The End of the Cancer Saga

I haven't posted on this blog for years. This was started to help me deal with my best friend's stage IV breast cancer, in 2005. It is now February 14, 2013 - and this morning Theresa Quesinberry Alterman passed into the next realm. She lasted over seven years - and I will forever be proud to call her my friend. When diagnosed with invasive cancer she did NOT succumb to despair and depression - instead she considered cancer her wake up call. She left a bad marriage - and eventually made a great one with a wonderful guy who truly loved and appreciated her. She stuck around to get her children into their teenage years - I hope they will forever know how very much she loves them.

I love you, my friend. May you play with Angels - and be joy. Pure joy.

Namaste

The Writing Continues...

but not on this site! Feel free to browse and read about the crazy years - but we're all older, wiser and much more organized, now!

You can follow the adventure at http://midshorelife.com/blogger/confessions-un-runner. You can also find more by googling Cyndi Paxton Johnson.

For those of you still experiencing "The Crazy Years", filled with messes, whiny children, isolation and the death of brain cells - take heart - it DOES get better! Your children will eventually become responsible and start cleaning up rather than tearing down, you will eventually have - and maintain - independent thought again, and your friendships will be formed by who you are, not how you're living.

And, although my life was crazy, my kids have grown into amazing, responsible, loving human beings. So...... it was all worth it!

Namaste!

Rumors of Sunshine

Hold onto your hats! The sun has been spotted, albeit infrequently, on Maryland's mid-shore! This has been the rainiest April in recent memory (which may not be saying all that much). It's reported an incredible double rainbow was spotted last night over Easton (I missed it, though). Today has been rain-free, but chilly.

According to the song, "April showers bring May flowers". At our house - a month of rain has resulted in an overly healthy yard. The grass is growing so fast you can almost see it! The flies and mosquitoes are already gathering - the chickens are happily pecking for bugs - and the multitudes of birds in the treetops fill the skies with song. It feels like...Spring!

Having said that - there's a frost warning for tonight - so don't get carried away gardening! According to my cold toes - it's not THAT much like spring!

Gifts

Rain...sunshine...rain...fog...rain....sunshine....snow....rain...

I'm afraid the weather has been mimicking my emotional state lately - up, down, up, down. Sorry, everyone! (although I DID get a kick out of the snow flurries) For the emotional and meteorologic fans out there - I predict increasingly warmer weather and calm seas ahead!

There's nothing like a change of scenery, good friends, good news, and a bulldog to help you find the sunny side of the street! And...it's good to be home again!

Thank you, Universe!

For everything.

Daring to Disagree

Here's a question for the Universe...

How do you disagree with good friends without things turning ugly? It's taken me a long time to get to the place where I'll actually tell a friend they've hurt my feelings - that the situation could have been handled differently. I used to always bury my feelings and pretend nothing had happened - because I knew the friend would feel attacked if I dared to share that I felt hurt by her words or her choices.

Now I speak up, rewriting many times, until I'm able to share my feelings with a friend without sounding accusing. (because I don't filter too well face to face) Doesn't seem to matter. No matter how gently I think I'm treading I squash someone's tail.

What's the solution? Not saying anything in the first place? Letting things blow up, then moving on without addressing the problem?

Disagreements are a part of life, a part of relationships. What's the best way to handle them???

Know What?

My kids are cool. They make me crazy - but they're awesome. This just came in my email - which means I'll have to keep them, I guess!

Actually, they're turning out to be more computer savvy than I - it's a bit scary. The youngest is running around in a too short spiderman suit. He looks like a blue and red string bean. He's very funny.

As for me - I had a tooth rebuilt this morning - and it hurts a bit. AND...I have to go back next week for more work. Did I mention I am TERRIFIED of the dentist? Cold sweat and heart palpitation afraid? Yup....that would be me. So...the card from the girls is quite a boost to my day!

Now all I need is wine...

It's a Brand New Year!

There's nothing like a new year to have you scribbling away madly at goals and to-do lists! I always feel like I'm torn in so many directions at once; how do I juggle homemaking, homeschooling, extended family, writing, business goals, creative projects, errands, non-profit commitments and friends into something that occasionally works??? Oh wait - I forgot home maintenance and renovation! (and probably at least 20 more "hot" topics that require my attention!)

