Gary's at work, oldest daughter is out with sweet Indian boyfriend (hence the bit of tidying to do for later), 2 sons at the restaurant, middle daughter recovering from an infection, and the rest of the bunch here taking it easy.  Restful.  Will watch a movie with Gary after dinner, and church to plan for clothes-wise.  All good.

Chicken night

Every night the girls get the chicks out of their cardboard box and let them run wild in the kitchen.  First we have to put down a layer of newspaper, because those girls are very messy.  Let's just say that their digestive systems must be extremely uncomplicated. What goes in, must come out.

The older girls weren't in the mood to play with the chickens tonight, so I got down on the floor with the least one.  She was on one side of the room, and I was the barrier on the other side, with the kitchen cabinets and appliances on the long sides.  We pinned them in.  After a bit, after they'd attempted flying around awhile, they began to light on my skirt.  And Madelyn and Milk would get on my shoulder---so sweet to feel those feathers against my neck.  They're not afraid at all, though a bit skittish when there's rapid movement, but are so tame at this point.  Such little loves.

After about 15 or 20 minutes, the chicks began to get tired.  They'd nestle down on my lap, sometimes four of the five.  So sweet.  Their little tummies were so warm against my skin.  Almost hot, their feet included.  Little feathered ovens.

Getting them was just the thing to do.  With all that's in my tattered mind lately, a very good thing.