Monday is a Fine Day Too

And it is day two too.  Day two of chick hatching.

This morning when I went out to feed Ruby, she showed me that she had 4 babies.

When I took a little break from work around 11:15, I could hear her very plainly asking me for greens, and since she wouldn't come out to forage, I brought her handfuls of tender dandelion greens and clover.  She ate ravenously, while chicks hopped all around my hands to see what this new thing might be.  She hasn't been outside the enclosure to forage for three or four days now.  And yet, despite her obvious need for green nourishment, I noticed how careful she was around the chicks.  She would be eating in a frenzy, but when a curious chick would come between her and the food, she would check herself, go slower and more gently, eating around her offspring.

And yes, at 11:30 the count was 5 live chicks.  And one that didn't make it and had been carefully place away from the nest.  From that evidence I can see that she occasionally gets off the nest to move around her enclosure.  Mostly to clean house apparently, because the weeds in that area are untouched.

By my count there should be 4 more eggs left to hatch, but I will be jolly thrilled with any chicks I get, especially if they turn out to be hens.

I'll try to get pictures soon.

Well now, back to work.

One Fine Sunday

It's flippin' cold outside.  So my friend Ruby Hen has decided to go broody.  Through shorter daylight hours, stormy nights and cold temperatures, she has been on the nest.  And this morning, because I knew it was getting close...I peeped at her when I was feeding her.  And I was rewarded with an answering peep from underneath her fluffed up feathers.

I kept my distance, and gave her plenty of space.  But I'm sure she could hear my heart singing.  I'm sure it carried for miles.

This afternoon, as I was taking out the compost, I caught sight of two black fluffy chicks exploring the world around their mom.  As soon as she saw me she tucked them in under her.  And still, I kept my distance and cooed to her and told her what fine chicks they were, and what a good mother she was.

I guess she knows, I won't take them from her, because every time I call to her now, she stands up to show me a glimpse of her chicks.  And at the end of the day, she stood up to show me there were 3.

Oh to be brand new in the world.

They are already exploring, and tasting things and pecking at things, and it's only their first day. And even though they're so small, they look so sturdy, and independent.  I found myself saying a prayer to the angels who watch over brand new baby animals, and their moms.  Let me watch them grow.  Let me watch this Joy in the form of downy feathers, and soft peeps, and dancing feet.

And when the most confident one spread it's tiny little wings, I remembered the words of Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes talking about chicks.  "Don't you know the angels breath through their wings?"

I do now.  I've seen it first hand.

Autumn Leaves

image Autumn Bridge found via google search on Jackee Holder .com

I just looked up from my busy life, to catch a glimpse of Autumn racing past on the wind.  I have done almost nothing this year to mingle with Time as it dons its seasonal garment of falling leaves, damp scents, misty mornings, warm sunny afternoons where the light falls upon the earth from a different point on the horizon, early evenings, and chilled air.

How is it possible to miss metabolizing this? Oh yes, I know what it is.  The illusion that I have a To Do list that will actually get done if I just keep at it. Just a distraction to keep me engaged with busy work. Keeping me busy Doing, rather than Being.

My birthright--my one great talent has always been for being present and Noticing.  Somehow, I have slipped into drowsiness, as I keep my nose to the grindstone, literally focusing on the dust particles of life.  The more I focus, the less I see.

Ducks in a row?  What is that nonsense?  Let them wander.  Let them fly.

Haute Couture

Zoë is recovering from a very large wound.  Today is the day the tummy wrap comes off  (actually it fell off yesterday, and I have been struggling to keep it on ever since).  The "cone of shame" they presented us with was obviously for a medium size dog, not for the diminutive Zoë.  Unless it goes around her waist.

In seeking solutions to keep her stapled tummy protected, it was suggested that I use a chihuahua tee-shirt.  I came up with this solution instead.

I am now painfully aware that my rags look better on Zoë than on me.  This is the sleeve of an old sweater.   I cut arm holes in it and folded the narrow end down to make a cowl.

I couldn't get very good pictures, but she looks very chic in person, and she seems to really love it.  What wouldn't be better than a blue elastic tummy wrap, miles too long.









#BetterDressedThanMommy

Hearth & Heart Autumn 2015 update

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Hearth & Heart Autumn 2015
cover mock up

I was hoping to have this edition out by now, but things keep happening to delay.  I have almost the whole thing ready to go, but I needed to reproduce 4 major images and I'm not satisfied with the quality.  I guess I need to find another printer.