For housecleaning, there's Flylady & Motivated Moms that provide me with daily lists of things to accomplish. There's also the time commitment of assigning the kids rotating chores - then making sure they actually do them! For homeschooling I've devised my own schedule of activities - but they tend to take a LOT longer to muddle through than I'd like! How many hours does it take to do two pages of math, anyway! The errands just fall where they will - but they almost always take an entire day! (by the time I have to drive an hour to get anywhere - I try to get the most bang for my gasoline!)

Let's not forget COOKING! One must figure out WHAT's for dinner, assemble the ingredients, cook the food, then deal with clean-up, leftovers and complaints from small people who hate onions and mushrooms. Even though they ate onions and mushrooms two days ago, without pause.

Then we get to the tricky stuff - 1)earning money and 2)fulfilling lifelong goals & dreams. If you work someplace other than the home your tasks are separate and distinct. If you need to find time, place & brain power to accomplish this amidst kids & chaos, things get more complicated. I'm still trying to figure out a reasonable schedule & to-do list that incorporates business into 24/7 kids.

And then there's your lifetime goals - which get more urgent as more birthdays creep along. For me - writing. And publishing. When do I do this? And is this more or less important than the business goals which actually feed our family?

I've decided that 2009 will be the year of abundance - the year of the Midas Touch. The year that everything I dedicate my time and energies to will bring forth fruit - and success. I'm done spinning my wheels - it's time to burn rubber and move!

Therefore, this year's blog will help me - and you - find methods that allow us to live the lives we imagine - filled with purpose, abundance, love and joy!

And so here's to 2009 - and US!

Namaste!

It's Winter....Yay???

It is indeed, officially, winter. I was quite excited when my daughter informed me of this - the twenty degree temperatures and 25 mile per hour winds hadn't tipped me off. The craziness of December is almost over - just the food dilemma remains. We're preparing to snuggle into our drafty abode and ride out January - while waiting to see if the kids develop chicken pox.

We've stacked up on books - my 10 year old and 7 year old are into the Harry Potter series - as evidenced by jumping children throwing spells at their siblings. We've had to institute a few rules....1) no unforgivable curses and 2)you may NOT use knitting needles as wands. I'm pretty sure more rules will be added on a regular basis.

I finished and mailed the baby kimono and hat to my great nephew yesterday. It's not perfect - but it looks pretty good AND I finished it before he was 3 weeks old - I'm pretty excited! Yay, Me!

Our chickens are laying beautiful brown or green eggs! We're getting about 5-6 eggs per day - from eight hens. They free range in our fenced back yard - with only occasional escapes. We're talking about adding a few more chickens - but will have to screen in the back porch or something. The amount of chicken poop piling up is starting to be alarming. We figure we'll have to cut the grass twice a week next summer, after all that fertilizer!

We're busy with Mid Shore Life Magazine - and looking for more local submissions - if you're on the eastern shore. It's been fun visiting local places and writing about them.

Happy Holidays, my friends. May the new year bring peace, joy and abundance -in all things.

Namaste!

Knitting? Kno Problem!

Ok, here's the thing. It takes awhile for my talent to catch up with my imagination. (think...millennium) I can visualize something quite clearly - producing it...well, that's another story.

Case in point: I have been actively attempting to knit a baby hat and kimono for my nephew's new son. I've been working for over a month, the baby arrived yesterday. There's a small caveat - I don't knit. Well, I've made lumpy scarves - but that's it.

No matter. THIS child would have something lovingly created by my own hands. I was in California in September, saying goodbye to this child's grandfather, my brother. David succumbed to the cancer invading his body just a week later. This child will carry my brother's name - and his heart. I'm so very, very happy about that.

But...I still need to finish the kimono. I did manage to learn how to knit in the round (on four needles!) and made a darn cute baby hat! The first two went to my girls - they would only fit dolls. (I'm hoping this babe's head isn't overly large!)It's the kimono that's giving me issues. It didn't help that last night the dog splashed my "It's a boy" glass of celebratory wine onto the unfinished garment. My wonderful husband helped me get out the stains - through my sobs. (note to self: don't knit and drink - I had to remake the top of the baby hat for that very reason!)

So....It's only halfway done - the easy half. I'm not sure I even understand the directions for finishing the neckline - let alone have the talent to carry it off.

I WILL finish - and it WILL fit! Right??????

Namaste.

The Un-Runner has been Sighted!

It's been a long time....getting from there to here! (from the title song of Enterprise, in case you wondered)

I've been pretty busy lately - but not on the Un-Runner blog! Sorry! My writing workload has been focused on www.MidShoreLife.com - our new website for promoting life on the Mid-Shore! Please check it out - we're really working hard on getting it together!

On the homefront - we have eggs! Five of our eight chickens have found there place in the universe - and the others are taunted daily with the promise of "Chicken & Dumplings"! Our eggs are mostly shades of brown, with an occasional green egg from one of our Americana hens! The hens are a hoot - they follow us around the yard, pecking at our shoes. Sometimes they gang up on the back porch and start screaming for corn. I'm giving them vegetable scraps & bread crusts along with the corn as treats - but they really prefer the corn!

Now....about the eggs. I've been buying free range organic eggs from the Amish Market. I really didn't think our eggs would taste any differently. I was wrong.

O.M.G.!!! I had NO idea eggs could taste this good! Maybe because they free range in our back yard? The yolks are dark orange red - cheddar cheese pales in comparison.They really are incredible! I had no idea. I'm SO glad we got chickens!

Who knew?

I'll still be posting family stuff on this site - but please, please, PLEASE check out www.MidShoreLife.com frequently - most of my non-personal musings will be on there!

Thank you - and Enjoy!

Namaste!

Sheep riding? Bull Hockey!

I live in the country, surrounded by farm animals and miles of corn and soybeans. I lived in New York City for close to a decade, surrounded by concrete, steel and six or seven million people all wanting to live on the same three square miles. For the remaining years I existed in Suburbia, complete with strip malls, parking lots and overprotective mothers. My point being – I have not lived an isolated life – I’ve been around. I didn’t think there was much left on U.S. soil that could surprise me!

And then my family attended our first rodeo.

I’ve seen rodeo events on television – I knew to expect the barrel racing, the bronco riding, and the bull riding. I knew, theoretically, that such events are dangerous. I wasn’t prepared for the adrenaline and pure terror rush of seeing a 3,000 pound bull stomp on a 150 pound man. I screamed and yelled myself hoarse – and I’m NOT a screamer. My poor girls had their heads buried in my armpits as they sobbed with terror. I kept reassuring them that 1) the cowboys were professionals, they knew what they were doing and they did it often and 2) they were doing this because they loved it and 3) they were all probably a wee bit funny in the head.

The kids weren’t impressed: the girls kept asking to leave (but we were on the top of the crowded bleachers) and the boy just pulled out a book and read. I basically told them to suck it up – it wasn’t THAT bad!

And then we entered the stupid zone. Otherwise known as audience participation.

First came the small children, riding really ticked off sheep. A three year old child was released from the shoot hanging tightly onto the neck of a large sheep that did NOT want to be there and did NOT want this wee child riding it! The sheep darted this way and that as the child fell sideways off of the sheep dangerously close to the animal’s pounding hooves. The second child, also age three, held on longer and barely missed having his small, unprotected head rammed into the metal fencepost at an alarming speed. The sheep then vaulted the child over its head and the child landed, face-first and open-mouthed, in the dirt. The weeping toddler was carried off the field.

To be fair, the children, aged three through six, seemed to be having a wonderful time. But I was shocked on many levels. One, the children did NOT wear protective headgear – how insane is that? And that’s only an issue after you’ve decided, as a parent, to put your toddler on the back of a sheep (NOT an animal designed or trained for carrying people) and hope for the best while you laugh and take pictures! I still won’t let our seven year old cross our narrow, country street to get the mail – because I’m not convinced he’ll be safe!

And then I realized it was some genetic bent towards “stupid rodeo tricks” that allowed parents to volunteer their offspring. I’ll explain…

The next game was “Bull Hockey” and they asked for volunteers. My husband and I figured it was a hockey game played with manure – stinky but safe.

We were wrong.

Eight men volunteered to enter the arena after signing waivers guaranteeing they wouldn’t sue in case of death or dismemberment. These men formed two teams with each team having a “goal” zone made by metal barrels. The professional cowboys and the bull fighter (rodeo clown) LEFT the field to these idiots then released one large, horned, angry bull. The men were instructed to make the bull go through their team’s goal.

The brain-damaged males then attempted to grab the bull and direct him through their team’s goals. The bull, surprisingly, was not amenable to this task, and proceeded to attempt to shish-kebob the testosterone soaked cretins that were interrupting his day. One man received a slash to his face that would require stitches, and another fell under the bull’s stomping hooves. He was able to scoot under the gate to safety while a team member pummeled the bull’s head to distract the animal from the kill zone.