Zoë is another reason.  I have decided not to use that stupid over-sized cone on her, so that means that from time to time, I have to remind her not to start exploring her wound site, while it heals.  She's doing amazing.  I actually got some sleep last night.  I feel lucky that I work from home, because it allows me to be present with her.  One less thing to stress about.  And one thing I know from experience working in energy medicine with my own animals and with others, is that our human stress over our loved ones, slows down their healing process.  My analysis is that it causes an interference pattern in your psyche, which inhibits your ability to "see" your sick animal as healthy.  (Or to use the more familiar language of Abraham-Hicks, --You won't be a vibrational match with that outcome.)

I got some amazing insight into the physiology of a cat, while doing Zoë 's session last night.  It was so magical, that I might try and find a way to share it in story form.

I'm also doing some book binding work right now.  Pegana Press is releasing The Golden Key by George MacDonald with illustrations by Charles Van Sandwyk.  (hopefully by the end of September).  Visit the link to view photos of the book.

Well now it's off to work I go.

Tough Girl Hall of Fame

My life revolves around my family, home, and our businesses.  I think of myself as an average person, even though in reality, I'm probably not.  But the things that set me apart are simply a point of perspective about what to focus on.  The things that I share in common with most people in any culture, are the basics.  Love for Family, love for home, and working to support that.

Yesterday, I got to experience being at the veterinary clinic, something I would give almost anything to avoid.  But while there, I had the opportunity to observe the family dynamic that we as human beings create with our pets.  And here, I found another common connection that I share with most people.

Everyone in that building had a deep relationship with an animal as a family member.  I saw expressions of tenderness, empathy, joy, tears, guilt, relief on human faces.  And we connected with our eyes, and without speaking a word recognized each other as members of the same tribe.  We had all opened our hearts and our homes to embrace an animal as family.

My cat friend Zoë, was the reason for the visit.  I have done everything possible to create a safe outdoor environment for them, by building a high fence, that keeps them in and mostly keeps other animals out.  But it seems that she had been attacked by something, and had a large gash in her very small body across her abdominal area.  It went undetected for about 3 1/2 days, because the wound had folded in on itself, and there wasn't even any blood.  So even though I heard her scream in her angry girl fighting voice, I've heard her use it to warn off other cats passing by, outside of the fence, and so I put it down to the neighbor cat getting too close to her turf.  Especially, since I could find nothing obviously wrong with her.  She was angry and upset, and continued to curse at everyone.  I guess I should have known.

She spent the day hunkered down and didn't eat.  I still couldn't find anything wrong with her.  But I gave her some energy medicine, and she seemed to be fine the next day.  Appetite was back and she was moving around again.

Over the next 2 days she got better and better.  She seemed like herself in every way except that she was careful with her movements.  But I continued to be worried.  We talked about taking her to the vet, but our experience with that has mostly been, expensive tests that show nothing, and then the vet says they can find nothing wrong, and the animal gets well on their own.  On Friday night, I was doing a BodyTalk session on her and found lumps on her stomach.  The shape of it reminded me of intestines and my fear was a hernia.  I wouldn't even let my mind dwell on the possibility of tumors.  I just knew I needed to get her to the vet.

The next day husband and I drove Zoë into town for her appointment.  I watched with horror as the vet's assistant pried open the folds of skin to reveal a wound that most likely would have been slow poison to my small friend.  So much of the tissue had already died.  My poor dear girl.

And through all of that handling, she didn't utter a sound.  And she held as still as possible.  Which has definitely won her a spot in the tough girl hall of fame.

They did surgery to repair the wound and I was able to keep the promise I had made to her, before we set out, that no matter what, I would bring her home that same day.

She's sleeping next to me right now as I write.  Somehow, I've made her understand that it's not a good idea to try and get at the wound while it heals.  I've used words and sent her pictures in my mind to help her understand.  And as added incentive, she knows about The Cone.  The dread 'cone of shame'.  She's worn one before, and I sent her pictures and stimulated her memory about how it felt.  Never the less, I will be spending the next few days watching her.  Which will allow me a good excuse to plant myself in one spot and write.

Hearth & Heart Autumn Edition

I'm just about ready to release Hearth & Heart Volume 1 2015 Autumn Edition.  This quarterly zine is filled with short stories, and images, as well as some surprises.

The Autumn Edition 2015 features 3 short stories, an essay, and a poem.  Story titles include  A Fairy Tale from 1969, Smile!, and There Be Giants.

Genre: Magical Realism

This zine will be available at Pegana Press Books  as well as at my Etsy shop  A Charmed Enchantment in about a week.  Only about 3 weeks later than I had hoped to release it, but considering my relationship with Time, I did pretty well.