Finally, after an eternity, the buzzer sounded and professional cowboys entered the arena to guide the animal away. I ceased screaming and dug my children out from the floorboards – it was over! My husband directed my attention to the arena where the men were AGAIN forming sides in preparation for the next bull. The idiots were going to do it again!!!

At this point we grabbed our children and bags and pushed through the people below us until we were close enough to the ground to jump off the side of the bleachers. It was over the children’s heads – but they vaulted to the ground without hesitation - and kept running. We were close on their heels as the five of us sprinted away from the crowd’s roar towards safety and sanity.

I could be wrong, but I’m thinking we’re just not “rodeo” people!

Our Diet: The Cure for What Ails Us?

I hate change. First of all, it’s work. You have to actually think about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how you’re going to pull it off. It’s much easier to just maintain the old comfortable status quo, regardless of the dangers. Secondly, change upsets everyone close to you, since they are much more comfortable with you maintaining the status quo, as well. And third, change – to be effective – must be maintained. Which puts us back to numbers one and two – it’s work and it annoys your loved ones.

However, positive change is always worth the effort and the arguments. And sometimes, it’s even tasty!

Case in point: my mother was recently diagnosed with diabetes – on top of her high cholesterol and high blood pressure. She’s not alone. In 2007, 23.6 million Americans had diabetes, 73 million had high blood pressure and 101 million Americans had high cholesterol levels. Most newly diagnosed diabetics have been treated for high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Let’s face it: when it comes to being a healthy nation – we suck!

My mother was adamant about not adding another medicine to her already impressive repertoire. An Amazon search provided us with several books on the subject and within days we were reading Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes (Neal Barnard, M.D.) and The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle (Franklin House, M.D., Stuart Seale, M.D., and Ian Blake Newman). To our surprise, both books recommend similar lifestyle changes – a vegan diet!

To be vegan is to ingest only plant based foods. That means, in addition to eliminating meat and seafood you’ll be cutting out eggs, milk and dairy products as well. This sounded a tad… well…weird, so I read both books thoroughly and did online research, as well. Several studies compared a vegan diet to the ADA (American Diabetes Association) recommended diet with startling results. The followers of the vegan diet had fasting blood sugar levels 59% lower than their ADA counterparts, and were able to reduce or eliminate their medication and still control their glucose levels. The vegan group also lost twice as much weight as the ADA group. It’s important to note that the ADA diet is a much healthier diet than most Americans enjoy. It includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean chicken and fish. Yet this group still relied heavily on medication to control their disease.

Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes does an excellent job of explaining the disease and the cure, as well giving easy directions for beginning a vegan lifestyle. The recipe’s were simple and tasty, including vegetarian refried beans and Thai-style coleslaw. We were able to pick up all the necessary ingredients at the local grocery store, but an hour drive to the nearest Trader Joe’s grocery store saved us a wad of cash. I also visited a nearby Amish marketplace to stock up on assorted whole grains and dried beans.

We returned home with bags of brown rice, 9-grain mix, quinoa, whole grain tortillas, sprouted grain cinnamon raison bread, hummus, tofu, veggies, soymilk and assorted vegan “meat” products. We were ready!

My goal was to find simple foods that my mother could put together without much thought or prep time. It’s important to start the day with plenty of whole grains, so I tried various grains (steel cut oats, 9-grain cracked cereal) in the slow cooker overnight. They were edible, but too creamy (read mushy) for my taste. I much prefer putting the grains in a heavy pot over medium heat and toasting them somewhat, then adding the appropriate amount of water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer til done (about 20 minutes for flaked grains, or 45 minutes for whole grains). Then I add various dried fruit (you can cook the fruit along with the grains, to plump them), seeds or ground flaxseed and maybe some soymilk and agave sweetener. Delicious! Any extra goes into the fridge for a snack or next day’s breakfast!

Another book I devoured was Vegan Express, by Nava Atlas. Her recipes were simple and delicious! For example, cubed tofu fried in a tablespoon each of olive oil, soy sauce and agave sweetener is quick and amazingly good, even to tofu newbies! Even my ten year old daughter gave the tofu a thumbs up – possibly because it included nothing green!
Other recipes included Nearly Instant Thai Coconut Corn Soup and Thai Pineapple Stir-Fried Rice (ok, I like Thai food – but she had a LOT of other recipes, too!)

Many tasty meals required no recipes. I threw lentils, onions & garlic, shredded carrots and kale into a crock-pot with some vegetarian broth and extra water one morning, and we returned home to a nutritious, yummy stew! For lunch we’d layer hummus, Thai-broccoli coleslaw, vegetarian re-fried beans and fresh salsa into a whole grain wrap – it was amazing! As good as any restaurant food I’ve ever purchased!

I learned about being vegan to help improve my mother’s health. After enjoying the foods for a few days and reading about the overall health benefits of the lifestyle, I decided to try it myself!

My mother and I are both feeling fantastic on this whole foods approach to life! We have plenty of energy and are both enjoying losing weight without feeling hungry! I have no doubt that this diet will not only help her diabetes, but her high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and her diverticulitis!

If you’re interested in reversing disease and enjoying good health, I recommend getting Dr. Barnard’s book, as the vegan diet does take planning. It’s important to make sure you get enough protein: beans, lentils, tofu, soymilk, etc. It’s also important to take a B-12 supplement, since B-12 is found primarily in organ meats, eggs & milk. From my own lessons from the front: make sure you have quick food on hand and eat some kind of food every few hours or so. Don’t let yourself get depleted and hungry. (I postponed lunch for an hour while I ran errands, and felt horrible. It took two cucumber & hummus sandwiches, a glass of water and a glass of soy milk before I finally felt human again.) Remember to drink plenty of water! We almost never drink enough, and our bodies crave that simple refreshment.

Here’s to our Health! Here’s to living long and joyously! If these books and studies are correct, we need not resign ourselves to the inevitable American diseases that leave us dependent on the pharmaceutical industry for our very lives. For me, that’s enough motivation to effect some serious change. To be quite honest, I don’t know that I’ll remain vegan forever. I’m committing to it for a month to see how I feel. Then I’ll try occasionally adding milk and eggs and see if there’s an effect. I may eventually even splurge on a steak, I’m not sure. The danger is in slipping back into the American eating habits that are killing us. But I’d really like to have the occasional egg – we just got chickens!

If you are ready to eat for your health, be prepared for plenty of grief. I think folks tend to believe the commercials about how milk does a body good, or how our bodies need animal protein to survive. We can’t live on lettuce alone, true – and I certainly wouldn’t want to. But whole, healthy foods taste fantastic – and leave me feeling much more satisfied than a greasy cheeseburger or heavy macaroni and cheese. But it’s hard to give up our comfort food, and friends will be happy to talk you out of such drastic change.

Why not test the waters? Get the books and do the research (and that does NOT mean asking your friends and family – trust me!) then commit to a one month trial. Get your blood levels checked before and after so you have hard numbers for the naysayers, in addition to your personal testimony.

Join me! Let’s try vegan for a month and see how we feel! What have we got to lose except fat, sludgy blood, disease and exhaustion?

I’m ready to BE the new and improved model. You?

It’s Summer – Let’s Eat!

Question: What’s so great about Maryland in the summer?
Answer: The Food, of course!

Summer in Maryland can best be described with three words: Hot, Humid and Colorful. We may be wilting from the heat during the day and battling King Kong mosquitoes at night – but we’re laughing through the haze as we devour the local flavor. Summer has yet again blessed us with a cornucopia of vibrant, savory foods from local farmers.

Your local Farmers’ Market is overflowing with red, pink and yellow tomatoes, green and yellow squash, green beans, cucumbers, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, cherries and more! How about fresh free-range eggs or chickens, or some organic, grass-fed beef? And let us not neglect – the seafood! Catch the end of the blue crab season or indulge in freshly caught fish. Stock up on those fresh herbs: basil and thyme, oregano and sage.

Why buy and eat local foods? First of all, it just tastes better! It’s fresh, crisp and flavorful right out of the garden – and the nutrients pack the greatest wallop then, too! Fresh produce loses nutrients quickly, so once it’s been on a truck for a week it’s barely worth eating. Local farmers also plant more varieties of vegetables, because different strands are harvested at different times. This preserves the genetic diversity of our food, rather than settling for the one variety that produces well, withstands every hardship, and is able to be mechanically harvested without damage.

Buying local foods supports endangered family farms. Vow to spend just $8-$10 a week on local foods, and you’ll make a significant impact on your local economy and your neighborhood farmers. Talk with your local farmers at CSA’s (community supported agriculture) and Farmer’s Markets. These folks have a wealth of information that they’re happy to share – just ask! Easy recipes, information about a vegetable you’ve never tried, storage techniques: they’ll have answers!

Buying locally also reduces your own carbon footprint, as most food is transported an average of 1300 miles before it graces your table. Now let your mind envision the large, powerful corporations that make the storage and transport of your food possible. Should your precious food dollars support these environmental nightmares or might they be better used supporting your local community?

I know….it’s work. It means changing our routine and our entire thought process about our daily bread. We’ve all been sucked into believing the television commercials – that eating the processed, packaged food from South America gives us more time and allows us to live the American Dream.

But let’s review where that dream has led us. As a Nation we’re grossly overweight and pathetically unhealthy. Diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are common afflictions leading to our support of another mega-industry – pharmaceutical. (don’t worry, that’s a rant for another day). In our grandparents generation families gathered in the kitchen and at the table – and talked as they prepared and enjoyed their foods. Today we collapse in front of the television, usually in different rooms. Something’s missing.

It’s time to re-think the American Dream.

It’s time to nourish and care for:
- our bodies
- our families
- our communities
- our nation
- our world

We can’t do everything at once – but we can commit to gradual, consistent change. For now, let’s start by buying – and eating - a few local food products each week. Go to your local Farmers’ Market or Amish Marketplace. Discover the indescribable taste of quality and freshness. Your world – and your health – may never be the same.

The Un-Runner Has Left the Driveway!

Some people get stuck in non-productive ruts. Me? I head straight for the Grand Canyon of Un-Productivity. I don't know if everyone takes these unexpected detours - or if I'm just "special". (yeah, I vote "special", too!) The good news is each time I detour I lose less ground than before - and I recover quicker.

In my current quest for a doable routine that allows me to juggle the many, many plates in my life - I've gotten back to running! I've read that many, many successful people run every morning. Since I WILL be successful, I must run every morning - yes?

In an effort of full disclosure - it hasn't been EVERY morning - I tend to walk more than I run - and this morning's run got cut quite short because it had gotten waaaay too hot before I made it away from the computer and out onto the street. However - I AM making progress!

I really applaud you folks who manage to run 20 miles (Go Amy!) or bike 60. I won't be joining you, however. I'll hold down the homefront - educating the children, figuring out new ways to cook zucchini, and making sure we have plenty of iced tea! (ok - I'm also writing a book, running a writing & public speaking career, and organizing quite a few things for the local homeschooling population - but you get the idea. Most of these things do NOT require sweating.)

To be fair, my proudest accomplishment of the week: my children are doing daily household chores! Honest! The six year old vacuumed this morning and took care of the dogs, the nine & ten year olds cared for the cats & chickens then cleaned tables & emptied trash. And THEN they worked on their bedrooms! What manifested this miracle, you ask? I made a chart. Yup. Didn't even promise them anything for doing the work, just said we were ALL going to contribute to the household - a little bit every day. I don't know how long it will last - but for now it's working! (we're all a little routine challenged in this happy home)

So...we're all trying the new routines. Unfortunately, I always wear out BEFORE my schedule says it's rest time. In fact, it's now time for me to oversee the education portion of our day - and I'm not sure what we're doing yet. As Robert Frost said:

I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep.

ZZZZZZZZ...

Got Chickens?

We do! Our eight little peeps arrived last month and have settled in nicely, thank you ! We have four different breeds - Rhode Island Red & Barred Rock (known for their prolific brown eggs), Americana (lays green/blue eggs and are very social) and Partridge Cochin (absolutely beautiful, with feathered feet!).


In another three months we should have daily fresh eggs - and they should continue to lay for 3-5 years. I'm not very clear on what will happen after that - they usually become dinner, but my children have been very, very vocal about that NOT being an option. I wasn't that concerned until I discovered that chickens can live 20-30 YEARS!!!! Are you kidding me? I think I prefer hamsters with their three year lifespan - MUCH more doable! Too bad they don't lay eggs.

Anyway, we now have a garden (and zucchini) and chickens. What's next, you ask?

Well, does anyone know anything about pygmy milk goats? (Just think, milk, butter, cheese, ice cream........)

Yup - I have issues!